Chapter 2
I didn't stay down.
Some primal survival instinct forced my body to move despite the wolfsbane burning through my veins. I dragged myself across the marble floor, leaving a trail of blood from my crushed fingers.
The guests stepped aside — not to help me. To avoid getting their expensive shoes dirty.
"Someone help me," I begged. "Please. I'm poisoned."
A woman in a red dress wrinkled her nose. "Honey, let it go. He doesn't want you. Have some dignity."
"I'm not — this isn't about him — I'm DYING—"
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
Serena's voice rang out behind me, cheerful and bright: "Everyone, I'm so sorry about this. Poor Aria has always been... fragile. Mentally, I mean."
She tapped her temple with a sympathetic pout.
"Ever since we were kids, she'd fake illnesses for attention. Our mother tried therapy, but well..." She shrugged. "Some people just need to be the victim."
The crowd murmured with understanding. Poor Damien. Poor Serena. How difficult it must have been, dealing with someone like me.
I finally reached the grand entrance doors. If I could just get outside, find anyone with a phone—
Two of Damien's groomsmen blocked my path, arms crossed.
"Party's not over yet, sweetheart." One of them smirked. "The bride — sorry, the NEW bride — hasn't cut the cake."
"Please," I sobbed. "Just let me leave."
"Damien said you stay until the party ends. He doesn't want you running to your stepfather with lies."
My stepfather. That's who they thought my only family was — Gerald Reed, a weak omega wolf who married my mother and raised me after she died. They had no idea who my real father was.
No one did.
My mother had hidden me with Gerald to protect me from my father's enemies. I'd lived as Aria Reed my entire life. Only my father and I knew the truth.
The Blood Moon Alpha King's only daughter. His precious heir. The most protected secret in the werewolf world.
But now my phone was destroyed. My wolf was suppressed. My mindlink was severed.
And the wolfsbane was eating me alive.
Serena's heels clicked toward me. She crouched down, her white dress pooling around her like a poisonous flower.
"Aria, sweetie, you're making this so much harder than it needs to be."
She stroked my hair almost tenderly. Then her fingers tightened.
"You know what's funny? Damien was never going to marry you. He was mine from the beginning. You were just useful — a distraction while I finished law school."
She yanked my head back.
"Three years of watching you play house with my man. Do you know how patient I've been?"
I spat blood onto her white dress.
Her eyes went cold.
"You'll regret that."
She stood, turning to the crowd with tears suddenly glistening in her eyes.
"She — she just attacked me! Did everyone see? She SPAT on me!"
Gasps. Outrage. Damien stormed over.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Aria?"
"She — she pulled my hair — the wolfsbane—"
"ENOUGH!" Damien's Alpha command hit me like a truck. Even weakened, my wolf instinctively cowered.
"You don't get to play victim anymore. You assaulted my mate."
Serena sniffled against his chest, the picture of innocence, blood-red spit stain decorating her dress like evidence of my "violence."
"Damien, I'm scared of her," Serena whimpered. "She's always been so jealous. What if she hurts me again?"
Damien's eyes went dark. He grabbed my arm and hauled me up.
"You want to act like an animal? Fine. I'll treat you like one."
He dragged me toward the back of the venue, toward the old servant quarters.
"Damien — DAMIEN — I can't breathe—"
He threw me into a storage room. Cold concrete. No windows. The door slammed shut.
Through the door, I heard Serena's muffled laughter.
Then the lock clicked.
And I was alone in the dark with wolfsbane slowly stopping my heart.
Some primal survival instinct forced my body to move despite the wolfsbane burning through my veins. I dragged myself across the marble floor, leaving a trail of blood from my crushed fingers.
The guests stepped aside — not to help me. To avoid getting their expensive shoes dirty.
"Someone help me," I begged. "Please. I'm poisoned."
A woman in a red dress wrinkled her nose. "Honey, let it go. He doesn't want you. Have some dignity."
"I'm not — this isn't about him — I'm DYING—"
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
Serena's voice rang out behind me, cheerful and bright: "Everyone, I'm so sorry about this. Poor Aria has always been... fragile. Mentally, I mean."
She tapped her temple with a sympathetic pout.
"Ever since we were kids, she'd fake illnesses for attention. Our mother tried therapy, but well..." She shrugged. "Some people just need to be the victim."
The crowd murmured with understanding. Poor Damien. Poor Serena. How difficult it must have been, dealing with someone like me.
I finally reached the grand entrance doors. If I could just get outside, find anyone with a phone—
Two of Damien's groomsmen blocked my path, arms crossed.
"Party's not over yet, sweetheart." One of them smirked. "The bride — sorry, the NEW bride — hasn't cut the cake."
"Please," I sobbed. "Just let me leave."
"Damien said you stay until the party ends. He doesn't want you running to your stepfather with lies."
My stepfather. That's who they thought my only family was — Gerald Reed, a weak omega wolf who married my mother and raised me after she died. They had no idea who my real father was.
No one did.
My mother had hidden me with Gerald to protect me from my father's enemies. I'd lived as Aria Reed my entire life. Only my father and I knew the truth.
The Blood Moon Alpha King's only daughter. His precious heir. The most protected secret in the werewolf world.
But now my phone was destroyed. My wolf was suppressed. My mindlink was severed.
And the wolfsbane was eating me alive.
Serena's heels clicked toward me. She crouched down, her white dress pooling around her like a poisonous flower.
"Aria, sweetie, you're making this so much harder than it needs to be."
She stroked my hair almost tenderly. Then her fingers tightened.
"You know what's funny? Damien was never going to marry you. He was mine from the beginning. You were just useful — a distraction while I finished law school."
She yanked my head back.
"Three years of watching you play house with my man. Do you know how patient I've been?"
I spat blood onto her white dress.
Her eyes went cold.
"You'll regret that."
She stood, turning to the crowd with tears suddenly glistening in her eyes.
"She — she just attacked me! Did everyone see? She SPAT on me!"
Gasps. Outrage. Damien stormed over.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Aria?"
"She — she pulled my hair — the wolfsbane—"
"ENOUGH!" Damien's Alpha command hit me like a truck. Even weakened, my wolf instinctively cowered.
"You don't get to play victim anymore. You assaulted my mate."
Serena sniffled against his chest, the picture of innocence, blood-red spit stain decorating her dress like evidence of my "violence."
"Damien, I'm scared of her," Serena whimpered. "She's always been so jealous. What if she hurts me again?"
Damien's eyes went dark. He grabbed my arm and hauled me up.
"You want to act like an animal? Fine. I'll treat you like one."
He dragged me toward the back of the venue, toward the old servant quarters.
"Damien — DAMIEN — I can't breathe—"
He threw me into a storage room. Cold concrete. No windows. The door slammed shut.
Through the door, I heard Serena's muffled laughter.
Then the lock clicked.
And I was alone in the dark with wolfsbane slowly stopping my heart.