Valarie As the door closed behind Tristan, the silence in the room felt deafening. I stood there by the window, staring out at the moonlit gardens, my heart pounding in my chest. The conversation replayed in my mind, his words cutting deeper than I wanted to admit.I had agreed to this marriage, yes. But I hadn’t agreed to be humiliated, to be treated like I was invisible, like I didn’t matter.Wiping the tears from my cheeks, I took a deep breath and straightened my spine. I couldn’t let this break me. Not now. Not when so much was at stake.If Tristan wanted to treat me like a pawn in his game, so be it. But I wasn’t going to just stand by and let him ruin me. I had to protect myself, and more importantly, I had to protect my sister’s secret.I turned away from the window and walked to the vanity, my reflection staring back at me. The royal gown I wore was flawless, every intricate detail carefully designed to make me look like the queen the people thought I was. My dark hair fell
ValerieThe morning sun streamed through the large windows of my chamber, bathing the room in a soft golden hue. I sat up in bed, stretching lazily before swinging my legs over the edge. The air carried a slight chill, and I hurried to dress, choosing a simple yet elegant gown that reflected my current mood. Life in the palace had its charms, but the tension was often palpable, and today was no exception.Alpha Theo, had been away on a work trip for several days, leaving the atmosphere in the palace teetering on the edge of chaos. Without his grounding presence, the tension was high , and the air was thick with unspoken grievances.By the time I made my way to the dining hall, the familiar buzz of morning chatter had been replaced by a tense silence. Lady Bianca, sat at the head of the table, her expression as sharp as the crystal chandelier above us. She was the epitome of poise, but her words often carried a sting. Across from her, Tristan’s absence was glaringly obvious.The serv
Alpha TristanIt had been weeks since Vanessa had stood up to Lady Bianca, and as time passed, I found myself caught in an unexpected web. I had always thought of Vanessa as someone who was... well, nothing more than a lady with a lot of opinions. She wasn’t bad, per se, but I hadn’t exactly gone out of my way to get to know her. She was a lady of the palace, one who lived by the rules and adhered to traditions. She had been a presence, yes, but one I didn’t care much to engage with.At least, that’s what I had told myself.But ever since the incident with Bianca, something in me had shifted. It wasn’t just that she’d confronted my stepmother, though that alone had been enough to make me pause. No, it was the way she had handled it. With calm composure and an honesty that cut through the tension in the room like a blade. She wasn’t afraid of speaking her mind, and that was... refreshing. It made her stand out, in a way that I hadn’t expected.I’d never been one to entertain the idea o
ValerieReaching out to my parents about my sister’s health had become an impossible task. I had tried, but the risk was too great, especially after Fiona, one of the palace's most vigilant maids, almost caught me the last time I attempted to send a message. Since then, I had been forced to bury my concerns deep within me, even though the worry gnawed at my heart.I missed my sister terribly. She was the rightful Bride of Alpha Tristan, the one who had been chosen for this life. Pretending to be her wasn’t just difficult, it was soul-crushing. I wasn’t cut out for this world of rigid rules, constant surveillance, and hidden power plays. I longed for my old life, where I wasn’t walking on eggshells or pretending to be someone I wasn’t.And then there was Tristan. He had made it painfully clear that I was nothing more than an unwanted placeholder in his life. His heart still belonged to his ex, a fact he didn’t bother to hide. Living under the same roof as him, enduring his cold indiffe
CarlReturning to the palace wasn’t just about taking up responsibilities or reconnecting with family, it was about reminding Tristan that I wasn’t someone he could ignore. We had been rivals for as long as I could remember, constantly trying to outdo each other in everything from training to leadership, and even now, nothing had changed.Except now, he was married.And not to just anyone, but to someone strikingly beautiful. Vanessa. The moment I saw her on the staircase, struggling not to fall, I knew who she was. I had heard whispers about her, though I hadn’t expected her to be so… captivating. The way her eyes widened when I caught her, the soft flush on her cheeks, she was unlike anyone else in this cold, calculated palace. And I could already tell she was Tristan’s weakness.Which made her all the more interesting to me.Tristan had always been the perfect Alpha, stoic, disciplined, and unshakable. But seeing him that day, his mask slipping as I held Vanessa in my arms, was a r
Alpha TristanCarl had always been a thorn in my side. For as long as I could remember, his presence was a constant reminder that even the things I cherished most were never safe. He thrived on competition, on finding ways to provoke me, and it infuriated me how easily he could slip into someone’s life and stir chaos.And now, it was Vanessa.I stood in the shadows of the hallway, watching her and Carl from a distance. The way he leaned toward her, that stupid, smug grin plastered on his face, made my teeth clench. He said something that made her laugh an unguarded, light laugh that I hadn’t heard from her in weeks.That laugh, it shouldn’t have been meant for him.Carl reached out, his hand brushing hers briefly, and something inside me snapped. I turned on my heel and headed straight to my chambers, slamming the door behind me. My breathing was heavy, and my hands were balled into fists at my sides.This wasn’t about her. It wasn’t.I repeated the thought in my head like a mantra, t
