The Perfect Daugthers Revenge

Chapter 7: Beneath The Masks

I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd witnessed in the courtyard.

The old servant should have been whipped.

That was how Mother dealt with mistakes.

No mercy.

No second chances.

Yet Derek had stepped forward without hesitation, risking insulting the Queen to save a man he had never met.

It made no sense.

Monsters didn't do that.

Did they?

"You're staring."

I looked away from the palace window.

Grandmother Elira sat quietly beside the fireplace, a cup of herbal tea warming her hands.

"I wasn't."

"You've been looking out that same window for nearly an hour."

I sighed.

"He isn't what I expected."

"No," she agreed softly. "He isn't."

I frowned.

"You already knew."

"I knew his heart wasn't black."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because some truths must be discovered, not inherited."

Her answer irritated me.

She always spoke in riddles.

Before I could press further, a knock echoed through my chambers.

"Lady Aria," a maid called from outside. "Her Majesty requests your presence in the west garden."

Mother.

Again.

I immediately knew this wasn't a request.

The west garden was breathtaking.

White roses bloomed beneath marble arches while a crystal fountain shimmered under the afternoon sun.

Mother stood beside it in an elegant silver gown.

She didn't turn when I approached.

"You embarrassed me yesterday."

"I welcomed our guests exactly as instructed."

"You looked at him."

My heart skipped.

"I don't understand."

She finally faced me.

Her smile was gentle.

Her eyes weren't.

"You looked at Derek as though you'd met before."

Ice flooded my veins.

Did she know?

No...

She couldn't.

"We've never met."

She stepped closer.

"So, if I questioned the border guards..."

"...they wouldn't tell me they found your footprints near the northern fence?"

My stomach tightened.

She knew.

She knew I'd crossed the border.

"I went hunting."

"Alone?"

"Yes."

A sharp slap cracked across my face.

Pain exploded through my cheek.

I didn't move.

Didn't cry.

Didn't react.

Mother slowly lowered her hand.

"Don't lie to me again."

The silence between us felt suffocating.

"I don't care what happened beyond that border."

Her voice became dangerously calm.

"But hear me carefully..."

"If Derek Draven discovers the truth..."

"You will be the first person I bury."

My blood ran cold.

The truth?

Which truth?

Before I could ask, she leaned close enough for only me to hear.

"You are not allowed to fall in love."

Then she walked away.

Leaving me trembling beneath the roses.

Meanwhile...

Derek's quarters.

"This room is enormous."

Jeremiah whistled as he dropped onto one of the expensive sofas.

"They're definitely trying to impress us."

"They're trying to distract us."

I walked slowly around the chamber.

Too luxurious.

Too prepared.

Almost as though they'd expected us for weeks.

Indra suddenly stirred.

Someone's outside.

I quietly moved toward the balcony doors.

The scent hit me before I opened them.

Night-blooming jasmine.

Aria.

She stood alone in the royal gardens below, one hand resting against a rose bush.

Even from this distance...

I could see the faint red mark across her cheek.

My wolf exploded with fury.

Someone hit her.

I gripped the balcony railing so hard the stone cracked beneath my fingers.

"Easy," Jeremiah warned behind me.

"I know that look."

"I don't."

"You absolutely do."

His eyes followed mine.

When he noticed Aria below, his expression darkened.

"That bruise..."

"I saw it."

"Who did it?"

I didn't answer.

Because I already suspected.

Eleanor.

Indra growled viciously.

Touch our mate again...

And I'll tear this kingdom apart.

"No."

I forced my breathing to slow.

"We're here for answers."

"Not revenge."

Yet.

That evening...

A grand banquet filled the palace with music and laughter.

Nobles from both packs mingled beneath glittering chandeliers.

Crystal glasses clinked.

Servants hurried from table to table.

Everything looked perfect.

Too perfect.

I watched Aria from across the hall.

She smiled when spoken to.

Laughed politely.

Played the obedient princess flawlessly.

But every time she thought no one was watching...

Her smile disappeared.

It reminded me of myself.

Someone pretending to live.

Halfway through the banquet, Queen Eleanor stood and raised her glass.

"Tonight marks the beginning of a new alliance between Golden Dawn and Nightshade."

Applause echoed through the hall.

She smiled warmly.

"As a symbol of trust..."

"I invite Alpha Derek to accompany my daughter tomorrow on a tour of our sacred archives."

Aria's head snapped toward her mother.

Confusion flashed across her face.

She hadn't expected this.

Neither had I.

The archives.

Exactly where Mother believed the answers were hidden.

Interesting...

Very interesting.

Across the table, Eleanor met my eyes.

For the briefest second...

Her smile became something far more dangerous.

As though she had just moved the first piece in a game only she understood.

And somewhere deep beneath the palace...

The ancient chains rattled once more.

A raspy voice echoed through the darkness.

"They're bringing him closer..."

"Excellent."

The crimson eyes slowly opened.

"Everything is unfolding exactly as she promised."