Chapter Two

Elissa

This isn't real.

Am I dreaming?

"Lu... Lucian?" I called, my voice barely above a whisper.

His hazel eyes met mine, and his jaw ticked.

No.

This wasn't real.

I was dreaming.

"Ah... yes..."

Candice's moans echoed through the empty room, and I watched him thrust into her harder.

He wasn't stopping.

He only increased his pace. The wet sounds of him moving in and out of her filled the room, and he groaned as his grip on her waist tightened.

A sob escaped my lips as I watched in stupefied horror.

Candice smirked at me, holding my gaze as his groans grew louder. She screamed, her face flushed, their heavy breathing resonating in my head as tears streamed down my cheeks.

There was no way this was real.

Right?

Lucian never looked at her that way.

His eyes had always been on me.

And Candice didn't even look at him twice. She always left whenever he came to see me so we could have some privacy.

She knew.

Everyone in the pack knew we were together.

Why?

My knees gave way, and I hit the ground, my gown pooling around me as I tried counting to ten.

This couldn't be real.

I was hallucinating.

I was going crazy because there was no way...

Footsteps grew louder before stopping right in front of me.

I lifted my gaze to find Lucian glowering down at me.

I had never seen his face like that.

I had never seen him look at me that way before.

Then he squatted and yanked me to my feet roughly. Before I could recover from his painful grip on my arm, his palm connected with my face.

My right cheek stung as pain exploded through my head.

His fingers grabbed my chin, his nails digging into my skin.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded harshly.

I felt my heart shatter into pieces as I heard his voice.

The same voice that had comforted me only a few hours ago.

No...

It couldn't be.

"I... I..."

"Do you always have to be such a pest? You just had to come and ruin everything. If you think I'll let you wreck my plans, you must be out of your damn mind," he snarled.

I shuddered, my gaze drifting past him to find Candice standing behind him, grinning.

"Look at me when I'm speaking to you, wench!" he barked.

I flinched, dragging my eyes away from her and back to him.

My heart bled at the coldness in his gaze.

"You'll keep your mouth shut about this. If I hear you whining to anyone, you'll join your wretched parents in hell."

He shoved me out of his way.

I stumbled and fell to the ground.

My whole body trembled.

My chest felt unbearably heavy, and there were so many things I wanted to say.

"When?" I managed to croak.

"Let's just say he was never yours to begin with," Candice said. "You think you're the center of everyone's attention, but you're delusional. While you were busy wasting away in your castle, Lucian and I were planning our future. It's a shame you had to find out like this. We never planned on having an audience, but I have to admit... it was much more satisfying with you watching."

She giggled.

"How could you do this to me?" I cried.

Lucian's betrayal broke my heart, but hers hurt even more.

She was my best friend, for crying out loud.

I had never treated her badly despite her status.

"Why don't you ask Lucian that question? As for me, I'm not the daughter of a dead Alpha like you. I need him if I want to climb the ranks. Besides..." She smiled. "I love him."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

"And he loves me too. He wouldn't be here with me instead of sulking in your room if he didn't. He already warned you to keep your mouth shut, and if you try telling anyone, you'll regret it."

She turned and left.

Now alone, I broke down sobbing.

The place where he'd slapped me still throbbed, but it wasn't nearly as painful as my chest.

My heart was bleeding.

It felt as though I was going to die from the pain.

Even breathing hurt.

Why hadn't I seen any of this coming?

How had I not noticed?

Candice was one of my maids, and I had grown close to her because I was lonely.

I treated her like a sister instead of a servant.

I shared everything with her.

And all this time...

She had been sleeping with Lucian.

Lucian.

It was excruciating to even think his name.

Darkness had settled over the pack when I sluggishly staggered out of the building, the full moon casting a gentle glow across the ground.

It was time to face everyone.

No matter how I felt, I couldn't abandon my duty.

I might have been heartbroken, but I still had to show up for the ritual.

I walked back to the Beta's house.

The pack members had gathered outside.

Bonfires burned at every corner of the circle in the center of the clearing.

Others, like me, were already inside the circle dressed in their ceremonial attire.

I hadn't even gotten the chance to wear mine, and there was no time left.

So I walked toward them.

The crowd cheered, but I couldn't bring myself to smile.

Candice's words echoed in my ears.

You're not the center of everyone's attention.

They only wanted a leader like my parents.

And I wasn't sure I could ever be like them.

Without saying a word, I entered the circle with my head lowered.

"We will witness the dawn of a new era today!" Beta Lennon's voice boomed, and the crowd erupted into cheers, their voices vibrating in my head.

"Our leader will emerge today. The reign of the Great Moonstone will continue. Elissa, step forward."

I obeyed.

The others inside the circle bowed.

Everyone outside the circle followed.

The knot in my stomach climbed into my throat when I saw Lucian standing beside his father, smiling at me.

Every trace of the man I'd seen in that house was gone.

He wore the same charming facade he always had.

The same facade he had used to deceive me.

And I had been too blind to see it.

He had fooled me.

And I had fallen in love with a lie.

Did his parents know?

Should I tell them?

A howl from my left jolted me out of my thoughts.

The others had started turning.

Bones snapped.

Fur burst through their skin.

I stood there watching, confused that I wasn't feeling anything.

Seven medium-sized brown wolves howled at the moon, their cries sending goosebumps racing across my skin.

Then, in a flash, they sprinted toward the woods, leaving me behind.

The others gasped.

A pin-drop silence fell over the clearing.

I wasn't turning.

I wasn't turning...

Dread consumed me.

I looked down at my hands, waiting for something to happen.

Nothing did.

Nothing was happening to me.

I lifted my gaze and found Lucian whispering something into his father's ear.

Beta Lennon nodded, his brows knitting together as he stared at me.

I did what I should have done the moment I caught Lucian and Candice together.

I bolt straight into the woods.