My stepsister, Nora, walked up to me with a smile. “Hi! You’re a little late for the party. What’s your name?”
Typical Nora. From young, she’s always wanted to be friends with the hot girls. She despised me so much as I brought a “stain to her name. A scarred lady being her sister.
Five years ago, she had slammed the door inh face, not letting me in despite my pleas. Now, she was being all nice.
I’m not here for the party,” I answered her coldly and looked away, scouring around for my father.
I found him in a corner with my stepmother and some guests. He was the reason I was here. I needed to know what was so urgent aside cutting ties with Roderick.
He had his eyes on me, staring suspiciously. I went toward him.
“Hey! Who are you?” Nora came after me, sounding a little hurt.
But I ignored her until I reached father.
My father was a well known Alpha, hence the party filled with dignitaries. I did well to bow my head to them as I stood before father.
“Who are you?” My stepmother asked.
I met her gaze with a smirk. “Am I that different that you can’t recognize me?” I looked to father. “What about Am I too different?”
Audible gasps rippled around me. Nora’s hand went over her mouth. you, father?
“It’s not possible,” she muttered, shaking her head.
“Lyric?” Father’s eyes were filled with shock and recognition.
“Who’s this impersonator?” My stepmother snapped. “Do you think we lack knowledge of what Lyric looks like? You think we’d fall for this scam?”
I focused my gaze on dad. “I’m only here ’cause you said there was something important you needed to talk to me about. If you don’t mind, I’d like for us to have that conversation now.”
Father took me to his study, leaving numerous shocked persons behind who couldn’t utter a word.
I wouldn’t deny how good it felt to know I was the reason they were speechless. They couldn’t call me ugly. As a matter of fact, I’d never be called ugly by anyone, ever again.
“What happened to you, Lyric? Your scar was impossible to get rid of,” Father asked.
“I don’t wish to discuss it now.” Or the horrible things that happened within five years. I was still trying to run from them. “Just tell me why you needed me here.”
“Yes, that.” his countenance soured. “You have no idea how happy I was when. I found you after searching for years. You just… vanished.” He sighed. “We have a problem, Lyric. Our Pack is in a deep mess with Darkspire. I-I made some mistake and lost a lot of money-a whole lot-making me indebted to Darkspire.”
Okay, I did not like where this was headed.
Darkspire was a generational wolf pack, known to produce only the strongest Alphas. The Alphas that always ranked first in the hierarchy system. They were avoided as much as possible as they were known to be vicious. One did not get tangled with them for any reason.
“If word of this gets out, we’d be doomed. We’d go go down the ranks, and coming from a pack that was used to being at the top, believe me, it is not a good thing for us. But they’re willing to let it go.” ense. I sensed a huge ‘But’ coming.
I furrowed my brows. It didn’t make any
“But they need a Luna from this family, for just year.”
LYRIC
It had to be a joke. Or at the very least, not what I was thinking.
Father’s eyes turned more serious as he moved toward me. “I thought of offering Nora to him, but she’s already with someone else, and the Alpha King might become furious if he thinks we’re trying to offer him someone else’s woman. This is the reason you’re the only choice we have, Lyric. And… you have no idea how perfect it is that you have your face back. Initially, I had been worried we’d have issues with the Alpha King accepting you, but now, I am confident he’ll be thrilled.”
“Hold on,” I scoffed, placing a hand on my thigh. “Please don’t tell me you made me travel all the way from Draconis just to be told that I am about to be sacrificed to a demon.”
No wolf was stranger to the name ‘ Darkspire. Even me who knew little of Pack matters still knew how dangerous they were and nobody wanted to have anything to do with them; not in this life, not in another.
“Alpha Jaris is not a demon,” Father said with surprise.
“But that is exactly what he is. Years ago, you said the same thing.”
Alpha Jaris Dreadmoor was the most vicious man I’d ever heard about. Tales of how he had conquered his enemies-and sometimes, his friends-were no news to the Pack. Being from a family that produced only the strongest Alphas, he was currently the Alpha King of Darkspire, a man everyone feared and didn’t wish to end in his bad books. I didn’t know what he looked like. I’d never been privileged enough to meet someone like Jaris Dreadmoor. Not that I ever wanted to.
“There are rumors that he killed his own father and brother!” I raised my hand in the air. “How do you want me to be with someone like that?”
“Those are mere speculations, Lyric. Besides, you’ll only be with him for a year.”
“You don’t need a year to kill someone, dad. All it takes is a minute, tops. But for someone like Jaris, I’m sure half a minute would do. Besides, why does it even have to be for a year?”
From what I heard, Darkspire didn’t have a Luna yet since Jaris’ rise to ascension. But if he wanted to take up a Luna, wouldn’t it be long term or something? Why was he only asking for a year?
“Honestly, I don’t know, Lyric.”
“And you don’t care,” I cut in, pain edging toward my heart. “All you care about is giving him a Luna so you can get the problem off your back. You don’t care about the problem you’re putting on mine.”
For a fraction of a second, wonder flashed across his face. The Lyric he knew would never argue with him. She’d have humbly agreed to anything he wanted. Well, let’s just say I got to know my worth when I realized how beautiful I was. This Lyric was tired of being people’s puppets.
Father came close enough to take my hand. This time, he looked so troubled, I feared he might go on his knees.
“Lyric, please.” He gave my hand a little squeeze. “This is the last I’ll ask of you as your father. Just do this for me, for only a year. And I promise, you’ll make me the happiest father.”
*****
Hours later, I stood in my room-or what used to be my room-staring at my reflection in the mirror. I was wearing a long red dress with my hair falling over my shoulder. I was fully ready to meet Alpha Jaris, even though I’d rather I don’t.
Something didn’t feel right. Him wanting a Luna for only a year…it was wrong. But father had nearly gone on his knees begging me earlier. I could disappoint him. Besides, before he got mated to his second wife, there were times he’d been good to me.
I tried to resist the temptation as I stared at the drawer before me. But failing woefully, I still opened it and retrieved the scan. My heart fractured completely, old wounds reopening.
(+50
It was the one picture in the world that had the power to kill me every single time I looked at it, yet it was like a drug to me. I was addicted and could barely go an hour without touching it. Feeling it.
A tear dropped from my eye as I glided my finger across the images outlining the shapes of the unborn babies in the womb.
Five years, yet still the best thing that’s happened to me. And the worse. But I’d rather hold onto the fact that it was the best.
It hurt so bad staring at them, but I couldn’t stop.
The sound of someone trying to open my door broke into my thoughts. I jerked back to reality and quickly hid the picture. I’d made sure to lock the door a while ago, not wanting anyone to see me with the photo.
Getting the door, I found Nora, fuming.
“How did you get rid of your scar?” Her voice blared with indignation. “And what exactly is your plan? You want everyone to see the beautiful you, don’t you?”
I rolled my eyes, my earlier pain dissolving temporarily. “Please, don’t tell me you knocked on my door just to whine about how good I look. What, you really thought I’d look that heinous forever?”
Her glare turned even icier. “Well, just so you know, this won’t change a thing between you and Roderick. Soon, he’ll be here, both of you would go to the temple and finish your breakup.”
It dawned on me instantly. Oh, no.
“Wait,” I blinked. “You and Roderick?”
A triumphant smile played on her lips. “Years ago, things didn’t work between us. But now, he’s ready to choose me.”
Well, if Roderick wasn’t a bigger bastard.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.