Chapter 3

003.

“You are meant to keep your head bowed at all times, the only words in your dictionary is yes, every move you make needs to be approved by the royal triplets, do you understand?”

Daciana didn't respond, staring at the girl in front of her like she had lost her mind.

She sat stiffly on a wooden chair in the palace, her hands resting in her lap, the lady in front of her who acted like she had better things to focus her energy on than waste it on her was Hailey, the beta’s daughter.

Another golden spoon entitled bitch. All morning she had been spewing a lecture on the triplets every whim. Daciana didn’t care about their likes or dislikes, their favorite foods, or their preferred way to have their boots polished. She just wanted to leave, and she can’t.

“And trust no one gives a fuck if you understand or not. You are to strictly obey every rule” Hailey continued staring down at Daciana like she was a lost stray dog.

“They hate when their sheets are wrinkled. You’ll need to press them every morning, but I suppose a low life like you wouldn’t understand that kind of attention to detail.”

Daciana kept her gaze low, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

“You know,” Hailey continued, leaning against the edge of the table with a smug smile, “Tonight is the mating ceremony. I need them to be in a good mood I don’t know who I will be blessed with, but I really hope it's Kellen not like all three of them don't want me anyway so don’t mess this up or it’s off with your head”

The idea that Hailey actually wanted to be mated to those monsters baffled her. How could anyone want that? But then judging by the looks of it they were a perfect match made in hell.

“I can't make promises” Daciana replied, her tone flat.

Hailey’s face flashed with anger. “Honestly, I don’t know why they bothered with you. They should have chosen someone more fitting for the role. You’re pathetic. An omega without a wolf, a curse. It’s no wonder no one wants you.”

“If you think you’re so perfect, why don’t you be their maid? You obviously want to be close to them.” the words tumbled out of her lips before she could stop them and Hailey fired up like a red tomato.

A hefty slap landed on her face sending Daciana’s head snapping to the side. Her cheek stung, but the pain only fueled her anger. She stood up quickly, but before she could react the door creaked open.

Hailey’s entire demeanor shifted in an instant. She let out a dramatic gasp and clutched her cheek, rushing toward Kellen with crocodile tears streaming down her face. “She hit me,” Hailey whimpered, throwing herself into Kellen’s arms as though she were the victim. “She’s so stubborn, I've been trying to appeal to her, but she slapped me!”

Daciana’s mouth fell open in disbelief. She shot a look of pure disdain at Hailey, but stayed silent, knowing there was no use to refute her words, no one would believe her over the Beta’s daughter.

“How dare you?” Axel snickered.

“You should probably fire me since I'm terrible at this job” Daciana retorted, then stepped away from the chair wanting to leave, but Kellen’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Anywhere but here, I'm done with this act” she replied flatly.

“You don’t get to leave,” Kellen retorted. “We own you now, Daciana. You’ll do what we say, when we say it.”

“I’m not your puppet,” she lashed out.

“You are exactly that,” Axel replied, his tone cruelly amused.

“You see, it's this type of audacity that got you here in the first place. If you won't learn the easy way, you will understand the hard way. Guards!” Kellen yelled out.

Before she could respond, two guards stepped forward, grabbing her arms with rough hands. “What are you doing?” Daciana shouted, panic rising in her throat.

“Teach her a lesson” Kellen ordered.

Without hesitation, they dragged her away, Daciana kicked, twisted and pleaded, but it was no use. They dragged her down to the river that bordered the palace grounds, and they forced her to her knees.

“Maybe you’ll learn to understand your duties after this,” one of the guards said, his voice emotionless. Then, without warning, they shoved her head into the icy water.

The cold shock of the river hit her like a punch to the gut, stealing the breath from her lungs as water rushed into her nose and mouth. She thrashed, trying to break free, but they held her there, her head submerged, until her lungs burned with the need for air. Finally, they pulled her up, allowing her a desperate gulp of air before they pushed her under again.

“Do you understand your duties now?”

Daciana’s whole body trembled, her lips blue from the cold. Tears blurred her vision as she nodded weakly. “Yes,” she whispered, barely able to form the word. “I understand.”

****

“Ugh” Daciana coughed out, shivering as she placed the flower pot at the center of the table.

Her clothes air dried, but she felt sick, the horrific feeling of drowning was still etched in her mind which made her do her duties quietly.

The room was filled with a lot of guests from the pack. It was the night of the moon ball, where the triplets were to choose Hailey and two other miserable girls as their mates.

She had seen Hailey earlier, and he hated the fact she could only admit she looked stunning. Daciana couldn't help but wonder what it was like to have a mate.

She felt a small pang in her chest knowing she would never be blessed with one being the cursed Omega.

She could only hope that if she worked hard enough and kept herself out of trouble, she would be able to make enough money to live a better life with her mother, far away from these monsters.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” A voice echoed through the room, silencing the crowd. Daciana made her way to the back, wanting to disappear from the pain she felt within.

“We are gathered for a joyous occasion where our royal triplets are to find their destined mate!” The crowd cheered, and the triplets stepped forward. Daciana couldn't care less eating snacks from the table while everyone else was glued to the triplets.

“The moon is at its highest peak, princes find your destined partner, let your heart lead the way” The priestess announced, and the triplets moved through the crowd, their eyes scanning the room. The girls whispered in excitement, some even crying out, begging to be chosen.

But the triplets didn’t stop like they were following a scent, it was weird all three of them moved in the same direction.

The closer they got, the more the scent was intoxicating the urge to claim whoever she was, their pace fastened, an insatiable desire coursing through their veins.

Daciana’s skin prickled, a chill running down her spine, she waved it off feeling it was just the cold, but then she heard growling forcing her to turn,

Daciana’s eyes snapped up in disbelief. Her gaze locked with Kellen’s first, then Axel’s and Alan’s. Their eyes blazed with an intensity that made her stomach drop. They approached her, their expressions dark, primal.

“Mate!” They echoed at the same time.

The whole room gasped in shock, every eye was on her, but Daciana couldn’t tear her gaze away from the triplets.

This was her worst nightmare.