LAYLAS'S POV
My only friend is critically injured and will probably leave this world soon yet all the ladies in front of me only keep yelling out accusations.I wonder what kind of evil being could have done this.Because no sane being would attack someone so young and innocent.The woman I had been dreading to see again today, My vixen stepmother, finally storms into the room.She shrieks when she sees the injured girl in front of me. But her shock appear faked and kind of exaggerated.
Her horror is only expressed by her melodramatic gasp and screams.Her eyes are actually glowing with what seems to be pleasure.
I am not surprised when she also accuses me of assaulting the child.I doubt she knows I didn't phase so I have no claws that could have done this.
"You wicked loser! How dare you try to kill a child?" she bellows.
I don't say anything since I am certain she won't listen.She probably thinks that I phased and the only way to get me kicked out of the house is to pin this evil act on me.
A group of guards march in through the door.They must have heard her screaming.
"Look what she did to a child! arrest her!" She orders the men, pointing at me.Their faces darken with range as they stride forward.
"I did not do this. I wasn't even in the house!" I say thinking they will be more reasonable than my stepmother and the maids.
"This is your room, right?" One questions in a stern voice.
"Yes..... but i didn't do this.I was away when it happened." I defend,not wanting to admit to anyone that I didn't phase. It would be the best prove that I am not the one that hurt Talia .But I would be giving my stepmother another reason to order the guards to drag me out of the pack house even before i get a chance to speak to my father.
"Don't let her lie to you! She just turned eighteen.She must have finally phased ,lost control and attacked the child!" My stepmother argues. Everyone else seems to agree.
The guards grab me by my arms and hair.Not gently,but as if they want to rip those parts of my body.
I grunt in pain as they pull me up from my knees and start dragging me towards the door,The maids and my step mother hailing them.
"Take her to the hall, the prince will be the one to decide on her punishment." She orders the guards and my body stiffens with shock.
The prince?! Hell no!
He may be the most adored being of this kingdom, because people claim he is extraordinarily compassionate. But don't mistake compassion for mercy. I have heard he he is very ruthless when it comes to deciding punishment for people that have been accused of commiting crimes. Like the one I am being false fully accused of.
If I don't defend myself now before we get to him, I may end up enduring a terrible punishment for a crime I have not committed.
"I did not attack Talia! please listen to me! I didn't even phase!" I shout out,no longer afraid revealing the fact That I am still wolf less.
My stepmother appears dumbfounded for a moment.She however quickly recovers and shoots me a glare.
"Stop lying! You're the only one that wasn't in the hall and Talia was right in here in your room.
Everyone can see what happened!"she snaps."Yeah, you're quite stupid to think you can fool us when this happened in your room." The guard that is pulling on my hair says and yanks harder.
I shriek in pain only only to hear them laugh.
I have to keep my feet moving despite the pain because otherwise I will get dragged like a dead body.That would be more painful.
"Take Talia to the infirmary. I will inform our pack doctor that she is there when we get to the hall."
My stepmother orders before following us out of my room and down the stairs to the hall."You're such a pathetic being. Look how awful you look! Did you fall into the swimming pool or something?" She insults walking fast behind.me and the guards.
Oh hell! I am still in the dirty,wet dress I was in when i got back from the forest. I am sure my hair is even dirtier and messier than my wet clothes.I have always looked as good as any girl my age in this kingdom. I didn't get to phase on my seventeen birthday like them but i still got a shapely body and sleek skin like them.
I still have physical human flaws like a few pimples and a few scars that don't seem to be in a hurry to leave my skin.
Whether I am beautiful or not,this Isn't how I Imagined meeting the famous prince. I will be the ugliest being he has ever laid his eyes on.He will obviously think I am mad enough to attack a child.
My father had ordered that I don't get anywhere near the hall or let any guest see me.Yet that's where my stepmother is hailing the guards to take me.
She wants to have me humiliated to a point that my father will not want to keep me near him anymore. The show she wants to put up will be beyond embarrassing for me. And there isn't a thing I can do about it as long as these giants have their hands on me.
