-Willow-
The moment I came into the giant palace with the gigantic staircase leading to the next floor, I saw someone coming toward me. A huge smile spread across my lips, and I sprinted forward. Carter caught me as I leaped into his arms. He kissed me hard as I wrapped my legs around him and my arms around his neck. My long blond hair covered us like a curtain, giving us the illusion of privacy, but then I heard someone clear their throat behind us, and I quickly pulled back to see Carter’s father, the king, looking at us with raised eyebrows. I pushed away from Carter, who allowed me to get back on my feet, and we chuckled nervously.
“Well, welcome, Willow,” the king teased me.
“Sorry, Your Majesty, I might have gotten a little excited," I nervously apologize.
"There is no need to apologize. At least I’m glad to know my son will always have love in his union as well,” the king told me, making me smile.
Carter wrapped an arm around my waist, bringing me to him, and he kissed my temple.
“Now, have you eaten yet? The dinner is just about to be served,” the king informed me.
“No, I haven’t.”
“Well, go get unpacked and come join us.”
I nodded, and Carter and I walked to what would now be my room. Once we were brought together in the Goddess’s light, then I would sleep in his room. He looked at the things I had brought and seemed surprised.
“Two bags? That’s it?” he asked.
“Well, I was told that I wouldn’t need much. My room had already been prepared.”
“Yes, but you might not like what has been prepared,” he chuckled.
“I’m sure I will like it.”
“Go check your closet then,” he teased me, and I walked to my closet.
I walked inside, checking the clothes that hung around, and seeing lots of them was truly not to my taste. I groaned, trying to put on a smile as I turned to Carter, who seemed on the verge of laughing, his blue eyes filled with joy.
“It’s… nice,” I forced out.
“My mom picked it all.”
I sighed, leaning my head back. Despite our families pushing for our union, Carter’s mother had behaved rather oddly toward me. Never rude, just simply… cold. In the beginning, it wasn’t noticeable, but over the years, it got worse. The king never seemed to have anything against me, and his Luna never said I shouldn’t marry Carter, but it was these subtle things that worried me. These things here that made me feel unwelcome.
“Why do you think she likes me less and less?” I asked.
“She likes you,” he insisted, and I walked over to him, Carter wrapping his arms around my waist.
“I don’t think she does.”
“We will get you something else. Don’t worry,” he assured me.
I sighed and nodded, and he kissed my forehead before reaching up and stroking my cheek. “Hey, let’s go down and eat a little, and we can focus on something else.”
“Yeah, that might be good.”
Carter grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers as we walked downstairs to join his parents in the dining room. It was rather quiet, with only a little music playing in the background as we sat down. I had eaten dinner with them before, but there were usually other people, and it was often a planned party. This was just us four, and it was rather awkward.
Carter sat in front of me, smiling at me, my heart going crazy and my wolf howling in my head. He was truly made to perfection. That charming smirk, those dark blue eyes, the sharp features, and the short dark blond hair. Even as he ran his hand through it, making it stand a little up, it still looked as if it was meant to be that way—messy. Shit, I was surprised at how my body reacted with a powerful surge of warmth. Now that I knew we were getting so close to our ceremony, with just two days left, my body was truly getting hungry for Carter.
I had always desired him, but the pressure of keeping myself away from temptation until our wedding weighted heavier on me. If there was something I had learned growing up in the society I had, it was that one slipup could cost you everything. I would rather not be known as the loose princess for not following tradition. Besides, it was only two days; I had to wait, and we would be free to do what we wanted.
“So, Carter, are you going out tonight with your friends?” his mother asked, breaking the tension.
“Out?” I questioned, confused, and focused on Carter.
He shrugged. “Just friends asking me to go out and enjoy a night with them before the union.”
“One last night of freedom,” his mother remarked, making her mate nudge her with his elbow. “What? It’s tradition. You went out on your night before our ceremony.”
The king looked almost tired, not wanting to be reminded, and I felt there might be some past tension between the two older wolves. But I focused on Carter, seeing him smile at me.
“It’s not important,” he assured me. “You just arrived. I think I should stay in tonight.”
I felt bad. While I didn’t have that many friends, considering how fake the upper-class world was, I knew Carter had a lot more sincere friendships, and he shouldn’t have to spend his entire night with me if he could see them.
“No, you should go,” I insisted.
“What?” he asked, confused.
“I will be tired anyway. I will just call it a night early. It’s fine. Go out and have some fun.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “I don’t mind staying home.”
“I’m sure. Go,” I told him, seeing the smile that spread on his lips. It was clear he wanted to go, but he was being considerate toward me, making sure I didn’t feel alone. However, he was glad when I assured him I was a big girl and could take care of myself.
“Okay, but call me if there is anything at all.”
“I will make sure to do that,” I chuckled before shaking my head and enjoying the rest of the dinner.
