Four
1250 Words
Marissa
My fingers clenched the towel. I couldn’t stay still.
Justin’s offer, or rather his insult, still hung in the air of my room.
A hotel room number.
One night only.
No expectations.
It wasn’t the recognition I had dreamed of. He saw me as a cheap distraction.
A f**k buddy.
A desperate part of me whispered that maybe he wanted to protect the bond. He feared the vultures at the ball and wanted to keep it secret.
Or maybe he was ashamed of me.
Only one way to find out.
I pulled myself from my thoughts and stared at my reflection. The woman in the mirror had too much hope in her eyes.
That image disgusted me.
My hands moved on their own, turning on the faucet, dropping my clothes, sliding into the burning water.
When I got out, the black lingerie I had chosen clung to my skin. I grabbed the scarlet lipstick and removed the cap with trembling fingers.
Why was I trembling so much?
Memories of Alan going down on Genevieve flashed in my subconscious as I applied the color to my lips, slowly, carefully, painting on courage I did not feel.
My phone alarm buzzed on the counter. I picked up my phone and my thumb hovered over my brother’s name.
But I didn’t press it.
Brian was only nineteen. Ironic to mention that considering he’d met and was courting his mate. He hated the Lycans. And if he told our father, everything would collapse. Dad would storm to the Lycans, brandishing the bond until Justin’s disgust turned to hatred. And then, it would be over.
With that thought, it seemed Justin was doing me a favor by keeping silent.
I left the house like a thief and got into my car. The closer I got to the Grand Oak Hotel, the tighter my stomach clenched.
Inside, the receptionist looked up from her screen.
Her smile froze for a second before returning.
She must have wondered why the Alpha’s daughter was arriving just before eleven p.m. in a short dress and heels.
“I’m here to see Queen Mallory,” I lied easily.
“The Queen is at the royal manor, ma’am.”
Shit.
“The King then? Or Prince Justin?”
She shook her head. “No member of the royal family is registered here.”
The word hit me like a slap.
Justin had lied. Or he had set a trap to make me look like a needy i***t.
“I see,” my voice was thin. “Thank you.”
I left with what dignity remained and collapsed into the driver’s seat. I grabbed a wipe from the glove box and scrubbed the lipstick until my skin burned.
This wasn’t just rejection. It was humiliating.
Hot tears rose, but I held them back.
What cruel game was that Lycan bastard playing?
The memory struck. After his hotel invitation, I caught up to him.
“Wait!”
He turned, lighting a scentless cigarette, calm as a king.
“Was that a joke?” I snapped. “Or are you just too cowardly to admit what’s between us?”
A lazy smile brushed his lips. He stepped closer, the heat of his body almost crushing me.
His finger grazed my jaw, sending a shock through my body. I refused to flinch.
“Bold words, little wolf,” he murmured, his gaze sliding over me in a way that was both insulting and terribly exciting.
“I don’t f**k werewolves. But spending a night with you might not be the worst way to kill time.”
I glared. He winked.
“Be on time, darling.”
Then he walked away, leaving me trembling with rage.
I returned to the present and started the engine.
I hated him.
And I hated myself even more for this stupid hope I couldn’t suppress.
The moon had cursed me. I was certain of it.
I drove toward the coast, to the pack’s private beach.
My mother used to take me there to pray. She said the ocean carried grief away if you let it. She whispered that I was blessed by the moon, that it would send someone worthy of my soul.
What a joke.
The beach was empty. I slipped off my heels and pressed my feet into the cool sand. The air smelled of salt and coconut. Far across the water, the highway lights glimmered faintly. Figures in white dresses stood near the shore, their lanterns swaying, small bells ringing softly.
My wolf vision sharpened.
The Pack Seer and his apprentices were there. The old man plunged his hand into the waves, chanting in a broken, discordant voice.
Then, Justin emerged from the sea.
My breath caught.
What the…
Why was a Lycan prince participating in a wolf purification ritual?
The arrogant prince from the ball was gone.
Before me stood a man exhausted to the bone.
He stepped into a circle etched in the sand. The Seer tied a red thread to his wrist. Queen Mallory stood aside, her face twisted in helplessness. The Seer placed his hand over Justin’s heart and sped up his incantations.
I leaned forward, trying to hear, when a movement caught my attention.
A guard near the trees stopped, head turned toward me.
His hand slid to the blade at his belt.
I darted into the forest, ducking as branches scraped my arms.
No scream followed. No footsteps either. Yet panic clawed at my throat.
My tires threw sand as I sped off the beach.
I drove straight to the Seer’s cabin at the edge of the forest. The trees around the house were eerily still. I cut the engine and waited in the dark for two hours.
The old man emerged after midnight. He walked straight toward my car, as if he had known all along I was there.
I got out. “Master, it’s Marissa.”
He studied me, noting my ruined dress and tangled hair.
“I know who you are.”
Silence fell.
“What brings you into my shadows at this hour?”
“I saw the ritual on the beach. With Queen Mallory and her son.”
He turned slowly, as if my urgency annoyed him.
“You saw what the moon allowed you to see.”
“That’s not an answer.”
His head snapped up, eyes piercing beneath his hood.
“Some truths do not belong to you.”
His words hit harder than expected, like a warning.
“Do you think I forgot what you did to my mother?” My voice trembled, but not with fear. “Your potions and prayers didn’t save her. She’s dead. And your greedy niece, Lilith took her place, as if it was all planned.”
His jaw tightened.
“You sold her lies,” I pressed, stepping closer. “And now I see a Lycan prince kneeling before you? What did you do to him?”
His gaze turned icy.
“You came seeking answers,” he said in a hoarse voice, “but answers always come at a price.”
I closed the distance. “Then tell me how much. I will pay.”
He chuckled, dry and joyless. When he looked at me again, his face carried a shadow of pity.
“Be careful, dear child. His eyes gleamed under the moon. “Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.”
Then he turned and disappeared into the cabin, leaving me alone in the freezing night.
- Writer
