CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

PIPER

I slowly opened my eyes, using my hands to shield them from the harsh light. 

As I sat up in bed, my movements were sluggish, and my head pounded with a strong ache.

Confusion took over my thoughts.

What's going on?

My vision gradually cleared, revealing my surroundings.

"Where am I?" I muttered, my voice as low as a whisper.

The room was big and luxurious compared to my room at home.

"Where is this?" I whispered again, my eyes darting around the space.

The memories started to come back…running from my father, the blaring horn, the sudden impact of the car.

I placed a hand over my chest, feeling my heart race as panic set in.

How was I alive and feeling okay?

I clenched my fists, trying to calm down my breathing, desperately searching my memory for answers.

"Princess Faye," a voice called out, catching me off guard.

I turned to see a maid standing there.

"Oh, thank heavens you are fine," she said, smiling as she walked toward me, her eyes scanning me as if checking for injuries.

I stared back, feeling confused.

"Who are you?" I asked, curiosity taking over. "Where am I?"

As I looked around again, I noticed something odd.

My long black hair was now a light brown with gray streaks. I racked my brain but couldn't recall ever dyeing it.

What the hell is going on?

I glanced at my hands, realizing that my skin looked unusually pale compared to my usual tan.

"What the heck?" I muttered, shifting uncomfortably in bed.

The maid stared at me, her expression a blend of concern and confusion.

"Is everything alright, Princess Faye?" she asked cautiously.

"Princess Faye? Who the heck is that?" I shot back, my voice rising.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, attempting to stand, but my legs felt weak, nearly giving out.

I gripped the edge of the bed to steady myself.

"Where am I? Why do I feel so different?" I asked, my voice shaking.

The maid’s eyes widened in alarm.

"I will get the doctor," she said hurriedly, backing away before turning and rushing out of the room, the door closing with a slam behind her.

My breathing quickened. I clenched my hands into fists, knuckles whitening.

My body didn’t feel like my own.

Why was she calling me Princess Faye when that obviously isn't my name?

Just then, my eyes caught a mirror mounted on the wall in the corner of the room.

My heart was beating fast as fear and curiosity pulled me toward it.

My mind raced as I walked closer to the mirror.

My reflection startled me.

I shook my head in disbelief.

This can't be real. I must be dreaming.

The woman staring back at me was completely different from, from her hair to her nails.

I tried to connect with the wolf inside me, but I felt nothing.

It was dead silent.

Is this really happening?

I lifted my hand, and the reflection repeated the motion.

My eyes widened in shock.

I stepped back.

This was not me. The reflection was not me.

Unable to handle the situation, my head grew light, my vision blurred, and I collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

—

Later, I woke to the sound of low voices.

My vision was blurry as I opened my eyes.

I saw a man and a woman talking.

My groan seemed to catch their attention, and the man walked over, examining me and asking various questions.

I felt too weak to respond or even understand him fully.

He sighed and spoke to the woman before leaving the room, leaving us alone.

As my vision cleared, I mumbled, "Where am I?"

I looked at the woman, who glared down at me, arms crossed over her chest.

"Just a little punishment, and suddenly you have lost your memory," she said. Her tone told me she didn’t like me and words confused me.

What punishment?

She sighed, her expression turning hard.

"How I wish you had died falling off those stairs," she added.

She took a deep breath, still glaring at me.

"I don't care if you have amnesia or if you're struggling to remember who you are and all that nonsense, but just know one thing. The Alpha is coming for you tonight, and you will do as he says.”

She didn’t give me a chance to respond.

She stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

What a witch.

She reminded me of my stepmother back home.

But who was she to this woman whose body I seemed to be in?

And what was this "Princess Faye" business?

Princess Faye?

The memories started flooding back.

I had heard of her.

Could I really be in her body?

Princess Faye was the princess of the Cremstone pack. I'd heard about her engagement to Alpha Sage of the Silverwolf pack just before... Everything happened to me.

Alpha Sage was known for his power and Remilessness, a figure both feared and respected.

The thought of meeting someone like him terrified me.

But then a chilling thought crossed my mind.

How was I in Princess Faye's body?

Or had I been Princess Faye all along, and my previous life was just a figment of my imagination?

A dream I had when I passed out?

The confusion was too much.

I couldn’t make sense of any of it.

Just then, a knock on the door broke my thoughts.

A group of maids entered, their expressions pleased as they bowed slightly.

"The lady of the house has asked us to help you get dressed," one of them said.

"The Alpha will be arriving soon, so you need to be ready.”

I didn’t know how to react or what to say.

I simply watched as the maids went about their work, rifling through a collection of clothes I had never seen before.

They dressed me in the finest, high-end designers, transforming me into something out of a fairy tale.

When they finished, I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

I had to admit…Princess Faye was stunning.

But how was I trapped in her body?

Why couldn’t I connect with a wolf of hers?

"The woman of the house requests that you stay here until his arrival," the maids said, bowing before leaving.

Who was that woman?

I tried to recall.

Then it hit me.

She was the mistress of the Alpha before he died.

And now, for some reason, she was in charge of the house instead of Princess Faye.

What could she be plotting?

She was definitely up to something.

A maid arrived to inform me that the Alpha had arrived.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself.

The maid escorted me out of the room and down the stairs.

My heart pounded in my chest.

But I couldn’t help admiring the house’s beauty.

The interior was nothing short of extravagant.

As I made my way down, the mistress shot me a glare.

"Wait and sit here. The Alpha will join you shortly. And remember what I said you will do everything he asks of you."

I nodded and sat on the couch, glancing around, still questioning whether this was real or a dream.

My mind raced.

I clasped my nervous hands together.

A maid walked toward me with a smile, offering a glass of water.

"Do you want some water?" she asked.

I was about to decline when her smile faded.

Her eyes locked on something behind me and slowly, she frowned.

She stepped back quickly, abandoning the glass without a word.

Curious, I turned and also regretted why.

My gaze met his cold, silver eyes.

He sat on a couch opposite me, relaxed and confident, studying me from head to toe.

This had to be him.

The aura around him was cold, dangerous.

He hadn’t said a word, yet the danger clung to him.

Was this what Alpha Sage looked like?

I had never seen him before but I had heard stories.

They said he was Remiless…Now I believe it.

Then something surprising happened.

I felt my wolf stirring, a familiar feeling. It was Nara, not a different wolf but mine.

This wasn't my body, I wasn’t crazy. I had lived another life.

If Nara was here, then this wasn’t my life.

At first, I felt relieved.

But then I understood what it meant when she stirred so strongly.

Then, in a soft whisper, she said,

"Mate..."

The word hit me hard.

Could he really be my mate? A second chance mate?

Some people got that lucky, but me?

“The moon goddess must be toying with me.” I whispered in my head.

“You’re my mate?” the man asked, eyes wide like they would come out of its socket.

But if he had been with Princess Faye before, he must have known she was his mate.

Why was he suddenly acting surprised?

Then he added something that chilled me:

"Why do you smell different? The last time we met, there was no mate bond between us."

He frowned.

"Why are you suddenly my mate? Who are you?”