Carena:"Wait, what?" I couldn't help but feel hurt. Nobody seemed to be on my side."You're not the perfect match for my handsome son. If he gets back on his feet soon, I'd prefer him to find himself a mate he truly desires. This wedding was just a backup plan," he said casually, causing me to nod uncertainly. I didn't want to argue with them."You're so right, grandpa. I wouldn't want my friends to discover she's my brother's mate," Payton grumbled, making me inhale deeply.This was the girl I tried to warn about making a mistake, and now she was telling everyone she was embarrassed to have me as her sister-in-law? Tears threatened to spill, but I couldn't object; that was the whole deal. I couldn't demand respect from these people; they wouldn't care.I gave myself a determined nod, while they moved on to other topics and dug into their food. None of them noticed I hadn't touched anything. None except the one person I didn't want attention from.My phone buzzed, and discreetly hold
Carena: "I don't know, I didn't catch on," I sighed as I sat with my sister. She'd managed to slip inside while Lord Rennick and Lady Jane were out, thankfully. Usually, their disapproval kept my family away."Okay, let's figure out how to handle this mess," Maanya murmured, and I had to gesture for her to lower her voice."It's not like he can blabber about it to anyone," she reasoned, nodding towards Sawyer, who lounged in bed with the TV on."Still, I don't want him to fret," I fibbed, not wanting him to get involved. I doubted he'd understand or take my side over his mother's."What's he after?" Maanya pressed. I recounted spotting Payton in the study, trailed her, and got caught by Ronan.I omitted Ronan's exact demands, merely mentioning his blackmail. "He's asking for... money," I evaded, unable to divulge the specifics with Sawyer present."What? Is he nuts? A royal asking a mere maid for cash?" Maanya scoffed, eyes wide in disbelief."What do I do now?" I grasped her hand as
Carena:Hush!" he whispered, bringing his face so close that I could see the different shades of gray in his eyes.It was dark, but a faint light illuminated his face. His eyebrows were dark, and they moved as he spoke."You cry a lot, don't you? Every time I see you, you're crying," the depth of his voice left me breathless. He leaned over me, his hand covering my mouth."What?" he inquired, noticing my gaze."Will you always be this surprised when I touch you in the dark?" he whispered, burying his face in my neck and inhaling my scent. He removed his hand from my mouth, and the first words I managed to utter caught his attention."I'm in a mess," I confessed, and he raised his head."There's no mess," he reassured me, his eyes gleaming in the darkness."Yes, there is!" I disagreed, tears welling up at the thought of facing judgmental stares once Ronan exposes my video."Carena!" he said my name, causing my body to tense."There's no longer a mess," he repeated, and I frowned."I to
Carena: I was relieved to wake up and find Sawyer in his bed. I had slept on the couch but hadn't felt this comfortable in so long. I've been noticing this about myself a lot lately. I only felt comfortable when I had some steamy encounter with Sawyer.Last night was even more special. He gave me a taste of what it feels like to have someone on your side who has your back.The gift he gave me was enough to cheer me up. I was free from the burden of Ronan's threats."Who the heck went through my stuff?" I heard Ronan shouting in the hallway, calling the maids and yelling at them for a name.“Somebody broke my phone and laptop after all the data backed up was deleted. I want to know who did that?” he was screaming at the top of his lungs and losing his shit.I didn't even want to go outside and see the commotion. He got what he deserved for playing such a nasty game with his brother's wife."He seems different than Jack," I stood in front of the mirror and said with a broken smile on m
Carena:"Are you really not going to leave the room to explore?" Ginny asked me for the fifth time as she applied makeup to her face."No! I am tired," I fibbed, lounging in bed and gazing up at the ceiling."You're so lazy. We came to a new place where we have no work responsibilities, and you don't even want to explore," she scoffed, speaking as if we were besties."You know, their nightlife is wild. I can't wait to go clubbing tonight," Ginny exclaimed, carefree; I was happy for her, living her life to the fullest, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for myself.From very early on, I took on the responsibilities of my stepsibling. Then I took care of household chores and even got myself a job. I didn't get to study much because I didn't have time.When I met Alpha Jack and he took me in, I started to believe I had it all. At least, that's what he told me. He convinced me I didn't need anything else. He would take care of me for the rest of my life, and I believed him."I'm fine. You
Carena:My breath caught in my throat, and my eyes grew misty. He looked so fresh and sharp. Sporting a new blue suit and a slightly different hairstyle this time, he even had a mullet now, and it didn't look half bad. I was amazed at how healthy he appeared; it seemed like he hadn't suffered a single day.He must have been hitting the gym a lot too; he seemed quite muscular."We'll go once the Luna Queen calls for us, okay?" Ginny turned around just to whisper those words to me. As she diverted my attention to Tabitha, I gulped and scanned the area for her.My eyes landed on Riona and Markeil, sitting happily across the council. They looked adorable, dressed in matching black. I had devoted so much energy to them, but why didn't they seem a bit upset, like something was missing? Did any of them even wonder what happened to me?My little twin half siblings didn't seem to have missed me even once.My mind was swirling, and I could feel genuine cold feet and sweat on my palms."Ginny! I
Carena: I squared up and gazed at her. The moment our eyes met and silence enveloped us, it was eerie. I sensed that once the voices resumed, taunts and accusations would fly.Since she was Luna Queen and I was a mere maid, I knew which way the accusations would lean. "That's--," she spat out quietly, taking deep, heavy breaths. Lady Jane exchanged a glance with Lord Rennick, both as puzzled as her, wondering why the Luna Queen was glaring at me like that.They likely put it down to Tabitha being upset because I hadn't apologized yet. "Carena! Apologize," Lady Jane urged. I turned to her, catching Jack's gaze. He wore a strange satisfaction as he observed me in this state.He rose from his seat and hurried over to Tabitha. My younger siblings had their mouths agape but avoided making eye contact with me, probably not wanting anyone to know I was their elder sister. "Carena!" Lord Rennick shouted, but I closed my eyes and turned away. They could threaten me, but I wouldn't apologize.
Carena:"Don't just hang around here. The sooner you tidy up, the quicker you can head back to your room," Lady Jane urged, gripping my arm firmly, her nails digging into my skin.I felt helpless, unable to resist her command. Now, everyone quietly moved from their seats to gather around me, observing with curiosity as I tackled the task of cleaning the floor. It seemed like quite the spectacle to witness a former Luna Queen scrubbing away. I doubted the Comet pack members even knew that their maid was not just an ex-Luna but also the sister of the current Luna Queen of the Red Raven pack.Taking hold of the broomstick, I noticed blood trickling down its handle from my palms. My hands were badly cut, but nobody seemed to notice.My sister was the only one who broke from the crowd, joining me inside the circle. Jack then approached, gently rubbing her arms and planting a kiss on her forehead to offer comfort.The way everyone watched me made me question if I was in the wrong. Pressing