-Lara-Jasmine and the other lady which I presumed to be her friend walked past me hand in hand, laughing like two she-goats. I scowled at them. Even though they were not looking at me. I had a feeling they were mocking me. Because I had seen Jasmine looking towards me while she was talking to the lady and they laughed.How dare they make a mockery of me? Jasmine must have thought she was better off than everyone here and I am going to teach her just how wrong she was.But now, I was more annoyed that the chief cook had been laughing along with them. I can take Jasmine’s mockery only because she is a princess just like me, but I would not have a maid insult me.I walked briskly into the kitchen and pulled her hand roughly.“My lady…” she gasped in shock, rushing to save the bowl she was holding from hitting the ground.“Who is your lady?” I scowled at her. “And what were you discussing with those idiots that just left this place?”“What are you talking about my lady?” she asked, looki
-Asher-The ride back to the pack was filled with questions and worries. I was fuming with anger as well, for so many things and I could not wait to get an answer to all my questions.The seer had said the curse was not broken. Even though I had acted tough, I had been shaken by that realization and I hoped earnestly that it was true. If the curse was truly not broken, I would lose a lot of things. I would lose the respect and reverence of my people, I would lose relevance. I had struggled for years to make sure my place as the alpha of the pack was redeemed, only for that man to tell me everything had been a sham.“Maybe you should have been a little patient alpha,” Derick said behind me while we walked back to the palace together and I slowed my pace to listen to him. “I can see you are conflicted within and have many questions you need answers to which the seer would have provided. But you had been hasty in taking his life.”“You do not understand Derick,” I said with a sigh. “I wa
-Asher-“Oh so now you are ready to talk,” I raised a brow at her and she swallowed visibly. There were beads of sweat on her forehead. It was already obvious that what I had feared was true.“Yes, indeed, I am not pregnant,” she finally said and my hands fell weakly beside me. It was not like I had not expected it, I had thought of the worst but hearing her say it, a confirmation of the reality I was in, was almost too much to bear. So the seer was right after all.“Why…?” was the only word that could come out of my lips.“I am so sorry but I did it too for us. I did it for your prestige.”I glared at her.“Can you listen to yourself, Crystal?” I shook my head at her. “You did it for my prestige? So what were you going to do when it was time for you to deliver? What would we present to the people since no baby is growing in you?”“It does not matter,” she said. “We can tell them anything and they would believe. You did say the curse had been broken, so to make full proof of it, I sai
-Prisca-I was enjoying Jasmine’s company more than ever before and she was doing better than the last few weeks. We discussed a whole lot of things and did everything together just like in the good old days and I was so happy about it.“The ball is getting closer and closer by the second,” I told her excitedly and she rolled her eyes at me.“For goodness sake Prisca, this is the third time you are telling me this. I wondered why you are this excited when you do not even have a date,” she said and I frowned at her.“Hey, that is not a nice thing to say to me.”“I am sorry,” she laughed and made to put a hand on me but I brushed her away. I was really upset with her. “Oh come on, don’t be so mad, I said I was sorry.”“I do not appreciate that you say such a thing to me, Jasmine,” I told her. “I have been complaining about this to you before now and you think it is fun to mock me and laugh it off at my face for not having a man by this age.”“Geez, Prisca…do you take it this seriously?
-Adonai-I looked down from my window at the view of the pack below. It was a bright morning and the sun cast down beautifully on the houses. I could see the people going about their activities. I loved to look at the pack from here. It was a symbol of my strength and leadership as the alpha of my pack.My eyes caught Jasmine and her friend in the courtyard of the empire. There was something about this lady that always got me and I have been thinking of late, if I should overlook all she had done before now and take her back as wife.I knew it would be a breach of my pronouncement but then, it was still worth it. I needed a lady by my side and she seemed just perfect for me. She was intelligent and conversation with her flowed smoothly. I needed someone like that, someone I could talk to.It was not because I had any feelings for her, I assured myself. I did not love her. I need to fulfill a duty to myself and my people by making her my Luna.I had decided to speak to Dante about it.
