CHAPTER FIVE - REALITY

Feeling nervous, I followed behind Ava as she confidently navigated her way around the house, eventually leading us to another finely furnished room. While its grandeur was not as exclusive as the one we had come from, everything about it still exuded royal excellence.

The room boasted royal blue velvet curtains adorned with gold embellishments and intricate embroidery, adding to its regal charm.

As I absorbed the beauty of the room and marveled at its intricate features that exuded luxury, Ava excused herself.

Lost in the euphoria of the swift turn my life had taken, I was startled when the door swung open, and about five or six young girls dressed similarly to myself filed in.

One of them appeared particularly excited as she exclaimed, "Hey Araya, you're so favored! Come, we'll run a bath for you and make you as beautiful as ever."

I obediently followed them to the bathroom and eased myself into the tub they had prepared. The water enveloped me in warmth and comfort, prompting an involuntary moan to escape my lips as I reveled in its soothing embrace.

"I added mint leaves to your bath to help calm your nerves, along with a hint of scented oils. I hope you enjoy the fragrance," the same maid from earlier informed me.

I nodded in appreciation before submerging myself completely underwater. The scent of oud vanille with a touch of strawberry filled the air, delighting my senses. If I didn't have a contract to fulfill in a few minutes, I would have gladly spent an hour indulging in the luxurious bath. The sensation on my skin was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

Having been accustomed to being bathed during my time as Luna in Chester's pack, I had no reservations about allowing them to attend to my bath. Skilled hands washed and massaged my hair, while two others delicately scrubbed my body and massaged my feet, causing my entire body to relax into their touch.

Seated on the bedside table, I watched as they dried and adorned my hair with pins. Another maid then gave me a facial treatment before turning my chair so that I could face my reflection in the mirror.

I gasped in disbelief as I beheld the lady staring back at me in the mirror, claiming to be my reflection. She was breathtakingly beautiful, with hair that cascaded in waves around her face. I had never seen myself look this stunning before.

Just when I thought the surprises were over, they presented me with the most prestigious dress to step into. It was a cream-colored gown adorned with gold and black embellishments, with a regal purple linen sash that ran across it.

The dress clung to my body like a second skin, fitting perfectly as if it were tailor-made for me. It flared just below my knees and flowed freely, gracefully covering my gold sandal heels.

Adorned with what appeared to be real gold and diamonds, I couldn't help but gawk at my image in the vanity mirror, my mouth agape in awe.

"You seem to have a penchant for staring, don't you?" Ava's voice interrupted my thoughts, and I caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror.

I lowered my gaze and awaited her approach.

"Great job, Nailah. She looks beautiful," Ava complimented, directing her words to the particular maid I suspected held a higher position, as she was the only one who dared to speak to me.

"Thank you, Ma'am," Nailah responded, her grin stretching from ear to ear. I bit my inner lip to stop myself from mirroring her smile.

"Come, the Alphas are waiting," Ava urged, taking my hand. However, I remained rooted in my spot, causing her to furrow her brows in confusion as I gave her a pleading look.

"One last thing, please," I pleaded, and she released her hold on me.

I rushed to Nailah and enveloped her in a tight hug. "Thank you," I expressed genuinely before returning to Ava's side.

"Shall we?" Ava asked, sounding rather exasperated.

With a sigh of relief, I braced myself before responding affirmatively. "Yes, Ma'am, I'm all set."

I stepped through the grand doors after Ava handed me the most beautiful bouquet, feeling all eyes on me as I walked down the aisle, each step meticulously calculated.

Despite the grandeur of the hall, my thoughts were clouded by something else entirely. The scene felt eerily familiar: dressed in finery, captivating the onlookers with my enchanting appearance, clutching a bouquet in hand, and awaiting the pronouncement of vows at the altar. Yet, it was all as a replacement for someone else's stubbornness.

Déjà vu.

I had experienced this before, but where had it led me?

Deep down, I found solace in the knowledge that this illusion would only last for 24 hours, sparing me the need to maintain a facade for an extended period.

As I ascended the platform, Zephyr was the first to take my hand, lightly squeezing it. Despite their striking resemblance, I could easily discern between them; their hairstyles were styled differently, a detail I had noted earlier.

Zephyr leaned in closer, whispering something incoherent in my ear. The sensation of his proximity caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end; he was undoubtedly the charmer.