Alpha Tristan Sleep evaded me that night. My mind was restless, circling the same thought over and over, Vanessa.She had come to me willingly, stood in my room, and looked me in the eyes, questioning my anger. I should have been able to brush it off, to say it was nothing, that Carl had always been a problem and that was all there was to it. But the moment she asked why it bothered me, I had nearly slipped.Because the truth was, it wasn’t just about Carl. It was about her.And that truth was dangerous.I sighed, rubbing a hand down my face as I pushed away from my desk. The moonlight cast a pale glow over my chamber, shadows stretching across the walls. Sleep wouldn’t come, not with these thoughts eating at me.I needed air.Leaving my room, I made my way down the dimly lit halls of the palace. The guards stationed at the corners straightened at my approach, nodding respectfully, but I ignored them. I wasn’t in the mood for formalities.I found myself heading toward the balcony tha
ValerieI never planned to fall for him.If anything, I had sworn I wouldn’t.Alpha Tristan was cold, distant, and impossibly frustrating. He had made it clear from the beginning that he hadn’t wanted me here, that I was not the one he had chosen. And yet, something had changed, slowly, subtly, in ways I hadn’t even noticed until it was too late.It was the way he looked at me when he thought I wasn’t paying attention. His gaze, sharp and piercing, softened at times, lingering on me just a moment longer than necessary. It was in the way his voice lost its usual edge when he spoke to me, quieter, almost hesitant.It was the way he touched me, small, fleeting moments that shouldn’t have meant anything but somehow did. The accidental brush of his fingers against mine when we passed each other in the halls. The warmth of his hand on my lower back when guiding me through a crowded room. The firm grip on my wrist whenever he stopped me from walking away too quickly.It was everything.And I
VANESSA I had spent the entire afternoon pacing around the house, unable to shake off the growing discomfort in my chest. My head still ached from the accident, but it wasn’t the physical pain that consumed me now. It was the questions. The confusion. The cold, heavy silence that surrounded everything about my life.Since waking up, everything had felt like a jigsaw puzzle missing pieces, fragments of my memory, faces that seemed unfamiliar, yet familiar at the same time. My mind swirled with images of a wedding dress, of vows being exchanged, of a man standing in front of me… but nothing was concrete. It was as if my mind had locked away all the important things, leaving me with nothing but shadows and half formed thoughts.I wandered through the house in a haze, my footsteps leading me to my parents’ study, where I often found them deep in work. It was there, among old books and papers, that I knew I could find something that might explain all the gaps in my memory.The room smelle
NICOThe night air was thick, heavy with the scent of rain and something else , tension, like the whole palace was holding its breath. It felt like the gods themselves were waiting for what was coming.I moved quickly through the servants’ corridors, keeping to the shadows. I knew these halls better than anyone else. Growing up in a house full of wolves, you learn early where to hide, where to eavesdrop, and how to disappear when the air turns sharp.Tristan’s orders replayed in my head.No mistakes. No leaks. No names left untouched.I made my way to the lower west wing, where the old guards kept their quarters. The newer generation of soldiers preferred the lavish chambers in the east, closer to the halls of power. But the men I was looking for didn’t care for polished floors and velvet curtains. They cared about loyalty. About blood and history.About family.I reached a heavy wooden door and gave the knock , one sharp, two soft, one more sharp. The same code we’d used as boys, sne
TRISTAN The palace was too damn quiet.It was always like this at night , servants tucked away, guards at their posts, the world pretending to sleep while the devils inside these walls plotted in the dark.And tonight, I was one of them.I sat alone in my study, the dying fire casting restless shadows on the walls. A glass of whiskey sat untouched at my elbow, my fingers drumming against the arm of my chair as my mind ran wild.They thought they had me.Carl. Lady Bianca. The damn council. They sat in that room today, looked me in the eye, and told me they were giving my crown to someone else. That the people wanted change. That tradition no longer mattered.Bullshit.This throne belongs to me.It always has.I bled for this land. Fought for these people. Buried my father, my grandfather, watched every damn threat that came for this family and dealt with it. And now they want to hand my legacy over to a snake in my own bloodline?No.Not happening.I leaned forward, resting my elbows
