LOGIN“Reject us,” Kellen commanded. “No.” The word slipped from Daciana's lips. The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, shock spreading like wildfire. The triplets’ eyes widened in disbelief, their confident masks slipping. Kellen’s hands balled into fists, his jaw clenched tight as he glared at her. “What do you mean, no?” Axel’s voice broke through the noise, disbelief clear in his tone. “You’ve always hated us. You don’t want this. Reject us!” “I won't reject you” Daciana stood her ground, she had never had this kind of leverage over them before, For years, they had been in control, tormenting her at every turn. But now… now they were at her mercy. They were begging for rejection? That wasn't going to happen. She would make sure they paid for everything they've done. This mate bond they desperately wanted to break…. will not happen! **** When she didn't get her wolf on her eighteenth birthday, Daciana became an element of mockery in her pack. Everybody hated her and the students at school derived joy in bullying and making her life miserable. Daciana has hated the royal triplets all her life. She wanted nothing to do with them, and they equally hated and made her life hell. She wished to have nothing to do with them, but fate played a quick one on her, and she got mated to all three of them. The triplets, having no power to reject her, asked her to reject them, but Daciana, knowing the leverage she had, refused with the sole aim of making them pay for everything they did to her. But how long will she be able to play this game? Will she win, or will she be pulled into their seductive web now that they didn't want to let her go?
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「待って、樹(いつき)! そんなに走ると危ないわよ!」
柔らかな朝の光が降り注ぐ、地方都市の穏やかな並木道。小さな恐竜のアップリケがついたリュックを揺らし、4歳の息子がきゃっきゃと笑いながら駆けていく。その後ろ姿を、早乙女結菜(さおとめ・ゆな)は少し息を切らしながら追いかけた。
保育園の門の前でようやく追いつくと、くるりと振り返った息子は、満面の笑みを浮かべていた。額には、うっすらと汗がにじんでいる。
「ママ、はやく!」
「もう、元気すぎなんだから」
結菜はしゃがみ込み、息子の小さな手を握る。自分とよく似た柔らかな髪の下で、あの人から受け継いだ銀灰色の瞳が、期待に満ちてきらきらと輝いていた。
「だって、きょうは先生に、きょうりゅうの絵本を読んでもらうんだもん!」
無邪気な笑顔に、結菜の胸がきゅっと愛しさで満たされる。彼女は樹を優しく抱きしめた。小さな子供特有の甘い匂いが、結菜の心を安らぎで包む。
「ママ、お仕事に行ってくるからね。先生の言うことをちゃんときいて、いい子で待ってるのよ」
「うん!」
元気な返事と共に腕の中から抜け出して、樹は友達の元へと駆けて行った。その小さな背中が見えなくなるまで見送ると、結菜はふっと表情を和らげ、自分の職場である市立図書館へと歩き出す。
(この温かい宝物が、私のすべて)
今の穏やかな暮らしは、彼女が胸の奥にしまい込んだある一夜の美しい思い出と、引き裂かれるような痛みの上に成り立っていた。
その始まりは、5年前。大学を卒業して間もない頃。就職に失敗し、派遣社員として働いていた秋のことだった――。 ◇【5年前】
オフィスライトの白い光が、規則正しく並んだデスクを無機質に照らし出す。 結菜は、モニターに映し出される数字の羅列を目で追っていた。聞こえるのは、カタカタ、と響く自分のキーボードの音と、周囲の社員たちの当たり障りのない会話だけ。その声も、自分とは無関係などこか遠いもののように感じる。(今日も、同じ一日が終わる)
定時のチャイムが鳴った。結菜は誰にともなく小さく会釈をして、席を立った。
派遣社員である彼女のデスクには、私物と呼べるものはほとんどない。契約はいつ切られるか分からず、そのために周囲の社員と打ち解けることもない。空っぽの引き出しを閉めるたび、自分の居場所がここにはないのだと、改めて突きつけられる気がした。もう秋だというのに、東京の気温は高いままだ。
帰りの電車は、一日の熱気を吸い込んだまま、けだるそうに線路を滑っていく。窓に映る自分の顔は、ひどく色褪せて見えた。柔らかな茶色の髪も、自分では穏やかだと思っている瞳も、この灰色の都会では何の個性も放たない。(このままで、いいのかな……)
街角で楽しそうに笑い合う家族連れが、ふと目に入る。
既に両親を亡くした結菜にとって、眩しすぎる光景だった。胸の奥が、きゅう、と小さく痛む。天涯孤独という言葉が、冷たい風のように心を吹き抜けていった。感傷を振り払うように、結菜はいつも同じ路地へと足を向けた。
都会の喧騒が嘘のように静まり返る、入り組んだ裏通り。その先に彼女の聖域はあった。蔦の絡まるレンガ造りのレトロな建物が、裏路地の片隅に佇んでいる。アンティークな木製のドアに手をかけると、カラン、と澄んだベルの音が鳴った。
『書斎喫茶 月読(ツクヨミ)』
一歩足を踏み入れると、古書のインクと深く焙煎されたコーヒーの香りが、結菜の心を優しく包み込む。壁という壁を埋め尽くす本棚と、静かに流れるクラシック音楽。
