Larissa: The Dinner Party

After yesterday's horrifying incident, I had no desire to leave this room, not until it was time to go home tomorrow.

The trauma of nearly being assaulted by that deranged man, and the haunting memory of the black, massive beast that appeared afterward, still clung to me like a second skin.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get rid of it.

Last night, sleep refused to come. I tossed and turned for hours, my mind trapped in a cycle of fear and questions.

Eventually, I gave up and took some sleeping pills. Only then did the darkness finally swallow me into uneasy rest.

When I woke around noon, it felt like my skull was about to split open. Every throb of pain pounded against my temples like a cruel reminder of yesterday. It was unbearable.

The painkillers helped, at least for a little while. But a few hours ago, the headache came back with full force when my stupid brother, Liam, decided to ruin what little peace I had.

He called me loud, aggressive, and entitled. He demanded I attend tonight's dinner party even though Alpha Mark didn't plan to bring me there.

I refused. Again and again.

But Liam didn't care. He threatened to come up to my room and beat me if I didn't show up.

And I knew better than to think he was bluffing.

Liam was unhinged, a red flag man I've ever known, second only to Alpha Mark. And when he said he'd hurt me... he meant it. No one would stop him.

Being this powerless in the pack made me sick. I hated myself for it.

For not being able to fight back. For always taking the blow when Liam lashed out. For surviving yesterday, only to still feel like a prisoner today.

"Make sure you drink the juice I gave you last night, Rissa. It's a potion charm that will make Alpha Mark like and care for you."

Liam's voice echoed in my mind like a cruel taunt I couldn't escape.

I smiled bitterly as I stared down at the small bottle in my hand—the same one Pepper had handed me the night Alpha Mark brought another woman and started making out with her right in front of me.

'Is this really a potion charm… or just poison meant to kill me quietly?' That thought made my smile deepen, cold and empty.

A poisonous liquid would be a blessing right now; it's better to die painlessly than return to the Starlight Pack, where my own family tortures me and Alpha Mark publicly humiliates me.

Then,

A sharp buzzing on the bedside table yanked me from my spiraling thoughts.

My phone again.

Lately, it has only ever rang for two reasons: Liam or my father called me.

My head throbbed harder at the sound, but still, my hand hesitated above the screen before I forced myself to look. The moment I saw the caller ID, my heart skipped a beat.

"Father…"

The name alone made my throat tighten. Even before answering, I felt frozen, like his voice already had a noose around my neck. I didn't know if it was magic or just the fear he'd conditioned into me for so many years.

I answered with shaky fingers.

"How are things there?" He asked.

Just his voice made me feel like I was suffocating. Cold. Numb. Lifeless. Was this what a father was supposed to feel like? Or was mine just a monster with a human face?

"I'm fine—"

I stopped mid-sentence when he cut in.

"I didn't ask about you. I asked how things are going with Alpha Mark."

My hand gripped my cell phone tightly when I heard his words.

I wanted to scream, "Why ask me when Liam's already told you everything?" But those words burned at the back of my throat, trapped there like everything else I've ever wanted to say.

"I need to get ready now for the dinner party, Father," I replied instead, my voice low and resigned.

He exhaled heavily on the other end before speaking again.

"Make sure you finish what Liam told you. I don't want to hear about any more failures, Rissa."

"Yes, Father. I'll do my best…"

"Remember, if you fail, never return to this pack. If you do, you have dishonored me, and then I have no choice but to ask Alpha Mark personally to banish you."

The call ended!

My heart feels like it's bleeding again!

I stared at the dark screen, my hand trembling. It wasn't the first time he'd said something like that. But this time, they felt like blades slicing through what little was left of my heart.

I couldn't breathe.

Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall. Not yet.

'Rissa… you have to do this. This is your last chance.'

I sucked in a shaky breath, slapped my cheeks gently with both hands, and forced myself to move toward the bathroom.

Tonight, no matter what happens, I have to go through with it, even if it breaks me, even if it brings shame, even if it hurts.

I have to sleep with Alpha Mark.

Soon, I was dressed and ready. My face painted in soft makeup, my body wrapped in a dress I didn't choose for myself.

I left the room quickly and made my way to the hotel's backyard garden, where the Moon Festival dinner was being held.

It was beautiful, elegant, and warm, with lights hanging under the full moon. Golden silverware on every table, flowers arranged in perfect harmony with the night sky.

But I couldn't enjoy any of it.

Because the first person I saw standing at the front table was Alpha Mark. Dressed in an expensive black suit, looking as handsome and untouchable as ever.

And beside him, a stunning woman in a curve-hugging dress, her arm curled around his like she is his wife.

My heart dropped. My breath hitched.

Of course, he brought another woman by his side. Of course, I meant nothing to him!

'What were you expecting, Rissa? A miracle? A glance? A crumb of affection?' You're nothing to him. You never were. So you better prepare yourself…Because tonight, you might not lose your innocence. You might just lose yourself and your sanity completely.'

Wanting to avoid another moment of public humiliation, especially in front of all the Alphas from across the Crescentia Kingdom, I turned away.

I rushed out, dragging my feet as quickly as I could.

Shame burned my chest, but fear was hotter.

My mind whirled with the memory of my father’s cold voice and Liam’s violent threats.

'It doesn’t matter, Rissa,' I told myself bitterly. 'They’ll still torture you... whether you succeed or not.'

I tried to shove the panic down and kept walking. I didn’t care where I was going. I just needed to keep moving, anywhere but there. Away from the stares. Away from him.

But after some time, I slowed, and a sickening realization hit me.

I was lost. Again.

Somehow, I had wandered too far and now I didn’t recognize anything around me.

The soft dirt under my heels, the thick shadows between the trees, the way the moonlight barely filtered through the canopy above it all told me the same thing.

I was back in the forest.