Loving The Wrong Alpha.

Tears Of Blood.

My hair grew longer, and my eyes became darker from all the tears, but my powers never returned. No matter how many books I read or how hard I studied, nothing changed.

I cried for days, begging my wolf to come back to me. I took better care of my hair than my skin because I believed I could regain my powers.

But every effort I made was hopeless.

Soon, my mourning period ended, and I started taking care of myself again. I hadn't seen Griffith in years, and I hoped I would never see him again. It would be better if he died and vanished from this world for putting me through so much misery.

The years I spent locked in that tower weren't wasted. I studied different schemes and escape plans. I learned how to take revenge. How to kill my parents... or perhaps eliminate Griffith for everything he had done to me.

If he refused to let me be happy and only wanted to make me suffer, then I would make him suffer too.

I would make the entire realm pay for supporting my father and his stupid rules.

I would become queen and rule the world however I pleased. If no one obeyed me, I would paint the realms with blood.

I'd rather be feared with blood on my hands than live as a puppet for these Alphas. If they found happiness in torturing me, then I would find mine in making them suffer instead.

That was my plan.

My revenge.

And I meant every word. A deep sadness settled over me. I wasn't innocent anymore.

I didn't want to be naive because my innocent heart had been too fragile for this cruel world. It was better to harden it and let power and fame consume me. At least that would give my life a purpose and keep me from getting hurt again.

I was done waiting for someone to save me. No hero. No prince charming.

Griffith would be the first person I erased from this world.

The door to my room opened, and my maid hurried inside with the message I had sent her to retrieve.

"Princess Rowena, you sent for me."

She bowed.

I handed her a small pouch. She accepted it and waited for my instructions.

"Put this in Griffith's tea while he's resting. Make sure you slip it into his afternoon tea, and no one must see you. What did I just say?"

"You said no one must see me, Princess Rowena."

"Good."

I nodded, then warned her, "Go now. Don't fail the task I gave you."

"Yes, Princess Rowena."

She bowed once more before leaving. That should be enough to kill him. And I wouldn't feel an ounce of regret if he died.

He deserved it.

That night, as I sipped warm tea in bed, I listened for any sign that Griffith's heart had stopped. I expected to hear the bells announcing his death.

Instead, a furious roar shook the palace.

The entire building trembled as though an earthquake had struck.

I jumped out of bed. My guards had already abandoned their posts and rushed toward the noise.

I ran downstairs, expecting to see Griffith's corpse. Instead, blood poured from his mouth.

My heart clenched.

My eyes filled with tears at the sight of him, soaked in sweat and writhing in agony. This wasn't what I wanted.

I had made a painless poison.

Why was he suffering so much instead of dying?

No...

I didn't want him to die. What the hell was I thinking? What had I done?

He roared again. The veins across his body bulged as he shook violently. Guards tried to hold him down, but he only grew worse. Blood stained the floor beneath him. Then blood began flowing from his eyes.

The moment our eyes met, he reached toward me.

"Rowena... please," he whispered before collapsing.

I panicked.

I ran back upstairs, slammed my door shut, and leaned against it, panting as I clenched my fists.

For the first time in three years, I broke down and cried.

What the hell had I done?

That question echoed endlessly through my mind as I sank to my knees.

Moon Goddess... please save him.

I didn't sleep that entire night.

The next morning, my maid told me he was alive and had fully recovered. Relief washed over me. I only nodded, too afraid to ask why he had suffered so much.

I stayed silent and sat on my bed with my head resting on my knees. I didn't even realize when I fell asleep.

The noise outside woke me. I looked out my window.

Griffith stood outside shirtless, his muscular body covered in sweat. Dark symbolic tattoos stretched across his back, and that cursed red necklace still hung around his neck.

He laughed and sparred with the warriors as though nothing had happened the night before.

His bare torso... his abs… They were distracting. Suddenly, he stopped.

He looked up toward my tower so quickly it was as if he had sensed me watching him.

Our eyes met.

His golden wolf eyes glowed. My heart skipped a beat.

Did he know I had tried to kill him? He stared at me for a long moment. Then...He smiled.

The smile caught me off guard. Softly, I saw his lips move.

"I love you, Rowena."

Fear shot through me.

I stumbled backward, slammed the window shut, and ran to my bed, where I sat frozen. For the next few days, I refused to leave my room. I wanted desperately to forget what had happened... and why Griffith had whispered those words to me.

One night, I noticed my door was slightly open. The guards who were usually outside were nowhere to be seen. They must have assumed I was asleep.

Barefoot, I slipped out of my room and quietly walked down the staircase, excited to finally breathe fresh air. My legs were stiff from years of confinement, but I wanted to walk until the numbness faded.

I needed to see something beyond these walls before I suffocated or lost my mind completely.

They had kept me locked away for years without letting me see the outside world.

Whenever my incompetent guards disappeared, I always stole a glance down the hallway.

This time, I wanted more. I wanted to run away and never come back. It was my only chance.

After walking for several minutes, I stopped in front of a luxurious room. It looked like Griffith's. I hadn't seen his room since before I was imprisoned.

I wondered what it looked like now.

I stopped halfway and noticed his door was slightly open. I wondered what he was doing there. Was he studying?