Vera 004

Vera 

The week passed in a blur. Alpha Aiden didn’t call for me, and I avoided him whenever I could. I hate him. I hate that I crave him. It’s maddening how that night still lingers in my mind, how part of me almost wishes he would summon me again. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get it out of my head.

The claiming rite is over, yet my punishment continues. Nights are endless torture as he fucks his Luna, his presence haunt me even when he isn’t near.

And the rumors… they sting even more. Whispers of me and the Alpha have started spreading through the pack.

The worst part? I’ve been assigned as Eve’s personal maid. Every day I serve her, every glance she throws my way, reminds me of the bond I can’t have, and the punishment I can’t escape.

I see it in her eyes—the hatred she feels for me. It grows like poison. At first, she punished me with extra work, then public humiliation, and quiet threats sprinkled in here and there.

“Luna wants you in her chambers, Zoe,” one of the maids tells me while I scrub the kitchen floor.

I rush to her instantly. “You called for me?” I bow slightly, but inside, I’m standing tall. 

She has dark hair, soft brown eyes, and porcelain skin that would put the most expensive body wash to shame. She is everything a Luna should be, and I hate her for it.

She sits calmly with a glass of wine.

“Come closer,” she says sweetly—and I know in my gut she’s up to no good.

I obey, as I step forward. Suddenly Eve knocks the glass from the table. Wine spills across the floor, and she lets out a scream. My heart races as panic grips me. My mind scrambles for a way out.

She’s about to accuse me of something grave. It feels like history repeating itself, the night I was found at Alpha Draven’s son’s murder scene flashes through my mind.

“Guards! Vera attacks me!” she screams. 

I hear the guards running toward the room. I know I need to act fast before it’s too late.

I rush forward as memory flashes through my mind, something I did once when I was a child. I only ever tried it that one time, and it worked. I’ve been too scared to use it again… until now.

I glance quickly between the door and Eve counting down the seconds before anyone could enter.

I lift my eyes and lock them with hers. The world seems to freeze. “You will forget everything that happened,” I whisper.

Her expression goes blank. I hear her repeat, almost mechanically, “I will forget…” Her eyes blink, confused, and I gasp. Goddess… it worked.

Eve looks up at me, blinking again and again. “What were we talking about?” she asks, her confusion obvious.

I stagger back as my heart hammers in my chest. ‘Oh Goddess… it actually worked.’

Then my eyes snap to the balcony above the room. I can feel a presence as if someone is watching.

Alpha Aiden has seen everything. He stares at me for a moment, and my heart skips a beat, freezing in fear.

‘Shit,’ I mutter under my breath as I notice him moving toward me.

I’m dead. The thought hits me like a hammer as I glance at Eve’s confused face and then back at Aiden’s murderous glare.

“Aiden, what is it?” Eve asks, looking between us, unsure what went wrong.

I didn’t wait. I turn and run, my legs pumping as fast as they can carry me. Alpha Aiden is going to kill me. They’ll call it witchcraft, and I’ll be burned without a chance to defend myself.

I can’t die now. I’ve survived years of cruelty, abuse, and rejection and I refuse to let it end here.

People stare as I tear through the mansion, my breaths sharp and ragged. I’m almost at the gates… until I see them shut in front of me.

I have no choice. I tap into my power, the one I’ve kept hidden all my life. My parents warned me never to reveal it. And now… Aiden knows. One thing is certain: he won’t let me live.

The guards open the gate for me, and I sprint into the streets, through the crowded market. My instincts scream at me to survive.

I’m almost at the border when something dark falls over my head. Before I can react, I’m slammed to the ground.

“Oh, Goddess!” I gasp in horror. Fuck my life. Alpha Aiden’s guards have caught me.