CHAPTER 2 — The Replacement

Kaia’s POV

Not a single person has visited me since Selene's fall.

No one asked me if I was hurt.

I didn't get any sympathy that I hadn't eaten since yesterday.

I was just kept here, waiting for whatever my mother had decided for me.

It was just a matter of hours before the royal selection.

But Selene was no longer able to walk.

I sat on the floor next to my bed, knees to my chest and Grandma's silver necklace in my firm grasp. I kept going over the accident in my mind again and again.

I hadn't pushed Selene down the stairs.

But it didn't matter.

I don't think anyone in this family would ever believe me.

Suddenly the door rang with a loud knock.

Suddenly the door opened, but before I could react.

Three servants carrying trays of cosmetics, jewelry boxes, and gowns followed my mother.

I looked at them, blank-faced.

“Get up,” she said, “let's go.”

Slowly I got up from the floor. “Mother…”

“Prepare her.”

The servants all came running to me.

One of them grabbed my arm, but I pulled away. “What’s happening?”

My mother folded her arms in protest. “At the ceremony you will be substituting for your sister.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

A shock of fear ran down my chest like lightning. “No.”

The servants stopped and froze.

I could see my mother's expression darken. “Excuse me?”

“NO,” I cried again, my voice trembling. “I can’t do this.”

“Yes, you can,” she said coldly. “And you will.”

I was in disbelief and just looked at her. “Mother, I don’t even have a wolf. When the nobles discover that there is something amiss…”

“Just be sure they don't know it.” She hissed.

There was panic in my heart. “It's not like I can pretend to be Selene in front of the royal family.”

“You don't have a choice,” my father's voice suddenly said from the door.

Then I looked and saw Magnus standing there.

His massive physique filled the entryway, and his eyes were coldly focused on me.

I swallowed nervously. “Father…”

“Don’t father me…” he scolded.

I nodded my head frantically. “Please… someone will notice. Selene and I look alike, but—”

“You will have your head down, and speak quietly,” Helena interrupted. “That is enough.”

“No, it isn't enough,” I said feebly. “What happens if the Alpha does not choose me?”

It was very quiet in the room.

My dad's expression became set stone when I mentioned it.

“He will,” replied Helena first. “And if he does not, find a new place to stay…don’t come back to this house and never ever call me your father again,” he warned menacingly. 

The words struck me more than I bargained for.

I looked him in the eyes silently.

Disown me.

I already knew that they didn't take me seriously as family.

Yet… it hurt to hear it aloud.

They didn't care if I was afraid.

All they cared about was protecting Selene's chances at being connected to the Alpha.

I lowered my eyes slowly.

As soon as I stopped resisting, the servants started to move again.

One woman led me to the chair in front of the mirror and another started combing my hair.

Helena spoke behind me, "Listen carefully. From now on you are Selene Ravencrest.”

My chest tightened.

“You will only be responsible to that name,” she went on. “You will not bring shame upon this family, you will not tell the truth to anyone.”

I stayed silent.

“Failure is not an option.”

Shortly after, the servant got to work. 

When it came to my hair, it was cut just like Selene's. The little differences between our faces were disguised in cosmetics. They put on one of her expensive gowns, gave me sparkling jewelry around my neck and wrists.

When they finally left, I checked myself out in the mirror.

Selene looked at me.

I hated it.

One of the servants gave me a pair of gloves offhand. “These are always worn by 'Lady Selene' at formal occasions.”

I understood immediately.

They were concealing the rough edges of my hands that had been caused by all the work I had done.

Selene was a woman who never had to do hard work a day in her life.

Helena came up to me and adjusted my necklace before she realized that I had a silver moon pendant under my dress.

She narrowed her eyes a little bit.

“You still have that thing with you?”

I put my hand to my neck instinctively. “It was given to me by ‘Grandma.“It was a gift from ‘Grandma.”

She looked annoyed but didn't say anything else.

Shortly thereafter, the carriage was ready outside.

I walked into it with my parents, and my stomach turned my gut, and I felt my stomach turn.

I wanted to run.

This was a bad idea; my instincts shouted.

But where would I go though?

I had no money.

No wolf.

No house other than the Ravencrest house.

The carriage started to drive towards the royal palace.

The trip seemed like such a long one.

My hands stayed tight in my lap and my mum repeatedly told me the rules.

“Beware of excessive speech.”

Don't draw attention to yourself.

“Don't be nervous.”

