A TWIST OF LIFE

I struggled to process everything unfolding before my eyes; none of it felt real at that moment. How could I, of all people, be the daughter of the late Alpha Jacob? Where did this connection even come from? And had I really borne a child with my own brother? I forced myself to stop panicking, clinging to the hope that the queen was just trying to prevent me from marrying her son. That was the only explanation that made any sense.

"What are you talking about, woman?" the councilman's voice boomed through the room, a frown etched on his face. Even he was repulsed by the queen's words—who wouldn't be? She had just uttered something truly revolting. I took a deep breath and looked at Kieran, who met my eyes with surprise before quickly breaking eye contact, turning instead toward his mother. "Can you prove the legitimacy of these claims? The old alpha was many things, but infidelity was never one of them," he added.

The queen frantically looked around for something. Her eyes landed on one of the guards, and she walked toward him, pulling a small dagger from the sheath at his waist. Without hesitation, she slashed her hand, letting the blood drip to the ground. Then, she walked over to her son, placing her bloody hand on his head. Kieran remained still, whether paralyzed by fear or shock, I couldn't tell. "The Crimson Promise is something our pack never takes lightly," she declared. "I swear on the life of my only son, and on my blood, that I am speaking nothing but the truth." She removed her hand, pointing at me with bloody fingers as she added, "She is my dead husband's bastard child."

I couldn't bear it anymore—I crumpled to the ground, staring into nothingness. Had I really had a child with my brother? With Kieran? How was that even possible? Why would the Moon Goddess choose my own brother as my mate, as if my life wasn't chaotic enough? "This witch…" the queen seethed, storming toward me. She grabbed me by the hair and started assaulting me. It took three guards to finally pull her off, leaving me clutching my head in pain, pieces of my hair scattered on the floor. "Your existence has always been a pain to me— you and that whore mother of yours! Now you want to extend it to my son, and you think I'll allow it? I'll kill you before I let that happen!" she threatened.

Tears streamed down my face as I looked toward Kieran. He remained in his chair, a cold expression on his face that I couldn't quite decipher. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, rising to my feet as the council elders proclaimed, "Violence in the council room is a crime, Queen. You, of all people, should know this." I cleaned my tears, trying to wipe away some of the queen's blood that had stained my hair.

The elders whispered among themselves, as if trying to reach a decision. My heart pounded in my chest as I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. What decision would they make? Would they order my execution to cover up the abominable acts within the castle walls? Various thoughts raced through my mind. All I could do was pray that the council would favor me in their decision. But then again, none of this made any sense. Why would Alpha Jacob, knowing we might be siblings, want me, a nobody, to marry his son? What kind of father would allow such a relationship?

"Inbreeding has been a practice in this clan from long ago when our population was dwindling, and our forefathers wanted to keep our wolf blood pure," the council elder began, immediately drawing everyone's attention. "In one way or another, everyone in this pack is related." Murmurs rippled through the council room, but the elder raised his hand, silencing everyone as they refocused on him. He continued, "Now, I am not suggesting that the omega and the future alpha should enter into an incestuous relationship, but if the council is pushed, that might be a decision we are forced to make."

"What!" the queen exclaimed, stepping forward. "You cannot be serious, Elder. Why should that happen? King Jacob is a dead man; the pack will not collapse if we decide not to carry out his last abominable wishes." The councilman's attention turned toward Queen Mageary, clear annoyance etched on his face as he said,

"The next time the queen interrupts, make sure she spends the night in one of the dungeons." Her mouth fell open at this proclamation, shock and outrage clearly visible as she turned to glare daggers at me, as if I were the one who had just given the command that clearly did not favor her. The councilman took a deep breath before continuing, "A dead king's wishes are always important to fulfill so that a new king may lead prosperously and happily within the pack." He inhaled deeply, choosing his next words carefully before saying, "Although it baffles me that King Jacob would wish for two siblings to marry, it is something we must get to the bottom of. But until then..." The council elder glanced at me briefly before turning his attention back to the group and said, "The omega shall live as King Jacob's daughter. This means she will no longer be considered a slave within the palace walls. Instead, she will be addressed as royalty, dining and mingling with nobles. If we discover that she is not, in fact, related to the future Alpha Kieran, she shall be the queen of this pack. Until our investigation is complete, Kieran may serve as the acting ruler of the pack, but he will only be crowned king and alpha when we have our answers." The councilman passed his judgment as he rose to his feet, not expecting any objections.

The queen glared at me; if looks could kill, I would have died that instant. I knew she had a lot to say but couldn't voice it because the council had given an order—who was she to defy the council's wishes? If her husband, Alpha Jacob, were still alive, there might have been a possibility, but now, there wasn't.

I glanced at Zora, the future King's wife, whose face was now filled with tears. She rose to her feet and made her way out, clearly heartbroken, and I felt a pang of guilt. How could I have ruined the life of someone like that? I am sure when she married her husband, she never expected this to happen, but here I was, coming from nowhere and putting a stain on what I assumed was a prosperous relationship.

Unable to bear the murmurs and glares anymore, I rushed out of the council room, tears streaming down my face. I went straight to the dingy maid's quarters I had been assigned to and hugged my son, who was waiting for me. He looked confused, but I didn't care; I just held him tighter, sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn't believe I had brought such a pure and innocent creature into this world through incest. How could I have let him be born into a world of suffering and hierarchy, a world that would never favor him, especially when they learn of his true identity?

"Are you alright, Mother?" he asked as I sniffled, quickly wiping away my tears. I forced a smile and replied, "Don't worry, my son, I am absolutely fine..." At that moment I knew I had to be strong for him, I had to be a good mother and not let my son see me broken right in front of him. Every single day I felt sorry for him, if he had been born with a better mother then life would certainly be much better because he deserves a good life, nothing less than a good life "are you hungry, have you had anything to eat? I will fetch you some…."

But before I could finish, the head maid barged into the room, her eyes glaring at me. What does she want this time? I pulled my son close, fearing the next punishment she might have in store. Instead, she shocked me by bowing her head slightly and announcing, "Your room is ready, my lady. The council has decreed that you shall no longer live as a slave."

Confusion washed over me as tears welled up in my eyes. What is going on? Could she really mean this, or was it another cruel plot devised by the queen to make me pay for a crime I didn't commit? Are they truly going to follow the council's orders? I know disobeying would lead to chaos, but still—can my life really change just like that?

The head maid lifted her head and continued, "I shall send in some maids to help you pack, but first..." She paused briefly before adding, "His Highness, King Kieran, has requested your presence in his chambers…"