カウンターの奥で、無口なマスターが黙って頷いた。結菜を迎える。Chapter 175: EPILOGUE The morning was quieter than usual a day after Elena brought her first child into the world.Daciana stood on her room’s balcony in the palace, wrapped in a soft robe, the early morning sunlight filling her skin with warmth. Her long hair blew behind her thanks to the wind, while her eyes glistened with hope and pure joy as she stared at the morning sky, watching the early morning birds flying around.Clutched in her hands was a folded piece of paper. She held a pen and stared at it and the paper hesitantly, her fingers trembling slightly as she opened it.What was in the paper? Well, it was a letter she hand-wrote for baby Loira, meant for her to open when she comes of age. The letter read as follows:>“Dear Loira,By the time you're old enough to read this, I imagine you'll already be running through these halls barefoot, giving your father gray hairs, and charming every single wolf with your wild heart. You’ll probably be fearless like your mother. So full
Several months later, Elena's pregnancy was due and she was rushed to a hospital within the pack. In her hospital room, she lay on the bed, her forehead dripping with hot sweat as she struggled to push. Daciana was in the room with her, comforting her and brushing aside strands of her hair.Just like Elena had done for her years ago. "This... this, among many other reasons, is why I was hesitant about kids!" Elena screeched, biting her bottom lip as Daciana grabbed her arm and caressed it gently.The doctor attending to her was busy monitoring the process from the end of the bed, cheering her on."Oh, relax, you cry, baby." Daciana tried to sound teasing but only managed to earn a glare from Elena.The former chuckled lightly before rubbing Elena's forehead reassuringly. "You'll be fine. You and Magnus decided to go against your previous decision and have this child. All you need to do now is push and see your beautiful baby girl."Elena grunted, managing to roll her eyes despite th
The palace grounds had been transformed into a field of white lilies several days later.Daciana stood at the edge of the stone path, her hands clenched tightly around a single white lily, her thumb brushing absentmindedly over its soft petals. Her black gown blew slightly in the breeze, but her body remained still as if carved from the same stone as the memorial before her.Beside her stood Kellen, his hand finding hers and squeezing gently. He didn’t speak; his presence alone was a grounding force, especially today. On her other side stood Axel, who was solemn and quiet, his arms folded in front of his chest.Magnus and Elena stood not far behind them, holding hands, both dressed in dull grey clothing. Standing between Kellen and Daciana, dressed in a tailored black suit far too formal for a child his age, was little Alan.The ceremony hadn’t started yet, but already, the memories were beginning to bloom.One by one, pack members and survivors waltzed in, taking seats in the circle
Sabrina had a sad expression on her face as she lowered her head, like a mother unsure if she was worthy to comfort her own child. “I watched you cry, I watched you bleed and fight from the moment I drew my last breath on this world. And each time I screamed through the veil until my voice broke… But Hailey silenced us.”Daciana’s lip trembled, her voice cracking as she spoke. “I thought I failed you. I thought… I let you down. I could barely move on after I watched you die all those years ago.”Sabrina's gaze warmed up as she hovered her hand close to Daciana’s face. “You didn’t. You never did. You were stronger than all of us. Tonight, when you severed Hailey’s connection, you freed more than just this world from her darkness. You brought down the chains holding us. You gave us peace.”Daciana broke down into a sob as she stepped into her mother’s embrace. It wasn’t solid and felt like walking into the air, but it wrapped around her heart all the same.Behind them, Ryker placed a fi
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