There are still delightful sounds of cerebration as we get closer to the door. They suddenly turn into gasps of shock when I am dragged in through the door.
"What on earth is she?" I hear a woman exclaim in disgust as the guards pull me forward . I feel too mortified to look ahead at the stage where i know the prince ,my father and my step sister are . I have never wished to have the ability of becoming invisible this much before. I can hear people hurling insults at me already even before learning what I am accused of. They have already declared me guilty just because im dressed awfully and don't look so good.
The guards halt and forcefully push me to kneel on the floor. I still keep my gaze on the floor, afraid to look up and noble people that are obviously glaring down at me.
"What is this?" The sexiest and most mesmerizing voice I have heard speaks and my curiosity forces me to look up.
WILSON'S POVThe girl jerks upright in panic hissing in pain in the process. Her face pales when I step into the shadow of light cast by the open Windows. Under the light she instantly recognizes me. "You don't have to be scared, I am not going to hurt you." I say in the most convincing voice I can master faking a sweet smile.It takes her a moment to snap out of her daze and she purses her lipslooking unconvinced. She must be remembering what happened yesterday. Yeah, words must be a very lame way of convincing her after I and my father had ordered her execution.She must be cursing me inwardly for making her pass through such excruciating pain. She takes a moment to think. I step forward taking a grip of her arm in hopes of easing the tension."Don't pretend you care about me!" She chokes out elbowing me hard in the chest. I hiss in pain but quickly regain my composure.She looks up at me her blue eyes showing too much innocence. My judgement was right. As I had thought earlier sh
ROWAN'S POVMy breathing is hard, my chest puffs up and down as I stare at the unconscious figure lying at the center of the stage. Her long strands of wavy black hair sticks to her injured, bloodied neck. I'm sure I have seen the girl somewhere, just not sure where.Two guards grab the unconscious girl dragging her to a huge stone block that has been placed on the raised stage. Despite being quite far enough I can clearly smell the blood emmiting from the stone block."People like this should never be allowed to exist among us. They seek only to destroy what others have built. So I sentence this heinous thief to death!" Wilson's father announces and the crowd cheers. "By beheading!""She doesn't deserve to be beheaded for stealing a fucking crown. You're not going to stand here and watch this happen, are you?" Jason whispers barely audible over the sound of the cheering crowd. I take a look around, I can see disgust in the eyes of every person."Wilson should handle this. It's his pa
THIRD PERSON POVWhen the alpha king entered the room all guests present looked in his direction and bowed but he merely gazed or payed any attention to them as he welcomed his son on the raised platform.He turned to face everyone as he announced. "My fellow friends, I thank you for finding it in your time to join me in celebrating the phasing of my beloved and only son. " The crowd errupted in cheers. "This night will also be the start of his worthwhile reign." He continued.Wilson barely listened to what his father was saying. If given a choice, he would rather be crowned after finding the girl he is looking for. She will bring power in his reign. People respected packs reigned by angels but they feared and befriended packs with golden winged angels. With her he could build a powerful kingdom like Rowan's. But the moment he walked into the party hall, his reluctance to take the crown vaporized instantly when he took in to the big crowd of Luna's, alphas and the best warriors of ea
AVA'S POVI can hardly sit still. Pacing on the space between my bed and the bathroom door, my stomach burns with tension. I have been waiting stifly in my room pacing, taking deep calming breaths trying to get my anxiety under control.I pear out my window into the back alleyway. The bright yellow rays of the setting sun beams through my window. Letting out a groan my teeth mercilessly worry my bottom lip. For a moment I contemplate going out there myself. It will be getting dark soon and my maid Jean has not yet returned with the information I need.I take a deep breath through my nose. I won't be lying in a fetal handle on my bed whimpering at the edge of insanity. I can't lie the motives I have for the evening party horrifies me. Yet I know if I don't range on I will loose everything. I can't blame myself for protecting my needs.I have always tried to always give people a chance. But so far Wilson has not impressed me one bit. Saying he and my step sister infuriates me is puttin
