Chapter 2 Arrangements

Chapter 2

***

The night stretched on, and sleep remained elusive. Each time I closed my eyes, vivid images of my stepfather's menacing face haunted me-his fingers digging painfully into my flesh, his voice dripping with threats. Intertwined with these memories was the looming visage of the Lycan prince, a figure I was destined to meet in just a few days.

Frustrated, I reached for the remote and turned on the TV, hoping for a distraction. The screen flickered to life, displaying a news segment about a recent police raid on a hotel involved in illicit activities. My heart skipped a beat as I caught a brief glimpse of familiar faces-Matt and Morgan. Shaking my head, I quickly switched off the TV, convincing myself that exhaustion was playing tricks on my mind.

Just as I tried to steady my breathing, my phone buzzed with a new message. It was from an unknown number, but the content made my blood run cold: Matt had been in an accident and needed me to come to the police station immediately. He claimed I was the only one who could help him avoid his family's wrath.

Without a second thought, I threw on a coat and rushed to the station. Upon arrival, I approached the front desk, my voice trembling as I asked to see Matt. The officer on duty directed me to a holding cell, and as I approached, my heart sank. There, huddled together, were Matt and Morgan.

Morgan's face was buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Matt stood beside her, murmuring softly, his neck marked with unmistakable kiss marks. Our eyes met, and I saw panic flash across his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but words failed him.

Feeling a surge of betrayal and anger, I turned on my heel and approached the officer. "I'd like to post bail for them," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

The officer raised an eyebrow. "Are they family?"

I hesitated for a moment before replying, "Just neighbors."

After completing the necessary paperwork, Matt and Morgan were released. Morgan kept her face averted, tears streaming down her cheeks, while Matt mumbled incoherent apologies. I couldn't bear to look at either of them.

As we stepped outside, the cold air biting at my skin, I pulled out my phone. With trembling fingers, I typed a message to my stepmother:

"Regarding the arranged marriage you mentioned, I'll agree to it. Give me three days, and I'll be home."

Hitting send, I felt a strange sense of resolve wash over me. Without a word to Matt or Morgan, I walked away, needing space to process the whirlwind of emotions crashing over me.

Matt had been my world, the one I was willing to risk everything for. And now, this betrayal-it was as if the ground had been ripped from beneath me. The pain of discovering his infidelity with Morgan, who wasn't even his real sister, was a knife to the heart. I had always sensed he was hiding something, but love had blinded me to the truth.

As I wandered the quiet streets, questions swirled in my mind. Should I proceed with the arranged marriage? Should I run away and start anew? What if I provoked the Lycan prince into calling off the engagement? But where would I go? How would I survive? At least here, I wasn't starving.

After hours of contemplation, I made a decision. I would return home and face whatever punishment awaited me. Agreeing to the engagement might be the lesser of two evils. If I defied them, the abuse could worsen, and Morgan would undoubtedly make my life even more unbearable. As the saying goes, better the devil you know than the devil you don't. And right now, the Lycan prince seemed the preferable choice.

Realizing I had promised to return in three days, I hurried to catch the next bus home, praying my step-parents hadn't noticed my absence. Luck was on my side; I arrived at dawn, just as the household was stirring. Quickly, I freshened up, changing into clean clothes and plastering a smile on my face.

As expected, my stepmother stormed into my room, curses spilling from her lips. But upon seeing me ready and waiting, her tirade faltered. I maintained my cheerful façade, determined to face whatever came next with unwavering resolve.

"Good morning, Ma," I greeted, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

"Good morning," she replied, her eyes scanning me with suspicion, as if waiting for me to break, to argue, to resist.

But I did none of those things. Instead, I straightened my shoulders and met her gaze. "You don't have to worry. I have no desire, nor the energy, to fight whatever plans you've made for me."

Her lips curled slightly, almost as if she was pleased by my submission. "Good. They're here."

"Yes, Ma'am," I said, keeping my voice neutral.

I turned to leave the house, stepping out onto the porch-and then I saw her.

Morgan.

She sat elegantly on the lawn, perched on a picnic cloth, looking as flawless as ever in a purple rose-gold dress. The morning sunlight danced across the fabric, making her appear ethereal-like some goddess of deceit and betrayal.

She looked well-rested, if a little tired. But that was expected, wasn't it? She'd been busy. Busy fucking my boyfriend last night. Who knows? Maybe they went at it well into the early hours of the morning.

And then she looked at me.

A tiny smirk played at the edges of her lips, barely there, but enough to set my blood on fire.

That was it. That was the moment the last shred of doubt-the minuscule voice in my head that had been second-guessing my decision to go with the Lycan prince-vanished.

No. I was done.

Before the rage inside me could take control, before I could lunge forward and rake my nails Chapter 2

02.

