Chapter 3 Phase One: Disgrace Nora

ELENA

"Princess Elena! Please wake up, you are going to be late!"

My lungs snapped open, taking in a sharp, desperate gulp of air.

Sitting upright in bed, my hands rushed to my throat while my fingers pressed against my skin. There was no phantom soreness of wolfsbane, no dark metallic blood when wiping a trembling hand across my mouth. The tearing pain in my stomach was completely gone.

Around the bed, three young maidens scurried back and forth. One balanced a tray of jeweled hairpins, another carried a steaming silver basin, and the third hovered directly overhead with outstretched, panicked arms.

"Oh, thank the Goddess you are finally awake, Crown Princess!" the head maid gasped, clutching her chest. "You need to get out of bed right now, Princess, or you will miss the opening walk!"

I blinked, staring at her through the morning sunlight filtering into the room. "What opening walk? What is going on?"

The maid’s jaw dropped so fast it nearly hit the floor. The girl holding the basin froze mid-step.

"What is going on?" the head maid repeated, her voice pitching high with disbelief. "Princess, have you suddenly developed amnesia? Today is the Mate Hunt Ceremony! Allied Alphas are already downstairs! How could you forget the exact day you have been counting down to for six whole months?"

The Mate Hunt.

My eyes darted to the wooden nightstand. I grabbed my smartphone and tapped the screen to check the date.

October 14, 2023.

Three years ago.

My breath caught. This was the exact day I met Lucian. My father was still alive back then, though his health was starting to fail, which was why he rushed this ceremony to see me settled with an Alpha who could lead the pack.

A slow grin spread across my face. The Moon Goddess actually did it. She dragged me back from the grave and handed over a second chance.

In my past life, pathetic was an understatement. I was naive, stupid, and so hungry for love that I let people walk over me while I smiled and apologized for being in their way. But that girl died coughing up blood on a cold mattress. This time, I was going to use my royal crown to dismantle my sister piece by piece and make sure Lucian never got his hands on my throne.

Click.

The bedroom door swung wide open, and Nora glided inside. She wore a silk robe, her long blonde hair curled over her shoulders. She looked so sweet, so innocent, like a butter-melting angel.

Then her eyes landed on the tall wooden display stand near my mirror.

Hanging there was a high-necked dress dyed deep royal blue and trimmed with pure gold thread. It was designed specifically for the Crown Princess.

Nora’s eyes lit up like fireflies. She rushed straight past the maidens and grabbed the edge of the gown.

"Oh, Elena!" Nora squealed, turning to look at me with a fake, pouting face. "Is… this what you are to wear? This dress is... well, honestly, it is terrible. The blue will make your skin look pale, and the golden neckline is so outdated. You cannot wear this to meet eligible Alphas. People will laugh at you!"

I leaned back against my pillows, resting my chin in my hand as I watched her act.

In my first life, I had actually swallowed her lies. She had convinced me the dress was ugly, talked me into wearing a boring grey gown instead, and then showed up to the grand hall wearing my royal dress. Back then, I thought she was just being a little playful. What an absolute fool I was.

"Really?" I asked, popping my lips together. "You think it looks that bad?"

"Yes. It is hideous on you, sis!" Nora insisted, holding it against her chest as she admired her reflection. "It matches my eyes much better. Why don’t you let me have it since it fits me more?” 

"You know what? You are completely right," I said cheerfully, throwing my legs over the side of the bed. "I am going to wear something else. Go back to your room, I’ll have my maidens prepare it for you."

Nora’s fake concern melted into pure glee. "Oh my, you are the absolute best sister in the world!" She kissed her fingers and blew me a kiss before sliding back out the door. "I am going to start on my hair! Don’t forget to send the dress!"

The second the door slammed shut, my smile dropped. I turned to my head maid.

"Go to the garden storehouse right now," I commanded, keeping my voice low. "Bring me a bottle of crushed Silver-Fern pollen."

The maid blinked, thoroughly confused. "Silver-Fern pollen, Princess? But that plant is—"

"Did I ask for a lecture or did I ask for the bottle?" I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head. "Go. Quickly."

"Yes, Princess!" She curtsied and scurried out of the room.

Five minutes later, she returned with a small glass jar filled with fine grey powder. I unscrewed the cap immediately, walked over to the blue gown, and tipped the jar sideways. I shook a generous layer of the powder straight inside the dress, coating the inner lining where it would rub against bare skin.

"Princess!" the second maid gasped, her eyes wide as saucers. "What are you doing to the dress?"

Dusting my hands off, a bright smile popped onto my face. "Oh, nothing. Just spraying a little security measure to keep thieves from borrowing my things without permission."

They got back to dressing me up and an hour later, the grand hall was packed to the ceiling. Music echoed off the walls, long tables groaned under trays of roasted meat, and noble wolves from four different territories milled around in their finest clothes. At the head of the room sat my father, Alpha Elijah in his cloak.

