Chapter 5

Dove pov

I sit cross-legged on my bed, mindlessly pulling at a stray thread on my patchwork quilt.

Eden sits with her back to me, preening herself in the mirror of her vanity.

Night has well and truly fallen, and instead of grumbling at Eden to snuff out the gaslit lamp, I'm sitting up, biding my time.

I'm attending the party tonight. I cannot be swayed otherwise.

"You alright?" I ask my sister as she threads her blonde hair into a braid behind her.She's been sat at that vanity for an inordinate amount of time. Her smooth skin glistens beneath the light, every errant hair plucked, every blemish treated with some creamy concoction.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asks, finally pulling herself from the mirror.

Her gauzy nightdress sighs as she clambers onto her bed, the old cot creaking from her movement. She settles beneath the sheets, placing her frayed, threadbare stuffed teddy on her chest.

"You seem anxious," I observe. "Plus you've been smothering my creams onto yourself all night."

"I want to feel pretty," she muses, staring up at the ceiling.

I stare at the side of her face, wondering what it would feel like to be as beautiful as she is. I've never been jealous of my half-sister until I got a bit older, realising she seems to have the world at her fingertips while there isn't much in front of me."For a man?" I ask tentatively.

He turns her head to look at me before she laughs huffily. "Oh please. You of all people should know not to say that."

True I suppose. Eden has never had much of an interest in impressing people. Whoever she is seeing must be special if they enticed her to commit to them.

I'm assuming she's preparing to sneak out tonight to meet with this mysterious person as she does often. Usually she's transparent with me, not wanting to frighten me when she picks her way from the room.

"I'm just checking." I wiggle deeper under the covers. "Like dad always says, don't get pregnant."

"Trust me, that's not going to happen." She twists her finger around the tuft of hair at the end of her braid. "I would give you the same warning, but unfortunately I can't."

"Unfortunately?"

"I just feel like there's a whole world youseem to have no interest in exploring. People you have no interest in meeting..." Her brows knot with concern.

I stare up at the ceiling, resting my hands on my stomach.

I've always been a restless person, yearning for more than what life has offered me so far. Complaining about my situation, however, has never felt productive, so my sister is left not understanding a big part of me.

"It's not that I have no interest, it's that I want to make sure our father is looked after," I bring up quietly.

"He's a grown man, and not half as fragile as you think," she notes. "He might be upset if we move out and start our lives elsewhere, but he would quickly get over it."

Maybe, but not if it meant forgoing the values he holds so dear.

"I don't want him in that job forever. It's going to kill him." I roll onto my side, watching Eden fluff her stuffed teddy bears ears.

I would tell Matthias to fire him, but he's too greatly valued. Plus my father wouldn't know what to do with himself were he not in the centre of this pack's politics.

"It's stressful, but he's a good war advisor. A great one."

"I know..." I murmur. "Remember last week when he said he felt like something was coming, and Matthias dismissed him?"

I asked Matthias about it and he dismissed me abruptly enough for me to know he's anticipating something. My nerves are fried not knowing, since he usually imparts his problems onto me with ease.

"Alpha Matthias, by the way. You need to get better at speaking his title or you'll get dad in trouble," she scolds, narrowing her soft brown eyes.

"Sorry, I know." I clear my throat. "I'm just saying father is stressed, and Alpha"Matthias isn't taking his warnings seriously."

"Nothing bad is coming, don't worry. You know how dad overthinks."

Eden is disturbingly good at brushing things off. She doesn't stew in worry like I do. Were I not anxiously anticipating the party, I would be lying in bed with the weight of my problems pressing down on my chest.

"I guess so. We should probably get some sleep," I murmur.

She leans over, flicking off the lamp, dousing the room in a comfortable darkness.

"I love you, Dove." Eden's voice fills the room, easing my heartrate down to a comfortable pace.

"I love you too."

Seconds, minutes, or perhaps even hours pass by. For a while I thrum my fingers against my stomach, listening to Eden's gentle breaths. However, like most nights,they lull me into a light slumber...

I wake with a start.

The room is still dark. Tossing my comforter off my legs, I lean over to click the lamp back on. My eyes ache from the abrupt cascade of light, but a couple of blinks eases my sight back.

Eden's bed is empty, her duvet neatly folded back into place.

Glancing at the clock, I realise it's only an hour and a half until midnight.

"Eden?" I call out softly, my voice sounding painfully loud against the pleasant quietness of night.

I doubt she's just gone to the bathroom. She must have left to meet up with her lover like I suspected she has, giving me a chance to prepare.

My muscles are tightly wound with energy as I stand, wincing at the familiar creak of the floorboards. If father wakes and finds me dressing for a party, I'll be in a world of trouble.