Chapter 2 The Veil

NAYA

I close the door to my chamber, shutting out the noises of the other servants settling up for the night. The room is small and familiar, the one spot in this castle that has ever truly been mine. I go around the area on autopilot, pouring water into the basin for my bath, slipping out of my dress, and falling into the lukewarm water.

Lira's words loop in my thoughts, over and again.

You will become the princess of Varethorne. The spouse of Draevenmoor's Alpha.

I let my fingertips skim across the water's surface, watching the ripples distort my reflection. A few hours before, the idea had seemed absurd-impossible. But now? The more I think about it, the more I understand she's correct. What do I have to lose?

All my life, I've been nothing more than a shadow in the corridors of this castle, an omega scraping by on the outskirts of nobility. A servant. A nobody. But if I say yes-if I take Lira's place-I become something more. A princess. A wife to an alpha. A lady with power.

I step out of the bath, dry my skin, and dress my bed. Sleep should come easy, but my thoughts are too busy, my heart too restless. I see myself wrapped in silks and diamonds, flowing around the castle with the same easy elegance as Lira. I imagine servants kneeling as I pass, murmuring my name in respect.

A smile pulls at my lips.

A ball. I picture one in my mind-the big hall lit with chandeliers, the air thick with the perfume of wine and flowers, music booming as noblemen and ladies swirl around the floor. Without thinking, I step into the fantasy, humming softly under my breath. I take a step, then another, letting the imagined melody guide me. My skirts whirl as I turn, my bare feet murmuring on the stone.

For once, I don't feel little. I don't feel unseen.

But as I turn, movement catches my sight from the window.

Lira.

She stands near the water, her body seeming ghostly against the moonlight.

Something about her posture-shoulders stiff, fists clasped-tells me she isn't simply out for air. She's waiting. For me.

I don't let myself hesitate. I drape a shawl over my nightdress and sneak outdoors, the chilly night air cutting at my skin as I make my way to her. She doesn't turn as I approach, but I know she hears me.

"I'll do it," I answer gently.

Lira exhales, her shoulders relaxing. She doesn't look at me right away, simply stares at the lake, the moon's reflection rippling across its surface. "I thought you would."

I gaze at her, scanning her face. Relief flickers there, but so does something else-something illegible. It nearly seems like remorse.

She eventually turns to me, flashing a faint grin. "Get some sleep, Naya. Your suitor arrives tomorrow."

Tomorrow. The word sends a thrill through me. There's no turning back now.

Morning arrives too swiftly. I blink out of sleep, my throat is dry and my dream is already fading away from memory.

When I wake, I expect to be treated as I always have-expected to get my own meal, to stand aside when nobility passes, to be just another nameless servant in the palace's ceaseless routine.

But from the minute I open my eyes, everything is changed.

Maids enter my chamber before I even get up, their arms full with silks and lace. The same ladies who tend to Lira now move with great precision around me, running a warm bath, laying out cosmetics and jewels as if I were their princess.

They don't ask if I slept well. They don't whisper useless chatter as they do when I'm merely another female in the servants' quarters.

They treat me like nobility.

I hardly have time to digest it before they rush me toward the vanity, putting my hair into an intricate style, applying delicate color into my lips and cheeks. The gown they slide me into is unlike anything I have ever worn-heavy, luxurious, the needlework delicate but rich with detail. The veil follows, sliding over my shoulders like mist.

When I glimpse my reflection in the mirror, I scarcely recognize myself.

A princess glances back at me.

There's a knock at the door.

The maids stand aside as the Alpha arrives. Lira's father. My new father, if I am to pretend to be her.

He stares at me, and for the first time in my life, he genuinely sees me.

His stare is impenetrable, his face harsh, but there's something almost... appreciative in his eyes. "Thank you for your sacrifice," he adds simply.

The words sink in my chest like a weight. A sacrifice. That's what I am to them.

A pawn in their game.

I drop my gaze. "It is an honor, Your Majesty."

He nods, happy, then extends a hand. "Come. It is time."

I take a breath, steadying myself, then let him lead me around the castle.

The hallways feel strange now-too vast, too chilly, too alien. Every step I take feels heavier than the last.

The ballroom doors loom ahead, already open, exposing a sea of faces within. Nobles from both Varethorne and Draevenmoor fill the chamber, their murmurs a quiet hum beneath the flickering candles. Outside the large windows, dawn is breaking and the sun shines with a soft glow.

I force myself to stand tall. This is what I agreed to. This is my new role.

I step inside.

My glance wanders across the throng, looking for him. The man I am intended to marry. The Alpha of Draevenmoor.

Then I see him.

But it's not Alpha Zareth.

Standing by his side is another male, younger, clothed in regal clothes that fit him too precisely to be an ordinary attendant. He looks so much like Zareth-but while the Alpha is broad and intimidating, this guy is leaner, his features sharper, his demeanour quieter yet no less dominating.

My breath catches. He is watching me.

His stare is steady, unflinching.

I know he shouldn't be able to see me through the veil. But nevertheless, I feel it-feel his eyes meeting mine as if the thin cloth between us doesn't exist.

The air in the ballroom tightens, the world reducing to just this instant.

Him.

Me.

And whatever comes next.