Samantha stood frozen in the library, staring in excitement at the official letter in her hands. Her gaze locked on the royal seal, the wolf and dragon emblem of the North pressed deep into the wax at the bottom left.
The letter had arrived that morning, before the Bennington household roused from sleep. Just the previous afternoon, rumors had reached the pack that the Alpha King’s unknown guest was missing from the mansion.
Samantha had tried not to show her excitement. Even when her father glanced in her direction during an important pack meeting, she had maintained an emotionless face. But inside, her wolf was howling for joy.
She didn’t need to dig deeper to know the brat was dead. She knew Arrow wouldn’t disappoint. A deadly assassin never failed to destroy his target.
She imagined Dorian, heartbroken over the loss of his little pet. Whether he found a corpse or not, the fact remained; she had successfully removed the hurdle standing between her and the Luna title.
Now, she stared at the letter, wondering what it contained. Had Dorian finally returned to his senses and sent for her? Was he finally going to marry her after keeping her waiting for five years? She was eager to tear into the letter, but anxious with anticipation.
Behind her, the library door opened and Seth entered, holding a glass of scotch. He glanced at the letter she held, took one look at her, and instantly read the expression on her face.
"Someone looks happy," he muttered, going towards the shelves to pull out a finance document.
Samantha’s lips curled into a smug smile as she waved the parchment in the air.
"I got a letter from the Northern court council. And just yesterday, I heard some rumors concerning the little trash Dorian found."
Seth paused. He released the document and slowly turned around, a strange glint flashing across his brown eyes.
"What rumors?" he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Is she...?"
"Dead? Well, that depends," Samantha turned and sank gracefully into one of the sofas. "Is Arrow a skilled assassin who always gets the job done?"
"Without fail," Seth said.
"Then I guess I won’t have to worry about some worthless stray stealing Dorian’s attention from me," Samantha said smugly. She leaned back and crossed her legs, tapping the sealed letter on the armrest.
Seth didn’t think his sister would actually go through with it. But now that he thought about it, it was better they got rid of the girl before she became a huge distraction. They needed the wealth of the North.
"Well," he continued, gesturing toward the letter she held. "Open it. Let’s see what it says."
Samantha couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer. She ripped through the wax seal and unfolded the parchment, her eyes eagerly scanning the elegant cursive message.
A sharp gasp escaped her, and with it came a shrill, high-pitched squeal.
"I’m getting married!" she jumped to her feet and dashed toward the door, leaving Seth standing behind, a dark smirk spreading across his face.
She raced straight through the hallway toward her father’s study. She had to let him know. She kicked off her indoor slippers as she ran, tearing up the stairs and ignoring the servants who bowed.
Without knocking, she shoved the door open and barged in.
"Daddy! I did it! The plan worked!"
She had barely crossed the threshold when she froze. Her father was in the middle of an important corporate meeting with two officials from the company.
One of them slowly turned and glared sternly at Samantha, before turning back to Reynold and shaking his head.
Reynold swallowed the curse that almost slipped out of his mouth. He sat up, his expression strangely calm, though his eyes were furious.
"Samantha, how many times have I told you to knock before coming in?"
Samantha didn’t care about the officials. She barely acknowledged the fact that she had intruded rudely on a crucial business meeting.
"I had to tell you," she said in her defense, stepping forward. "I couldn’t wait. Besides, I had no idea you were occupied."
The same official cleared his throat and rose to his feet, buttoning his suit jacket as his companion stood beside him.
"To be continued, Alpha Reynold," he muttered. "Perhaps you should have your children in order before scheduling an exclusive meeting in your residence."
"My deepest apologies, Sir Gregory," Reynold rose, quickly offering his hand for a handshake.
But Gregory ignored it entirely and turned, shooting Samantha a look of disapproval before walking out of the room with his companion.
The moment the door clicked shut, Reynold turned his full annoyance on Samantha.
