Chapter Title: A Dangerous Advantage
Maltida's POV
The night was quiet, but my heart thundered with the storm I had summoned.
My father, Minister Draxus, had listened without blinking as I recounted my humiliation. The man who once traced his finger down my jaw, whispered promises in my ear, and set my skin ablaze now treated me like a stranger.
"He's my mate, Father. But he refuses me. I have the mark. Look."
Draxus's eyes flared at the faint glow on my wrist, the mate bond symbol pulsing faintly. A symbol that no one could dispute.
"The Alpha has a duty to the Moon Goddess," he growled. "This is not personal. It's law. He'll be reminded."
He left that night, his steps heavy with fury, and by morning, he was standing in the Great Hall before Alpha Cedric.
---
Bryant's POV
"You must honor the bond, son." My father's voice cut like a blade. "The Moon Goddess chose her. And we are not above the sacred laws."
I didn't respond. I couldn't. Every fiber in me screamed that something was wrong. Rosa's scent, her presence, the way she made my wolf restless—wasn't that the true bond?
But logic and law warred against me.
By sunset, the weight on my shoulders had buried me. I didn't attend training. I didn't attend meetings. I walked into my chambers and poured myself glass after glass of wine.
The silence was loud. And it mocked me.
---
Maltida's POV
I walked into his chambers without knocking. The guards didn't stop me. They wouldn't dare. The bond mark on my wrist practically glowed under the candlelight. My dress shimmered with silver threads that clung to my curves. Everything about me tonight was designed to remind him: I'm the one fate chose.
He was slouched in a chair, shirt open, bottle in hand, eyes blank.
"You've had enough," I said softly, walking to him, taking the bottle from his fingers.
He didn't resist. His gaze drifted to me and stopped at the mark on my wrist.
"You brought this chaos," he murmured, but his voice was weak, like the fight had drained from him.
"You didn't ask for this, I know. But maybe it's not a curse. Maybe it's exactly what you need."
I handed him another glass, the wine now laced with a drop of the herbal elixir the temple priestess gave me days ago.
His lips touched the glass. And with it, my plan began to unfold.
---
Narrator
Bryant's vision blurred slightly. The wine dulled the edges of his grief, his confusion, and everything he had tried to suppress. The warmth of the elixir twisted around his senses. The mate bond, amplified by the potion, hummed louder.
Maltida's hands touched his face gently, her lips brushed his. His hand twitched but didn't pull away.
She led him to the bed, and this time, he didn't stop her. His world was spinning, his judgment clouded, and she wrapped herself around him like a net tightening.
She would make sure Rosa never had a place again.
---
Morning
The sun filtered gently into the Alpha's chamber. Bryant blinked against the light, his head pounding, mouth dry. He reached up to rub his eyes and felt a weight against his chest.
Maltida.
Her arm draped over him like she belonged there. Her fingers traced lazy, possessive circles on his bare chest.
"Last night was unforgettable," she murmured, her eyes fluttering open with a satisfied smile.
He stared at her.
And then, a knock.
"Your Majesty," Kael's voice called softly through the door. "You're being summoned to the court."
Bryant didn't move.
His world, once spinning, had just slammed to a stop.
---
Chapter Title: Whispers and Memory
Rosa's POV
The palace had grown quieter, but not in the comforting way. It was the kind of quiet that made your skin itch—the kind that let whispers crawl behind your back. People didn't say much, but they didn't need to. Their eyes did all the talking.
And they were all looking at me.
I heard it from a pair of court ladies, whispering near the hallway.
> "He finally acknowledged his mate."
I didn't ask who they meant. I didn't need to.
The words stuck to my chest like thorns. My tea sat cold on the table. I hadn't touched it in an hour.
I tried not to care. I tried to pretend it was just politics, just a name and a title to keep the nobles content. But my stomach twisted all the same.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face. The way he looked at me that night—the way he held me like I was something fragile and important.
So what changed?
I stood and paced the room, running a hand through my hair. It was no use trying to keep calm. My heart wasn't listening.
A soft knock came at the door.
"Come in," I said, a little too quickly.
Paige stepped in with her usual bright energy. She carried a basket of folded linens and set them down near the dresser. "Everything alright?" she asked, her eyes scanning me.
I offered a small smile. "Just thinking too much."
She smiled back but didn't push. That was one of the reasons I trusted her. She gave me space when I needed it, and quiet company when I didn't know how to ask.
I hesitated. "Do you remember the historian you once mentioned to me? The one who helped you trace your family roots?"
Her eyes lit up. "Yes—Master Olric. He lives on the east side of the palace grounds, by the garden courtyard. Why?"
"I want to meet him. Quietly. No one else needs to know."
Paige blinked. "Alright. I can set it up. Tomorrow morning, maybe?"
I nodded. "Thank you."
She gave a short bow. "Of course, Your Majesty."
When she left, I sat on the edge of my bed and let the silence settle again. But this time, it brought something with it.
A memory.
---
Flashback
The wind smelled like spring. I was a child—maybe seven. My mother knelt in the garden, trimming roses with a small silver blade, and I sat beside her, playing with fallen petals.
My father walked over with that gentle smile he always saved for her. He knelt beside us, brushing my hair behind my ear.
> "You've got fire in you," he said, tapping my nose. "But don't forget to think before you burn things down."
Mother laughed softly. Then she turned to me, serious now.
> "Rosa," she said, "life won't always be kind. People will try to decide things for you. But never forget what you want. Fight for it."
She touched my hand and held it tightly.
> "No matter what, be strong. Promise me."
---
I opened my eyes, the memory fading like smoke, but the feeling stayed behind.
Maybe I didn't know what was going on around me. Maybe I wasn't sure who I could trust. But I did know one thing:
I was tired of sitting still.
Even if I had to walk this path alone, I was going to find answers.
Not for revenge.
But for myself.
---
End of Chapter