Chapter 3

Lyra

If I had ever dared to hope this prison would be kinder than my father’s, the first two days of travel proved me a fool.

When the carriage finally lurched to a halt at the Blackthorn pack house, Draven didn't offer a hand. He stepped out into the crisp air, leaving me to navigate the high step in my heavy gown alone. As I descended, a ripple of whispers greeted me.

“The wolfless princess,” they breathed.

“She really is ethereal.”

I did the only thing I had been trained to do: I painted a smile onto my face and held it there until my cheeks ached.

Draven walked straight toward a woman standing on the porch. She looked to be in her thirties, with sharp, calculating eyes.

To my horror, he pulled her into a lingering embrace, the kind of hug reserved for lovers, not family. When she finally pulled away to look at me, her gaze was dripping with venom.

“You really are as beautiful as the rumors say,” she sneered, her voice like sandpaper.

“Too bad you’re a mute. And wolfless.”

The insult burned, but I kept my smile locked in place. I wanted to scream, to ask what I had done to deserve such cruelty from someone I don't even know.

“Elin!” the woman barked.

A young maid, no older than myself, hurried forward.

“She is your responsibility now,” the woman commanded. “Take her to her chamber and ensure she doesn't come out.”

I followed Elin through the castle. It was a place of cold grandeur, marble floors that clicked under my heels and the suffocating scent of expensive wood and power. But as we walked, the luxury began to fade.

We bypassed the grand suites, descending a flight of stairs that led deep into the bowels of the building. The air grew damp and chilly.

We stopped at a golden door at the very end of a dark corridor. It was the only room down here, hidden away from the rest of the pack. Just past it, at the very end of the hall, stood a well-decorated and well-lit tent.

“I stay there,” Elin said, gesturing to the tent, before unlocking the golden door for me.

“This is your room, My Lady. If you need me, press this button, since you can’t talk. I will open the door when you have an event.”

She waited until I nodded, then left. The click of the lock echoing in the silence felt like a gavel.

I collapsed onto the bed, the weight of the day finally crushing me. The tears I had been holding rushed out in a silent torrent. I sobbed into the pillow, but eventually, the fear of Draven seeing my "puffy eyes" took over. I rang the bell.

When Elin returned, I gestured toward my face. She understood, applying a fresh layer of makeup to hide my misery.

I sat on the edge of the bed for hours, waiting for my husband.

Maya had said the wedding night was "special," a time for a husband and wife to consummate their union. I didn't fully understand it, but I knew I was supposed to be ready. I paced the small, cold room, my royal blue gown feeling like a lead weight, refusing to change for fear of being a disappointment.

As the moon climbed high, I noticed my door was slightly ajar. My heart skipped. Had Elin been careless? Or was this an invitation?

Driven by a desperate curiosity, I slipped out. I retraced my steps up the stairs, my bare feet silent on the cold stone. I searched the rooms on the upper floors until I found a door at the end of the hall, standing open just a crack.

I pushed it wide, and my blood ran cold.

Alpha Draven was there, but he wasn't alone. He was on top of the woman from the afternoon, his the lady he had hugged at the entrance. They were both naked, their skin slick with sweat. I stood frozen as the realization of what I was seeing crashed over me.

Sex.

My husband was with another woman on our wedding night.

The woman looked up, a triumphant smirk crossing her lips as she locked eyes with me. Draven didn't stop. He didn't even try to hide. He simply looked over his shoulder, his eyes as cold as steel.

“If you’re done watching,” he said, his voice flat and bored, “you can lock the door.”

I did as he said, my hands shaking as I turned the handle. As I turned to flee, Elin was already there, waiting to lead me back to my room. That’s when it clicked, the door left open, the "careless" maid, the ajar bedroom door……it was all a play, a scene staged for me to witness.

Back in my room, I sat in the dark.

“Are you okay?” Elin asked. For the first time, I saw genuine pity in her eyes.

I hated it. I didn't want her pitying me. I forced a smile and nodded until she finally left. As soon as the door shut, I ran to the bathroom. I filled the tub and plunged my head beneath the surface.

Under the water, I finally let out the scream I had been holding for years. I shouted into the silence of the water until my lungs burned. When I pulled myself up, gasping for air, I looked in the mirror.

Even with ruined makeup and bloodshot eyes, I was still "ethereal." I was still a masterpiece. I hated every inch of my reflection. I practiced my smile, adjusting my expression until the girl in the mirror looked "useful" again.

I thought about the knife. I thought about destroying the only thing people valued. But my father’s voice echoed in my head:

“The only reason you are alive is because of your beauty.”

I wasn't a person. I was a wolfless freak kept as a pet because I was pretty to look at.

“The wolfless princess with the ethereal beauty,” I whispered.

That was all I was allowed to be.