Chapter 5: White Veil, Dark Fate
1058 Words
CAMELLIA'S POV
My eyes remained fixed on the mirror, not on my own reflection but on the sight of my mother standing behind me.
She carefully wove sections of my hair together with the same hands that had spent years healing wounds and mending broken bones. The familiar motions should have been comforting. Instead, every gentle tug tightened the knot in my chest, bringing me closer to the moment I had dreaded for the past two weeks.
Because she was preparing me for the Offering Rite.
Mother's eyes met mine briefly in the mirror, and my chest constricted. They were red and swollen, the skin beneath them darkened by too many sleepless nights.
Ever since the letter arrived, she had been crying.
Not openly. Never in front of me. But I knew.
Meanwhile, Father had been trying to hold everything together while quietly falling apart himself.
The past few days had aged him.
He had always been impeccably put together—his clothes neatly pressed, his spectacles perfectly straight, an intelligent solution ready for every problem that came his way.
Now his hair was perpetually untidy. His spectacles sat crooked on his nose. The calm confidence that had always defined him had been replaced by a haunted, betrayed expression.
I noticed everything. And because I did, I refused to cry.
Not because I was brave. Far from it. I was terrified.
But if I broke, they would shatter.
Mother secured another section of my braid. Her hands trembled ever so slightly.
A sharp ache spread through my chest again. I couldn't bear the sight of it anymore.
Swallowing hard, I forced my voice to remain gentle. “Mom,” I said, meeting her eyes in the mirror. “It will be alright.”
Her hands stilled in my hair.
“I'll be alright,” I added, even though the words felt like shards of glass against my tongue.
She secured the end of the braid with an elastic band and stepped back.
I rose from my chair and smoothed the folds of my white robe.
Mother placed her hands on my shoulders and gently turned me to face her. She studied me for a long moment before one hand drifted to her mouth.
A heartbeat later, her composure shattered.
"Oh, sweetheart," she sobbed.
The sound nearly broke me too. Instead, I wrapped my arms around her trembling frame and held her close.
"We failed you," she cried. "I'm so sorry."
I cupped her face and brushed away her tears with my thumbs. "What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice surprisingly steady. "You never failed me. Not once."
My mother opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came. Her breath hitched instead.
Following her gaze, I looked toward the mirror and saw my father standing in the doorway. His shoulders were squared, but there was defeat in his eyes.
“Sweetie,” he said softly. “It's time.”
I nodded.
Reluctantly, I pulled away from my mother's embrace, though I kept hold of her hand. Then, hand in hand, we left the room.
When we stepped out of the cottage, Hugh was waiting by the gate alongside two familiar guards sent to escort me to the Rite.
I didn't look at them. I didn't acknowledge them.
I didn't feel like being polite tonight.
They were not my friends.
Without a word, I walked past them, my parents at my side as we made our way toward the place where my fate awaited.
I was the last to arrive.
The other four tributes were already gathered at the clearing’s edge, dressed in white robes, their faces glowing with excitement. They whispered and giggled, practically buzzing with anticipation.
Almost the entire pack had gathered. Even the visiting Alphas were there, waiting in their designated areas.
And there, at the center of it all, stood Alpha Beron and Theo.
The sight of him nearly stopped me in my tracks.
His blond hair was neatly styled, and despite being the one who had organized this entire charade, he wasn't dressed in ceremonial attire. Instead, he wore the confident, effortless look of someone who knew all eyes would be on him.
To everyone else, he probably looked handsome. Desirable.
I used to think so too.
But after everything I'd seen and heard in that tavern, all I saw was a liar. A manipulator. A coward hiding behind a carefully crafted image.
My stomach churned.
Before I could look away, Alpha Beron spotted me. His face immediately lit up.
"Cammi!"
He stepped forward, with Theo trailing behind him like a shadow.
I forced my expression into something calm.
Alpha Beron stopped in front of us. "Cammi," he said warmly. "I'm so glad you agreed to be part of this."
My father stepped forward, anger tightening his jaw. "Actually—"
I knew exactly what he was about to do. He was going to tell Alpha Beron what he truly thought of this Rite. Of this betrayal.
My hand shot out. I caught his wrist and squeezed.
A silent plea. Don't.
Nothing good would come from it.
Father looked at me. For a moment, I thought he might ignore the warning. Then his shoulders sagged.
Relieved, I turned to Alpha Beron and offered him a smile. "Why wouldn't I agree, Alpha?" I asked pleasantly. "It's such a great honor for someone like me to serve the pack and pay tribute to the fallen queen and princess."
If he heard the venom hidden beneath the words, he didn't show it.
But Theo did.
I felt his gaze sharpen on me. Felt the tension radiating from him. But I refused to look his way.
Beside me, my mother handed over the veil with trembling fingers. Whether from fear or barely restrained anger, I couldn't tell. Perhaps both.
I lifted the sheer fabric and draped it over my head, softening the world behind a veil of white.
I wrapped my arms around both of my parents and held them tightly. A lump rose in my throat.
"I'll see you at dawn."
I didn't wait for a response. If I did, I might break.
So I stepped away, walked to the edge of the forest, and took my place beneath the trees, waiting for the signal that would send me running into the darkness.
- Writer
