Chapter one
1539 Words
I woke up knowing something was wrong.
Not because of danger or fear, just that quiet, unsettling feeling you get when the world doesn’t sit right on your skin. My eyes were still closed when I noticed it first. The bed was too big. Too soft. The air smelled unfamiliar, cool, dark, sharp, nothing like home.
I opened my eyes.
And immediately sat up.
The ceiling above me wasn’t wooden or carved with Varrkyr symbols. It was stone—dark stone, etched with patterns that seemed to twist the longer I stared at them. My heart began to beat faster as I took in more of the room. Black drapes fell from towering windows. Candles burned low along the walls, their flames steady and obedient. Weapons, real ones, lined one side of the chamber, mounted like trophies rather than decoration.
This wasn’t my room.
“This is not my room,” I whispered out loud, just to hear my own voice.
I swung my legs off the bed, my bare feet touching cold stone. The chill rushed up my spine, grounding me. Wherever I was, it was expensive. Bold. Dangerous. Everything about the room felt intentional, like it belonged to someone who didn’t apologize for who they were.
Drathmor.
The thought landed heavily in my chest.
I turned slowly, trying to understand how I could have possibly ended up here when—
I saw him.
Prince Xavier stood in the corner of the room, half hidden by shadow, as if he’d been there the whole time. My breath caught embarrassingly loud in my throat. He wasn’t looking at me the way men usually did, with curiosity or interest, but like I was an inconvenience he’d been forced to deal with.
His red eyes flicked over me briefly, then away.
“What—” I started, then stopped. My voice sounded thin. “How did I get here?”
He didn’t answer right away. His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might pretend I hadn’t spoken at all.
“The maids will be here soon,” he said finally, his voice flat. “They’ll take care of you.”
That was it.
No explanation. No apology. No acknowledgment of the confusion spiraling in my head.Before I could say another word, before I could demand answers,he turned and walked out of the room, the door closing behind him with finality.I just stood there, stunned.
What kind of man leaves a woman alone in his room without even explaining why she’s there?
The knock came seconds later.
Several women entered, all dressed in dark uniforms, their movements quiet and respectful. One of them stepped forward, older than the rest, her face soft in a way that immediately made my chest loosen.
“My lady,” she said gently. “My name is MaryAnn. I’ll be your personal maid.”
Personal maid.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or panic.
She led me into the bath chamber before I could even gather my thoughts. Warm steam filled the air, wrapping around me as the stone pool came into view. The water looked inviting, glowing faintly under candlelight.
MaryAnn helped me undress without saying much, and strangely, I was grateful for the silence. Her hands were careful, respectful, like she understood I was overwhelmed even if she didn’t ask why.
As I sank into the warm water, my shoulders finally dropped. The heat seeped into my muscles, easing tension I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying. MaryAnn washed my hair slowly, methodically, her presence steady and grounding.But my mind wouldn’t quiet.
Why was I in Xavier’s room?
Why was I being treated like royalty in a kingdom that wasn’t mine?I stared at the water as it rippled around me, my reflection blurring with the steam.Whatever had brought me here, it wasn’t an accident.And somehow, deep down, I knew this moment would change everything.
MaryAnn reached for a folded cloth resting on the stone ledge and held it out to me.
I frowned at it. “What’s that?”
“A towel, my lady,” she said carefully.
I hesitated. “We don’t… use those.”
She paused, clearly unsure what to do next. “I’m sorry?”
“Werewolves don’t dry like that,” I explained quietly, suddenly feeling strange for even saying it out loud. “We just—air-dry. Or shake it off.”
“Oh.” She glanced down at the towel, then back at me, uncertain. “In Drathmor, it is expected…”
“She doesn’t need one.”
The voice came from behind me.
My body reacted before my mind did.
I gasped softly and grabbed the towel out of MaryAnn’s hands, pressing it to myself as my heart leapt violently into my throat. The air felt colder all at once.
Xavier stood just inside the chamber.
I hadn’t heard the door. Hadn’t sensed movement. He was simply there, arms at his sides, expression unreadable, red eyes steady and flat as stone.
MaryAnn dropped instantly.
She lowered herself to the floor, face pressed against the marble, hands locked behind her back. She didn’t look up. Didn’t move. That was the reaction expected from every mortal worker when the superior is spotted, whether far or near.
I clutched the towel tighter, heat flooding my face. “You…” My voice faltered, and I swallowed. “You shouldn’t be in here.”
“Why?” He asked, his face void of emotion.
Did he just ask why? I should be asking all the whys in the world. Because a werewolf princess does not just wake up in a vampire prince’s room and is automatically given a personal maid to tend to her. It just doesn’t happen. But instead of yelling or doing whatever it is any other person would in this situation, I decided to stay calm. “Im bathing,” I responded. “You walked in on me and I was naked.”
“This is my chamber. I come in and go out anytime I like.” He said, his voice sounded annoyed. Looked at me like I was a pest, or just another problem he had to deal with.
“ I woke up here.” I said
“I’m aware.”
“Why?” The word slipped out before I could shove it back in.
He didn’t respond. His cold red eyes stared nonchalantly at me. “MaryAnn will help you get ready. The court and everyone expects you in less than an hour.” He said and before I could think or even process what he had just said he disappeared.
The court is expecting me for what? From the illumination coming from the windows I could tell it’s night already. Why would the court need me in Drathmor? What business did I have with them? Are they going to persecute me?
“If I wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t wake up on my bed.” His voice sounded. I looked around and he wasn’t there. Did he just say words into my head? In less than a second I decided that wasn’t my problem right now, I needed to figure out how I got here? why? and how to get out of here as soon as possible.
“MaryAnn?” My voice sounded like it was forced out of my throat as my thoughts aligned and lingered where they weren’t supposed to be.
“Yes, my lady.”
“Are any members of my family here?” I asked the question that would confirm my thoughts. My heart beat profusely. I didn’t want to hear the answers she would give me cause I already knew what It would be but I still prayed that it wasn’t it. Because only then would my life be shattered.
“Yes, my lady,” she said, her voice sounding almost sad and full of pity. “You are getting married, my lady.”
Married!
My heart stopped. No. This isn’t happening to me.I didn’t feel anything at first, Just this strange pause inside me, like my body was waiting for my mind to catch up.My throat tightened and suddenly breathing felt wrong, like I had to remind myself how to do it. I wanted to say something, anything, but my mouth stayed shut. I nodded because that was what was expected of me, even though fear was already settling in my chest, slow and heavy. At that moment, I knew my life had shifted, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. This place wasn’t home and I could throw all the tantrums in the world but no.I couldn’t cry, couldn’t protest. I was there, but not really there, just… moving through it, waiting to see what would happen next. I cried my shoulders high like I had won a battle. Dad’s words played in my head like it was yesterday:
“Never give a mortal or superior the opportunity to see or sense your weakness and fear ,Raven.”
Pretty sure the shock was present on my face already, and with this knowledge, I already knew what was happening and why. I felt disappointed, but not surprised . My name was no longer mine.
- Writer
