Chapter 5

Valeria

“Hm… you have a dirty mouth.”

“What do you want?”

Raphael’s hand closes gently around my chin, guiding my face up to meet his eyes. “Don’t run from me again.” He’s not even answering my question. “You should know better than to run from an Alpha.”

“What? What do you want?”

“I wanted to speak with you, but now…” He pauses, slowly nuzzling his nose near my ear, whispering, “I want you on your knees… taking me all in.”

I’m shocked, yet the image flashes in my mind, and my knees grow weak. My body doesn’t resist the thought. No, I shouldn’t be reacting like this to him.

“Why would you say such things? You made it clear when you rejected me. You don’t want me.”

“Oh… I want you. And that’s the problem.”

I close my eyes and turn away. His words don’t match his actions. When I finally dare to look back, his gaze slides down my body. That’s all he wants, my body. And if I don’t escape, this man will claim me.

Be bold, Valeria. You might be wolfless and inconsequential to this kind of man, but that doesn’t mean even a prince gets to do whatever he wants with you.

My hand drifts upward, resting against his chest. He doesn’t move. Slowly, I trail my fingers along his chest, rising until they reach his neck. All the while, his eyes remain locked on mine. At last, my fingers find his chin, and I draw him closer, inch by inch.

I whisper, “You… broke this. You shattered our bond. You don’t get to have me now. Someone else will have that privilege.”

I let him go and gently push him away, enough to slip out of his grasp and walk away.

Do I look back? Should I? I do, and what I see is a very pissed‑off Alpha. How in my right mind did I talk to an Alpha Prince like that? But it felt so good to stand my ground, something I never do. So empowering.

But my biggest question is, why was he doing all of this? Was it for his amusement? The bond between us is supposed to be gone. There’s nothing to hold him to me. What does he gain by doing this? Amusement. He’s just toying with me. Cruel. He’s cruel.

I don’t go back to my room. Instead, I return to the party. Raphael follows but then turns away, taking his seat on the throne. From there, he stares at me, jaw tight and brows drawn, as if fighting some inner battle.

I try to ignore him and move through the crowd. Yet every time I glance his way, his eyes are fixed on me. Even from across the room, his stare doesn’t break. There’s a force about this man that’s hard to escape.

I force myself not to look at him. I keep my focus on the drink in my hand, on the food, on the crowd. But the longer I stand there, the more I feel eyes on me. It isn’t just him, others are watching too.

“What in the world?” Is it my dress? Do I stand out? Do I have a stain? I circle myself, checking my dress, but there’s nothing.

As the crowd settles, I begin to relax. I finally find a moment of peace, standing by the food table and eating. Then Jade circles around me, her eyes sharp with distaste. She grabs a drink, turns toward me, and crosses her arms, sipping slowly from the glass.

“I heard a rumor,” she says. I remain quiet. “A woman… with black hair and a golden dress was spotted with one of the princes.”

Is that why everyone’s been staring at me? Do rumors spread that fast here?

“I don’t know what that has to do with me,” I mutter.

“You have black hair and a golden dress.”

“Yeah, and I’m not the only one wearing a golden dress.”

She sneers, “What woman here dressed in gold has jet‑black hair like yours? Are you trying to pocket one of the princes? Are you trying to outdo me?”

Outdo her? “Tell me, Jade, why would a prince look my way?”

She scoffs. “You might be wolfless and worthless, but some men are stupid.”

“What’s your problem, Jade? Why are you always so jealous? What do I have that you want so badly? Because from my perspective, there’s nothing I can give you. You’re perfect and I’m not. Has Mother not made that clear enough?”

“Jealous? I’m jealous of you?” Her laughter is mocking. “Are you insane?” Her eyes rake over me with disdain before she leans in close, her breath hot against my ear. “You were a mistake. That’s why no one loves you. Why no one will ever love you.”

A sudden chill shocks me as liquid runs down my chest. She’s poured her drink on me.

If she wanted a reaction, she wasn’t going to get it. I calmly step back, take a napkin, and dab my chest.

“You know, Jade, you might be pretty on the outside, but you have an ugly soul. And soon your dashing prince will see it. Do you really think he’ll like the girl you truly are?”

I pause when I realize I didn’t just say that in my head like I always do. No, this time she heard every word.

She suddenly picks up one of the plates filled with pastries and throws it at me. I dodge, but the plate crashes with a loud clang. Nearby people turn to look, their eyes fixed on Jade. Her face flushes red, her composure slipping. Then she spins around and bolts away.

I’ve always kept quiet, taking everything thrown at me without a single fight, because I knew what came after one of Jade’s tantrums. Mother. Who now walks over to me like a wolf zoned in on its prey.

