Loving The Wrong Alpha.

Three Years Later.

And they were right.

I had been cursed since the day I was born. Cursed to cry. Cursed to never find happiness.

Ever since my mother caught me kissing my brother, my life had been nothing but misery.

I cried for hours without stopping. I tried to sleep, but I couldn't. I got up and stood by the window, hoping the fresh air would calm me down.

Instead, I was haunted by nightmares of my husband's death... and the happy memories Griffith and I once shared.

I wished I could have my brother back. Why did he have to betray me?

Eventually, I drifted off with tears still in my eyes.

The next morning, I woke up to a terrible rumor.

The news spread across all the realms that I had killed my husband out of frustration after being locked away for so long. They claimed I had gone insane from being deprived of physical contact. According to the rumors, I had ripped out his heart and sucked him dry.

Little did they know it was Griffith who had taken his life.

They branded me a monster. Everyone cursed me and begged the Alpha King to strip me of my title and banish me from the realms, saying I was a useless, broken princess.

Day and night, they gathered outside my window with torches, shouting curses and wishing for my death. I wished their prayers would come true.

But they didn't.

And that devastated me because I was tired of living. Were they going to lock me up for the rest of my life?

I was so screwed that all I could think about was dying... or running away before they came for me.

Then another rumor spread. A powerful Alpha was coming to ask for my hand in marriage.

He claimed he didn't believe I had killed my husband because I looked too fragile. But he also said that if I ever tried to kill him, he would kill me first and leave my body for the vultures to feast on.

My life was nothing but a joke to these Alphas. Why was I always so miserable? Why did my life have to be so cursed? Terrified, I couldn't decide which fate was worse.

Should I stay here and spend the rest of my life as a prisoner?

Or should I marry that beast of an Alpha, bear his children, and become the puppet he wanted me to be? So what was the point of marrying him just to escape?

What the hell was I supposed to do?

I would still be a slave in his home. Locked up like a dog. Like a slave in a cage, only called whenever he wanted me. I didn't even have my powers anymore. The only thing I had left was my beauty.

So what value did I have to him?

Was I going to be a slave for the rest of my life? Was I going to stay locked inside this damn room forever, never knowing freedom?

Those thoughts brought tears to my eyes. I cried so hard, wishing my tears would kill me and leave my body to rot.

I was exhausted from crying.

I was tired of fighting just to stay alive. Why did I have to fight every single day just to survive?

How much longer was this going to continue?

Griffith was right.

I was only preparing myself for a second prison, and that realization shattered the little hope I had left. Every chance I ever had of being myself and surviving out there was gone.

Why couldn't I just die already?

One morning, I woke to the sound of my mother's footsteps. She barged into my chambers, her long black hair falling below her waist and swaying across her face. The moment she reached me, she slapped me hard across the face.

I looked up at her. Her eyes burned with fury.

"What did I tell you, Rowena?"

I stayed silent. What was she talking about?

"I've told you countless times not to leave this room or let your brother in here."

"Is that all you're worried about? My husband just died."

The words escaped my mouth before I could stop them. Instead of apologizing like I always did, like the puppet I'd become, I spoke my mind. I was too exhausted to think straight. I forgot my place and got a heavy slap across my check

"Are you speaking to me like that, Rowena?"

"Mother," I whispered.

"Get out of that bed and go back to your usual room. Your husband is dead."

She shouted as I slowly climbed out of bed.

"Mom... please let me stay here for just one more day. I beg you."

The thought of going back to my room sent chills down my spine.

"Get up this instant."

"Mom..."

"Do you think I care about you? Don't call me with that disgusting voice. Get dressed and comb your hair. I don't want to see you or your brother together again. If you provoke me, you won't like what happens next. Get ready for your husband's mourning ceremony. Now."

She scoffed and walked out. The guards slammed the door shut behind her, leaving me alone with my misery.

How was I supposed to escape this place?

I cried the entire night, begging anyone who could hear me, to set me free. Maybe... just maybe... someone would answer my prayers.

Every day of my life, I was haunted by memories of my past with Griffith. That kiss I knew nothing about. I was just a curious child who wanted to love and be happy.

Why was I being punished for something I didn't even understand? Why couldn't I live a free life without constantly being reminded of a mistake I made ten years ago? Why was I still paying for it?

I know it. I f*****g know I did something wrong with Griffith.

But it was in the past. It should have been forgotten.

So why was I still suffering because of him? Why did Griffith get to live freely while I remained trapped?

Those thoughts tormented me and drained every bit of strength I had. If I were made of paper, I would have crumbled into dust and been carried away by the wind. I mourned my dead husband for three long years.

I refused to see anyone and locked myself away. Not even Griffith was allowed to visit or speak to me. I shut everyone out of my life and threatened to kill myself if they came any closer.

I became as silent as a graveyard. Eventually, I almost forgot how to speak.

For three miserable years, I wore nothing but black, with the dried cover of a dead wolf draped over my shoulders as a cloak, so the whole world would know I was mourning my husband.

I couldn't remember the last time I wore makeup or perfume. I smelled awful and cried for days without stopping.