Chapter 2 – A drink, a Dress and a lie

Chapter 2 – A drink, a Dress and a lie

Even though my heart had been shredded just hours ago, I let Rhiannon dress me however the hell she pleased. I stood in front of the mirror, and for a second, I didn’t recognize the girl staring back at me.

I looked like I belonged to someone else’s fairytale.

The emerald-green dress clung to my body like it had been made just for me, the fabric kissing every curve and dip. I knew I was decent-looking, sure...but this? I looked like I’d just stepped off a damn runway.

"...and now for the final touch," Rhiannon said with a mischievous grin. “Perfume.”

“I’ve got something,” I said quickly, digging into my bag for the bottle. It was my own creation...something I’d been working on for weeks at the perfume shop. The scent was inspired by something deep in my memory, a fragrance I couldn’t quite explain. My boss, Elias, must’ve sensed how important it was to me. He gave it to me as a birthday gift.

“Smells divine,” Rhiannon said, misting it all over me before handing it back. “Come on. Tonight’s going to be unforgettable.”

She practically dragged me down the street, walking like she owned the damn night. She had confidence in spades. Me? I felt like I was wearing someone else’s skin. I wasn’t used to short dresses and low necklines, especially not in public. The streets were packed, buzzing with people.

“What the hell is going on?” I asked, trying to dodge bodies and not trip in my heels.

“It’s Theron’s engagement ceremony,” she replied like I was supposed to know who the hell that was.

“Theron?”

She rolled her eyes. “First prince of the Lycan Court? The future king? He’s marrying Isolde tonight...daughter of the oldest and noblest wolf bloodline.”

“Oh.”

Well, that explained the crowd.

The Lycan Court ruled over every pack. The King had two sons, but only he and the boys were true Lycans. The rest of us were wolves...lesser in blood and power, whether we liked it or not.

Our Duskwatch Pack was close to the capital, so we saw nobles pass through all the time. But I’d never seen this many people swarming the streets. Not even close.

Rhiannon gripped my hand and guided me expertly through the chaos until we reached an open-air bar lit with lanterns and swarming with bodies. People were packed shoulder to shoulder, music thumping in the background. The air smelled like sweat, booze, and expensive perfume.

She ordered two drinks and slid one into my hand. I hesitated.

“It’s your birthday. Live a little,” she nudged.

I took a sip. Strong. Burned going down. I coughed.

“That’s the spirit,” she grinned and vanished into the crowd.

Panic prickled in my chest as drunk men started eyeing me up like fresh meat. One even leaned in too close.

“Back off,” Rhiannon snapped, returning like a damn shield-maiden. She shoved them off and pressed a hotel keycard into my hand.

“What’s this?”

“We’re getting plastered,” she laughed. “You really wanna go home to my mother wasted? Hell no, I chose life. We’ll crash at a hotel nearby and sneak in tomorrow.”

She caught the doubtful look on my face and softened her tone. “It’s just one night. We deserve this.”

I was about to argue when the crowd erupted in cheers. A giant screen lit up above the bar, showing a man and woman in flashy formalwear. Theron and Isolde. I’d never seen people so... polished. So rich.

Rhiannon pointed excitedly, but I wasn’t paying attention to her. I was too distracted by a conversation happening right next to me.

“Theron is so fucking gorgeous, it's unbelievable,” one girl squealed. She was rail-thin, long-necked, wearing a pink mini-dress two sizes too small.

“Sure,” said her chunkier friend. “But the bride’s the real prize. Most beautiful wolf in the capital.”

“She was born on the Blood Moon,” Pink Dress whispered, like that explained everything.

My stomach dropped.

So was I.

Same night. Same moment. Different destinies.

The Blood Moon was supposed to mark greatness...for power, for beauty, for fate. And maybe I’d gotten the looks, but the rest? The strength? The gifts?

Nada. Zilch. Zero

I turned away from the screen, the cheers and glamor making my insides ache. That’s when I saw him.

Tall. Still. Leaning on the edge of the bar like a storm cloud ready to break. He stared at the screen, not smiling. Not clapping. His aura was cold as hell, like smoke leaking from an icehouse.

There was something about him...his stillness, the sheer pressure that bled from his presence...that made it hard to look away. Until he turned.

Right. At. Me.

Grey eyes. Glacial. Piercing straight through my chest.

I panicked and looked away like I’d been caught doing something wrong. The couple on the screen kissed, and the crowd lost its shit again...but I didn’t care.

All I could think about was him.

“That’s so damn tragic,” the girl in pink sighed. “The second prince...Lucian? He was her fated mate.”

“No shit?” her friend gasped.

“Yep. They were in love. But he was born from a surrogate and cursed or whatever. So he can’t be king. She had to marry Theron instead.”

“Fuck,” the fat girl whispered. “Imagine losing your mate and your crown.”

Yeah. Imagine that.

For a second, my pain felt... small. Because I knew what rejection tasted like. Knew what it meant to be overlooked, unloved, unwanted.

And now I understood exactly who that man at the bar was.

Lucian. The second prince.

I scanned the crowd again, but he was gone.

“Who’re you looking for?” Rhiannon asked, appearing out of nowhere with a drink in hand.

“No one,” I lied quickly. “What’s that?”

“For you,” she said with a giggle. “To help you forget that cheating bastard and actually have a good time.”

“I don’t know...”

“Come on, Selene,” she pouted. “Drink the damn thing.”

I hesitated. Then drank it in one go.

“Atta girl,” she clapped. “I’ll go grab another.”

She vanished again. And then the world tilted.

One minute, I was upright...the next, I was spiraling. Hot and cold at the same time. Dizzy as fuck.

I reached into my purse, fumbled for the keycard she’d given me earlier, and stumbled toward the towering hotel across the street.

I could barely walk straight. The lights blurred. My head was spinning.

I somehow made it to the elevator, then to the hallway, clutching walls to stay upright. I squinted at the doors.

320.

I shoved the keycard into the lock. The door clicked open. I staggered inside, reached for the light...

And froze.

I wasn’t alone.

Something growled low in the dark.

Deep. Predatory. And it didn't sound human.