“What did you do to your sister?” she demands.

“Nothing. I did absolutely nothing to her.”

“You little fucking liar. She’s crying. You made her cry!”

“When is she not?” I mumble, again speaking my thoughts.

Growing up, I could never do anything right in my mother’s eyes. Punishment never seemed to work on me, according to her. In fact, it only hardened me more. But even so, I would never dare speak back to her. Now, her eyes twitch, her lips press together, and suddenly she loses it. She gets closer and grabs me by the hair, subtly enough that no one around seems to notice. Her other hand catches mine, wrenching it in a sudden twist.

“Walk!” she warns.

I do as she says. She’s broken my arm before, so I dare not make her any angrier. Once out of the ballroom, she practically drags me up the stairs all the way to my room. When the door closes behind her, she twists my hand even more until a sharp crack splits the air, and I scream. She finally lets me go as I fall to my knees.

She broke my wrist… again.

“How dare you speak back!” she spits. “You’ve been brazen these past few weeks. I will not tolerate you any longer!”

I whimper, clutching my hand to my chest. It’ll mend in a few days. I may be more human than wolf now, but my body still heals faster than a human’s.

The croaking of a raven grabs our attention. My window is open, and a black bird stands there watching us. Mother gasps, spotting the bird. She rushes to the window and slams it shut. “Do not open the windows. I’ve told you this many times! Keep them shut! Keep those birds out!”

I’m angry. She broke my hand, and her first concern is the damn window? I didn’t expect anything less, but this isn’t normal, is it? For your mother to hate you so much that she doesn’t care if she breaks a few of your bones?

How much more can I take? It’s always the same with her, again and again. And I feel like I’m breaking. She’s breaking me. I’m tired, angry, and full of despair. I feel crushed under her power, bitterness growing as I realize I’m trapped.

“Fuck… you, Mother.” The words slip out, and I don’t even realize I’m the one saying them.

“What did you say?” Her body slowly turns, and she cocks her head. “What did you just say to me?”

“FUCK. YOOOOU!” I scream now with every intention in my body. “I hate you! You are no mother to me!”

She walks past me without emotion. At the door, she stops, staring as she shuts it and turns the lock. Then she steps toward me. I shrink back, knowing I’ve made a mistake.

“You think you can speak to me this way?” Her voice is flat, stripped of feeling.

In the blink of an eye, I’m lifted up and slammed against the floor. I’m kicked in the stomach and then in my face. My ears ring, and when I come to, Mother is sitting on me, punching me over and over—face, stomach, ribs, whatever she has a clear view of. How could I forget she could do this? She’s done it before.

Mother is strong. I don’t have the strength she possesses. She’s a true Alpha, and I’m not. I may carry the blood of an Alpha, but being wolfless, I don’t have the abilities that come with being a real werewolf. With no way out, I resign myself to my fate. Max whimpers in the corner, shrinking back, and I can’t blame him. The ringing doesn’t fade this time. It lingers endlessly. I lie on the floor, staring at the raven perched in the open window. It watches me… us, and I feel it. I can somehow feel its presence. It distracts me from the torment. Mother gives up, pulling away. She says something, but all I hear is the ringing that won’t stop.

Left in the darkness of my room, I wonder what I always wonder when this happens. Why didn’t she kill me? If she hates me so much, why not end it?

Now I dream.

I wander through the castle halls, lost. I stumble and lean against the walls, searching for relief, but I find none. Then a beautiful voice reaches me. I follow it to a golden door. The knob turns easily in my hand. Inside, a woman with long blond hair sits by the window, brushing her hair as she sings. Drawn in, I move closer, captivated by the gentle melody. Tears fill my eyes. The tune stops when she sees me. Instead of fear at finding a stranger in her room, her expression holds something else. Concern.

“Are you alright?” Her voice, even when she speaks, is like a gentle song. Her beauty is captivating and reminds me of my mother.

“Mom…” I cry. “Mom, why can’t you love me?” I fall to my knees, unable to soothe myself any longer. “Why do you keep hurting me when all I want is your love?”

I kneel in front of the woman, who seems startled but doesn’t recoil. Instead, she caresses my cheek, and I cry even more when, for the first time in my life, I feel a mother’s touch. “Shh, it’s okay, child,” she whispers.

I rest my head in her lap, and she gently strokes my hair, accepting me.

“Momma!” I cry.

She sings for me, and with that song, she tells me everything will be fine. For a moment, the world feels lighter. I close my eyes, letting the melody carry me, believing her promise.

It seems like hours pass, and suddenly, I’m on her bed. She sits next to me, embracing me, her hands and voice bringing me comfort. As I drift off into sleep once more, I hear her speak a name, “Raphael?”