**POV Cassandra**"Behave, slave, or the King might order your head cut off!" the guard growled, releasing my arm with brutality and shoving me toward the imposing entrance of the room. The dark walls of the corridor seemed to absorb what little light there was, making the atmosphere even more oppressive.I swallowed hard, my feet hesitant as I moved toward the Alpha King's office. The arm he had gripped was still red, and a dull pain throbbed beneath the bruised skin. The tension in the air was suffocating. When I reached the door, a deep and authoritative voice echoed from inside."Enter!"My body trembled at the command. I took a deep breath and pushed the heavy door open. There was faint lighting in the office, just enough to reveal the silhouette of a man sitting with his back to me, his hands busy with papers scattered across the desk. He wore a fine linen shirt, but what caught my attention most were the runes and tattoos that marked his arms, accentuating his sculpted muscles.
POV CassandraThey locked me in the room, even after I had accepted the Alpha King's proposal. I was thinking of a way to escape, but after he decreed my sentence to servitude, that could worsen things, and I would become a fugitive criminal. I thought about going back to the cursed Alpha, but I didn’t want to bring trouble to him and his pack. Xavier had been kind to me, and all I did was treat him like someone hostile and insignificant. But Ursula's words wouldn’t leave my mind."I can’t undo the spell, maybe it’s better this way. You need to stay away from the cursed Alpha."I didn’t know any other witch besides Ursula. The truth is, they were rare and were almost wiped out with the Salem witch hunt. If I remember correctly, the humans hunted them as if they were animals, just for being different and possessing powers and knowledge that most didn’t have.I remember that many of them managed to save themselves by aligning with the packs; the Alphas provided them protection in exchan
**POV Cassandra***Flashback off*“Hurry up, you fool! Scrub that floor properly! The Alpha King does not tolerate dirt. He is strict about cleanliness and wants the floors he walks on to be so shiny that he can see his own reflection!” The head maid yelled in my direction, her gaze sharp as a blade. Her tone was like a whip that constantly reminded me of my place here.I swallowed hard, sweat dripping down my forehead. My hands trembled with exhaustion as I scrubbed the filthy floor with all the strength I had left. But the old, worn-out rag they gave me barely worked, leaving streaks and dirt wherever I passed.Suddenly, a girl approached and crouched beside me. “Here, use this. It’s better than that yellow sponge. If you keep going like that, you’ll end up with blisters on your hands, and it will take all day to finish this task.” She handed me a bucket with a much better brush than the rag I had been struggling with. I nodded, surprised by her unexpectedly kind gesture amid the ch
Alpha Xavier POVI entered the palace, wearing a mask, staying in the back because my beta convinced me not to draw attention.The men I had infiltrated into the royal guard were supposed to bring Cassandra to me during the night.I was anxious, pacing back and forth, wearing a black cloak, hiding in the shadows like a coward. I hate this. I hate hiding. I’d rather face them all and kill everyone, but that would ruin all the plans I’ve made over the years."They've located her. Cassandra is in the east wing of the palace," my beta communicated with me through the mental link. "They said the head maid is keeping an eye on her, and she'll only have a break during the night!" My beta said, while I continued observing my men entering the palace disguised as guards to infiltrate the troops."Why are they treating her like a servant?" I asked, confused."That was the Alpha King's sentence. Our men took longer to locate Cassandra because she lied, saying she didn’t have a pack and that her n
**POV: Cassandra**"Mate..." said Sebastian Stones, my husband and Alpha of the Crescent Moon pack, his eyes gleaming with desire.Unfortunately, he wasn’t referring to me, but to the woman sitting next to me at the dinner table, my younger sister, Emily. An anguished silence filled the room as Emily lifted her face and rose toward my husband, murmuring the same word."Mate..." she whispered, almost breathless upon seeing him for the first time after years away. Sebastian immediately let go of my hand, as if all our memories and moments together had been erased.Instinctively, I followed my husband's gaze, which was fixed on Emily. She had just turned eighteen, and her wolf, Ayla, had recently awakened. Her beauty was stunning, with bright green eyes and blonde hair cascading in curls down to her waist. She had undoubtedly inherited our mother Johanna's beauty, who was sitting beside us at the table, as shocked as the rest of the guests, all waiting for my reaction."Sebastian and I h
**POV: Cassandra**I woke up the next day with unbearable pain, as if an invisible force were crushing my abdomen. The room was dark and silent except for the muffled sound of my own labored breathing. I tried to get up, but the pain paralyzed me, and I realized I was lying in a cold, damp pool. My blurry vision fixed on the red stains around me."No... no... no," I whispered, trying to understand what was happening. It felt like my body was being battered, with multiple spasms making me cry out in pain. I took a deep breath, hoping the pain would pass, but it only intensified, causing me to writhe on the bed.Then I heard hurried footsteps and distant voices. The bedroom door burst open, and a group of doctors entered, their faces serious and concerned."Cassandra, what happened?" asked one of the doctors who had been monitoring my pregnancy since I discovered it."I... I feel a lot of pain," I managed to say, but my voice came out weak. "I think... something is wrong."The doctors m
**POV: Cassandra**Sebastian left, leaving me alone. The pain radiated throughout my body. When the door opened again, a faint smile appeared on my lips when I saw who it was.“Mom…” I whispered, breathless, my lips trembling and pale.“Dear… I’m sorry…” She lowered her head, pulling me into a hug. I couldn’t help it; tears ran down my face. I tried to get up to hug her, but my body groaned in pain. I was still bleeding and hadn’t fully recovered.“Mom… please, talk to Emily… she can’t do this to me,” I pleaded, desperate. My mother was the only person who could protect me and make her change her mind.My mother smiled weakly, holding my face firmly. “Dear… this place was never yours. Emily is the destined mate. If you hadn’t coveted what was hers, your children would still be alive… accept your fate!” she said coldly.“Mom…” I murmured, shocked, almost falling to the ground. “Why are you supporting this betrayal?”“Cassandra, I raised you as my daughter, but the truth is that you are
**POV: Cassandra**Sebastian rushed to us, his eyes widening at the sight of Emily covered in blood and the knife in my hands. He pushed me away from her, his gaze filled with anger. She had orchestrated everything perfectly: the white dress, the knife, the blood. I knew she wouldn’t be stupid enough to seriously harm herself, but the tight white dress made it look like she was losing liters of blood.“Cassandra, what have you done?” he shouted, holding Emily in his arms. She seemed to be weakening, unable to stand.“No, Sebastian, it’s not what it looks like! She… she did this to herself! She wanted to frame me!” I tried to explain, but my voice was trembling and the words came out confused. At that moment, Emily opened her eyes one last time, as if bidding farewell, and whispered:“Alpha… I swear I tried to make amends with her, for our family, but she had a fit of jealousy when she saw me in a wedding dress. She ruined my dress and even tried to kill me.” Emily whispered with a fal