Just then, Dante took my other hand, flashing me the most daring, boyish smile I had ever seen. My legs felt like jelly, and my heart raced faster, but one look at Axle, and every flutter in my stomach vanished.

He was undeniably drop-dead gorgeous, but his signature stoic expression lent him an intimidating and somewhat frightening aura. I couldn't help but shiver slightly, immediately turning my gaze away from him and focusing on the elder conducting the ceremony.

We exchanged vows, oaths, and made the necessary pronouncements, culminating in my being announced as Luna of their pack. However, I refrained from allowing myself to become too excited or comfortable with the proclamation, knowing it was short-lived. I wasn't going to repeat the mistake I made with Chester, opening my heart to embrace his pack as my own, only to be discarded later on.

The thought of Chester momentarily dampened my mood.

"Penny for your thoughts, little Luna?" A sweet, masculine baritone jolted me back to reality, and I jumped slightly, colliding with a waiter carrying a tray of colorless liquor.

A firm hand swiftly moved me aside to prevent the liquor from spilling on me, but it ended up splashing onto a small part of Axle's suit and his face. However, that wasn't what alarmed me.

As the liquor splashed onto Axle, what I saw was blood. Red, viscous blood dripped from his head, and there appeared to be a bullet hole in the same spot. My mind reeled in confusion as I turned to face the person holding me, realizing it was Zephyr, who also bore a profusely bleeding gunshot wound.

Alarmed, I attempted to take in my surroundings more closely, and that's when I saw them. We had left the party and were driving somewhere when they appeared, dressed in black with their faces masked.

They had shot the three Alphas, causing Axle, who was driving, to lose control of the steering. The car careened off the road, tumbling down the hillside. I desperately tried to regain control of the steering, but they had also shot the tires, leaving me powerless to prevent the crash. The car slammed into a tree, blood splattering everywhere.

I held my head, closed my eyes, and screamed as I braced myself for the impact but it never came.

"Hey! Are you alright?" A familiar voice sounded in my ear, and someone was tapping me. I opened my eyes to see Dante gazing at me with concern, while Zephyr held onto me tightly.

Taking in my surroundings, I realized we were back in the same room where I had signed the contract earlier. All three Alphas appeared unharmed, except for Axel, who stared at me coldly.

"W-what happened to me? Why am I here?" I asked in a low but audible whisper.

"Right! You spill a drink on me, pass out on Zephyr, and lose your memory at the sound of Dante's voice, what's next?" Alpha Axel arrogantly replied.

"You passed out all of a sudden, so we brought you in here to rest a bit," Zephyr offered a more reasonable explanation, ignoring Axel's attitude.

"Yeah, and you kept tossing and crying. What happened to you?" Dante added, his expression filled with concern.

Anxiety gripped me as I remembered what I had just witnessed. My dress was already soaked with sweat as I grappled with the reality of the vision. Was someone trying to harm the Alphas? And if so, why?

I knew I had to warn them about what I had seen, but before I could speak, the door swung open, revealing Ava, Uncle Astor, and Nerson entering the room.

"How is she? Is she alright? What happened to her?" Ava seemed to be the most worried as she bombarded everyone with endless questions.

"Take a chill pill, Ava. If something did happen, your numerous questions would only make things worse," Uncle Astor intervened, trying to calm her down.

"She blanked out. I think everything is just a little bit too overwhelming for her," Dante explained.

"Yeah, I think we should head to the Nuptial chamber already so she can get some proper rest," Zephyr suggested.

"Nuptial chamber?" I asked, feeling a little alarmed.

"Yeah, it's a tradition around here. The Alpha and Luna go to the Nuptial chamber to consummate their marriage. You know how that works, don't you?" Zephyr teased, and I looked around at everyone for further explanation, only to find them all laughing.

Well, all except Axel.

"He's just joking. Not entirely because, yes, that's what the Nuptial chamber is for, but we'll stick to the contract, and you can rest while we party," Dante clarified.

"But if you want me to accompany you tonight, then you and I can damn the contract," Zephyr interjected, winking at me. His words and the way he said them sparked a primal response within me, causing moisture to gather between my thighs.

"That's enough, Zephyr. Nerson, get the car ready! We'll leave immediately," Axel asserted, his tone putting a damper on the playful atmosphere.

"No, I don't want to go anywhere with the Alphas!" I blurted out, shocking everyone into silence.