Chapter 3

I wandered back to the castle in a daze. A freezing rain began to pour. Kael hadn't returned. He never came back that night.

I stood by the window, watching the raindrops trace paths down the glass, blurring the outside world into a gray watercolor painting. My vision blurred right along with it.

I thought back. When did all of this begin?

I remembered Lyra bending over to pick up a dropped handkerchief, her neckline dipping low.

I saw Kael's gaze trace the line of her collarbone. A flicker of heat flashed in his eyes before he snapped them shut and abruptly turned away.

After that, he was restless for days, snapping at everyone.

"Elara," he finally said, his voice a bit rough. "Perhaps Lyra should have her own room in the East Wing... I know you adore her. But she's young, and she needs her own space."

Was that when the thorns first took root? I wondered, a bitter smile tugging at my lips.

A biting gust of wind sliced through the old window frame, piercing right through me. My body began to tremble uncontrollably, and the world seemed to tilt. I felt myself falling, collapsing silently onto the cold stone floor.

When I opened my eyes again, Kael was there.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding me.

His face was pale, his features drawn with worry. There was a faint trace of blood on his lips. I realized he had just fed me. He had mixed his blood with a sleeping draught and passed it from his mouth to mine.

The moment he saw my eyes flutter open, he crushed me to his chest.

So tightly. So desperately.

"Elara. My Elara, you're awake." His voice was choked, tears shining in his eyes as he trembled. "When you collapsed... I thought... I was so scared. I thought I lost you."

He was terrified. He looked exactly like a man who loved me more than anything in the world.

But he smelled like her. That sickly-sweet perfume Lyra wore. Catching that scent now made my stomach churn with sickening nausea.

My voice was perfectly flat, so hollow it sounded like an echo of myself. "Where were you last night?"

I saw it. A barely perceptible shift of emotion flickered in his eyes.

For a split second, he seemed to want to look away, but he quickly reassembled his mask of concern.

"There was an urgent matter to handle over in Thornwood. I couldn't make it back, I am so sorry."

I said nothing.

His voice softened, taking on a pleading edge. "My Elara, are you mad at me? I swear, this is the first and last time. For forgive me, please."

My gaze was drawn involuntarily to his neck. Right there. A stark, unmistakably clear bite mark, resting just above his throat, right beneath his jaw.

It was completely unhidden-a brand, a flag of conquest.

I could picture the scene with vivid clarity: Lyra boldly declaring her desire, sinking her teeth into him. And Kael throwing his head back, letting her claim him, a low, indulgent growl rumbling in his chest.

I fought to keep my voice steady. "What is that?"

He caught his reflection in the window glass and froze.

Only for a second. Then he let out a helpless little chuckle, brushing it off. "A training accident. One of the pups got too overexcited."

I met his eyes. "A wolf got near your throat and took a bite?"

He paused, a flash of irritation crossing his face before he masked it again. "It was my fault. I was distracted. I was worried about you. It's nothing. Let me make you a cup of that honey tea you love."

Back when I was human, I had a massive sweet tooth. And Kael, the formidable Alpha wolf, had always loved making sweets for me.

Even amidst the harsh reality of the pack, he kept that tradition alive. The other wolves always envied my Alpha's tenderness.

Now, that precious memory was just another lie, another shattered fragment of the illusion I had been living in.

I heard my own voice say, "Alright."

It wasn't Kael who brought the tea, but a handmaiden. She kept her head bowed, her demeanor respectful. "Luna, Alpha Kael was called away. There's an issue at the Crimson Creek border. He asked me to tell you to rest well and drink this tea. It will help you sleep."

I didn't care if there was actual trouble or not. I accepted the warm cup mechanically, my movements stiff.

As I drank, I failed to notice the triumphant smirk ghosting across the maid's lips.

An unnatural exhaustion swallowed me instantly. It wasn't a gentle slumber, but a suffocating darkness.

Just before I completely lost consciousness, the maid's face shimmered, morphing back into Lyra's breathtaking features.

"Hello, sister," her voice hissed in my mind, as sharp as a viper's fangs. "Long time no see."

A wave of terror washed over me, and then the darkness claimed me entirely.