[Eliana’s POV]
A soft breeze blows, causing the daffodils that surround me to tickle my skin as I stare off in the distance, waiting for the familiar figure that I have come to hold dear. He promised to come no matter what today since it was my birthday, but so far there hasn’t been an appearance.
My birthday… Ha, this was the first time I had ever actually been the slightest bit excited about celebrating it, and it only took me sixteen years to get here.
Since a long time ago, I had deemed the day I was born as the day that my misfortune had begun. Born to a bloodthirsty tyrant and a whore, I was considered a disgrace and a reminder of infidelity that I had no choice in.
Maybe if my father hadn’t been so desperate to fuck any woman that showed him even the slightest bit of interest, I wouldn’t have been brought into the cold palace to be used as a pawn to unite the packs of Elgin and Brawn.
Shivering, I try to forget the cold eyes of Trent Dupris, the future alpha of Brawn. He was a good twenty years older than me, but those eyes that took me in were full of hunger and malice. I knew that if I were to truly be given away to him when I turned eighteen, my life would become a living hell.
"If only I had been given a wolf," I whisper, burying my face in my knees so that my long brown hair cascades around me like a shield that will protect me from the painful emotions that are threatening to drown me. "Maybe then Father wouldn’t just throw me away to some foreign pack that wants me to simply create a strong heir, but after that, what would happen to me? Would I just be thrown away as I always was? Or would I be kept to become a baby-making machine?
None of those outcomes sounded ideal, but who was I to fight when I had no power?
Taking in a shaky breath, I try to push away the suffocating feeling of foreboding that I always felt when I thought of my future. Today wasn’t the day for this, today was the day to celebrate with the only person who brought me peace and comfort in the darkness that was my life.
As if summoned by my distinct need for his presence, Zane appears, and his comforting scent of aftershave and musk reach my nose.
Letting a small smile play across my lips I wait until he comes into full view in front of me.
As he stares down at me with his hooded gray eyes, I find myself getting lost in him. Even though I had known him for many years, I still couldn’t stop myself from taking him in like it was the first time I saw him all over again.
"Stared enough?" he smirks, causing his tan face to light up. "I feel like I’m being violated by your eyes."
"Who would want to violate you?" I grumble, blushing and tearing my gaze away. "I’m not like your many admirers."
This much was true. Since he was young, Zane has always been the center of attention. With his good looks and open personality, women easily gravitated toward him. However, none of them were ever able to win his affections, and that was something I was thankful for.
"Of course my little Lana isn’t like them," Zane chuckles, holding out a large hand to me. "Are you just going to sit there, or are you going to give me a hug? We haven’t seen each other in quite a while."
Letting a slow smile spread across my face, I grab his hand and feel a wave of warmth rush through me, eliminating any lingering feelings of unease and sorrow that I may have been feeling.
Once I’m on my feet, I wrap my arms around Zane’s waist and hug him, burying my face in his broad chest so that his scent wraps around me and the sound of his heart soothes me.
"I’ve missed you," I whisper, not daring to look up to see what expression he could possibly be making due to my words. "I’m glad you managed to make time for me today."
"Of course I did," he responds, pulling me close. "How could I possibly miss my little Lana’s sixteenth birthday?"
"It’s nothing special." I grumble, feeling my cheeks flush.
"Nothing special?"
Gasping, I find myself being pulled back just enough so that Zane can take me in with a disapproving look on his face.
"How is this day not important?" he demands, clearly upset with me. "It is the day that you came into the world; it is..."
"A reminder of my illegitimacy," I finish for him.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to think of yourself that way?" Zane sighs, lifting a hand and touching my cheek. "No matter what others say to you, that is never true. You are…"
"I’m what?"
I wasn’t quite sure why I wanted to hear what he said, but something about the look on his face left me on edge. What exactly was it that he couldn’t say?
There had been many moments like this with him. Each time it would be after I said something that he didn’t approve of, but each time he would start, he would abruptly stop. No amount of bugging would get him to finish after that, but I still couldn’t help but push.
"Now isn’t the time," Zane mutters, shaking his head. "Not yet."
"What? Why?"
Instead of responding, he begins to dig in his pocket and pulls out a small box.
Gasping, I watch as he holds it out to me with a look of both excitement and anticipation on his face.
"Are you going to take it?" he asks when I continue to not move. "My arm is getting tired."
"Oh, right."
Extending a shaky hand, I take the box and stare down at it as if it were a foreign item that I wasn’t familiar with.
"Open it."
Lifting my gaze, I once again take in Zane’s uncomfortable expression. What in the world was in this box that would leave him like this? This most certainly wasn’t the cool and sure man that I had grown to know.
Slowly, I look back down and open the box.
