003

Nora’s POV

My fingers were numb and stiff. I had just finished scrubbing the entire banquet hall again after breakfast this time, Day 3 of doing this. My knees felt like they were about to give out

I packed the dirty bucket and brush back into the storage closet and walked quickly to the servant bathroom. My hand was on fire. I couldn’t even straighten it properly anymore. Blisters were open, skin peeling. I turned on the tap and shoved both hands under the water.

The pain made my jaw clench. I stared at the sink and said nothing.

Then I looked up—and saw myself in the broken mirror above the tap.

I looked like hell.

Eyes sunken. Skin pale. Hair frizzy and sticking to the sides of my face. My lips were cracked from dehydration. I looked exactly how they wanted me to look—like I had been defeated.

“Our mate makes us do this,” I said out loud to my wolf. “We should be happy he rejected us, right?”

She didn’t answer.

I blinked fast, trying to stop the tears, but one still slipped. Then another. I shook my head quickly, angry.

“No. You don’t get to cry now. Not after everything.” My voice was low, rough. “Why the hell are you crying?”

I slapped my cheek hard, hitting myself. “Stupid girl,” I muttered. “Crying for who? For him?”

My chest tightened. I looked back at the mirror, and I hated what I saw. I hated the tears.

“He humiliated you in front of everyone,” I whispered to my reflection. “He called you a whore. Said you had thief blood. And you’re crying for him?”

I slammed the sink with my palm. “You deserve someone who will burn the world for you.”

I pushed away from the sink, wiping my face with the sleeve of my uniform. My hands were shaking. I needed to get it together.

*

*

So, finally, it’s Asher and Vanessa’s mating ceremony.

Vanessa’s name was on every servant’s lips. After all, she was the chosen Luna—the one Asher picked.

And Vanessa chose to assign me as her “assistant for today.”

A stylish way to humiliate me further.

I stood in the corner of her dressing suite, holding the lace hem of her ceremonial gown, while she sat like royalty in front of the mirror. The makeup artist was putting the final touches on her face, while her three closest friends fluttered around her like she was already queen.

The scent of roses, luxury oils, and heated curling irons clouded the room.

“I look so beautiful,” Vanessa said, beaming at her reflection, admiring the shimmer of her gold eye shadow.

“Yes, you do!” one of her friends chirped. “The Alpha won’t be able to take his eyes off you tonight.”

Vanessa’s eyes flicked to me, her smile turning sharp.

“Nora,” she said sweetly. “Do you think you’ll ever experience a moment like this in your life?”

Her friends cackled. “Maybe in her dreams,” one of them muttered loud enough for me to hear.

I stood still. My fingers clenched around the fabric. Vanessa has slapped me countless times before, said a lot of bad words but why did a wave of sadness rush over me so fast? Like this shouldn’t be a big deal as well, it almost took my breath away. I told myself not to cry. Not here. Not in front of them.

But something cracked.

I let go of the lace suddenly and took a step back. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even look at them. My chest burned and my throat felt tight.

“Excuse me,” I whispered hoarsely.

I didn’t wait for permission. I turned and ran.

I didn’t care where I was going—I just needed to get out.

I couldn’t breathe. Everything they said just kept replaying in my head like a drumbeat. Do you think you’ll ever experience this? Maybe in your dreams.

I ran through the side entrance and burst into the open, I heard someone asking what was wrong, but I didn’t stop, I went straight into the road.

Suddenly I heard a loud screech of tires in front of me. My heart almost jumped out of my chest.

I froze.

The car stopped inches away from me. The driver slammed the brakes so hard the tires smoked.

I stared, wide-eyed, realizing I had almost gotten myself killed.

My knees wobbled. I tried to step back but everything felt heavy: my legs, my chest, my arms. I opened my mouth to say something, maybe to apologize, but nothing came out. The shock hit me all at once.

And then—darkness covers me.

The last thing I felt was a pair of arms catching me before I hit the ground.

The world went black.

UNKNOWN POV

“She doesn’t look royal,” Garrick said, standing stiff beside the hospital bed. “They’re expecting you at the mating ceremony by now. It’s a high-profile event, Your Majesty. The Alpha—”

“Enough,” I said coldly.

He stopped talking immediately. Smart move.

My eyes never left the girl on the bed. Her hands were bandaged. Her lips were cracked. Her wrist had a purple bruise like she’d fallen hard. But it wasn’t the injuries that kept me staring, it was the strange pull I felt from the moment she collapsed in front of my car.

My wolf stirred again. Restless. Possessive. Fierce.

“She doesn’t look royal,” Garrick repeated quietly, like he was speaking to himself now.

I turned my head and gave him a single look.

He swallowed and dropped his gaze.

“She is royal,” I said flatly. “She’s my mate. That makes her matter more than any damn ceremony.”

Garrick didn’t argue again.

I stood there, arms folded, watching the rise and fall of her chest. She was unconscious, fragile-looking. But something about her scent, even faint as it was, lit something dangerous inside me.

“Find out who she is,” I said. “Everything. Her name. Her pack. Why does she look like someone’s been using her as a punching bag.”

Garrick bowed his head. “Yes, my King.”

“And cancel the ceremony appearance. I’m not leaving this hospital.”