THE CURSED KING'S BRIDE

Kiara's Pov "Kiara! Are you going to take all day? We're going to be late!" Lara's voice impatiently sliced through the thin door of my bedroom. "Just a sec!" I yelled back, wrestling with the zipper on my dress. It was one of those fiddly ones and honestly, why did they make clothes so complicated? It was a bachelorette party, not a royal ball. Though, if I was being honest, a royal ball would be less stressful than trying to impress Ethan. My fingers finally freed the zipper, and I smoothed down the dress, taking a quick glance in the mirror. Not bad…not bad at all. A little squeal escaped me as I reached for my favorite pair of earrings, because tonight was the night. I just knew it. Ethan would be there…he had to be there. "Lara, just go ahead! I'll meet you there!" I shouted, hoping she'd actually listen this time. She loved making a grand entrance, and apparently, I was just a prop in her elaborate stage play. Whatever. My focus was elsewhere. I leaned closer to the mirror, scrutinizing my reflection. Was my hair doing that weird frizz thing again? Ugh. I really needed to look my absolute best for Ethan. He was probably already there, looking all tall and handsome and I just had to be perfect. No pressure, right? Finally, I was done. I spun around, then stopped to admire myself in the full-length mirror. This dress actually made me look… good. Like, really good. A flutter started in my stomach, as I thought of the claiming ceremony, it was coming up so fast and soon, I'd be officially claimed by Ethan. The thought made my cheeks flush, but then, the little voice that sounded suspiciously like my stepmother, whispered, “Are you really good enough?” My smile faltered. Ethan was… well, Ethan. And I was just me. Could I really be the Alpha's mate? "No!" I yelled at my reflection, pointing at myself. "Stop it, Kiara. You are amazing. You are beautiful. You are going to be a fantastic Luna. You've got this. Just breathe…and smile." Fake it 'til you make it, right? I swung open my door, ready to face the world and there she was, leaning against the wall, tapping her foot with an exaggerated sigh. Lara. Of course. "Finally! I thought you'd grown roots in there," she drawled, her eyes raking over me, a familiar smirk playing on her lips. It wasn't a compliment, just an assessment. "I told you to go ahead," I said, trying to sound breezy, suddenly feeling self aware. "And miss the grand exit? Never," she scoffed, pushing off the wall. Just then, Mom and Dad appeared from the living room, Mom already fussing with Lara's hair. "Oh, Lara, darling, you look absolutely radiant," Mom cooed, "Ethan will be absolutely captivated." My Ethan? Dad nodded with a proud smile on his face. "Our little star. Make sure you mingle with the right people tonight, sweetheart. Connections are everything." Then Mom glanced at me. "Kiara…try not to cause any trouble. And remember, your father and I have high hopes for your… future." The unspoken 'with Ethan' hung heavy in the air, making my shoulders tense. Lara just rolled her eyes, already halfway down the stairs. Some things never changed. The party was in full swing when we finally arrived. With music thumping through the trees, fairy lights hung on branches, making everything look enchanting. I plastered on my biggest brightest smile to look like I belonged. First order of business: a drink. I navigated through the throng of bodies, past groups of laughing wolves, their scents mingling in the night air. And oh, the male wolves were bare-chested, they looked like something out of a fantasy novel, all rugged and handsome. I tried not to stare too much, but it was hard not to. I grabbed a cup of something fruity and sweet, then second order of business: mingle. I spotted a group of beautiful female wolves, chatting near a bonfire. I took a deep breath, adjusted my dress, and walked over, "Hey, great party, right?" They glanced at me, then at each other, before one of them, with eyes like chips of ice, just turned her back to me and the others followed suit, their conversation resuming as if I were invisible. Ouch. Okay, then. So much for making new friends. It was fine…totally fine. I didn't need them anyway. As the minutes stretched into what felt like hours, I got frustrated. My eyes kept scanning the crowd for Ethan, but he was nowehre to be found. My perfect dress and perfect everything was all for nothing. The disappointment hit me like a physical blow, as I felt that familiar ache of loneliness creep in. Then, through a gap in the dancing bodies, I saw Lara, laughing with a group of her own friends, I pushed through the crowd, "Lara!" I practically shouted over the music, grabbing her arm. "I don't want to be here anymore. Ethan's not even here, and everyone's ignoring me, I just want to go home." She turned, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Oh, Kiara. Don't be such a baby. Just go wait for me on that log over there, by those big trees. I'll be there in a bit." She waved vaguely towards the darker edge of the party, already turning back to her conversation. Right. A log. My designated waiting spot. I trudged over, the log was cold and damp, and the fairy lights didn't reach this far, leaving me in partial darkness. I sat there, hugging my knees, watching the distant party, just as I was starting to think Lara had forgotten about me, "Here," she said, pressing a cup into my hand. “Don't say I never do anything for you." Before I could even thank her, she was already turning. "Be right back, don't move." And then she was gone. The drink smelled… weird and bitter, almost. But I was thirsty, and honestly, a little numb so I just chugged it down in one go scrunching my face after. Almost immediately, a wave of dizziness washed over me, my head felt light and floaty, but at the same time, my senses sharpened. Every rustle of leaves, every distant murmur from the party, every smell hit me all at once, making my skin prickle with unease as I shuddered, rubbing my arms. Then, a cold breath fanned against the back of my neck. My heart hammered against my ribs as I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, then forced them open, slowly, reluctantly turning my head. And then I saw two glowing amber in the deep, deep shadows burning with a hunger that radiated effortlessly from it. And they weren't even far away from me. My breath hitched because I knew those eyes. I'd heard the stories of the deep woods and things that hunted in the night. I wanted to scream, to crawl or run away but I couldn't, j felt frozen in place as it drew closer when suddenly an unseen force yanked me off the log. My feet scrabbled uselessly on the ground, and then I was being dragged deeper and deeper into the darkness. The world spun before everything went black. I didn't know what happened, or maybe I just didn't want to know. Tears streamed down my face, even as my consciousness slipped away as I felt my clothes being ripped off baring me to the beast. This was it, the end. When I finally woke, it felt like an eternity had passed. My head throbbed, my body ached, I felt really sore down there. Disoriented, I struggled to get up as pain shot through my body, causing me to whimper. The amber eyes were gone, I stumbled, blindly pushing through branches that picked at my skin, until I saw a faint glow in the distance. Desperately I stumbled out of the tree line, collapsing onto the grass…gasps rippled through the small crowd that remained. Then, Lara burst through them, "Kiara! Oh gods, are you okay?" I tried to speak, to tell her everything, but the words caught in my throat as more tears welled up, blurring my vision, as I finally managed to choke out, "Something… something attacked me." Lara knelt beside me, pulling me into a hug. "Shh, it's okay, it's okay," she murmured, stroking my hair. But it wasn't okay…nothing was okay. The reality of what had happened, or what I feared had happened, crashed over me. "Ethan… he won't… he won't love me anymore," I sobbed. The thought was unbearable, worse than the pain in my body. Lara pulled back slightly, "He will, Kiara. He still will. He told me himself." Her words, meant to comfort, felt like a final, crushing blow. My world went numb. "It's over," I whispered, as I felt myself slipping back to the darkness.