PLEASURE AND POWER

ALMOST TIME

SIX:

The 'Red Gala' wasn't just a party, it was an annual display of the Lyncas pack’s wealth and ruthlessness. But this year, the air felt different. It felt heavy, like the atmosphere before a violent storm.

"My father has been in closed-door meetings for three days," I whispered. My fingers were tracing absent-minded, trembling patterns on my knees. "He doesn’t look at me anymore, Zee. He looks through me. Like I’m a ghost haunting my own home. And your father... he’s been silent too. Too silent."

I stared at the heavy velvet curtains, imagining the dawn that was only hours away. "He told me to wear crimson," I said. "Not white, not gold. Crimson. He said I needed to represent the blood of the lineage. I think he’s planning something, Zee. He didn’t come into this room tonight to check on my well-being. He just came to inform me about the Gala".

"Do you think... do you think he’s going to announce something?" Zee asked, her eyes searching mine in the dim moonlight. "A new law? A change in the guard?"

"I don't know," I admitted, and the honesty of it terrified me. "Maybe he’s introducing a new suitor, because he said something about the nobles looking for a queen. Every time he hosts a Gala of this scale, someone ends up broken. I just keep wondering, if it’s going to be me this time around."

We sat there in the dark, spiraling into a web of guesses. We talked about the way the sentinels had been whispering in the halls, the strange tension at the dinner table, and the cold, calculating look my father gave me whenever he thought I wasn't looking. We were trying to solve a puzzle where the pieces were made of shadows. Any trace of the pleasure we had shared minutes ago was gone, replaced by a cold need to see what would happen in the next twenty-four hours.

"We were made for each other," Zee murmured, more to herself than to me. "If he knew how much our love is worth, he wouldn't be thinking of connecting you with any so-called noble. He would just let us be."

"Exactly.....Zee, but you know, our kind of love is forbidden, and that is the problem" I whispered.

The conversation drifted to a slow, mournful exchange of fears until we felt exhausted. The scent of jasmine, Zee's scent, was fading, replaced by the cold, metallic smell of the air conditioner.

"I have to go," Zee said finally, her voice heavy with the reality of the ticking clock. She stood up, wrapping a silk cloth around her, the fabric flowing elegantly over her curves, her movements stiff. "If the night patrol finds me here after the Alpha’s visit, I guess, there would be trouble."

I stood with her, feeling the distance between us already beginning to grow. The guest wing, where she was supposed to sleep, felt like another planet.

She stepped closer, her hands cupping my face. Her touch was cold, but her gaze was searing. "Whatever happens when that sun comes up, Ava... stay behind your mask. Don't let anyone see you're afraid."

She leaned in, and the kiss she gave me wasn't the hungry, desperate one from earlier. It was soft and lingering. It was a goodbye for the night.

"Sleep well, my Princess," she whispered.

With one last look, she walked towards the door, opened and slipped out the door, her shadow disappearing into the amber glow of the corridor. I stood in the center of my room, alone in the silence.

The Red Gala was coming tomorrow, and for the second time in my life, I was afraid of the festivities.

I stood there, frozen in the deepening shadows of my room. The heavy click of the lock still echoed in my ears, a harsh, metallic reminder that I was a prisoner to my father's ambitions. The silence felt like a suffocating blanket.

I eventually collapsed onto my bed, but it was hard to find rest. I scuffled from one end of the mattress to the other, my silk sheets tangling around my legs like vines. Every creak of the floorboards made my heart hammer against my ribs. My mind was a chaotic loop, replaying the terror of my father’s words: "Tomorrow, everything changes. The nobles will be looking for a queen, Ava. Don't make them look too hard."

I didn't even realize I had finally succumbed to exhaustion until the world went black.

*************

"My princess....My princess !!, wake up."

The whisper was like a needle piercing the haze of my dreams. I lazily forced my eyes open, the dim, amber light of the setting sun filtering through the heavy drapes. Nia’s anxious face was hovering inches from mine.

"What time is it?" I asked, my voice husky and thick with the remnants of a restless sleep.

"4:30pm", Nia whispered urgently, her eyes darting toward the closed door as if the walls themselves had ears. "The preparations are nearly complete. I’ve laid out the dress. You need to move, my Princess, so you can get prepared for the gala".

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, the cold air hitting my skin and sending a shiver through me. I felt hollow and empty in a way that sleep couldn't fix. I realized with a start that I had slept through the entire day. No breakfast, no lunch. My stomach let out a treacherous grumble, a reminder of my human frailties.

"Why didn't you wake me for breakfast or even lunch?" I asked, a hint of pout in my voice.

"Because of the Alpha's order.... He said no one should disturb your sleep, that you were having enough rest for the gala night. After he checked on you this morning, he said you'd eat when you woke up." Nia replied sheepishly.

"Ooh.. how about Zee?" The name was a fragile whisper on my lips. My heart skipped, waiting and hoping for some sign that she was still within reach.

Nia’s expression turned guarded, "she’s gone, my Princess. She left the mansion with Beta Roody hours ago. They... they will be arriving with the other guests for the Gala night."

Zee’s absence felt like a missing limb. Without her, I was truly alone in this gilded cage, and my father’s unknown plans were already in motion. The house felt different; sharper and more predatory.

"Get me the dress," I said, my voice hardening. I forced the "Ice Queen" back to the surface, pulling the coldness around me off, like a suit of armor. I wouldn't let Nia or anyone see the fear.

I stood before the crimson silk, staring at it until the fabric seemed to shimmer like fresh blood. I was reaching for the zipper when a sharp knock startled us both.

Nia hurried to the door, peering through the small viewing port before cracking it open just an inch.

"It’s Lily," Nia said, looking back at me with a strange, strained expression. "The Chef."

Lily’s voice drifted in from the hallway, hushed and formal. "The Alpha is requesting Lady Ava’s presence in the private dining room. He has ordered a meal be served before the Gala. He says... he wishes to speak with his heiress before the festivities begin."

A mix of emotions swirled in my chest as I processed the message. What did my father want to speak to me about? Was it about the Gala, or something more sinister? The uncertainty was suffocating, but I knew I couldn't keep the Alpha waiting.

I turned to Nia, my voice firm, "Help me get ready."

I headed to the bathroom, the marble floor cold beneath my feet. I brushed my teeth, the minty taste of the toothpaste was a brief respite from the anxiety swirling in my stomach. The shower was a welcome reprieve, the water washing away the remnants of sleep and fear.

As I washed my hair, my mind whirred with possibilities. What was my father's game? And what did he want from me? The questions swirled, but I pushed them aside, focusing on the task at hand.

I stepped out of the shower, and Nia wrapped me in a warm towel. I felt a wave of calmness, but it was short-lived. I slipped into my comfy denim robe, since it was just a private meal with my father prior to the gala night. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, eyes bright with anxiety.