Teagan's POV

...

The maids, upon seeing me, became tense and quickly placed their right hand across their chest, bowing as they said words of greeting to me.

"You guys should get an award for gossiping," I told them in a cold tone, which I bet sent a thousand shivers racing down their spines.

They had no courage to look at me, so they kept their heads down. They even lowered themselves to the floor on their knees without me asking.

Well, that definitely saved me some saliva.

"How do you feel after everything you two just discussed?" I asked, crossing my arms before my chest.

None of them had the nerve to reply. I scoffed at their cowardice and kicked Emery in the gut. She doubled over in pain but barely let out a cry, choosing instead to endure it with gritted teeth. For fear of increasing my wrath, of course!

"You two, start slapping each other. Show no mercy." I ordered.

This would teach them not to mock someone while they were down.

A few minutes passed, and both were crying miserably as they poured all the strength they could muster into slapping each other.

"Now, pull at each other's hair. The person who pulls out the most hair will be spared my wrath."

I enjoyed watching as their faces became even paler.

"Y-your highness," Emery prostrated before me.

Charlotte also did the same, tears pouring down her cheeks.

I scoffed, "Looks like I've been too soft on you. Report to the disciplinary hall then. Tell the guards there to give you special treatment."

Hearing that, both stopped prostrating and started tugging at each other's hair.

"Keep at it. I'll be back to check on your progress. If you don't have at least a handful when I return, you will regret being born,"

Harrumphing, I continued onwards with Anastasia following after me.

After we'd given them some distance, Anastasia overtook me and fixed herself in my path.

I raised a questioning brow at her, "What's the meaning of this?"

"Your highness, pardon my question, but don't you think the punishment was too harsh. After all, everything they said was the truth."

"That's none of your business," I sidestepped her and continued onwards.

"Your highness, if word gets out that those two ended up bald and traumatised for life thanks to you, won't it be bad for your image? Besides, you are also ripe for marriage..."

I froze in my steps and turned to face her, a deep frown on my face. "Who are you to tell me what to do?"

She gulped, "I'm sorry, your highness. I just thought they didn't deserve such punishment. Teagan deserves everything that came her way. I bet even the goddess despises her; that's why her wolf is a cripple."

Hearing her aggravating words, I released the aura of Allegra's bloodline. Yes, she was an alpha she-wolf, and I knew how devastating her aura was, being a regular recipient in the past.

Anastasia's knees gave and she sank to the floor, whey-faced.

"Your highness... please, your aura... suffocating me," she managed to say while clasping at her throat, seeming like she was running out of air. "Forgive...please,"

I calmed myself down internally; only then did Anastasia sigh in relief.

"You'd better know your place and keep your stinky mouth closed when you have nothing useful to say," I told the maid, and without waiting for her response, continued walking.

I was to have breakfast with the Alpha and Luna—the parents who had treated my former body poorly. And I had resolved in my heart to pay them back for everything they did to me.

...

"We've arrived, my princess," Anastasia told me, drawing me back to reality.

The large golden doors were before me, and Anastasia opened them for me before bowing and turning to leave.

I crossed the dining hall's threshold and found a long table filled with numerous, mouth-watering dishes, their delightful aromas wafting over to my nose.

I took my seat opposite the Luna, with the Alpha seated at the head of the table, sporting spectacles, punching at the buttons of the mini laptop before him. I almost rolled my eyes. Typical of him— a workaholic.

"Good morning, sweetie," the Luna greeted warmly with a bright smile. Something my former body hadn't seen in a long time. "How was your night?"

I gazed at her and then at the food, "I'm famished,"

And then I started wolfing down the food, ditching the knife and fork. I wasn't cut out for that irksome stuff.

"Allegra," my mother called, annoyance noticeable in her tone.

I didn't answer her, I just stuffed my mouth with the food, showing next to zero table manners.

"Allegra!" She howled, this time slapping the table, causing the things on the table to make a rattling sound.

I raised my head to look at her, "I thought you had some memory loss. Thankfully, you still recall my name. I'm not sweetie, that's what you should be calling your husband."

"You... How dare you speak that way to your mother?" She raged.

"What way? Can you show me? Coz I can't see it," I said with brows crinkled.

"How dare you play dumb?"

"Thank you for the compliment," I continued eating the food, even placing a half-eaten chicken thigh on her plate. "Eat up, so you can have more strength. You can't yell on an empty stomach," I advised her.

"Allegra," it was the Alpha this time. He was releasing his Alpha aura, which felt oppressive. I couldn't even swallow the food in my mouth. "...it seems you've grown wings," he said icily.

I spat back the food onto the plate and stood up, looking behind my shoulders before returning my gaze to him, "What wings? I don't see any."

"You..." I could see him clench his fingers into fists. "Seems I spoiled you too much. Go back to your room. You're not allowed to step out of it."

"I see. But Dad, if I do develop wings like you said, I'm allowed to fly out through the window, right?"

"Allegra!" The Luna shot out of her seat and in seconds was standing in front of me, her fingers encircling my neck, eyes glowing golden, signifying she was a Beta werewolf.

I felt the pressure around my neck tighten, and oxygen was leaving me fast. But shortly after, she let go of me and smashed the table in two.

Wow! What might she possessed! 

I clutched at my throat, gasping for breath.

"Go kneel at the ancestral hall right this instant," she barked.

"Luna Wendy..."

"What did you just call me?"

"I believe your ears aren't just adornments, right?"

"You... You..." she clutched her chest, staring at me in disbelief.

I bet she was wondering how her usually sweet daughter morphed into this overnight.

"Dad has more authority than you do, Mother." I reminded her, "So, as his daughter whose wolf ranks way higher than yours, I chose to be in my room."

With that, I turned to leave.

"Stop right there!" My mom yelled just as I'd taken a few steps.

I paused in my tracks and turned to her with a quizzical brow lift.

"What? You want to feel who's actually stronger between the two of us?" I asked, a mocking lilt undisguised in my tone.

"You... if you still consider me your mother, head to the ancestral hall right now,"

"That's simple then." I replied with a casual shrug, "I simply have to consider you as an annoying old hag."

"Apologise to your mother," it was the Alpha.

He didn't look enraged, but an unsettling calm graced his features.

I knew why he wasn't punishing me outright. In a few days, the aged Lycan king would be visiting the pack, and it was no news that his crown prince was interested in wifing Allegra.

"I'm sorry, mother. I have something more important to do. So, I'll excuse myself. You two have fun," I flashed a provocative grin before turning to make my exit.

"If you step out that door..." 

I interrupted the Luna mid-warning. "I already did. So, do whatever you have in mind. Just remember, though, you have this one functioning daughter and no son. If I get fatally harmed, thanks to you, then just say goodbye to the royal line. Oh, I think there's still some hope. Your handmaid is already pregnant, right? Let's hope it's a son,"

With that, I exited the room, unmindful of the chaos I had just generated.