Arin
The silk dressing robe clung too tightly to my skin. The maids brushing my hair even though very gently felt like it was being tugged from the roots.
Everything felt too much today. The brushes too rough, the perfume too sweet, the air too heavy against my shoulders. I sat stiffly on the cushioned seat by the mirror as the maids fluttered about, tugging and fastening, whispering to each other with wary glances in my direction. No doubt they were wondering the same thing I was.
What had happened on my first night as a mate?
I had tried not to think about it. I had tried to sleep. To breathe. To forget.
But the soreness in my thighs, the bruises beneath the fabric, the cloak now folded and buried deep beneath my clothes like a hidden sin. They reminded me with every step that I had done something I couldn't name with someone I couldn't remember.
And worse… part of me didn't want to forget.
There was something about that night, something buried in the fire and fog that had felt right. Known. And I hated that I could not recall his face.
Why could it not have just been Roan?
It could have all been so easy.
The thought twisted in my stomach like a hook.
A soft knock at the door startled the maids, and one of them moved to open it, then hesitated when the voice on the other side slithered through.
"Let me in."
Nova.
I didn't have time to react before the door opened and she stepped inside, the very air tightening around her presence. Dressed in rich violet and gold, she looked radiant, as always, like a jewel polished for display. Her hair was coiled high in an intricate braid, her lips stained a crimson shade too bold for this early hour.
She was glowing.
Probably thanks to the wonderful night she had spent with my mate.
The maids curtsied and scattered like birds, each one eager to escape before the tension ignited.
And it did. Immediately.
Nova shut the door softly behind her and turned to face me, eyes flicking over me from head to toe with that calculating amusement she wore like a second skin.
"You look tired, darling," she said smoothly. "Rough night?"
I stood from my seat, smoothing my gown even though her gaze made me feel naked. "What do you want, Nova?"
She tilted her head, smiling faintly as if I had just asked something quaint.
"I just came to check on you," she said sweetly. "After last night. You know. Seeing Roan and me together." She leaned against the bedpost, her eyes glinting with false concern. "Must have been so hard on you."
My heart pounded in my ears.
She knew what she was doing. Pushing. Testing. Watching me for a crack.
I refused to give her one.
"I don't concern myself with side pieces," I said calmly. "I am Queen. You may enjoy the scraps, but I eat at the head of the table."
Nova's smile faltered, just a little.
I stepped closer, chin lifting. "You keep trying to draw blood, Nova, but you forget, you are not competing with me. I'm already wearing the crown."
Nova straightened, the lightness in her face slipping to reveal something darker beneath.
"Are you sure?" she asked, voice syrup-slick. "Because the way I see it… the only thing separating us is one bad night. Maybe two. And Roan already proved last night that he doesn't care who sees him with me."
A sliver of uncertainty slid into my spine.
I didn't know if it had been Roan in the garden. Part of me prayed it wasn't. Part of me… feared it was.
And Nova was watching my silence like a hawk.
She took a step forward, voice dipping into something quieter, sharper. "Tell me something, Arin. Did it sting? Watching him touch me like that? Knowing he chose me, even for a moment, over his precious little wolfless bride?"
I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to step back.
Nova's eyes glittered. "Do you really think that crown gives you power?"
She took a step forward and it took all of my will power to remain in place and now cower.
"Interesting." Nova chuckled softly. "It seems that you are indeed feeling like a queen. Old Arin would have slithered away to cry to daddy."
Her words pulled up memories of being constantly bullied by Nova. the one positive that i had thought would come after being mated was that i would be far away from Nova and her petty tricks
She pulled closer to me and her voice lowered. "I like it, it's going to make your fall harder and better to savour."
She reached into the folds of her robe and pulled out a small silver dagger so quick, so casual, it barely seemed threatening.
But I knew better.
The room tensed with something silent and ancient.
"I'll tell you what, Your Majesty," she said. "How about we test your power."
And before I could speak, she cut herself. Dragging the blade across the inside of her arm in a swift, practiced motion. Blood welled instantly, rich and red, glistening against her pale skin.
"What are you…"
Then she threw the dagger.
It came spinning through the air with a speed that caught my breath. Reflex made me jerk to the side, and the blade embedded itself with a thunk into the wooden pillar behind me.
I stared at it, heart thundering, pulse screaming.
Nova was already watching me with that sickeningly calm expression.
"Oh, don't look so shocked," she purred. "You want power? That's what it looks like. Being willing to bleed for it. Being willing to frame a queen for an attack if need be."
I turned to face her fully now, cold rage simmering in my chest.
"You are never going to give up these childish tricks are you," I said quietly. "You'd harm yourself just to destroy me."
"I would do anything," she whispered, stepping forward, eyes wild. "Because I deserve the crown. You're just a mistake. A pawn someone forgot to move off the board."
I stood tall, keeping my voice low but steady. "And yet, here I am. Queen. Married. Untouched."
That last word stung my throat even as I said it.
Nova's gaze sharpened.
Next came a loud piercing scream.