Chapter 55: Marriage?
1169 Words
Luna's POV
I was still in the garden with Lucy until she stopped by the bench.
"Sit," she said, already making herself comfortable.
I paused. "You're not going to push me into the bushes again, are you?" Remembering what happened last time we were here together.
Lucy laughed—a real one, not that forced polite one she usually gave during palace dinners. "No, I promise. I only do that on Thursdays."
I hesitated, then sat beside her, keeping a bit of space.
She was quiet for a moment. Then she turned to me, her voice softer than I'd ever heard. "I want to tell you something. About me."
I blinked. That was the last thing I expected her to say to me.
"You think I'm just the Queen, right? Always in control, always standing beside Ryker like we planned everything from the start. But it wasn’t always like this. Before the palace, I was a stripper."
My eyes widened. I couldn't believe my ears.
"I had to take care of my younger brother. He got sick a lot. Hospital bills, medication, food—I did what I had to. I didn’t have magic, any power, or even a last name anyone cared about. But I had my legs and rhythm. That was enough."
She didn’t look ashamed or embarrassed as she spoke; she clearly had no regrets.
"Ryker came into the club one night. He didn’t even look at me. Just sat there, stiff as a board, acting like the couch would bite him. The next day, he came back. And the next. Eventually, I started talking to him. We argued a lot. He was cold, unresponsive. But I kept showing up, for my brother’s sake. Then a day came, I didn’t need to dance anymore."
"What changed?" I asked.
"He paid off my brother's debt. Didn't ask for anything. Just said, 'You deserve a better life.' That was the first time I cried in front of a man."
"That doesn’t sound like him," I muttered.
"I know," she smiled sadly. "When Elena was born, he changed even more. He became more present in our lives. Gentle, even. It was like something hidden deep inside had awoken up in him."
I wanted to believe her story, but I don't know why. Everything she had just said sounded like crap.
I looked down. "Why are you telling me all this?"
She took a long breath. "Because if a certain someone ever threatened my daughter—or my family, I would tear this world apart."
I looked up, startled. It almost sounded like those threats were directed at me.
She gently rested her hand on my knee.
"I love her more than I love anything. But I need you to help her.” Lucy sighed
"Elena is about to face something big, and I fear she can't do it alone"
"What do you mean?"
"She’s getting married soon. And it’s custom that before the wedding, the bride must live with the groom’s pack for three months."
I frowned. "Does Elena know?"
Lucy didn’t answer immediately. She just stared at me, her eyes sharp. "You will go with her. As the healer assigned to her courtship. It’s tradition that one healer and one royal guard go with the bride."
"Wait…" I moved back a little. "So basically, you’re sending your daughter off to another pack, and you want me to make sure she doesn’t get poisoned or something while she’s there?"
She didn’t flinch. "Yes. That's exactly what I'm asking"
This was a lot to take in.
"Losing a child," she said slowly, "is the worst kind of pain. I’ve seen it. I’ve felt it. And I won’t let it happen."
Something in her voice as she said that last part shook me.
"You don’t have a choice, Luna. But I'm begging you to do it," she added.
Neither of us spoke for a long time. Birds chirped nearby. The wind picked up.
I looked down at my hands. "Okay. I’ll go."
She nodded and stood up," Thank you”
Then she walked away.
Elena's POV
Four days had passed since I got out of that bed. And still, everyone looked at me like I was made of glass.
"Slow down, Princess," Maria, my maid, whispered as she chased behind me. "You’re still recovering."
"From what? Boredom?"
She sighed. "You were in a coma, princess; everyone thought you were going to die"
"And yet, I live."
I smiled to myself and pushed the large dining hall doors open. My dad always hated it when I did that. He said royalty should enter rooms with grace, not force—boring s**t.
As I walked into the hall, I froze.
A man stood at the far end, near the table. Two large wolves stood behind him, I suppose, as bodyguards. His hat was wide-brimmed and shadowed his face. As he took it off, a smile slowly spread across his lips.
My dad stood beside him, arms folded.
"Elena," he said, voice deep, firm. "This man is here to take you to where you'll live for the next 3 months."
My heart stopped. "I'm sorry, what?”
The stranger gave a slight bow. "Didn't your father tell you? You'll be marrying the first son of Alpha Batholi."
My eyes widened in disbelief.
"Batholi?" I whispered. I turned to my dad. "You’re marrying me off to Batholi’s son? Aren't they the bastards that tried to burn down our borders last year!"
"Exactly," my dad said calmly. "This union will end the whole feud that's been between our packs for years now."
"You always said they were savages. And now I have to marry one?"
My mum stepped forward, her hand slipping into my dad's. She was part of this as well?
That was all it took for me. I ran.
Out of the hall, down the corridor, past the maids and shocked guards. I didn’t stop until I reached the rose garden.
My mum ran after me. A few minutes later, she found me there, still panting and wiping my angry tears from my cheeks.
"How could you and dad do this to me? You lied," I said.
"I didn’t lie. I didn’t tell you yet."
"You promised me I’d have a choice when it was time for me to mate."
She touched my shoulder. I shrugged it off.
"Elena, sometimes, duty outweighs choice. This marriage will unite the packs. Stop the bloodshed. Save lives, don't you want that?"
"And what about me? My life? What about what I want, mum?!"
She looked pained. "You’re stronger than me. And braver than you know. I wouldn’t have agreed to this if I didn’t think you could handle it."
I folded my arms tightly. "Oh really? You want to tell me you had only my best interest at heart?"
"It's not like we even had a choice, Elena. They already threatened to take you back with them, dead or alive. I couldn't let them hurt you again.
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