CARLShe ran.She didn’t even look back.I stood there in the fading light of the hallway , my pulse pounding in my ears and my jaw tight enough to crack. The taste of her still lingered, sweet and defiant, and it infuriated me how much it rattled me. I wasn’t supposed to feel this.Not for her.Not for Tristan’s woman.But damn it, something about her made me reckless. Reckless enough to cross a line I’d sworn I wouldn’t. And watching her tear away from me like she was running from a wildfire… it sparked something dark and possessive in me.Because I saw it in her eyes.She felt it too.No matter how fast she ran, she wouldn’t outrun this. Outrun me.I let out a breath, raking a hand through my hair as I forced myself to calm down. The last thing I needed was for someone to come stumbling into the garden and catch me looking like a man whose world was slipping through his fingers.I had bigger things to focus on.The council had made their move. The people’s choice. That’s what they
VALARIE I avoided him like my life depended on it.Every hallway, every corridor, every damn corner of the palace , I made sure I was nowhere near Carl Blackwood.The second my eyes caught a glimpse of his silhouette, I would turn around, take another path, duck behind the nearest column or slip through a different door. It was exhausting. And it made my pulse race for all the wrong reasons.Because I wasn’t afraid of Carl.I was afraid of myself.Afraid of what happened that day in the garden.That moment , that stupid, careless, dangerous moment where I let my guard down and kissed him back.It had been a mistake.A terrible, impulsive mistake I’d spent every minute since trying to forget.But the truth was… I couldn’t.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the look in his eyes when his lips touched mine. That soft, unspoken plea. That touch of vulnerability hidden beneath his usual arrogant smirk. The way his hand lingered a second too long against my skin.And it terrified me.I be
VANESSA My head throbbed.A deep, heavy ache that made it feel like my skull was splitting open. My eyelids were impossibly heavy, my vision a hazy blur of light and color. I could hear voices, distant and muffled, like I was underwater.Then a warmth, a hand wrapping around mine. A familiar touch. Another on my cheek. My name, soft, trembling.“Vanessa… baby, it’s mom… can you hear me?”I wanted to speak, but my throat felt like sandpaper, and my lips barely moved. I forced my eyes open, a step at a time, until shapes started to take form.Faces.Two of them.My parents.Tears glistened in my mother’s eyes, and my father , the man who rarely showed any emotion beyond stern disapproval looked like he was on the verge of breaking. I frowned, a deep crease forming on my forehead as I tried to piece together what was happening.Why did they look so scared?Why did I feel like I’d been asleep for years?“Vanessa,” my mother’s voice cracked, both hands now cupping my face. “Thank the moo
VALARIE I ran until my legs burned.Branches scratched my arms, and the cool wind tore through my hair, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.I didn’t know what scared me more, what had just happened or how it made me feel.When I finally reached the edge of the palace gardens, I slowed down, clutching a tree trunk for support, my breath coming in sharp gasps. My lips were still trembling. Not from the chill but from him.Carl.His name echoed like thunder in my head.What had I done?I slid down onto the damp grass, burying my face in my hands. My chest was tight, my mind spinning out of control. The warmth of his lips still lingered on mine. His touch had been so gentle, so unexpected, like a storm I didn’t see coming until it swallowed me whole.I hadn’t meant to kiss him.I hadn’t meant to lean in.But for a fleeting second, being with him made the pain stop. It made everything…….Frank, Lady Bianca, my sister, the lie I was living, fade into silence.And I hated that
CARLI knew how to wear charm like a second skin. The palace had become my stage these days, smiling at the right people, offering compliments that sounded sincere, laughing when I needed to, promising strength and peace for a kingdom that didn’t know it was being manipulated from the inside.They loved me for it. The nobles, the council, even the servants who whispered in corridors. Every smile I gave was calculated, every compliment a carefully placed piece in a game of strategy. But none of that mattered in the moment I saw her.Valarie.She was standing in the garden like she belonged to it. Like something tragic had rooted her there, still and quiet, her gaze far away. The wind played gently with her hair, and even though she didn’t notice me, I noticed everything about her.The way her shoulders were stiff, like she was trying to hold something in.The way her hands were clenched by her sides.The way pain clung to her silently, like an invisible fog she couldn’t shake.And some
VALARIE The call came just after sunset.I was alone in the chamber, brushing out my hair by the window letting the air flow in through the window. Tristan had been quiet lately, and though he hadn’t said a word, I felt the shift in him like we were dancing to a song that had changed tempo when I wasn’t looking.Then my phone rang.My heart stilled when I saw the name.Mother.We hadn’t spoken in weeks. Not because of bitterness, but because our silences were easier than our truths. My hand trembled slightly as I answered, pressing the phone to my ear, bracing myself.“Valarie,” my mother breathed on the other end.Her voice cracked. And just like that, my spine straightened. “What is it? What happened?”“She’s awake.”My heart dropped to the floor. For a second, I couldn’t find my voice.“She…….what?”“Your sister,” she said, sobbing now. “She opened her eyes, Valarie. She looked at me… she squeezed my hand. She’s awake. After all this time….”Her voice broke, and so did I.I pressed