Elena hated everything about the Eastern witch.
She hated the way she walked with her head held high, as if the entire world was beneath her.
She hated the way she spoke, she hated the confidence and arrogance she wore like a crown and most of all, Elena hated the way Aurelia moved through her home like she belonged there.
Like she had always belonged there.
Her marriage to Darius was supposed to be a fairytale.
She was supposed to be the princess who stood beside the powerful Alpha.
He was supposed to be her prince, and together they were supposed to bring prosperity to their packs.
But every fairytale had a villain.
And hers had arrived with silver hair, a sharp tongue, and a supposed child that had destroyed everything before it even began.
Elena had told Darius she would tolerate the witch.
She had forced herself to say those words because she was not some jealous girl who couldn’t accept losing.
She was the future Luna of the Crimson Fang Pack.
She had a duty to uphold.
But at breakfast, after Aurelia had sat there with that infuriating calmness and thrown every insult back without even raising her voice, Elena’s patience had begun to crack.
The witch had been here for less than a day.
Less than a day!
And already she had turned Elena’s life upside down.
The cold northern air followed Elena as she walked through the halls of Darius’s mansion.
Wind slipped through the cracks of the stone walls, carrying the scent of snow and pine.
The flames from the nearby torches flickered as she passed, their warmth barely reaching through the chill that surrounded the castle.
Her maid, Lucia, walked beside her, quiet and obedient as always.
The soft sound of their footsteps echoed against the polished floors.
Ahead, voices caught her attention.
Elena looked up.
There she was.
Aurelia stood with her two companions, completely at ease despite being surrounded by people who despised her.
The witch had changed into warmer clothing, a deep-colored cloak wrapped around her shoulders.
Her silver hair was braided beautifully, woven into a crown-like style that only added to her unbearable confidence.
Her posture was perfect.
Her expression was calm.
And when she saw Elena approaching, that familiar smug smile appeared.
Elena’s hands curled slightly at her sides.
For a brief moment, she imagined grabbing that silver hair and dragging the witch out of the pack herself.
Out of the mansion.
Out of Darius’s life.
But she couldn’t.
No matter how much she hated Aurelia, no matter how much she wanted this nightmare to disappear, the truth remained.
The witch carried Darius’s heir.
And until that child was born, Aurelia had a place here.
A place Elena had spent years dreaming of having.
And no matter how much she wished to rip out that child from her womb she couldn’t.
Soon, she stood in front of her.
“Luna.” The title felt like a mockery from her lips.
Aurelia stepped closer, her grey eyes studying her with quiet amusement.
“I didn’t think I would see you so soon after breakfast.”
“Neither was I.”
The words were forced through a tight smile.
Elena’s eyes drifted past Aurelia and toward her companions.
They understood immediately, giving her a small nod before stepping aside, clearing the path.
But Aurelia didn’t move.
“I really hope we can get along, Luna,” Aurelia said with a small sigh, the words almost sounding genuine.
Almost.
Then she walked past her.
Her companions followed closely behind, leaving Elena standing there in the cold silence of the hallway.
For a moment, she didn’t move.
She hadn’t even realized her fingers had curled into fists until her nails dug so deeply into her palm that the sharp sting brought her back to reality.
Elena slowly looked down.
A small mark had been left behind.
Without saying a word, she turned and marched toward the quarters where her father was staying.
The guards outside barely had time to react before she pushed the doors open.
Alpha Frisk sat near the fireplace, the orange glow of the flames reflecting against the polished surface of the blade in his hands.
He ran a cloth along the sword carefully, his expression calm despite the chaos that had surrounded them since yesterday.
“That witch has to go.” Elena didn’t bother with a greeting.
“I can’t stand her.”
She stormed toward the nearby table, grabbing the decanter sitting there.
The amber liquid inside swirled as she poured herself a good amount before throwing it back.
It burned down her throat the same way she wanted to burn Aurelia.
“She ruined everything,” Elena spat, placing the glass down harder than necessary.
Lucia quietly stepped inside behind her before closing the doors, giving them privacy.
“Everything.” Her voice cracked slightly.
“The wedding.
The alliance.
My future.”
Her eyes turned toward her father.
“That woman walked in here for one day and destroyed everything I was supposed to have.”
Alpha Frisk slowly rose from his chair.
His tall build cast a shadow over his daughter as he stood before her.
He said nothing at first.
The only sound in the room was the soft crackling of the firewood behind him and Elena’s uneven breathing.
Slowly, he reached out and brushed away the golden strand of hair that had fallen over her face before cupping her cheeks.
He let her breathe.
He let the sound of her angered heaving fill the room until it slowly faded away.
When she finally calmed down, Elena looked him in the eye.
“Kill her, Daddy.” Her voice was quiet, but the hatred behind it was clear.
“Drive her out.
Anything.”
For a moment, Alpha Frisk simply looked at his daughter.
Then his thumb moved gently against her cheek.
“If that is what my Sundrop demands…”
His voice was calm.
“…then that is what I will do.”
Elena stared at him for a second before the anger on her face finally broke.
She stepped forward and hugged him.
He held her without hesitation.
The witch had caused his Sundrop so much trouble with her presence.
Killing her would be a mercy.
___
Aurelia sat near the window, staring down at the warriors standing outside. Get faster updates on g.com.
They stood in small groups, talking about things she could barely hear through the thick walls.
Their voices blended with the howling of the northern wind, nothing more than distant murmurs beneath the stormy sky.
She watched the snowflakes fall from the grey clouds above, landing on the cold stone platform before melting into nothing.
This place was so boring.
White surrounded her everywhere she looked.
Nothing like the vibrant tropical of her island.
It was all white skies, white snow.
White landscapes that stretched endlessly.
And the wind…
The wind seemed determined to remind her every second that she was far from home, biting against her skin with a coldness that felt almost personal.
The sound of the door creaking open pulled her attention away from the window.
She turned, expecting to see Clover or Diane returning from wherever they had disappeared to earlier.
Instead, Darius stood there.
His brown hair was slightly tousled, his breathing uneven.
From the slight sheen of sweat on his skin, he had probably just returned from a run.
Or training.
“And to what do I owe this blessed visit?” she asked, folding her arms across her chest.
Darius ignored the sarcasm.
“That stunt you pulled at the dining hall today with Elena.”
He stepped closer.
“Don’t do it again.”
Aurelia’s eyes narrowed.
“Excuse me?”
“You will not upset her again.” His voice hardened.
“Especially not in front of the pack.”
He stepped closer when she opened her mouth to respond.
“You may be carrying my child, but that does not give you the right to disrespect the authority of this pack.”
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then Darius stepped back, dragging a hand through his hair as if trying to calm himself.
“You’re so insufferable” she heard him mutter under his breathe.
Aurelia stared at him.
Of course.
That was all he saw her as.
A problem.
A disruption to the perfect life he had been building before she arrived.
“I don’t plan on undermining her,” she said, her voice controlled.
“But you all make it rather easy when you give a little girl a title she has done nothing to earn.”
She stood from her seat, meeting his eyes.
“I don’t plan on involving myself in anything about this pack.”
His jaw clenched.
Good.
At least she knew she had gotten through to him.
The silence stretched between them.
Then she spoke.
“Get out.
Seeing you makes my blood boil”
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