-Aria-I stood in front of the mirror and adjusted the gold necklace on my neck.“Wow,” Prisca gasped behind me. “You looked so breathtaking.”“Thank you,” I smiled and looked at her through the mirror. “You are not looking bad yourself.”She was wearing one of my clothes, or rather, Jasmine's clothes and it fitted her so well.We were preparing for the family dinner Ariel had spoken about. I did not want to go, but Ms. Ellen insisted I should be there since she threw the party for us.I was thinking about being there with Adonai and Dante. The two brothers were inevitable parts of my life which I could not do away with. Then there was Ariel too. Gosh, it was a gathering I did not want to be a part of.“What are you thinking about?” Prisca had noticed the lost look on my face. She had been talking to me but I was not listening.“Nothing,” I said and she sighed.“Are you worried about having to eat at the same table with two brothers your heart has been conflicted about?” she asked as
-Adonai-I struggled hard at the dinner to concentrate on my food and not on Jasmine. But it seemed much easier at her end to be herself for she ignored me, acting like there I wasn’t there while she ate and laughed with so much carefreeness, talking with her friend, Prisca.I did not mind that she was happy, but I did not like that she was not being that jovial with me. I wondered why she was acting that way. Perhaps, she was doing it intentionally to get at me for something and I must say, she is a very good actress.I could not get over how beautiful and bright she looked, and I had to carefully hide my smile while watching her from the corners of my eyes so the other people in the room would not notice.Fuck, we were here as a couple. I mean, she is the main reason I had not declined to join the party. So why do I have to hold back from speaking to her? But I did not want to start the conversation either. Why don’t she just look in my direction and say something? I would take it f
-Adonai-Jasmine kept murmuring gibberish in my arms while I carried her in my arms. I looked ahead so I would not be distracted from her pretty cute face until she pinched me hard and I stopped in my tracks to look at her.“What did you do that for?” I asked with a slight frown on my face. Forgetting for a moment, that she was drunk.“Why are you touching my sacred butts,” she said defiantly in a very funny way and I could not help but let out a chortle.“Your sacred what?”“My sacred butts,” she repeated grudgingly. “Don’t you dare touch them.”“Your butts are not sacred to me Jasmine,” I grinned down at her. “They belong to me and I can do whatever I want with them.”“No you don’t,” she frowned and began to wriggle in my arms.“Hey! Stay still, will you? You are going to fall,” I warned.“Get your hands off my butts,” she shot back fiercely.“Okay fine, but we need to get you to the room first. You can’t even walk on your own.”I shook my head, disappointed at the condition I found
- Prisca-"You...you followed me?" I stuttered. He stood up from the bed and walked towards me slowly. I moved back instinctively."Yes I did," he said casually. "I came to your house, but you were nowhere to be found, so I sat and waited for you. Where have you been?"For a brief moment, life left my body. I thought he followed me to the hideout and knew everything.Oh shit...I let out a deep breath of relief. Thank goodness."Uh...uhm," I swallowed hard. "I was just around, you know. The pack. I needed some fresh air so I went for a stroll.""So why didn't you return to the palace?" He asked further and I quickly thought of what I could say."Well," I chuckled nervously. "Just trying to escape from the tension in the palace. I mean, so much has happened in just one day so..."Adonai grunted and his eyes scrutinised me, perhaps trying to see if he could believe me or not."I had to come here because we needed to talk," he finally said. "About what's happened earlier. We are married b
-Prisca- "Who are they?" I asked them, trying hard to keep calm."We don't know Prisca," one shrugged. "But they did not look anything like us. They looked different. Maybe werewolves from another pack."What business does Aria have with other werewolves that they came for her? Or has she been having contact outside our pack all this while? That bitch, I cursed under my breath. She always manages to escape my hands.Gosh, I hit my fist against my palm. And I was this close to getting rid of her this time. I hissed and made for the door when the men called my attention."What do we do now?" They asked and I scowled at them."Get your failure asses back home. What else is left to be done when you have lost her?""Then what about our payment?"I turned round in disbelief to face them. Had they the nerve to ask me that?"What payment?" I scoffed."For the work we did for you. You haven't paid us.""You bunch of losers are expecting payment?" I asked."We had a deal. You cannot just send
-Prisca- Yes! My plan has finally worked. I am going to exchange marital vows with Adonai and legally be his wife.It does not count that I am impersonating Aria. He is not going to be tied to Aria in reality but to me.I sat beside him, before the crowd with my face veiled and a sly smile across my face which no one could see.A few people had suggested I take off the veil so they could behold my face but Adonai politely declined. No one pushed it, and I successfully got tied to Adonai.I had feared that Dante would have wanted to expose me because he didn't seem pleased with the plan, but he didn't.I was led to Adonai's room while the party continued in the hall. There I took off my veil and sat comfortably on his bed.He was not here yet, for he was still having some drinks with his visitors. I chuckled happily. Alas, my dream has come to pass.The door opened and I quickly adjusted. I hissed when I saw it was Ariel."What are you doing here?" I asked sharply. She did not reply b
