Chapter 7: Irene’s POV

You’re mine, Irene.

It rang in my head for the how many-th time this morning.

Fine, I’ll get out of bed.

I barely slept. I mean… how could I have? When I couldn’t get his damn voice out of my head.

I stared at the ceiling for a while, just lying there like movement would somehow make things worse. My body felt heavy in that annoying way it does when your brain refuses to shut up at night. I kept replaying yesterday in pieces I didn’t even ask for. Matthew’s face…The way he looked at me…

You belong to me.

I turned on my side with a quiet groan and pulled the blanket over my head.

“No,” I muttered to myself. “We’re not doing this. Not today.”

But my brain didn’t care.

Of course it didn’t. The second I tried to think about something else, my mind dragged me right back into him again. I sat up slowly, pushing hair out of my face. It was messy. I didn’t bother fixing it properly.

What was the point anyway? My life wasn’t exactly the kind that rewarded effort with clarity.

The room was very quiet, too quiet in fact. It made my thoughts louder than every other noise

I swung my legs off the bed and sat there for a second, staring at the floor like it owed me answers. It didn’t give any, obviously.

“Get it together,” I said under my breath.

Didn’t work.

I stood up anyway.

I dragged a hand through my hair and immediately regretted it because it made things worse. I sighed and walked toward the small mirror by the dresser.

There was still a faint mark of dirt on my cheek from yesterday. I stared at it for a second longer than necessary.

Yesterday.

Mom…

Matthew shifting in front of me…

And then his voice again.

You belong to me.

I blinked hard.

“Nope,” I said, pointing at my reflection like it had personally offended me. “We’re not doing this emotional spiral thing today.”

My reflection didn’t respond, which felt rude in its own way.

I grabbed a cloth from the dresser and wiped my face more aggressively than necessary. Like I could erase memory through friction. It didn’t work, obviously. But the motion helped a little.

A knock came at the door.

I paused.

Another knock came.

Softer this time.

“Irene?” a voice called.

I expected to hear Matthew’s voice but it wasn’t his.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

“It’s open,” I said.

The door opened carefully and a young servant stepped in. She looked like a nervous wreck. I wondered if she’d been sent here against her will.

“Breakfast is ready,” she said. “They’re asking if you’ll join in the main hall.”

“They?” I repeated it automatically.

She hesitated.

“The Alpha’s son, Matthew, is already seated” she added quickly, correcting herself.

I nodded once. “Yeah. I’ll come down.”

I stood there for a moment after she left, just staring at the door.

I sighed again.

“Love that for me,” I muttered, grabbing a simple dress and pulling it on without much thought.

You’re mine, Irene.

Somebody get it out of my head!

***

The hallway outside was already busy when I stepped out. It scared me at first but I might as well start getting used to it.

But I quickly noticed something. I thought it was normal at first… but now… I didn’t know what to think of it.

Everyone kept staring at me…

Was it my dress? Was it less royalty worthy?

I slowed as I walked, letting my eyes drift without making it obvious. Servants moved past me quickly. Some nodded. Some didn’t look at me at all. One of them actually stopped talking mid-sentence when I passed.

That made me pause slightly. But I kept walking.

Its probably me overthinking again.

But the feeling stayed anyway.

By the time I reached the staircase leading down, I had already started convincing myself I was being ridiculous.

I let out a deep breath and I adjusted my sleeve before going down.

Irene, come on, it wasn’t a test, it’s just breakfast…

The main hall came into view as I reached the bottom.

Matthew’s eyes met me first.

I paused for a second for God knows why and swallowed.

He stood near the long table with one hand resting at the back of a chair and the other near a cup he hadn’t touched yet.

“Morning,” I said as I walked towards a seat.

He nodded. “Morning.”

I sat across from him and suddenly became very aware of how loud chairs sounded in a quiet room.

The table felt strangely empty without Richard and Mom. Then again, ever since the wedding, both of them seemed to spend more time in meetings than at home.