***

Chapter 2

2.

***

The night lingered-cold and weary, but sleep–refused to come as I stared at the ceiling, counting–1...2...3...

Everytime I tried to close my tired eyes, shadows and terrifying visions of my stepmother's cold gaze filled my mind. Her claw-like fingers pierced my flesh, her voice filled with dark threats.

"I promise to suck your blood dry and feed your remains to those rabid dogs if this marriage doesn't work out," she said, pointing at the snarling beasts that never ceased barking.

Then came the physical presence of the Lycan prince-tearing at me, dragging me into a fate I could not escape.

I woke up, covered in sweat.

In just a few days, I would meet the man I had been sold out to.

I breathe deep, a sigh of relief washing over me as I discover I just woke up from a nightmare, realizing it was just a dream. I reached for the jug on my worn-out drawer, I drank some water before turning to face the TV. I grabbed the remote and turned it on-it was the only reasonable thing in my room.

Desperate for a distraction from the dark horrors of my nightmare, I let the screen flicker to life. The news played at a low volume, just background noise-until a reporter announced a police raid at a hotel known for its illegal dealings.

Hissing loudly, I almost changed the channel. Almost.

Then, the footage was cut to a shaky video of officers escorting people out in cuffs, and my breath caught in my throat. There, for only a second, faces I knew too well flashed through the screen.

Matt. Morgan.

My grip tightened around the remote. My stomach twisted.

No. This isn't real. As I slapped my face "ouch it hurts"

I quickly reached for my phone, it was badly damage and could only but make a call and send a message. myy fingers dried as I dialed Matt's number. It rang. Once. Twice. Then-voicemail.

I tried Morgan next. Same result.

My heart pounded. I stared at the screen, the news still rolling. More images. More people being dragged out. But my focus blurred.

This was just a mere coincidence. It can't be.

Something is definitely wrong somewhere.

Maybe it is their doppelganger or their lookalike.

I shaked my head and shut off the TV, convincing myself that " I am sure Matt is home waiting for me so we can elope and I was just stressed, that my mind was playing tricks on me. There was no way it could've been them. No way.

I took a deep breath, trying to push the thought away and go back to bed but before I could, my phone buzzed on the table.

A new message.

Unknown number.

My stomach jumped as I hesitated, then tapped it open.

The moment I read the words, my heart skipped.

Matt had been involved in an accident. He needed me to be present at the police station-immediately. though it will be my first time going to police station.

The message was short, and in need. He didn't want his parents involved. I was the only one who could help.

I didn't stop to think. Didn't even bother to sit down to ask myself why he would call me of all people in this kind of situation. I quickly grabbed my faded cardigan to keep the cold away, shoved my feet into my shoes, and rushed out the door.

The station was cold, the fluorescent lights blinking faintly above me as I stepped inside. My breath was uneasy as I approached the front desk.

"I'm here for someone named Matt, is he here?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

The officer barely looked up as he gestured down the hallway. "Holding cell."

My feet felt heavier with each step, my stomach twisting into knots.

And then I saw him.

My heart sank.

There they were.

Huddled together.

Morgan's face was buried in her hands, her shoulders trembling with quiet sobs. Matt stood close beside her, speaking to her in a low, soothing voice. My stomach twisted as my gaze landed on the deep red marks trailing down his neck-marks I knew all too well.

He felt my stare before he saw me. The second our eyes met, panic flickered across his face. His mouth opened slightly, as if he wanted to explain, to smooth it over. But nothing came out.

The air felt thick, pressing down on my chest. A sharp, bitter taste crept up my throat, but I forced it down. My hands clenched at my sides, nails digging into my palms as I turned away, walking straight toward the officer.

The officer's expression hardened as he glanced at the report in front of him.

"They were caught at the Lexington Hotel," he said, his tone flat. "That place has been under surveillance for a while-illegal drug operations, human trafficking, all kinds of atrocities." He looked up at me then, his gaze sharp, assessing. "Your friends were found in one of the rooms. Naked. Having sex. Along with others."

My stomach lurched.

I turned slowly, my eyes locking onto Matt and Morgan. Morgan wouldn't lift her head, her shoulders still shaking. Matt just stood there, stiff, his face pale.

He knew. He knew exactly what I had just learned.

A bitter, metallic taste filled my mouth as anger and disgust twisted in my chest.

I had rushed here, thinking he was in trouble, that he needed me.

But this?

I swallowed hard, my voice low and unsteady as I turned back to the officer.

"What happens next?"

The officer sighed, closing the file and leaning back in his chair.

"They're not directly tied to the illegal activities at the hotel," he admitted. "They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time-caught in a compromising situation." He gave me a pointed look. "Because of that, they'll likely get bail and be released soon. But this will be on record."