“And remember your place,” my father said coldly.

Throughout the rest of the journey I simply looked out of the window of the carriage in silence.

The palace finally appeared and my breath caught.

It was massive.

Huge black gates framed towering silver walls, upon which were hung royal banners with the crest of Blackthorn. Outside was a crowd of hundreds of guards and noble carriages lined up one after the other.

There was an instant feeling of unease and anxiety.

It was immediately evident that the ceremony was bigger than I thought as soon as we went into the grand hall.

The room was filled with beautiful noble women in costly gowns and jewellery. Over huge crystal chandeliers, laughter and quiet conversation was heard, and servants had to carry drinks from one room to another in the hall.

Now I felt very lonely and out of place.

All the women here were self-assured.

Powerful.

Important.

There I was, and then there was me.

A girl wearing a wolf mask who is pretending to be someone else.

I bent my head down a little and walked towards the area where candidates were seated, where my parents were going.

“Remember,” Helena whispered sharply as she was about to leave me there, “you are Selene.”

After that, they all went away.

Just like that.

I wasn't seen in the crowd of potential candidates and tried to be quiet.

There was nothing else that I had to do, but just to get through the ceremony.

The alpha would replace the one selected.

Then I would be able to go quietly back home and be gone.

That was all.

Suddenly, the hall doors opened.

The room instantly fell silent.

All of them rose to their feet.

Alpha Draven Blackthorn walked into the hall and my heart started beating rapidly.

He was even more intimidating than the rumours had made him out to be.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Calm.

He radiated power naturally, as if it were his nature and the whole room seemed to revolve around him. His dark hair was pulled back and his golden eyes were fixed on the hall in an unreadable manner.

A few women standing around got up straight, their expressions turning into excitement.

However, Alpha Draven seemed disinterested.

Nobles bowed down him as he walked to the central throne.

It was then that the selection started.

The first thing that happened was that everything went as planned.

Candidates one by one, made self-introductions with making an effort to impress him. Others boasted of their familial connections. Others praised his strength, or his beauty, obviously in rehearsed ways.

Draven barely reacted.

But something unusual occurred:

Rather than making a hasty decision, he started his own line of inquiry into the candidates.

The atmosphere in the room quickly grew intense.

Women took turns, speaking in halting tones and trying to be perfect.

Then eventually—

His eyes fixed on me.

My breath stopped.

“You,” he said, calmly, “you.”

All candidates looked at me.

My hands made fists as I slowly rose to my feet.

For a few seconds, Draven studied me intently.

His eyes weren't mocking, unlike the others.

It felt… observant.

“What is your name?” he asked him.

I was about to reply the wrong answer for one horrifying second.

I spoke softly, “Selene Ravencrest.”

His eyes looked at me in a peculiar manner.

At this point he asked, “Why do you want this position?”

I froze.

My moms' words rang in my ears.

Say something impressive.

Say something noble.

Rather, it was the truth that escaped from me before I could hold it back.

“I don’t.”

There was a collective gasp of stunned silence.

My eyes opened wide.

Stupid.

Stupid.

However, Draven wasn't angry.

He seemed to be interested, if anything.

I tried to rectify my error immediately. “I am Heyy because responsibility outweighs personal feelings.”

“But you came despite all of that,” he said.

I swallowed nervously. “To make my family happy.”

Draven just looked at me.

Then gradually… the corner of his mouth lifted a bit.

Not a smile.

But close.

He passed through his golden eyes something that was in no way readable, before he finally looked away.

The questioning continued.

A few minutes later, the royal advisor stepped forward noisily.

“Has Alpha Draven made his decision?”

A quiet resumed in the hall.

My heart beat rapidly.

Draven stood up quietly.

Then he spoke.

“I have.”

All the women held their breath.

He glanced around the room and then his eyes locked with mine.

“Selene Ravencrest.”

I was paralyzed from head to foot.

A flurry of whispers spread through the hall in no time.

“What?”

“The Ravencrest daughter?”

“She was chosen?”

It was hard for me to hear what they were saying.

The shock hit me like a ton of bricks and I went limp.

No.

No, this was wrong.

This should not have been a thing.

Before I had time to take in it, another voice suddenly pierced through the room sharply.

“I oppose this.”

Everyone turned immediately.

Queen Mother Vivienne Blackthorn slowly got up from her seat, her icy blue eyes blazing with fury.

“You won't make her your concubine.”