Eyes growing wide, I take in the golden chain that rests against a velvet pillow. It’s nothing special, but to me, it is the most exquisite bracelet that I have ever seen.
"Is this really for me?" I ask, lifting my gaze to Zane. "It couldn’t have been cheap."
"Price doesn’t matter," Zane assures me, lifting the chain out of the box and placing it on my wrist. "Not when it comes to my little Lana."
With each word that leaves his lips, I feel my heart rate kick up. Could now be the time to express my feelings? The atmosphere around us felt just right.
"Zane," I begin, but stop as he shakes his head.
"Not now," he repeats, giving me a serious look. "There’s something that I need to tell you and something I want you to promise me."
I wasn’t sure why, but the way he said the words left me with an onslaught of emotions that I couldn’t quite process. Why did Zane suddenly look so serious, and why did that look leave me feeling so uneasy.
"What’s wrong?" I ask when he continues to stay silent. "Why aren’t you saying anything?"
"Little Lana," he begins, reaching out and grabbing my hands. "There’s something I’ve been keeping from you for some time now."
"Go on."
Even though I knew I didn’t want to hear what came next, I was going to be told anyway, so I wanted to get it over with.
"I’m being sent to the battlefield," Zane sighs, his expression growing serious. "My father has decided that in order to prove my worth, I must come back a hero."
"But..." I begin, not wanting to accept this. "Why do you need to do something like that? Can’t you simply take on the family business?"
From what I knew, Zane came from a family of merchants that owned a few shops in Brawn. They lived comfortably, and Zane was meant to take over once his parents retired.
"Why have they suddenly decided to send you off to war?"
I knew that it wasn’t cute to throw a tantrum, but the thought of losing the only light in my life left me shaken beyond belief.
"Please, don’t leave me."
"Little Lana, listen to me!" Zane gasps as sobs begin to overtake me.
"No! I don’t want to!" I cry. "No, you can’t leave me without you I’ll die, without you…"
"Little Lana!"
Before I can react, Zane’s lips are crashing into mine, stopping any further protest that may escape me. For a moment, I can’t process what is happening and find myself wondering if this was all a dream.
"Have you calmed down now?" Zane asks, pulling away while I continue to stare dumbly at him. "Please listen to me. I didn’t agree to this for my family, I did it for you!"
"For me?" I whimper, finally coming back to my senses. "Why on earth would you do this for me? I don’t want that!"
"If I prove myself, then I have a chance of taking you away from King Henry’s clutches." Zane continues, his eyes growing dark. "Please believe in me."
"But…"
"No, buts, Little Lana," Zane murmurs gently. "Just trust in me and wait for me, okay?"
"Okay," I respond, unable to think of anything else to say. "I’ll wait for you."
[Eliana’s POV]Later that evening, I lay in bed, staring at the golden chain that rested against my skin. I still couldn’t believe the events that took place earlier in the day. Despite hoping that Zane shared the same feelings as me, I held no hope that it would be true.Beaming, I touch my lips as images of that kiss begin to play across my mind."Oh gosh," I whisper, covering my face. "I’m sure I’m a blushing fool."Letting out a sigh, I allow myself to have hopes for the future where I never would have even thought of doing so. Since being brought to Elgin after my mother’s death, my whole life has been planned out for me. But now, for the first time in sixteen years, I felt like maybe there would be a light at the end of my dark tunnel."Zane," I sigh, sitting up and making my way toward the tiny, barred window that was my only view of the outside world. "Please don’t make me wait too long."As the words leave my lips, I stare down at the ground below to find that something is of
[Eliana’s POV] "Oh, she looks so much better cleaned up," Madam Ophilia announces. "You’ll most certainly earn me quite a bit. Tell me, girl, how old are you?" After being washed from top to bottom, I was sent off to Tumescere House, where Madam Ophilia and her henchmen were waiting to prepare me to become nothing more than a breeder. It was amazing how no matter where I seemed to end up, the final result was always the same… I was simply meant to help some men procreate. I don’t respond as she waits patiently for me. Why would I? What was the worst that she could do? Beat me? I was already used to that. Would she kill me? Great, that was even better than being made into a thing to be used to create life with. I wasn’t afraid of whatever it was that she would throw at me. "Madam Ophilia asked you a question, bitch!" My captor growled, grabbing my hair and tugging. "You’d be wise to answer her." "Fuck you!" I growl, earning myself a slap that sends me crashing to the ground right
