She was standing there

Poised yet startled, she stood with her hands held together, unsure whether to bow or step back.

Aurora.

Queen Vivian’s voice was warm but measured. “Princes, this is Princess Aurora of the Sapphire Pack. She’s agreed to stay with us for a time.”

Her words barely registered.

All I could think about was the way the air shifted around Aurora, the invisible pull drawing me forward. It wasn’t just a pull—it was a claim, a truth written into my blood.

Kael felt it too; I could see it in the way his usually guarded gaze softened.

Aurora noticed. Her lips curved in the faintest smile, the kind that knew exactly how dangerous it was.

She didn’t flinch when Kael stepped closer, didn’t look away when I studied her like I was memorizing every line of her face.

“You…” Kael’s voice was low, almost reverent.

Aurora tilted her head, feigning confusion. “Me?”

The Queen’s eyes flicked between us, and for once, she didn’t interrupt.

“Yes,” I said, the word tasting like possession. “You’re…” I didn’t finish, but the silence filled in the truth for me.

Aurora’s smile deepened. “I’m honored, Your Highnesses.”

It wasn’t an answer, not exactly, but it didn’t matter. I knew. Kael knew. She was ours.

Aurora didn’t look away, but something in her eyes hesitated. The air between us felt heavy, the scent curling around me, tugging at a thread deep inside my chest.

Kael’s jaw was tight. I knew that look—he was fighting the same urge I was, the need to reach out, to touch, to claim.

“You’ll be staying in the East Wing,” the Queen said smoothly, as though she couldn’t see how the air had thickened. “The maids will help you settle in. My sons will see to your protection while you are here.”

Her words were deliberate, almost too deliberate.

Aurora dipped her head. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Then her gaze slid back to me… then Kael. It lingered, like a promise, and my wolf growled in approval.

“I’ll escort her,” Kael offered suddenly, his voice steady but his hand curling into a fist.

“No,” I cut in before I could stop myself. “I will.”

Aurora’s lips twitched, the tiniest spark of amusement in her eyes, but she said nothing—just stood there, letting the tension between us gnaw at my control.

Mother's mouth curved, just slightly. “Neither of you. The guard will take her. You both have matters to attend to.”

It was an order, wrapped in velvet, but still an order.

Kael exhaled slowly through his nose. I kept my eyes on Aurora until the guard stepped forward and led her away. She didn’t look back, but her scent clung to the hall long after she was gone.

Kael’s voice was low, rough. “She’s ours.”

I didn’t argue. “Yes.”

And for the first time in days, the curse felt like a shadow I could outrun.

Liah’s POV

I leaned against the wall and exhaled slowly. In the span of one day, I had gone from a nameless recruit to the personal maid of the one woman I could least stomach—Aurora. All thanks to a spilled drink. If the gods had a sense of humor, it was cruel.

But it was fine. I told myself that again, softer this time. This only placed me closer to my enemies, and closer to the truth I’d come here for.

Aurora was a problem.

But the twins…

I closed my eyes, remembering the faint brush of their scent earlier that day—the one thing I couldn’t prepare myself for.

It had been like stepping into sunlight after years in the cold, but I couldn’t allow that warmth to distract me. My revenge was the only fire I needed.

Still, I needed information, and that meant making friends—or at least, useful allies.

That’s how I found myself sitting on the laundry steps later that night with Maris. She was older, sharp-eyed, and had a tongue like a whip, but she knew every rumor that passed through the palace.

Beside her was Tessa, a young kitchen maid with a round face and a habit of slipping me extra bread when she thought no one was looking.

“You’re in for it now, girl,” Maris said, tossing a damp sheet into a basket. “That princess will eat you alive if you let her. Pretty on the outside, teeth like a wolf on the inside.”

Tessa leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Have you heard about the princes? They’re cursed. Some say they won’t see the end of the year.”.

I forced a light laugh, though my pulse quickened. “Sounds like kitchen gossip to me.”

“Maybe,” Maris shrugged, “but Queen Vivian’s been pacing the halls at night. And guess who arrived just in time to… comfort them?” Her smile was sly.

“Aurora. Walked in like she owned the place. Already has the twins looking her way.” Tessa said

I smiled faintly, tucking away every word.

Maris kept talking, her voice low like she was telling me something dangerous. “They say a witch cursed them. Blood, love, betrayal—it’s all mixed in. No one knows the whole truth, but every time the princes try too hard, they grow weak.”

I looked between them, feigning mild curiosity while my mind raced. “And the Queen just… lets Aurora near them?”

“Oh, she more than lets her,” Maris snorted. “She’s grooming her. Aurora’s been parading around in gowns that make half the guards drool. Like she’s already Luna.”

Tessa leaned toward me again, her whisper almost conspiratorial. “They say the princes have found their mate. And guess what? It’s her.”

Maris wrung out another sheet. “You’ll see she’ll be queen before the season ends. Pretty face, noble blood, and now both princes chasing after her.”

Tessa giggled, covering her mouth. “I heard Kael he’s the quieter one, offered to walk her to her chambers tonight.”

“And Rael?” I asked, careful to sound casual, just another maid feeding on gossip.

“Oh, he’s worse,” Maris snorted. “The kind who thinks he’s not looking when he’s looking. Always watching her, like she’s the moon itself. If she’s smart, she’ll have them both wrapped around her fingers by week’s end.”

I took a bite of the bread Tessa gave me, chewing slowly as her words sank in. The twins liked Aurora? Good. If they were busy with her, they wouldn’t see me working in the dark.

“She’s not just smart,” Tessa whispered. “She’s dangerous. My cousin works with the tailors, and they said Aurora ordered gowns in the Crimson colors—deep red and gold. That’s not fashion, that’s a statement.”

Maris grinned. “The queen’s colors. Bold for someone who just arrived.”

The two women laughed quietly together, but I stayed quiet, my gaze fixed on the stone floor.

I could ignore Aurora’s beauty. I could endure her vanity. But her grip on the palace—the princes, the queen—that was danger. And danger had to be dealt with.

**

Maris leaned back against the table, arms crossed. “So tell us Marin. Where’d they pluck you from?”

I tore another piece of bread and waited a moment—just long enough to make it seem like I was thinking, not hiding.

“South border. Small pack. Nothing worth writing about.” I shrugged like it was a boring truth, not a lie I’d been sharpening for weeks.

Tessa tilted her head. “South border? That’s a long way from here. What made you come all this way for palace work?”

I smiled faintly, the kind of smile people give when they’d rather not talk about something. “My pack fell apart. Leaders gone. I needed food and work. Heard the palace pays better than farms.”

It wasn’t a complete lie—pieces of truth were the best kind of cover.

Maris’s eyes narrowed, but not in suspicion—more like curiosity. “Hybrid, aren’t you? You’ve got that… look.”

I swallowed a sip of water before answering. “Father was a wolf. Mother wasn’t. Not much of either side wanted me.”

They went quiet for a moment, the air turning softer with a hint of pity. I kept my eyes down, looking like someone who just wanted to disappear.

“Hmm,” Maris finally muttered, reaching for another loaf. “Well, you’ll do fine here if you keep your head down. The queen’s sharp-eyed. She’ll know if you’re trouble.”

I forced a laugh. “Then I’ll make sure I’m invisible.”

Invisible. The best place to strike from.