Standing by the grand staircase in a ruby-red silk gown, I sipped a glass of sweet berry juice while leaning against a pillar, waiting for the show to begin.

I did not have to wait long.

Nora made her grand entrance at the top of the stairs, wearing my royal blue dress. She tilted her chin up, trying to look regal as she took her first step down.

Then, her left shoulder twitched.

She took two more steps, and her right elbow jerked violently.

By the fifth step, her face turned bright pink. She stopped dead on the staircase, reached behind her neck, and began frantically scratching at her back.

Guards and noble ladies stopped talking, turning their heads to watch. Nora tried to fake a bright smile, but the Silver-Fern pollen was relentless. Within seconds, she was using both hands to violently claw at her arms, her chest, and her waist. She looked less like a princess and more like a bear trying to rub against a tree.

"Nora?" my father called out from his throne, his eyebrows drawing together in a frown. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing, Father! It is... it is fine!" Nora choked out, but then she let out a loud, unhinged squeal. Abandoning all dignity, she sprinted down the rest of the stairs, rubbing her back furiously back-and-forth against a thick stone column.

Hushed giggles erupted through the crowd. Warriors covered their mouths, and elders shook their heads in utter disbelief.

A panicked house servant ran toward the side door. "Quick! Give her this cooling mint potion. She seems to be having a skin reaction!"

I stepped forward, blocking her. “Here, give it to me. I’ll take it to my sister myself.”

Snatching the glass cup of clear, mint-scented liquid off the servant's tray, I turned away from the crowd and ducked into the shadows behind a large flower vase. I grabbed two sour limes from a nearby fruit bowl and squeezed every drop of bitter juice straight into the glass before stirring fast with a finger.

I strolled right back into the center of the hall, where Nora was currently rolling around, groaning and scratching like mad.

"Here, Nora!" I said loudly, kneeling beside her with deep concern painted across my face. "Drink this fast! It will stop the itching!"

Nora grabbed the glass with trembling, scratched-up hands and gulped down a massive mouthful.

She didn't even manage to swallow.

Nora’s eyes nearly burst out of her skull. Her cheeks puffed out, her face turned purple, and a violent spray of liquid shot straight out of her mouth, drenching the polished floor.

SMASH!

She slammed the glass cup onto the tiles, shattering it into tiny bits. "What is that?!" she screamed, coughing and spitting everywhere. "It tastes like burning battery liquid! Are you trying to kill me?!"

My father slammed his fist onto the wooden armrest of his throne, the sound ringing through the silent hall like a cannon shot.

"Enough!" Alpha Elijah roared, standing up with a dark, thunderous face. "You are embarrassing this entire pack in front of our guests! Acting like a rabid animal and throwing tantrums on the floor! Guards! Drag her to her room right now. She is banned from the Mate Hunt!"

"Father, no! It stings! It itches—" Nora shrieked as two giant royal guards grabbed her by her shoulders, hauling her up and dragging her kicking feet out through the doors.

I stood up, smoothing down my red dress, hiding my grin behind my fingers. Phase one: completed.

"Never in my wildest dream did I imagine the Crown Princess could be as subtle as a snake."

The low, smooth voice whispered from directly behind my right ear.

My heart hit a wall.

All the playful air in my lungs vanished instantly. Spinning around on one heel, eyes snapped upward to meet the face of the man standing less than a foot away from me.

Lucian.

He was dressed in a crisp black suit, his dark hair combed back neatly, his jawline very sharp. Those grey eyes stared down at me, intense, dangerous, and completely unreadable.

My mind went instantly blank, trapping me in a sudden haze.

Three years ago...

My memory flashed back to the first time I saw him in my past life. He had been standing near this same balcony. Back then, the pull of the mate bond had guided my steps right to him and the moment our eyes locked, my heart had skipped three beats, falling head over heels in love on the spot. That day led to the three years I wasted on my murderer.

"Are you planning to stare all day, Princess?" Lucian asked, a faint, mocking tilt touching the corner of his lips. "Or are you going to explain what you put into your sister’s drink?"

His words broke the spell, slapping me right back into reality. The memory of the divorce papers and the poison in my blood rushed back to my head, turning my stomach upside down.

Eager to get away from his suffocating presence, I took a fast step backward.

"Excuse me," I said coldly, turning on my heel to walk away.

But the heavy hem of my ruby gown caught underneath my shoe. My foot slipped on the smooth floor, my balance failing. A sharp gasp escaped as my body tipped backward toward the ground.

Before I could hit the floor, his strong arm shot out, catching me firmly around the waist and hauling me back up against his broad chest.

Our bodies collided.

And in that exact second, a violent bolt of lightning crashed through my veins. Golden heat exploded where his fingers gripped my waist, sending a wild, roaring rush of energy straight to my heart. Lucian gasped softly above me, his grip instantly tightening on my body as the mate bond snapped fiercely into place between us.

MATE!