AVA'S POV"You found her. Is it done?" I ask looking at the guards I sent to search for my step sister expectantly. What else would they be doing here if they haven't found her. There is no doubt that she has been found but I need to know she is gone before I start questioning how Wilson found out I sent them."Yes we found her but.." One answers."Yes!?" I finally can put everything about my step sister behind me. I wait in anticipation for them to tell me they have gotten rid of her. "But we don't have her, yet." The other adds and my body convulses."What do you mean by you don't have her." I demand my face alight with fury. Anger soaks into the cracks of my happiness. "Did I not give you enough money to buy her back?" "It's Jonathan who bought the girl my lady?" The first guard explains."Who the hell is Jonathan? He doesn't like money?" I question seething as I wait for what they will say.They both look at each other as if not sure of the answer to my question."Someone fuckin
ROWAN'S POVParties always feel like work to me more than entertainment. After a long fucked up day of arguing with my father yesterday I was ready to get away for a few days. I only agreed to come here because I needed a break from all the pressure, well aware that the upcoming days will be a rollercoster.The day is still young and seconds are passing like minutes and minutes seem to take years. I can't wait for this to end.I turn and spot Ava with her maid coming down the hallway. She is in a broze coloured ball gown with matching luxurious jewelry she ordered before we left for this pack yesterday morning.How her sledder body manages to carry around the heavy gown is beyond me."That corset dress must have costed prince Rowan a great sum of a fortune." Jason dramatically hisses shifting at Wilson's side to get a better look at Ava. "Was it really worth it?" "Only when you consider it has changed her shape and created curves that were not there before." Wilson snickers smiling s
AVA'S POVMy muscles tighten involuntarily as Wilson walks alongside Prince Rowan as we make our way towards his father's office.I hope like hell he won't tell Rowan anything or try looking for the girl himself before I manage to make sure my step sister is no more.The good thing is growing in the kind of family I did, you learn to get off rocks while you still can and by all means possible. Before leaving, I'd discreetly arranged for my personal guards to track down my step-sister. Four trusted men, well-paid to buy her back and get rid of her as far away as they can. I need to keep the probability of her ever being found at zero.After I am sure she is gone for good, I can freely and confidently tell Wilson the girl he is looking for is no more. Wilson had slept most of our journey, claiming to be exhausted from yesterday's training. A part of me had wished he'd never wake up. Rowan's casual question breaks the tense silence. "Have you found your mate yet?"I keep my eyes down,
LAYLA'S POVFor hours, Mia and I scrub dishes and wipe down sticky surfaces until my back feels like it will snap from exhaustion. My muscles ache painfully as hunger gnaws at my insides.“You should take a break, we’re almost halfway done,” Mia advises as she assesses my worn-out state.Almost halfway done? The thought is overwhelming, it feels impossible to keep working like this. It’s nearly midday, and we still have hallways to clean.“I’ll take a little break then go clean the hallway while you finish here,” I announce, forcing myself upright despite how spent I feel.“Guests will start arriving any time now, it’s better if we get done with the hallways first so we’re out of their way.” I suggest."Good idea." Mia nods her head in agreement."I will clean here while you do the hallways."I fix my long black hair into a messy ponytail before dropping two rags into the cleaning buckets. "You have long beautiful hair. And a very beautiful body, you should let people see that."Mia ad
LAYLA'S POVI thought palaces were built to be beautiful at every corner, but as the guards lead us deeper into the vast structure, the cool elegance of the exterior starts to fade away. It even looks worse when we get to the slave quarters. Seems like the luxurious rooms and stuff we passed on our way down were only meant for the rich royals to enjoy. The slave quater they have settled us in are more worse than a criminal holding cells. It looks more of a basement or an abandoned storage room, dimly lit by two oil lamps from both ends, half broken windows with a thick layer of dust coating them, dusty conners covered with cobwebs and a door barely hanging on it's hinges.It's cold, chilly and ramshackled with a musty odour that makes you feel like puking.After a while, they bring in seven more slaves. They look disheveled but healthy, just like us. We all lie down on the thin mats provided for each of us.If we’re subjected to the same work as normal servants, without pay,we might