Chapter 3
1151 Words
The scene hit my pup Theo like a slap in the face.
He stomped over, his nine-year-old face twisted with disgust.
"You’re chained to the pack’s punishment stone, snout scraped raw from resisting, and you still bare your teeth like a cub playing at dominance? You’re a stain on our bloodline."
His sister, Anastasia Harrington, tugged at his arm.
"Theo, hold your tongue. You have no right to address her with such venom."
I looked at my daughter, my heart flickering, but then she spoke again.
" Keep that talk to the shadows, not here at Silkshade Palace. What if alpha Celeste thinks you're some reckless punk? One wrong word could get us both flayed."
Theo’s jaw tightened, his resentment practically tangible. "If your little lecture’s finished, get back to the servant’s quarters. This hall’s for those who’ve earned their place—and you’re not one of them."
Anastasia grabbed my hand, her tone earnest.
"Dad's made up his mind to put me and Theo under Celeste's guardianship. From now on, we have no connection with you. I know you gave birth to us, so you must want the best for us, don't you?"
Looking at my two pups, my heart took a hit like a fist to the chest.
My eyes stung, tears threatening to spill.
Once, I thought these two were a gift from the heavens.
Anastasia, sharp-tongued and clever.
Theo, bold and full of life.
I stared at Anastasia's hand gripping mine, my voice hoarse. "Of course."
Anastasia's face lit up with a bright smile, and she dragged Theo off to pay respects to Celeste in Silkshade Palace.
I stumbled to my feet, watching their backs disappear, then turned toward Goldenspire Palace. My shadow trailed behind me, heavy with defeat.
When I returned to Silkshade Palace after gathering my things, one of Celeste's attendants blocked my path. "Luna Celeste requests your presence."
Celeste lounged like a luna, a fawning omega at her side. My gut twisted as I recognized him—Percy.
Celeste's smile was all teeth.
"Julia, meet your future mate." She turned to the omega.
"Percy, this is a reward from Alpha Marcus for your years of service. Do you like it?"
Percy's eyes raked over me, greedy and unapologetic. "Luna Celeste, you jest. Alpha Marcus's generosity humbles me."
Celeste let out a sharp laugh, pointing to a small vial on the table.
"I had the pack's healers mix a love potion for you. With your bond sealed, tonight I’m giving you and Julia a night you won’t forget. Word is omegas like you know… creative ways to make a she-wolf lose control."
Percy's eyes gleamed, bloodshot with excitement as he dropped to his knees. "Thank you, Luna Celeste! Bless you!"
My heart stopped cold.
I turned to bolt, but four burly attendants grabbed me, dragging me into a side chamber. When I stood again, Percy had downed the potion, his face alight with eager hunger.
"Don't be scared, my lady. I'll take good care of you."
Outside, Celeste stood guard with her entourage, smirking as moans echoed from the room. "Send for Alpha Marcus," she ordered.
But before her words could land, Marcus's voice cut through.
"Luna Celeste, what's this about?"
Celeste threw herself into his arms, feigning distress.
"Alpha Marcus! You sent Julia to attend me—yet the moment she laid eyes on Percy, she threw herself at him! In the side chamber, no less, with the sun blazing bright!"
Marcus froze, his eyes locking on the closed door, fury rolling off him. "Break it down!" he barked.
The guards smashed through the door in seconds.
Light flooded the chamber, revealing Percy writhing on the floor, clutching his stomach in agony.
And there I was, sitting a few feet away, gripping a blood-stained dagger.
Blood speckled my face. My hands trembled as I met Marcus's gaze, my voice hollow. "Marcus, I killed him."
Celeste screamed, fainting dramatically.
Marcus caught her, panic and rage flashing in his eyes. "Get a healer to Silkshade Palace, now!"
He turned to me, his voice a low growl. "Celeste can't stand blood. You did this to hurt her—what's your game? If anything happens to her, you're done."
As he carried her off, my eyes burned red, the dagger clattering to the floor. I stared at my bloodied hands, my nose stinging with unshed tears.
Growing up, I had no parents, just Mom.
Werewolf pups called me a jinx, blamed me for my parents' deaths, and beat me b****y for fun. I never told Mom, not wanting to break her heart.
Three years picking through trash—claws tearing at rusted cans, snout wrinkled at rot—scraped enough for self-defense lessons. In that ring, every punch held the stench of those alleys, every strike a snarl. I paid back each kick, each slap, each insult that made me feel less than an omega.
When I first faced an assassin at Marcus's side, he threw himself in front of me without hesitation.
But I shoved him aside, taking down the attacker in seconds. Back then, I avoided his gaze, scared he'd think me brutish.
Instead, he took my hand, asked if I was hurt, and had a master craftsman forge me a sword. "Julia, I don't care how much blood stains your hands, as long as you're safe."
Now, staring at the dagger's fresh blood, my eyes burned crimson. Guards seized me, holding me in place.
Hours later, Marcus returned. "Take Percy to a healer. Patch him up—he's still got a binding ceremony to attend."
I looked up, stiff, as he loomed over me, his gaze icy. "Got anything to say?"
The silence stretched, our eyes locked. My heart plummeted into an abyss.
"Marcus, what do you want me to say?"
My voice cracked, eyes red as pain crashed through me like a tidal wave, leaving me dazed. "That you kept me close only to shove me toward another wolf? That you gave our pups to Celeste without even talking to me? Or that Celeste tried to ruin me, but her plan backfired and she fainted from her own mess?"
Each word was a fact, but it felt like I was carving out my own heart.
I'd seen it clear as day—Marcus didn't love me.
I'd decided to leave, to go back home.
So why did my chest still feel like it was splitting open?
Mom's warning echoed in my mind: Julia, don't go into the attic.
Marcus's eyes flickered, then hardened.
"Celeste is kind, really. She cares for me deeply—that’s all. Give her time to adjust, and we’ll slip back into how things were. Promise.."
"So stay in Silkshade Palace. After Celeste's Luna ceremony, she'll accept you."
"Fine. I'll wait."
I'd wait for the Luna ceremony, for the moment I could open that door and leave Marcus behind for good.
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