Arin
The party still roared behind me, laughter and clinking glasses echoing off marble walls, but i was no longer a part of it. I was escorted quietly to a smaller, more private wing of the palace, and there my heavy ceremonial robes were exchanged for a sheer, gauzy nightdress of ivory silk.
The fabric clung to my skin like cold water.
My long black hair had been brushed out. Perfumed oils dabbed behind my ears. I looked like a bride ready for her groom.
But inside i felt like i was being prepared for sacrifice.
I sat at the edge of a long, cushioned chaise, back straight, hands folded neatly in my lap to stop them from trembling. The maid who had led me here bowed and left wordlessly, closing the chamber door behind her.
For a few blessed seconds, i was alone.
Then it opened again, and Alpha Oswald stepped in.
Father.
His presence hit me like warmth in a snowstorm. I stood quickly, rushing into his arms without hesitation. The moment his arms closed around me, the composure cracked. My breath hitched, and i gripped the front of his tunic like i had when i was small and frightened of the dark.
"I don't want to be here," i whispered into his chest in between sobs. "Take me back. Please, Father. Please."
He said nothing at first. He simply held me tighter.
"I can't do this," i continued. "He humiliated me. Everyone saw it. And now—now they want me to go to his bed like I'm nothing more than a piece of meat to complete a ritual."
Fther's hold tightened. I felt the tension in him.
"Take me back to the North," I whispered desperately. "We can say the bond failed. Or that I was unfit. Anything. I'll run if I have to. But I can't—I can't stay married to him. Not like this."
Finally, he pulled back and looked down at me with eyes filled with quiet sorrow and my heart dropped to my belly.
"My little moon," he said gently. "If there were a way to protect you from this, I would take it. I would burn this entire kingdom down before letting them break you."
"Then let me leave—"
"But we cannot," he interrupted. "The mating bond has already been sanctified by blood. By the old laws. To sever it now would risk war between the Northern Pack and the Crown. Roan's enemies would pounce. Our allies would fracture. Everything we've built—all the blood we've shed for unity—it would fall apart."
I swallowed hard, chest heaving.
"I don't care about politics," i said bitterly. "They've never cared about me."
"I care about you." His voice cracked. "And if I thought you would survive this unscathed outside these walls, I'd take you home in a heartbeat. But Arin—listen to me—you have been chosen for something greater than you understand right now. It's not fair. It's not kind. But it's real. And if you walk away, they will never let you live free. Not truly."
He smoothed my hair back gently like she was still a child in his arms. "But here… here, if you endure, you will one day have the power to decide your fate. To protect others like you. To lead."
My throat burned.
"But I don't want to lead," I choked. "I just want my mother. I want someone to hold me and tell me I don't have to be strong."
"I know," he said, kissing my forehead. "And she would be so proud of the strength you've shown already. But you must endure one more night. After this, they can never unmate you. And you can begin to take back your power."
A knock on the door made both of us freeze.
It opened before any of us could speak.
Usera stepped inside, regal and elegant in deep crimson silks. Her eyes, so similar to Nova's, raked over the scene with obvious distaste.
"How touching," she said. "But the king awaits his bride. Your presence is no longer required, Oswald."
Father stiffened. He opened his mouth, but i gripped his arm—hard.
"Please don't argue," i whispered. "Just go."
He looked at me, eyes shining with helpless fury, then nodded stiffly and followed Usera out.
The moment the door shut behind them, another maid entered, head bowed.
"His Majesty is ready to receive you," she said softly.
I could barely move. My feet felt anchored in place.
But i took a breath, lifted my chin, and followed like a lamb to the slaughter.
The corridor was dim, lit only by flickering wall sconces and the pale light of the moon streaming through the stained glass. The king's chambers lay at the far end, behind towering oak doors flanked by guards who stepped aside wordlessly as the maid led me to the threshold.
My heart pounded in my chest like a war drum.
The maid opened the door for me, bowing deeply.
I stepped forward.
And stopped.
What i saw would be etched into my bones for the rest of my life.
Nova.
Naked. Glorious. Writhing atop Roan's lap like a creature made of silk and sin.
Roan.
Bare-chested, sitting on the edge of the bed. His hands gripped Nova's hips, his head tilted back.
I knew they sensed me, they knew i was here.
His eyes opened.
And locked with mine.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
My breath caught. My lips parted, a soundless gasp of disbelief. Horror, shame, and a numb kind of agony crashed over me in waves.
I thought i had seen the worst that could be done to me but apparently, it was just the beginning.
And Roan…
He didn't stop.
He didn't speak.
He didn't move her off him.
He just stared at me, expression unreadable, like i was the one intruding. on my wedding night when i should be in his embrace.
Nova looked over her shoulder then, and when she saw me standing there—frozen, broken—her mouth curled into a satisfied, cruel smile.
She moaned louder, slow and deliberate.
Something cracked inside me.
I turned and ran, the door slamming behind me, the image burned into my mind like a brand. I didn't know where i was going, only that i had to flee this hell.
Down the corridor, barefoot now, my nightdress billowing like ghost's cloth behind me. The guards called my name, but i didn't hear them.
Only the roar in my head.
Only the truth i could no longer ignore.
I was not Roan's queen.
I was not his mate in anyway.
I was a pawn. A shield. A name in a book to fulfill a prophecy or please the council.
And he would not love me.
Not ever.