Chapter four

Night had fallen on the blue moon pack, and with the darkness came Viola's despair. She had been locked away for days. The guards watching over her room had received strict orders from her father: no one was allowed to enter. This feeling of isolation made her feel more vulnerable than ever.

She heard the rattling on the door and paced closer to it, pressing her ear against it.

Viola almost popped out of the room when the door opened, but a guard caught her early enough to shove her back in.

His appearance was stern.

"Get ready," he ordered, his voice stern with the authority of his position. "The Alpha has given instructions, and if you don't obey, I will drag you to the hall by force. So I'll give you thirty minutes to get ready." With that, he turned and left the room.

"How is my sister? Is Kiara fine? Is she alive?" her voice quivered.

"She's alive. Barely. If she wasn't, you would have been dead, Princess," the guard stretched the last word in a mocking tone.

Viola felt trapped. With no other options, she went to the closet and put on the dress that had been designed for her to attend her sister's wedding, even though it would now be worn to a celebration she knew nothing about. A pang of sadness pierced her heart.

She managed to put on the dress, and she combed her long hair, then she chose a silver mask that matched the dress.

As she adjusted her mask, an idea crossed her mind.

This could be the perfect opportunity to escape the pack.

She could negotiate with one of the guards, or if she found the opportunity, slip away. With determination shining in her eyes, she waited gently for the guard to arrive again.

Only a few minutes passed before the door opened. Two guards entered. One of them approached.

"You must come with us," he said in a firm voice.

Viola stood up, disheartened but determined, and slowly approached one of them. It was then that she saw the game they were trying to play: the guard took out some handcuffs.

"Wait!" Viola exclaimed, stepping back. "I'm not a criminal. I haven't betrayed anyone to deserve this treatment."

The guard looked at her with disdain.

"These are the Alpha's orders. You must obey," he said, taking another stride toward her.

Without thinking, Viola quickly approached the guard, feeling her nervousness transform into boldness.

"If you help me escape, I can pay you. I have gold," she said, her voice filled with hope.

The guards looked at each other, evaluating the offer.

"How much do you have?" one of them finally asked.

"Enough to feed your family for years," Viola replied, her heart pounding.

"Very well. We want to see," the guard said.

She hurried to her room, moving the box she had kept hidden under her bed. It was medium-sized, but even so, she felt the weight of its contents, filled with gold coins she had collected since childhood. With effort, she managed to lift it and, her arms trembling, left the room and returned to the hallway where the guards were waiting for her.

"Here it is," she said, showing the box with an encouraging smile. "It's all the gold I have. Can you take me to the docks and help me get on a fishing boat heading for the North?"

The guard holding the handcuffs approached and opened the box, letting the gleam of the coins illuminate his face.

"It's a deal," said the guard with a greedy smile. "We'll help you."

But before she could process it, the guard roughly grabbed her wrist, turning her around and making sure she couldn't move.

"Thank you for the gold, but I will not betray my Alpha," she said, putting the handcuffs on her wrists.

Viola felt betrayed in that instant. Anger filled her heart, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

"You're going to pay for this! The Luna won't let you get away with this so easily," she shouted at them, powerless.

The guards burst out laughing, enjoying the moment.

"The Luna isn't going to do anything. Now, walk," the guard ordered, pushing her forward.

"I am a princess! If you dare treat me like that one more time, you will pay with your life." With a mixture of anger and sadness, Viola began to walk, watching as the other guard took charge of the gold box.

With tears in her eyes, she looked back.

"You support a tyrant who solves everything with death or exile? Wait until it gets to your turn or that of your beloved," she shouted.

The guard behind her laughed.

"Shut up. You're just a spoiled, bratty girl. This Alpha is the one who pays us, not you."

Viola felt her heart break more with every word that came out of his lips.

"When you really get to know him, you'll realize he's the real monster," she replied, her voice trembling with frustration.

The guards laughed again. The one holding the box of gold turned to face her.

"You don't understand how this world works. You're just a spoiled young woman born with a silver spoon in her mouth who lives in a luxurious tower. You know nothing about the world, girl. My loyalty lies with the one whom the moon goddess marked as my leader and who has been paying me far before you were born," the man scolded her.

Viola chose silence, feeling her strength ebb away as she was led through the castle corridors. Each step brought her not only closer to the great hall but closer to despair. She wasn't one to give up easily, but the reality was clear: her father wielded immense power, and escaping Blue Moon had become a difficult task.

Staring straight ahead, Viola felt overwhelmed by the darkness that loomed over her future. Her mind concocted plans and strategies. She knew she mustn't give up, that she had to find a way to escape.

Deep in her soul, the spark of hope still burned, even though the shadow of reality was beginning to consume her. She still had her mother, and somehow she knew her mother would believe her. She never tried to hurt Kiara.

Finally, they found themselves in the grand parlor. Music and laughter drifted through the doors as the guards pushed her forward. Part of her wanted to make a scene, to scream until her throat and eyes ached, but the other, more cunning and cautious part of her knew this wasn't the time.

Her father sat on his throne, surrounded only by men. The atmosphere was thick and heavy, and her heart pounded in her chest. The guards removed her handcuffs, and she, bewildered, began walking through the crowd toward her father.

There wasn't a single woman; all the guests were men of different classes, from the richest to the poorest.

What was her father planning?

As she walked, she felt the men's eyes on her, as if she were a piece of meat laid bare for examination, stripped naked by their gaze.

Discomfort enveloped her, but she couldn't stop. As she approached the throne, the air grew thick with murmurs. Suddenly, one of the men who served her father stepped forward and announced her arrival.

"Your Royal Highness, Princess Viola!"

The words echoed through the hall as she ascended the throne platform. With effort, she bowed respectfully.

"What do you want from me now, Father?" was the first thing Viola asked.

Graham rose from his throne and approached her, gently taking her hand, an action that seemed to contradict the harshness with which he had acted a few days ago.

"You'll find out," he replied in a tone that left no room for doubt.

With a flick of his wrist, he turned her to face the crowd of men.

With a broad smile, Graham proclaimed:

"Viola is my daughter, and the time has come to find her a husband. This meeting has been organized so that many men from the Blue Moon will have the chance to be chosen as her husband."

Viola's heart sank when she heard his words. She turned to look at her father, completely stunned.

How could she have a chance to escape if she was the trophy at the celebration?

"I don't want to marry any of them," she protested, her voice loud enough for the deaf to hear.

Alpha Graham, unfazed, replied, "You're not going to choose. You lost that right a long time ago."

Viola swallowed hard, feeling tears begin to well up in her eyes. She glanced at the crowd of men surrounding her, some noblemen, others beggars—all there for the same purpose.

Alpha Graham continued, his face lighting up in admiration as he looked at his daughter.

"My daughter has been rejected by many men because of a terrible defect. But that will not stop me from marrying her to any man I choose—Alpha, rogue, king, prince, or beggar. Tonight, Viola must have a husband."