10 - The Price of Envy
1003 Words
[Third Person]
The dress was beautiful, silk and lace threaded with silver, hand-stitched by the best seamstress in the Moon Stone Pack. Liliana’s smile didn’t falter as she held the gown between her fingers, tracing the hem with feigned admiration. It was lovely, truly. Fit for a Luna. Fit for her, once upon a time.
Her reflection in the mirror was a mask of perfection: soft curls cascading over her shoulders, the pink of her lips just touched with gloss, her green eyes wide and framed in gold. And yet, beneath the surface, a storm roared.
Astrid. That fragile, meek little thing had taken everything.
Liliana had fought for Atlas, stood at his side during meetings, shared drinks and secrets, and watched the stars from the lookout behind the packhouse. She knew the scent of his skin better than her own perfume. She knew the way his jaw clenched when he was angry, the rare sound of his laughter.
And yet, all it took was her.
Astrid had appeared like a shadow, a servant girl in the wrong place, at the wrong time. But the Moon Goddess, in her twisted irony, had decided she belonged to Atlas. And now, she was to be Luna.
No.
Liliana pressed her fingers against the vial tucked into the lining of her coat. The liquid inside was dark and faintly luminescent, thick as ink. It had no smell, only a death sentence.
She’d waited until the final fitting for the Luna Ceremony gown. Astrid had been out of the room, probably fetching tea for someone like the obedient little mouse she pretended to be. Liliana worked fast, slipping the vial from her coat and tipping the poison onto the inside lining of the bodice, smearing it lightly along the seams.
By the time Astrid returned, the evidence was gone.
The ceremony would go on.
But Astrid? She would not.
On the day of the Luna ceremony, pack members bustled through the grounds, stringing up lanterns and fairy lights.
Liliana watched it all from the second-floor balcony, her expression serene, even when her stomach curled with anticipation.
Atlas had barely looked at her since they returned from the summit. No teasing smirk, no lingering glances. Nothing but polite nods. She told herself it didn’t matter. After today, she would grieve publicly, of course. But beneath the veil of mourning, she'd begin the slow path to reclaiming him. With Astrid gone, what other choice would Atlas have? She was the obvious choice.
The ceremony began late in the afternoon. Guests arrived in their finest, Elders, Alpha families, friends of the Moon Stone Pack. The yard behind the estate was set with rows of enchanted fairy lights that hovered like stars in the air.
Liliana took her place near the front row, her heart hammering in time with the beat of the ceremonial drums.
And then Astrid appeared.
Liliana’s smile sharpened.
Astrid took one step forward. Then another. Halfway down the staircase.
And then she staggered.
Atlas was at her side in seconds as she convulsed and collapsed.
Liliana rose slowly, her body numb.
This was it. The poison was working.
But then—
“Her pulse is still strong!” came a voice, Doctor Voss, she thought. “She’s alive!”
Alive?
Liliana’s fingers clenched into fists at her sides. She stared down at the unmoving form of Astrid, watched as her lips moved weakly, as Atlas cradled her like something sacred. Something his.
Her wolf snarled, confused. She should be dead.
This wasn’t right. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Liliana returned to the place she met the witch later that evening while everyone was distracted near the hospital, wondering if their precious Astrid was alive.
The forest welcomed her like an old friend. Fog curled at her ankles. Shadows crept over her shoulders.
She didn’t remember the path. It didn’t matter. Her feet found it anyway.
The witch was waiting for her.
Liliana stepped forward, her eyes narrowed. “She lived.”
The witch tilted her head. “Did she?”
“She’s in a coma, but alive. The poison didn’t work.”
The woman gave a faint, rasping laugh. “Ah. Then the wolf is lucky.”
“No.” Liliana’s voice rose. “You told me it would work. You said if it touched her skin…”
“I said it would kill a wolf,” the witch replied, stepping closer. “But she must not be only a wolf.”
Liliana blinked. “What are you talking about?”
The witch leaned in, her breath like frost. “You bought a poison for a hybrid. An Eclipse Wolf. Even I didn’t know what she was… not until now.”
The words struck Liliana silent.
“You mean…”
“She resisted the poison,” the witch whispered. “Because of the witch in her blood.”
Liliana staggered back. “You lied to me.”
“I gave you what you asked for,” the woman snapped. “And now you owe me.”
Cold dread settled over Liliana’s shoulders.
“The price.”
“Yes.” The witch’s eyes gleamed. “One life. Freely given.”
Liliana’s throat tightened. “Whose life?”
The woman smiled, showing too many teeth.
“That’s for me to decide. When I’m ready.”
The wind howled between them. Trees groaned in the distance.
“And until then?” Liliana whispered.
“Until then, live. Love. Bleed.” The witch turned back toward the house. “But remember: what is freely given can never be taken back.”
Liliana didn’t return to Moon Stone Pack until dawn. She walked the long path alone, shoes muddy, dress torn at the hem. The horizon burned gold in the distance.
Astrid remained in a coma.
But the bond between her and Atlas had not faded.
Liliana could feel it in every corner of the estate, pulsing like a second heartbeat. A reminder. A curse.
And now she owed a life.
- Writer
