chapter 7

ARIANA

I woke up with a strange kind of feeling—the kind that makes you sing and dance in the bathroom, or put on an extra layer of lipstick.

I pressed my lips together, my eyes shimmering with a glow I couldn't quite pinpoint. It certainly had nothing to do with my mate.

Sure, it was my first kiss and first orgasm, but that didn't mean I should be behaving as if I had fallen from heaven into another paradise.

I sucked in a mouthful of air, my hair brushing against the crown that nested on my head. My reflection winked back at me; I wore a long, sky-blue gown that hugged my upper body and flowed down from my waist, hitting my ankles in a long, elegant drape. The neckline was curved, and my fingers did a good job of smoothing down the fabric.

I exhaled the mouthful of air, then spun around. Either I was drunk on some happiness syndrome, or everywhere suddenly felt lighter and brighter. It felt like I was a feather withstanding gravity.

“Greetings, Princess.” The guards bowed, their heads almost hitting their knees.

I gave a short nod, my widened smile trimming down until it was barely visible.

Surely, I didn't want anyone seeing me smiling like an idiot. Not that smiling was wrong, but smiling without a reason would certainly arouse questions, and that was the last thing I needed.

I made my way down the flight of stairs, my shoes clicking softly against the marble tiles. I ignored the cold sting of the gold-plated railing, swirling my way toward the dining room.

The guard pulled the door open and I stepped in. My gaze met Father's, then Mother's, and I bowed.

“Good morning, Alpha and Luna.” I walked over and sank into the chair directly opposite Mother and close to Father.

The maids served us and left, yet none of us touched the food. The previous happiness I felt bubbled away, leaving a thick, sour feeling that settled at the base my tongue. The temperature in the room suddenly dropped by a fraction while I laced my fingers over my plate.

“You can say what you want to say, Father and Mother,” I chimed in. The silence was deafening.

Father let out a low sigh. “It's not that. We are just worried.”

“I'm really fine.”

“That is exactly what we don't understand,” Mother interjected. “You and Leon have been together for so long, and the next minute, it seems like the two of you are strangers. What exactly happened?”

I stilled.

I couldn't tell them. Not now.

“I realized Alpha Levi was the better match for me.”

“Overnight?” Father leveled me with a scrutinizing gaze.

“Yes. Levi and I are mates, so that proves it.”

“Aside from that?”

I hadn't thought that deeply.

“So you do want to marry him? You are sure that he is the best for you?”

I bit down on my lower lip.

Was I?

The memory of Leon wrapped around my best friend, fucking her while they laughed and plotted how they were going to dispose of me, stabbed at my mind. The memory of being in Levi's arms followed right after—the pleasure, and the way it felt so right. Maybe it was because we were mates, probably because we were tied, maybe that was why I felt that way.

And maybe that was the reason I trusted him enough to marry him. Strangely, I didn't have a single flicker of doubt. I was as certain as I had been about Leon—maybe more—but at least deep down, I knew Levi wouldn't do the same to me.

We are mates, and he is a man of principle, regardless of the beastly rumors about how cruel he is, which I seriously don't get.

He might look intimidating and jaw-droppingly handsome, but he couldn't be that bad.

“Aria, dear?”

“I do, Mum. Levi is my mate, and I trust the Moon Goddess wouldn't choose someone who isn't right for me.”

They thought about it for a while, then nodded.

“We know, sweetheart.” Mother reached out for my hand, which was resting on the table. I leaned toward her. “We just want the best for you, dear.”

“And so do I.” I pressed gently on her hand.

There was a lot at stake: my future, and the pack's future. I was meant to rule after Father, and I couldn't throw myself into a marriage that would drain me. I needed a backbone, an anchor and Levi was the perfect man for that.

“I know what I am doing, Mum. I assure you everything will be fine. I will be fine.”

She offered a faint smile, but I wasn't foolish enough to believe she bought my words.

I had known Mother for eighteen years of my life; she worried about every little thing, and until she saw there was absolutely no way for things to go wrong, only then would she relax. I let her think I believed her. We soaked in the silence, chewing on the steak that suddenly tasted like ash.

I stared at Father and Mother. Deep down, I knew I couldn't mess this up. Too much was at stake.

~~~~

The rest of the day, I stayed hidden in my room. First, I tried to gather as much information as I could about Levi, which amounted to almost nothing. This man, who was known by the entire pack, was practically invisible.

Nothing useful was found. Everything was either about his rule, which was limited, or his non-existent social life. He was the former Alpha's first son, had taken over at the age of ten, and that was it.

Nothing else, apart from a silly rumor that he had killed his father—the Alpha—to take over the throne. This was not only ridiculous, but it sounded like something a drunken idiot would cook up in an inebriated state.

Aside from digging around for info on my dearest future husband, I cooped myself up having talks with Raven. And by talks, I mean talks about our mate.

I had thankfully gotten her to agree not to bring up our steamy moment.

Now, I couldn't help but remember Mother's worried look.

They both looked like I was about to walk into a lion's cage, like I was about to offer myself up to a beast. They probably thought I was just afraid and wanted to keep them safe.

I let out a heavy sigh.

I should have told them the reason. I should have told them that Leon was a despicable bastard, that he was heartless and wanted to take everything we had away from us.

But if I did, I knew chaos would erupt. Father would literally kill him. Not only had Leon planned a vile move, he had also committed treason, and that was punishable by death.

I couldn't let Father's hands be stained with his filthy blood. I couldn't disrupt the peace of the pack over something that hadn't actually happened yet.

I pinched the space between my eyebrows.

“Rave, am I doing the right thing?”

“In a way, you are. But I still would have preferred tearing Leon apart.”

I laughed out loud.

Typical Raven.

~~~~

“Again?”

“Yes, Mother. I did say we didn't get to talk, so I need to speak with him before the wedding starts,” I said to Mother as we took a stroll through the garden, heading back toward the flight of stairs.

The fresh scent of lilies and roses seeped into my nostrils, calming my senses.

“Okay, dear. I will make the arrangements.” I smiled lightly.

We took a turn, climbing up the stairs. Just then, the sound of the heavy metal gate scraping against the ground echoed, followed by the sound of horses.

We turned our gaze downward, watching the carriage roll in. My eyes caught the crest on the side of the carriage.

It was a royal carriage, and it belonged to...

The door swung open, and he stepped out.

I froze.

Levi?