LOGIN~Riya~Dorian had sent a car earlier to pick me up, and I couldn't even bring myself to join them for breakfast. Seeing my mom all brainwashed like that? No way, I'd lose it. I just had to get out of this castle, to feel free again, to be somewhere I actually belonged.When the car dropped me off at Dorian's mansion on his private road, I walked up to the front and knocked. Leanna swung open the grand door, and before I could say a word, she jumped on me with a huge hug.“Oh my goodness, Riya…” she squealed, squeezing me tight.“Finally, Leanna, I've missed you so much,” I said, hugging her even harder. It felt like home already.We headed straight to the kitchen, and I couldn't wait to catch up. “Where's Dorian?” I asked, dying to know what he was up to.“He stepped out to get everything ready for the restaurant reopening tomorrow,” she replied, pouring me a cup of orange juice. “Here you go, dear.”“Thank you.” I took a sip, but my mind was racing.“So, spill all the tea, what's bee
~Aiden~My cheek was killing me from that slap. It felt like someone had smacked me with a hot iron. What the heck was I even thinking? Pulling Riya in for that kiss like some total loser, as if it was magically supposed to wipe out all the pain we had caused her.Deep inside me, my wolf was flipping out, basically yelling that she was spot-on and I was the villain here. I kept pacing back and forth in my office; my brain was spinning like crazy. "How do I even begin to fix this disaster?" I muttered to myself, kicking at the edge of my desk. Everything felt so messed up, like I was stuck in a bad dream I couldn't wake from.Then, bam! A sharp knock on the door snapped me out of it. "Sire, everyone's waiting in the boardroom," my secretary called out.I straightened my tie real quick, slapping on a fake calm look even though I was a storm inside. "Be right there," I shot back. Being the alpha's heir felt like wearing an invisible crown that screamed "act perfect or else," even when
~Riya~I practically flew out of the room, the door slammed shut behind me before Aiden could say another word. My heartbeat thundered violently in my chest. I didn’t know where I was going. I just needed to move. To run. To breathe somewhere that wasn’t suffocating with betrayal and… that kiss. Goddess, that kiss. Somehow it was my first, and somehow I knew I didn’t want it to end. But not with the enemy. I stumbled around a corner, and my feet stopped as I stood in front of an elegant, sparkling kitchen. “Madam Nora…” My voice cracked. The elderly woman turned. “Come in, Riya. Come on in.” She smiled, wide and warm, the kind of smile that somehow told me it was okay to fall apart. I stepped inside, every bone in my body trembling. I slid onto a stool by the counter, unsure if I could even hold myself upright at this point. “You look tense, dear. Are you alright?” Nora asked gently. “I… I’m…” The words knotted up in my throat, and just like that, the dam broke. Te
~Aiden~The Priest, the Beta, and all the family members, including Riya, were seated at the long, ornate table, each of us stricken by the heavy atmosphere. The breakfast meeting was supposed to be about finding a way forward, but everyone except Riya kept eating, and nobody said a word. “Something we never expected has befallen this great pack, something no one, not even I, the priest saw coming. We must think of a way, sire,” the priest stated, slicing through the steak in front of him. “What do we do?” Siarah voiced. Her frustration was palpable. “We all know the problem already. There’s no reason to keep discussing it; we’re here for a way forward, right?” Father sighed, giving a fleeting look to Riya, who sat at the table silent and distant from the food before her. A stark contrast to the chaos unfolding around her. “The dual mating has only befallen our packs once in history,” the priest began. “It is a tale buried deep in the past, a tale we thought had faded into o
~Riya~Today was supposed to be the day I found clarity, but instead, I’m grappling with confusion and heartbreak.Watching Aiden sleep on the couch, I felt a whirlwind of emotions, anger, peace, longing. Could he really be the one? Was I destined to marry him and his brother? The thought was absurd.My mother’s words echoed in my mind. Was she really putting on an act? Could she have spoken to me in that manner to prevent Darius from suspecting her?Jayden’s earlier comments lingered, unsettling me with their implications. I needed answers, but first, I had to get away from this tangled web of emotions.I stepped out of the chamber, the grandeur of the castle surrounding me. The bustling atmosphere contrasted sharply with my inner turmoil. As I walked through the hallways, I brushed against an elderly woman carrying a tray of food.“Oh, I’m so sorry!” I exclaimed, stepping back.“No, it’s fine, it’s absolutely fine,” she replied with a warm smile. “I’m Nora.”“Nice to meet you, Nora
~Aiden~The moment the silver ring of light vanished, everything collapsed into noise.Siarah hurried down the stage, her gown brushing the marble as she pushed through the crowd. When she saw the glowing marks still fading on our skin, her face drained of every drop of color.“Riya?” she whispered, stunned.Beside me, Riya’s lips trembled. “M… Mother.”Siarah stared at her as if she were seeing a ghost crawl out of the ground.“What are you doing here?” she demanded, looking angry and unhappy to even see her daughter.“Ehmmm… Mother, I… I decided to attend the festival…”Before she finished, murmurs exploded all around us.“Is that her?” “That’s Siarah’s daughter.” “The fallen princess who was sent to Dorian.” “How could she be mated to two princes?” “It’s an abomination…”The priest stepped forward, horrified. “Your Majesty, this is against every sacred law. The Goddess blesses mates to become one soul, never two. And for it to be the alpha heirs?” His voice quivered. “This