Servants moved around us, placing food, pouring drinks, pretending they weren’t listening.

I wasn’t hungry. But I still picked up a piece of bread anyway just so my hands had something to do.

I glanced at him. Only then did I notice the dark circles around his eyes. They weren’t very obvious but it showed how tired he was, almost like he didn’t sleep at all at night.

His eyes landed on me suddenly and I choked on my bread.

I coughed as I reached for the water and he immediately passed it to me.

“You okay?” He asked.

“Y-yes.” I replied. “Im okay.”

His eyes didn’t leave me till he made sure I was okay.

The realization made heat rush to my cheeks. I saw him letting out a sigh of relief before he continued eating.

A guard entered. He stopped behind him and lowered his voice.

“Sir.”

Matthew didn’t turn fully. “Report.”

The guard hesitated.

That hesitation alone made my stomach tighten.

“We found something at the east perimeter.”

Matthew’s posture changed slightly.

“What kind of something?” he asked.

The guard swallowed. “Markings,” he said. “Recent ones. Movement traces.”

The air in the room shifted.

My grip tightened slightly around the bread I wasn’t eating.

Matthew’s voice dropped. “Shit.”

The guard looked uncomfortable.

“Where exactly?” he asked the guard.

He answered immediately, pointing directions I barely processed.

Matthew was already moving before he finished.

I stood too, almost automatically.

“Wait,” I said.

He didn’t look back.

“Matthew.” I said softly.

“Guide her to her room and don’t let her come out till I say so. Restrict entry to everyone in this palace.” He said to the guards and then turned to me. “It’s for your own safety.”

And then he was gone.

I stood there staring at the doorway long after he'd disappeared through it.

For some reason, the fact that he expected everyone including me to obey his orders, annoyed me.

A guard moved beside me almost immediately."Miss Irene."

I already knew what he was about to say.

"Don't."

He blinked. "Miss, Alpha Matthew instructed..."

"I heard him loud and clear.

The guard looked uncomfortable. I almost felt bad for him.

I folded my arms. "So if he tells you to lock me in a room, you'll do that too?"

The poor man looked like he wished the floor would swallow him. "I..."

"Exactly."

I pushed my chair back and walked past him. "Miss Irene."

I ignored him.

Behind me, I heard hurried footsteps.

Great. Now I had an escort.

The morning air hit my face the second I stepped outside.

A group of guards were already moving toward the eastern side of the territory.

I followed at a distance. My heart started beating faster the farther we went.

By the time I reached the edge of the eastern perimeter, a crowd had already gathered.

A knot formed in my stomach.

Then I saw Matthew. His back was facing me.

A man stood beside him. Both of them were staring at the ground.

Then Matthew suddenly turned.

His eyes found me immediately.

Crap.

For one second, neither of us moved.

His jaw tightened. Mine did too.

Because I already knew I was in trouble.

But then something else happened. Something that made me forget all about Matthew being angry.

A woman appeared from behind me. I almost shuddered from how creepy she looked. She turned pale the more she stared at me. Like she’d seen a ghost.

I frowned.

The woman took one step forward. Then another.

I instinctively took one backward.

Her eyes never left mine.

Guards quickly rushed around me and Matthew was standing next to me not far after.

The woman raised a trembling hand, not caring that she’d soon be taken away by the guards.

She whispered something so quietly I almost didn't hear it.

But I did.

"Oh my..."

My stomach dropped.

Tears filled the woman's eyes. Then she said words that made the entire crowd go silent.

"It can't be…”

Everybody turned their heads to us. It was almost like nobody moved at that instant, nobody breathed either.

And whispered, "She looks exactly like her."

Her?

The woman’s face crumpled. “Luna Selene…”

I didn’t understand who ‘Luna Selene’ was but judging by the way Matthew went completely still beside me… the name meant more than it normally should.