I let out a slow breath, my emotions tangled between relief and frustration.

Matt shifted in the holding cell, his eyes still locked onto me, silently pleading. Morgan finally lifted her head, her face streaked with tears, but she said nothing.

So, that was it.

They weren't guilty of anything beyond their own betrayal.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and turned back to the officer. "When will they be released?"

"Probably within a few hours, once bail is posted," he said. "If you're here to help them, you can handle it."

I hesitated, glancing back at Matt.

Help them?

After everything?

My fingers tightened into fists at my sides, the weight of their choices pressing down on me. I had rushed here, thinking Matt was hurt, that he needed me. And yet, the reality was so much worse.

Still, I wasn't cruel. Not yet.

I decided to help them just this one time and never again.

Feeling a surge of betrayal and anger,

"I'd like to post bail for them," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

The officer raised an eyebrow. "Are they family?"

I hesitated for a moment before replying, "Just neighbors."

After completing the necessary paperwork, Matt and Morgan were released. Morgan kept her face averted, tears streaming down her cheeks, while Matt mumbled incoherent apologies. I couldn't bear to look at either of them.

As we stepped outside, the cold air biting at my skin, I pulled out my phone. With trembling fingers, I typed a message to my stepmother:

"Regarding the arranged marriage you mentioned, I'll agree to it. Give me three days, and I'll be home."

Hitting send, I felt a strange sense of resolve wash over me. Without a word to Matt or Morgan, I walked away, needing space to process the whirlwind of emotions crashing over me.

Matt had been my world, the one I was willing to risk everything for. And now, this betrayal-it was as if the ground had been ripped from beneath me. The pain of discovering his infidelity with Morgan, who wasn't even his real sister, was a knife to the heart. I had always sensed he was hiding something, but love had blinded me to the truth.

As I wandered the quiet streets, questions swirled in my mind. Should I proceed with the arranged marriage? Should I run away and start anew? What if I provoked the Lycan prince into calling off the engagement? But where would I go? How would I survive? At least here, I wasn't starving.

After hours of contemplation, I made a decision. I would return home and face whatever punishment awaited me. Agreeing to the engagement might be the lesser of two evils. If I defied them, the abuse could worsen, and Morgan would undoubtedly make my life even more unbearable. As the saying goes, better the devil you know than the devil you don't. And right now, the Lycan prince seemed the preferable choice.

Realizing I had promised to return in three days, I hurried to catch the next bus home, praying my step-parents hadn't noticed my absence. Luck was on my side; I arrived at dawn, just as the household was stirring. Quickly, I freshened up, changing into clean clothes and plastering a smile on my face.

As expected, my stepmother stormed into my room, curses spilling from her lips. But upon seeing me ready and waiting, her tirade faltered. I maintained my cheerful façade, determined to face whatever came next with unwavering resolve.

"Good morning, Ma," I greeted, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

"Good morning," she replied, her eyes scanning me with suspicion, as if waiting for me to break, to argue, to resist.

But I did none of those things. Instead, I straightened my shoulders and met her gaze. "You don't have to worry. I have no desire, nor the energy, to fight whatever plans you've made for me."

Her lips curled slightly, almost as if she was pleased by my submission. "Good. They're here."

"Yes, Ma'am," I said, keeping my voice neutral.

I turned to leave the house, stepping out onto the porch-and then I saw her.

Morgan.

She sat elegantly on the lawn, perched on a picnic cloth, looking as flawless as ever in a purple rose-gold dress. The morning sunlight danced across the fabric, making her appear ethereal-like some goddess of deceit and betrayal.

She looked well-rested, if a little tired. But that was expected, wasn't it? She'd been busy. Busy fucking my boyfriend last night. Who knows? Maybe they went at it well into the early hours of the morning.

And then she looked at me.

A tiny smirk played at the edges of her lips, barely there, but enough to set my blood on fire.

That was it. That was the moment the last shred of doubt-the minuscule voice in my head that had been second-guessing my decision to go with the Lycan prince-vanished.

No. I was done.

Before the rage inside me could take control, before I could lunge forward and rake my nails down her perfect, smug face, I turned sharply on my heel. My hands clenched into fists, nails digging into my palms as I forced myself to walk away.

And I walked.

Away from the house. Away from Morgan. Away from the betrayal.

I didn't stop until I was deep into the woods, past the perimeter of the house, where the air was thick with the scent of earth and pine. My breathing was uneven, my pulse hammering in my ears. I just needed a moment-just one moment to-

"Bels."

I froze.

The voice was familiar. Too familiar.

I turned-and walked straight into Matt.

He stood partially hidden by the bushes, his face cast in shadows, but I could see enough. My heart dropped.

Moon Goddess, fucking help me.