-Cain- With the bag swung over my shoulder, I walked over the gravel leading to the backdoor of the grand house. Lighting burst through the sky behind me, making me turn my head and see how fast the weather had changed. I was glad I managed to catch that last flight before I was sure that all the planes were grounded. I grabbed the handle, allowing myself into my old home. I walked through the little relaxation room with the glass roof and walls that gave a wonderful view of the garden and into the warm palace. It was strange being back, but when the king called, you listened. As I walked through the house, I came to the entrance, catching Carter coming down the stairs all dressed up and smelling far away from his usual powerful cologne. I was unsure how he wasn’t drowning in the scent. We were alphas, and our heightened senses made sure nothing slipped by us. It almost choked me as I caught a whiff of it. I let out a little sound, and it made Carter turn his head as he took the la
-Willow- “Tea, my Lady,” a servant said as she placed a tray filled with a teapot, cup, and all sorts of flavors on the coffee table further away. I had just come out of the bathroom, wrapped in a small, dark purple robe as she placed it down. “Thank you,” I said before she bowed and left the room, closing the door behind her. I walked over to the many assortments, studying them, wondering what I should choose. I eventually went with a strawberry-flavored tea before I poured the warm water onto it and let the flavors stream into the water. I waited a little, finding a book, before I went back and removed the teabag from the warm water. I began reading as I sipped my tea slowly. I wasn’t very tired, and while I had told Carter to go have fun, it didn’t mean I didn’t still miss him or wish he would be here. I had been to the palace before, but it was different now that it was my home. I even found it hard to focus on my book and began rolling my head around. My body felt strangely te
-Willow- I had the most heavenly dream. While I had had some dirty dreams before, this was like nothing I had ever tried. I was pretty sure I had even come from the dream while some massive alpha had taken me on my bed. I had never seen an alpha so big, maybe except for the king. He turned me and got me on all fours as he kept slamming into me over and over, growling how I was his and how good I was for letting him knot me. I knew only alphas did that to their true mates in hopes of impregnating them, but despite the pain from being sealed shut like that, it felt incredible when the pain was replaced with pleasure. I came every time he did it, and I began even craving him to knot me over and over. The dream was truly like nothing I had ever tried before. Even as I slowly woke up, my body felt as if it had been used. I groaned, shifting slightly, only to feel a sharp pain between my legs. I opened my eyes, sitting up a little. My room seemed like it was yesterday, but then I noticed
-Cain- I wasn’t sure what I expected to happen next. I couldn’t even say if I had a plan. All I knew was that I didn’t want to be the disappointing person my father had always seen me as. It was unfair that he was so quick to think I had reverted back to my old self, the one who would gladly have fucked his brother’s fiancé before his ceremony, when I had only been back for a few hours. While I feared staying here myself and falling into temptation, a few hours shouldn’t have been enough, and it stung that he could look at me like that. But honestly, the more I took in Willow’s frightened expression, the way she was on the verge of tears constantly, made me think none of my old tricks would even have worked on her. She was in love with my brother, and she had worked hard to get where she was today. I was unsure if, without the poison, she would even have let me into her room. No, there was something about Willow that screamed determination, despite even being so small right now and
-Willow- I sat in the window overseeing the garden, feeling like my heart might explode from the pain that was swirling inside it. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I couldn’t believe how I was trapped in this predicament, and I had nowhere to run. I thought about calling Eva, but I couldn’t face anyone right now. I felt so humiliated that I didn't even dare talk to my best friend. I feared what even she would think of me when she learned what had happened. Was I just a whore now? I understood that the mate connection had power, but I also knew how she-wolves who threw themselves at the males were looked at in my world, and now it seemed like I might be deemed as loose. What is happening? Suddenly, my wolf began stirring, sounding disoriented. “Finally!” I exclaimed. “You there?” Willow? What’s going on? “Where have you been?” Um… “Willow?” A dark voice called into my room, and I turned my head. The moment I put my eyes on Cain, my heart began hammering, and my wolf began
-Cain- “Well, don’t you know how to stir up trouble?” I turned to see my old friend Reese standing in the doorway to the living room, where I was trying my best not to lean into the temptation of pouring myself a drink. However, the sight of him made me feel much better. He laughed when he saw the smile on my lips, and he came over. We slapped our hands together before he placed himself beside me. I stood by the window, gazing out at the light drizzle outside. “How did you know I was back?” I asked him. “You really think you could come back without me hearing about it? I mean, you always made sure people knew what you were up to. Fucking your brother’s fiancé. Wow, I knew you loved chaos, I just didn’t know you loved it that much,” he chuckled before he went and grabbed something to drink for himself at a small bar further away. “Goddess… people already know?” I groaned, rubbing my eyes. “It’s everywhere. Did you really expect this to stay a secret?” he asked. “It’s only noon,”
-Willow- My mother walked around me, going over how I looked in my ceremonial dress. It was the one I had planned to wear to mine and Carter’s ceremony, and instead I was wearing it for someone completely else. It made me feel dirty and wrong, as if I had actually cheated. I had, but as my wolf kept reminding me, Cain was also my mate, so I couldn’t forget we were also destined to be together. But did that mean I had cheated on Cain for being with Carter? It was all very confusing, and I couldn’t wait until this day was over. I believed my parents felt the same way because they had barely spoken to me since arriving, and as I got ready, had my hair and makeup done, and got in my dress, my mother gave me a look I had never seen before. She had never been disappointed in me before, but that was the only way I could interpret the look in her eyes—she was disappointed. My mother reached out and suddenly tugged on the side of the dress, pulling a little hard so it felt like I was being p
-Cain- I was faster to change. My father came to see us off while my mother had disappeared somewhere, and my brother was nowhere to be found, but I didn’t blame him. It was understandable if he had no interest in being around us at the moment. We weren't exactly his favorite people, and so it was just my dad and me. We were standing by the entrance, talking lowly with each other, while a group of fighters stood behind us. “Remember, you have people around you that you can’t trust,” I reminded him. “Yes, but they might not be the masterminds behind it all. Servants might be able to be bought,” he whispered. “Just be careful. Now we know something weird is going on. What I can’t figure out is why. Even you agreed that Carter and Willow were perfect together, so who wouldn’t agree?” I asked him. “She isn’t from a weak line.” “No, but maybe someone wanted to hurt her family. It could easily be her own enemies coming for her.” “But who?” I asked, but my father didn’t get to answer me