"What exactly is your problem?" he snarled, his voice low with rage. "First, you boldly steal from the treasury! Then you humiliate me in front of my investors. Haven’t you brought enough disgrace to the family without adding more?"
Stung by his scathing words, Samantha marched forward and slammed the letter on his desk.
"This disgraceful daughter of yours is marrying the Alpha King of the North one week from today."
Reynold’s expression changed instantly. He snatched up the letter, his eyes reading through the message rapidly.
Suddenly, a broad, sweeping smile appeared on his face, chasing off the dark scowl.
"We did it," he said, spreading his hands open. "You will finally be the Luna Queen. The North is ours."
Samantha snatched the letter back from his fingers and stepped away, her gaze haughty. "Do you still think I am a disgraceful daughter, Father?"
"Enough of that," he dismissed, waving her question aside. "What matters is that our ascension is back on track. Once the Alpha King weds you, we will take over the North’s assets to replenish our own territory!"
He stepped away from the desk, a rare look of genuine pride on his face. He placed his hands around her shoulders and pressed a firm kiss to her forehead, a gesture he had never done.
"You have done exceptionally well, Samantha," he praised darkly. "But your duty isn’t over yet. Until you bear the Alpha King’s name and carry his son in your belly, it is not fully over."
"I know that," Samantha said, stepping away from his embrace to maintain her composure. "One at a time. What matters now is preparing for the ceremony. After that, the rest will come."
"Good," Reynold nodded, his eyes gleaming. "And the wolfless girl?"
A dark smile curved Samantha’s lips. "Let’s just say she won’t be showing her face ever again."
"There’s the daughter I raised," Reynold said with wicked glee. "Do not let anything stand in your way. Take what belongs to you by force, no matter what."
Samantha nodded, feeling a massive rush of accomplishment as Reynold praised her. This was exactly what she wanted. His praise. His absolute pride in her. His approval.
As the older twin, she had taken it upon herself to be the ruthless heir he wanted, the favorite child.
In that moment, she completely blocked out how he had dragged her to the dungeons just days ago, whipping her mercilessly as punishment for stealing the gold to hire Arrow.
The raw whip lacerations were still healing, making her skin sting painfully under her clothes, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was the look of pride on his face.
Later that evening, while the pack healer applied a thick, soothing ointment on the fresh whip marks on her back, a soft knock sounded.
"Mistress Samantha? I have another letter for you," a maid spoke in a timid voice.
"Wait out there!" Samantha snapped.
The healer finally applied the last of the ointment and straightened to his full height.
"That should speed up your healing, Miss Bennington," he murmured. "Ensure you do not lie on your back tonight. By morning, the wounds should be entirely closed."
"Thank you, Cole," Samantha murmured. She carefully pulled on her silk robe, shielding her bare body as the healer gathered his supplies and quietly left the room.
Once he was gone, she glanced toward the door. "Come in, Cali."
Her personal maid, Cali, pushed the door open and hurried to her side. She gave a low bow and held out a small, brown envelope.
"A high-ranking guard from the Northern pack delivered this just a few minutes ago," she reported. "He said it’s from the Alpha King."
Samantha’s curiosity piqued. Dorian sent a letter? Why didn’t he just text her instead?
"Thank you, Cali. You may leave."
Cali curtseyed and quietly exited, shutting the door behind her.
Samantha ripped the envelope open, her eyes locking onto the curved handwriting across the inner page. There was no royal seal.
’In five days time, be at the Northern border with your father and brother. Don’t be late.
That was it. No greeting, no formal pleasantries. Just a cold, direct command.
It should have set off alarms in her head, but blinded by her own arrogance, she merely let out a delighted laugh. Dorian was clearly demanding her presence early to finalize the wedding arrangements.
A wide, victorious smile stretched her lips as she carefully lay on her side across the bed. In a matter of days, she would be Luna Samantha Hellborne, Luna Queen of the North.