Chapter 2

Leila

Tina stood before me, her arms trembling slightly as she held up two dresses: one a white mesh cake layered dress like a cotton ball, bulky and cheap, the other a red haute couture flame, all passion and silk stitched into its seams.

I stared at them, my reflection caught in the cracked mirror behind her - pale, sharp-edged, a woman teetering on the brink of something irreversible. My fingers brushed my forehead, the skin there still tender from too many nights spent clawing at memories.

"Why don't you wear this white silk dress, Luna?" Tina's voice was soft, tentative, like she was coaxing a wounded animal. She lifted the white one higher, its folds sagging like a defeated sigh.

I didn't answer right away. My eyes fixed on that dress, that wretched thing. I remembered it - how could I not? The way it had hung on me at the dance, too tight in all the wrong places, too loose where it mattered. I'd worn it for Lucas, aping Josephine's prim elegance, thinking it would draw his gaze back to me. Instead, I'd stumbled through the night, a laughingstock, my mate's eyes sliding past me to her. The white dress was a stain, a mark of my shame, a cheap rag unfit for a Lycan Princess. I'd only chosen it to please him, to mold myself into something he might love again. What a fool I'd been.

"No," I said, my voice cutting through the stillness. I reached for the red dress, my fingers curling around its fabric - smooth, alive, like blood spilled across satin. "Let's wear this one tonight."

Tina's eyes widened, a flicker of worry creasing her brow. "Luna, are you sure you really want to wear this? Will this be too… revealing?"

I turned to the mirror, catching the outline of my body - tight, unyielding, a weapon I'd forgotten I wielded.

"What's wrong with being exposed?" I said, my lips curling into something sharp. "Isn't it a pity not to expose such a good figure?"

She clutched the white dress tighter, her knuckles whitening. "But Alpha might like it when you wear it, after all…"

"After all what?" I snapped, my gaze slicing to hers in the reflection. My voice was a blade, honed by months of swallowing my own bile.

Tina faltered, her mouth opening and closing like a fish drowning in air. She didn't dare finish the thought, but I knew it anyway - after all, Josephine always wears this kind of white street-vendor trash, and Lucas can't keep his hands off her. She dropped her eyes and stepped forward, silent now, helping me shrug off my coat. The red dress slid over my skin, cool and slick, a lover's caress I hadn't earned.

In the mirror, I was a vision - bright, charming, deadly. Every tilt of my head, every shift of my hips, was a rose unfurling its petals, sharp with hidden barbs. I reached for my makeup, brushing rouge across my cheeks, staining my lips crimson.

I picked up the eyeliner, its tip trembling slightly in my grip, and drew a small mole at the corner of my lip - a dark, deliberate mark. I straightened, staring at the femme fatale in the glass, and felt a shiver of power coil in my gut.

"Go throw away all my white dresses," I said, my voice cold as iron. "They're annoying to look at. No non-custom clothes in my wardrobe from now on."

Tina blinked, startled out of her stupor. "Yes, Luna," she stammered. "I'll go right away." She scurried off, the white dress still clutched in her hands like a dead thing.

I turned from the mirror, my heels clicking against the floor as I left the room. The auction awaited, and with it, my reckoning.

-

Outside Mason Hall, the air buzzed with voices, a swarm of flies circling the banquet of the elite werewolves. The crowd parted as I approached, their eyes darting to me, then away, then back again - hungry, curious, afraid. From a distance, I saw them - Lucas, my husband, his arm linked with Josephine's. She wore that white cake dress, the twin of the one I'd nearly chosen, its cotton folds clinging to her like a shroud. A perfect little white flower, plucked from some omega college gutter. The media swarmed them, flashes popping like gunfire, and the whispers grew louder - Josephine, the junior student, invited to a high-end auction; Alpha Lucas, the Kingdom's strongest, parading her on his arm.

I knew what they thought. They saw me as the fool, the Lycan Princess blinded by jealousy in a past life, driven out by Josephine's scheming. They were polite to Lucas' face, bowing and scraping, but behind their hands, they mocked me. They wanted a show - me tearing into the mistress, claws out, blood on the marble. Fine. Let them watch. Let them learn.

Josephine played her part well. That dress - plain, unassuming - was no accident. She had a wardrobe full of the custom gowns Lucas showered on her, but she'd picked this rag instead. She knew I'd worn its match once, knew I'd envied her, hated her, tried to become her to win him back. She'd counted on me doing it again, banking on my shame. In my previous life, I had - stumbled into that auction, a mirror of her, a joke to them all. Not tonight.

My gaze slid to Lucas. The full moon hung heavy overhead, and I felt it - the pull of our bond, a thread of heat tugging at my core. He was perfect, wasn't he? Tall, handsome, rich, a beacon of confidence and power. The kind of man I'd dreamed of as a girl, the kind Josephine had no right to claim. But she had, with her harmless smiles and omega cunning, twisting my mate away from me until I'd died hating them both. Infuriating, yes. But tonight, I'd rewrite the story.

He noticed the stares, the sidelong glances of the crowd. His arm tightened around Josephine's waist, pulling her close. "Jo, don't be afraid," he said, his voice low, warm. "I'm here."

I heard it all, my Lycan senses sharp as a blade. Another woman might have melted into him, but not Josephine. She pushed him away, just enough, her voice quivering with practiced nerves. "Don't… Alpha, I've never attended such a big event before. I have a due to attend, so I might as well go back…"

Lucas didn't hesitate. He yanked her into his arms, his tone firm. "You'll often attend such occasions with me in the future. You'll get used to it, don't worry."

Shame burned in my chest, a familiar ache sharpened by the moon. Betrayal from a mate cut deep, and I knew that wound - knew how it had festered until it killed me. I wouldn't let it happen again.

Then Beta Fred appeared, his face tight with panic. He leaned in, whispering to Lucas, who scowled. "What's going on? Didn't I tell you clearly? You shouldn't tell Leila to come over today."

Fred shifted, awkward, but Josephine jumped in, her voice soft and sweet. "Don't be angry with Fred. I asked him to notify Leila to come over. Today is such an important occasion, and all the Alphas are here. I'm worried about others gossiping, so I thought it's more appropriate for Leila to accompany you…" She dipped her head, a perfect show of submission.

Lucas softened, lifting her chin. "You're really gentle and considerate, always thinking of me and willing to sacrifice yourself. Jo, don't worry, I won't let you suffer any grievances."

She pressed closer, rewarding him with that snuggle. A master at work - show weakness, get what you want, then seal it with a treat. Men like Lucas were no better than dogs in her hands. But I wasn't the same Leila she'd outplayed before.

"Guard the door," Lucas told Fred. "If you see Leila, kick her out."

Josephine's smirk was faint, smug. I stepped forward, my voice ringing out, sharp and loud. "Kick me out? Too late."

Her head snapped up, eyes wide with shock. Lucas froze, his gaze raking over me. I stood there, red as fire, a vengeful Goddess under the moonlight - not her twin, not her shadow, but something else entirely.

The crowd hushed, their stares a weight I welcomed. Let them see. Let them remember.