Chapter 1

“Inara….”

I groaned.

“What’s that?”

“Inara, did you fall asleep?”

Did I sleep off when I was on T****k?

“Inara, you have to get up, it’s time to make your entrance.”

Shit

Is that an AI movie or something else?

“By the beasts, wake up already.” Something smacked my arm. I snapped my eyes open and was immediately blinded by sunlight. I blinked, focusing on getting my sight adjusted when a face popped in front of me, shielding the light.

I froze.

“This is why I told you to sleep last night.” She sounded tired and agitated.

“Too much excitement can’t be good for you.”

Wow.

She was beautiful.

Was I dreaming?

She looked like she popped out of a fairytale.

“Today is a big day for you, as well as the Bloomwoods, nothing shall and nothing must go wrong.” She paused. Then sighed and stood up erect.

Dressed in a long blue dress with a slit and featherlike jacket that settled around her shoulders. She looked like a goddess drawn from one of my favorite manhwas. It was too much, I couldn’t breathe just watching her as she stared back at me with long dark hair and dark eyes.

Wait.

Me.

She was staring at me.

What is going on?

Who is this?

Where am I?

“Inara.” She called out, squatting down in front of me.

Who is that?

Then she took my hand.

I looked down, sure, I could feel the warmth of her touch.

Were dreams usually this way?

No.

And I wasn’t so tan.

Is that my skin?

No.

I jumped up from where I was sitting. And stumbled too fast into something. Glasses shattered behind me, forcing me to snap around to find a mirror.

Cold ran down my spine.

A girl stared back at me. Someone younger, with tan skin and long brown wavy hair and with the brightest brown eyes I have ever seen, it was almost gold. Dressed in the most elegant gown I had ever seen and stones that looked like it would cost millions sitting atop her neck and ears.

Who is this?

A blue window-like transparent thingy popped in front of my face.

STATUS

Name: Inara Bloomwood

Age: 22

Status: Unclaimed

Value: Rare

Specie: Human woman (Reproductive status ???)

Rank: None

Yes, I was probably losing my mind.

“Inara.” The woman from earlier came slowly behind me.

They looked alike, making it clear who she was.

“Are you alright?” She touched my arm from behind. A shudder rolled down my spine.

“What is happening?” My mouth moved, my voice shaking. But it wasn’t my voice.

“Inara.” The woman spun me around, forcing me to face her as she held my arms.

“Talk to me, is there something wrong?”

This is a dream.

“Are you hungry? I knew you should have eaten something. You probably need sugar.”

“Mary.” She yelled towards the door, and a different lady rushed in. Dressed in black and white dress.

“My lady.” She bowed.

This is a dream

“Is the Clan here yet?”

“No, madam.”

This is a dream

“Get her something to eat and be quick about it.”

“Also, let us know the moment they arrive.”

“Yes, my lady.” Mary bowed and sped out the door.

This is what happens when I spend my time on books and manhwas or t****k stories before bed.

It’s okay, wake up now.

I pinched my arms. Hard. The pain was like a jolt to my brain. But nothing happened. Not like I ever believed that nonsense worked but it had to.

It just had to.

I wasn’t Inara.

I was Victoria. Victoria Edward, a 26 year old anthropologist with the dumbest, dullest live ever. And I should be in my room, in my bed, probably with drool over the books I just bought since I stupidly slept off after unboxing them on the bed.

The door opened again, and Mary from before walked in, pushing in a cart, containing something delicious and sweet. My stomach growled.

I could smell. I could feel pain.

Dread curled around the pit of my stomach. Dreams were never this sensitive, were they? I never used to dream much and often forgot whenever I woke up. Dreams that I ever recalled were rare and bad. And even then, they were never this real.

“Come on, sit.” The woman who I assumed to be Inara’s mother pulled me towards a sit, while the maid served.

I stared at the steaming cup of tea that was handed to me and the dread in my stomach curled further. I could perceive ginger and cinnamon. Yet, I couldn’t believe that this was anything other than a dream. A world of my own imagination that I might have cooked up.

It had to be.

I lifted the cup up to my lips and immediately felt the steam on my face and the warmth on my lips.

Then the taste hit my tongue like acid. Vivid, clear, burning with sweetness and something unreal.

The cup fell off my hand, crashing to the ground. The content spilled, splashing all over my dress and legs. I didn’t want to feel it, but my legs burned.

This wasn’t a dream

I jumped up and sped for the door.

I needed to get out of here.

The hallway was long, empty and unfamiliar. The heels on my legs clanked as I ran, looking from side to side in hopes of seeing something that would make these all make sense. There was nothing. I came down long staircase and found a few more maids, moving to and fro. They smiled at me like they knew me, some called out to me, their voice hovering on worry rather than excitement when I met their eyes. But none of them looked familiar. And nothing in that huge house answered any of my questions.

Did I reincarnate into another world?

Wait…did I die?

Is this even possible?

It couldn’t. There was no fucking way.

Maybe, I have been reading too many books.

I sped past them, through huge door that I assumed to be the entrance and froze.

“There she is.” Two girls rushed towards me, dressed in flattering gowns, each holding a glass of wine in one hand.

“Beasts, you are gorgeous.” One giggled, intertwining my hand with hers.

“And so very lucky.” The other took the other hand and immediately led me towards a crowd of people. Seems they were having a party. Men and women, dressed beautifully, some sitting, while others stood around. My heart raced.

Too many people.

I tried to dig my foot in, but the girls just pulled along, giggling like schoolgirls.

“Oh, you are just in time.” A man started towards me. A smile on his lips and arms spread wide apart. The girls left me just at the same time he wrapped his arms around me.

“I guess you couldn’t wait any longer.” He smiled, pulling away but his eyes were cold. He turned back to the crowd. Too many people smiled, congratulating him with raised glasses. I had no idea what was happening, but I wanted to be far away from these people.

But before I could think of escaping, a horse neighed, pulling the attention of everyone towards the gate. Three beautiful carriages rolled in. And the entire place suddenly went dead still.

My heart pumped loudly in my chest as I watched the carriages come to a stop. And simultaneously, the drivers opened the door. People stepped out of all three carriages and instantly everyone bowed.

Everyone except me.

“Welcome my lords.” They chorused loudly.

A peer of light brown eyes zoomed in on me. I shuddered.

Amongst everyone that stepped out of the carriage, he was the biggest. Towering above everyone like a mountain.

He started towards me. Each step controlled, quiet. Every movement rippling against the muscles of his arms, chest and legs.

Fuck

I drooled, realizing just how handsome he was the closer he got.

“You must be my bride.”

I stiffened.

What?

He closed the distance between us, towering over me like a mountain. I gulped at the sheer size of him. He could fold me in half.

“I can’t wait.” He suddenly placed a hand on my stomach. I tensed.

“To put my pups in you.”

Huh?

“You are going to bear me many.”