[Zane’s POV]I didn’t want to come to this damn wedding, especially knowing that the bride-groom would be Trent. For weeks, I argued with my father about it, but in the end, here I was sitting in the crowd, staring up at Trent’s smug face.Since I was young, I had always been compared to this bastard and told that I needed to be more like him because, according to my father, I was too soft, too dumb, and just not on par with the great alpha of Brawn. Maybe it was because of this deep-rooted hatred that I wanted to do something to one-up Trent. Maybe that was the reason I approached her from the start.At first, I was simply curious about the young woman that would end up being his luna. I wanted to see if she was just as outstanding as him. Imagine my surprise when I found that young girl curled up crying underneath a tree that rainy day. She was absolutely nothing like I expected, and that, well, at first, was disappointing.She was mediocre in looks at best; at least that was what
[Eliana’s POV]"Do you, Eliana Wright, take Trent Dupris to be your lawful wedded husband…"I zone in and out as the priest repeats the necessary vows to bind Trent and I as husband and wife. This was all just for show in the end, and I was just ready for it to end."....To have and to hold, in sickness or in health, till death do you part…""I do," I murmur, keeping my gaze fixed on Trent’s despite everything in me screaming no."And do you, Trent…"Zoning out again, I wait until Trent’s turn to speak. Once that’s finished, we exchange rings, and before I can stop it, Trent is kissing me for all to see.When it ends, I have to fight the urge to gag; after all, I’m supposed to be playing the part of the perfect bride, and if I were to show my complete and utter disdain for even being kissed by Trent, I’d ruin that show."Try running away now," Trent whispers as we turn to face the congregation that is now standing and applauding. "I’ll hunt you down and kill you.""I haven’t thought o
[Zane’s POV]"Forget?" I growl, trying to ignore the fiery pain that is beginning to form in my chest. "How could you ask me to forget?""Because it is less painful for you that way."Each word that leaves Eliana’s lips is like a stab to the heart. After all the years we spent together, all the promises we made, and everything we went through, how could she possibly act so cold and indifferent? This wasn’t the Little Lana I knew."What happened to you?" I murmur, refusing to accept the reality laid out before me. "Why are you being like this?""Because this was me all along."With a sad smile, she pulls her hands free of mine and takes a few steps back. Once she is out of reach, she gives a slight bow."I thank you for all your support back then; you truly were my light," she begins, preparing for the final blow. "But I think we both know now that our foolish delusions of a happy ending or a different life were nothing more than the ridiculous beliefs of two young people who didn’t kn
[Alexandria’s POV]"Whatever you’re planning," Zane growls as I watch Rosemary head in the direction Eliana went. "Don’t.""I don’t know what you mean."I remain calm as his dark eyes examine my face as if he is searching for what I’m supposed to be planning, according to him."You’re too paranoid," I giggle, gently touching his arm. "Not everyone is plotting against you."A low growl escapes his lips as he yanks his body out of my reach while narrowing his gaze. From the way he is acting, you would think that I had pinched him or something."I’m hurt," I pout, though I’m actually pretty amused by how on guard he is with me. It made picking on him that much more enjoyable. "Soon we will be husband and wife. When will you finally let that guard down?"As I speak, I plop down on a chair and cross one leg over the other. Flicking my long blonde hair behind my shoulder, I stare up at Zane."Would you care for a drink before you go?"In a way, I felt bad for the big guy. Anytime he was bro
[Eliana’s POV]"Where the hell have you been?"Trent’s voice is loud, drawing the attention of those closest to him, and full of rage. I guess my allowing him alone time with his lovers wasn’t enough for him, unless, of course, he would have had more fun speaking to them with me by his side.Letting out a sigh, I take in those who are now watching eagerly in hopes of seeing a good show."Would you like to do this here?"For a moment, Trent seems taken aback by my words, but when he finally seems to snap out of his angry haze, he begins to evaluate the situation."Shall we go somewhere a bit more private?"Private, that meant that there wouldn’t be a lot of talking. Honestly, no, I didn’t want to go somewhere private, but I couldn’t refuse him here either. I knew that being refused and not having control were two of his biggest triggers, and I didn’t want to find myself being beaten for all to see.Not speaking, Trent reaches out and grabs my wrist. His grip is so tight that I’m sure h
[Eliana’s POV]I fight against the large lycan, trying my damndest to knock him off, but he doesn’t seem to budge. At least until he seems to regain just enough consciousness to shift back into his human form.Eyes widening, I try to ignore the fact that there is a large, completely naked man laying on top of me, dripping with blood from multiple gunshot wounds on his back."Hey!" I try again, hoping that I can rouse him. "You can’t stay here, otherwise..."As if to help me make my point, the sound of sirens in the distance reached my ears. Dammit, we need to get out of here!"Come on, big guy," I huff, pressing my hands against his broad chest. "Get up.""Mmmm."Feeling a slight sense of relief, I wait as the man slowly lifts himself up until his silver eyes stare down into mine. From the confusion in them, it is clear that he doesn’t quite understand what is happening."Wah?" he grunts before hissing in pain. "What the hell? What did you do to me?""Me?" I gasp, my eyes growing wide