-Adonai-It took a while before what she said registered in my head."Are you insane?" I retorted, placing a finger on the side of my head."No, I am not," she responded confidently."How then can you say such a thing?""I am only trying to help you, alpha," she said. "Think of what the people at the table will say when you return there without a bride.""And have you thought about what it would be when they also realize that you are not Aria?""They wouldn't have to know. A bride can be veiled. You are not under any law to reveal your face to anyone. I believe that they might think that is what you want and they will respect it."I hesitated, trying hard to think about what Prisca had said. She was right. I would be seen as a fool if I returned to the people with the news of Aria eloping with another man and there would be no wedding.It would be the second time I gathered people and something ruined the ceremony."You know what, you are right. But this is just for the ceremony. You
-Adonai- I took in a deep breath to steady myself when Maria approached me, her face strained with worry and told me Aria was nowhere to be found.I had asked her to go get her since the ceremony was about to start."What do you mean by she is nowhere to be found," I asked, my voice in a low whisper so the people at my table would not hear."Even I don't understand myself," Maria said. "But she is not in her room and no one seems to have seen her."No, this cannot be happening now. I braced myself and tried to remain calm."Uhm, gentlemen, I will be right back," I addressed the men at my table."Is everything fine?" Dominick asked as I excused myself and I told him all was well. All was not well at all. A few minutes to the start of my wedding the bride is nowhere to be found.I walked with long strides towards Aria's room with Maria following steadily behind me."I was wondering if she had to quickly do something outside the palace because it doesn't seem like she..." Maria trailed
-Aria- I groaned in pain as I opened my eyes. I tried to move but discovered I couldn't, I was tied firmly to something I could not see, a pole or something.What's going on? I tried to think. The last thing I remembered was being prepared for my wedding and then strange faces appeared in my room.I looked up sharply when I realised what had happened. I was in an empty room that was void of anything normal in a location I could not fathom.I recognised the faces in the room as the ones who had walked in on me."Who are you and why did you kidnap me?" My throat was dry, as well as my voice. None of them bothered to give me an answer."Hey, say something. Who sent you?" I pushed."Keep it down Aria," a very familiar voice said. "This is not the palace where you speak anyhow you like and everyone is answerable to you.""Prisca?" I muttered under my breath but she heard."Tis me, yes," she stretched her hands out in a show of dignity. "Flesh and blood."I looked on in shock. Is this a dr
-Aria- I was being dressed by the maids for the wedding when Adonai walked in, and they all trooped out to give us a moment."Is anything the matter?" I asked, searching his face."Not really," he replied with a small smile on his face. "I just wanted to see you."I rolled my eyes at him."You see me every day," I pointed out."Yeah," he replied with a sigh as he walked to a stool and sat in front of me, his eyes watched me tenderly."What?" I shook my head with a chuckle."You know, there is this old story we heard while growing up," he said."Okay?""That you become too excited and overwhelmed about someone or something because you are about to lose it.""Hmm." I breathed out. "Never heard about that before. But why are you talking about that? Are you thinking I might leave you?""No. I am relating it to how excited I am about getting married to you," he said and took my hand in his. "Are you ready to become Mrs. Adonai and Luna of this pack?""You think I am ready?" I threw back a
-Adonai- Today is the day I officially get married to Aria. I was sure my face radiated the joy I felt within. I could not hide it.I walked around the building, watching as the maids and guards ran around to put things in order. It is going to be a very big ceremony. Invites have been sent far and near, and all the provinces and clans, big and small packs, would be gathered for the wedding.Werewolves coming from far distances had arrived the night before. Dante approached me with a grimace on his face."So you are finally getting married to Aria," he commented."So am I," I said with the same energy."Well, how does that make you feel?" He wanted to know and I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to discern his reason for asking."Complete, I guess. A man with a family.""Mmm," Dante hummed and nodded. "True.""And after this, you also have to settle down as well. You have a fiancé already, so that wouldn't be hard, I guess?"He chuckled."Well then, after you."While we spoke, alpha Do
-Aria- My heart skipped a beat when I lifted my eyes to the door and saw Adonai. He walked in with a blank expression on his face, approaching us slowly."Adonai, Zafa here was just telling me that he was leaving the pack. It was what we were discussing before you walked in," I jumped in to explain hurriedly when he had not asked me anything.Adonai did not respond. I tried to read his expression, but he hid it well. He stood beside me and faced Zafa, who looked back boldly as if Adonai had not walked in on us almost about to kiss."Is that so?" Adonai finally spoke, addressing Zafa."It is indeed so," Zafa confirmed, unshaken."But you did not tell me," Adonai said dryly. "You came to my wife to tell her but I am not aware of what is going on.""She was the one that sent for me first," Zafa replied. "And I did plan to tell you, though, she is the reason why I came to this pack. Either way, you would have known anyway."I was worried about the way the two were going. I wouldn't want