Kaela's POV.

"When the Black-Fur Lycans attacked, I lost my people, including my parents. Your species failed to send armies to support the fight, but instead they sent gifts. They call it an act of sympathy. Want to know what mine is?" Caius's gaze lingers a second longer, no ounce of empathy in it.

He yanks the bar iron. "I grow to conquer your world. One by one, I take them, and your Kingdom is the last. Your parents wanted to hide you away but I found them before they could and ended them. Would have done the same to you, however, you're a special one. So, I did my research. Turned out you're the key to my ultimate weapon. While I can't use your blood forcefully, all I needed was your welcoming embrace, and you gave me that."

My frown deepens, eyes searching Caius's face for anything—for that man who loved me even to a day ago. "Your acceptance into marriage, consummation, and marking you as my own. It was all the permission to access your gifts without your consent."

"You know, you didn't have to fuck her though." Seraphine's voice echoes in the little space, causing Caius to roll his eyes.

"I fucking had her groomed from childhood. Think I'd let that body go just like that." Caius sneers.

Down on all fours, I chuckle inwardly. I am used by him, down to my body. I have no dignity anymore. He stole that from me!

"You're a wretched coward. You lost your family and this is your best way of avenging their death? At the expense of my life?" My voice deepens, a quaking anger erupting within me. "And Seraphine, what did I do to deserve this from you?"

"Did you hear this bitch?"

I punch the ground, locking my eyes on hers. "Speak for yourself and stop hiding behind Cai—that bastard!"

Seraphine storms closer. "All my life, I wasn't seen because of you. Even when you're a nonshifter, they made you queen."

"I was disrespected. I wasn't seen either." I counter but she spits back.

"The council calls you for anything before passing a decree. You're a spoilt brat who doesn't deserve the throne or my parents."

"What?"

"Caius made my parents take care of you for his political games, all to this day. You don't understand my suffering so don't look at me with that judgemental face!" She yells. I look at Caius, then back to her.

I laugh when it abruptly clicks. "Caius was a monster to you too but you wouldn't betray him because I'm a nonshifter which gives us a lesser chance in winning against him. An—And my parents aren't my parents, but they are yours?" I whisper to myself at the end. "Then, what the fuck is even real?"

This is utterly confusing. If the ones I think parents are Seraphine's, then he must have something against them to compel them to keep up the façade for all the 22 years of my life.

Reason why Seraphine hates me but why would she end up with Caius, the same monster who stole her life and parents from her? For power? Or something else that I'm not seeing?

Basically, my entire life is a lie. Even my queenship never existed. Caius could have snatched it anytime but he needed me to trust him because of my...blood gifts?

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"Conscience. To let you know you're suffering your parents' wrongdoings." He stands up.

Caius collects a flute-like object from Seraphine. He points it at me, blows into it, and something prickles my skin.

"Ten minutes from now, you'll sleep off. Only for about an hour. During that time, my men will take you someplace faraway. There, you'll die and all of this will be forgotten. This story will be mine. My name will be in history. Not yours." He cups his arm around Seraphine and they both turn to the exit.

I run to the lock and lash at it. "I curse your womb, Seraphine! I pray to you an agonising journey for the rest of your life! And you, Caius, I curse your soul! I pray that when you die, you rot in the darkest pit of hell!

I'm breathing hard by the time I finish, my sight and limbs starting to give up on me.

The darkness soon takes over.

~~~

When I wake up, I find myself inside the woods. The sound of crickets and the glaring rays of moonlight is my only company. My muscles are weak to struggle my way out. It's even impossible to get out of vintage ropes like these.

"Goddess, I can't take this anymore. The one I loved from childhood has cast me out of my own pack and stolen my life. The one I called sister has taken my place and reeks of hatred. The one I called parents are pawns in a game I never realised until now. I have nothing and no one. Why did you let this happen to me?"

My tears rip through me, erupting softly from the deepest parts of my soul, heart, and mind.

I have many questions that I'll never live past tonight to hear their answers.

Who am I? Why does my blood have gifts related to Black-Fur Lycans? Who are my real parents? What am I, now that everything has been stripped from me?

I can't even scream for help if I wanted to, so I retain the sight of the moon, whispering soft prayers, for help...anyone. Suddenly, a large beast shadows the moon, its snarl drenching my skin with saliva.

My body freezes but in that moment, I lose myself within its black eyes. Inside them, when I look further, I see a shade of dwindling grey glow, begging for freedom.

Realisation dawns on me—he is a Black-Fur Lycan, under the curse of the full moon. I've never seen one before, and this is no way I imagined my first time.

My heart hammers harder when he bares his fangs at me. "No, please. Goddess!"

Helpless, a glass-shattering shriek tears through me as his fangs sink into my neck.