Chapter 2

Hayley's Pov

Lucian’s face was above mine, and his expression was cold and unfeeling, the dagger in his

hand still dripping with my blood.

“Why?” I whispered, tears streaming from the corners of my eyes. “Why would you do this to

me, Lucian?”

I reached for him with trembling fingers, my voice shaking as I forced out my final words. “You

will pay for this, Lucian. One day, you will look into my eyes and see what your betrayal has cost

you. Mark my words…”

My eyes gently closed and all I could feel at that point, close to death, was darkness, numbness

and cold.

***

The first thing I noticed was the softness of the bed beneath me. It was nothing like the cold,

hard marble of the throne room floor. My eyes fluttered open, and light flooded in, blinding and

warm. The ceiling above me was smooth and white, and strange noises hummed faintly in the

distance.

I tried to sit up, my body feeling heavy and sluggish, and a soft voice spoke beside me.

“Luna, you’re awake! Oh! Thank God”

I turned my head to see a woman sitting next to the bed. She had a kind face, with warm brown

eyes and dark hair pulled into a neat bun. Her smile was comforting, but her words were

strange.

“Luna?” I repeated.

“Yes,” she said with a nod. “You fainted earlier, but everything is fine now. How are you feeling?”

Confused, I instinctively reached for my stomach, fear gripping me. My hand rested on the firm

curve of my belly, hoping to feel my baby inside of me.

The woman noticed and smiled again. “You’re still pregnant, don’t worry. The baby is fine. But

your fainting spree gave us all a scare.”

“My baby…,” I murmured, my mind spinning. I died. I was sure of it. Yet here I was, alive, with

my child still safe inside me.

I was still processing the whole talk when the woman stood. “Alpha is on his way home. He’s

been so worried about you.”

“Alpha, what?” I repeated, the word felt so foreign. I didn't understand any of what she was

saying. I have a king, not an Alpha. What was this strange woman talking about?

“Yes, Luna. He should be here soon.”

I tried to make sense of her words, but my thoughts were interrupted by the ray of light. Across

the room, a strange black box suddenly came to life, showing moving pictures and voices.

On the screen, a man in a weird dress, one I hadn't seen before spoke and was looking straight

at me on the screen. “The Castro Kingdom, standing for over a century, is now being

demolished. Residents have already begun evacuating as crews prepare to tear down the

palace in order to build something more efficient for our time now.”

The image switched to show different people with tools and machines, tearing apart stone walls.

My breath hitched as I recognized the place. It was my palace.

“No,” I whispered, sitting up abruptly. “They can’t… they can’t do that.”

The woman frowned, moving closer. “What’s wrong?”

I didn’t answer. My mind raced back to the man’s words; ‘A century…’

I froze, staring at the screen. A thousand years must have passed since that night. Was this my

punishment? What in the name of father do I call this?

I turned my head slowly, catching my reflection in a mirror across the room. The face staring

back wasn’t entirely mine. It was younger, smoother, with darker hair and lighter eyes. I touched

my cheek, my fingers trembling.

“Is the universe playing a game with me?” I murmured to myself.

“Luna, is everything alright?” the woman asked, concerned in her voice.

Before I could respond, the door opened.

A tall man entered, his steps purposeful and commanding. He was dressed in a sharp weird

dress the same man on the screen was wearing. He had a more confident look than the one on

the screen and more handsome. Two women followed close behind him, one on each side, and

they must be his side piece.

He stopped and looked at the woman beside me. “Is she fine now?” he asked.

“She just woke up,” the woman replied quickly. “She seems fine.”

I stood up straighter, watching him closely as he turned his piercing blue eyes to me.

“You’re fine now, huh?” he said, his tone laced with irritation. “You think this is funny, Hayley?

Putting my heart through this?”

“What?” I asked, with a slow voice trying to get the reason for scolding a queen like me.

He scoffed, crossing his arms. “You’ve been lying about being pregnant. Again. How pathetic do

you want to be?”

The woman beside me tried to defend me. “Alpha, I don’t think…”

“Enough,” he snapped, cutting her off.

One of the women with him, a blonde in an elegant dress, sneered at me. “No one’s taking

Lorenzo away from you. Why did you have to lie again, Hayley? Wasn’t it embarrassing enough

the first time? Do you always have to put on a show and act dumb?”

Their words were sharp, but I barely heard them. My head swam with confusion and anger.

Who dares speak to a queen in such a manner?

I clenched my fists, my voice rising above the chaos. “Stop!”

They all froze, their eyes wide with shock.

“No one,” I said, my voice steady and firm, “will speak about me or my child in that way. Who are

you people?”

They all kept quiet, staring at me and no one moved a muscle.

“Take me to where I can bathe,” I said, lifting my chin. “These peasants are suffocating me.”

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded quickly. “Of course. This way.”

The rest of them gave a scoff and the young man just kept staring like he had seen a ghost.

I stood and followed her out of the room, ignoring the stunned looks from the others.

When we reached a quiet corner of the hallway, I turned to her. “Where am I?” I asked softly.

“You really know how to act, Luna, this is your pack. Blood Moon pack,” she said, her tone

cautious.

“What did you just say, the blood moon pack?” I was shocked to the bones.

“Yeah, the blood moon pack. The most powerful pack with the most powerful werewolves in the

community” She said with confidence and a smile.

I didn't want to make it seem obvious that I was oblivious to such things.

“Oh! I see, and who is he?”

“Who is who? The Alpha? He's the Alpha, Luna Hayley. You should know who you got married

to” she said. “He’s the most powerful Alpha King, the one and only respected Alpha in the

community.”

I frowned, the words unfamiliar but somehow significant.

The woman studied me closely. “Are you alright?”

I cleared my throat and forced a smile. “Of course.”

But as she led me down the hall, I couldn’t help but think that if I’m not in the palace anymore,

and a thousand years have passed, I must have gone to the future.’

A small smile crept across my face. Whatever had happened, I still had my baby.

I just need to find out how to walk through this mess that has all seemed to have changed.