The following morning, I slowly stretch my limbs, blinking against the morning light filtering through the window. My curiosity piqued, I squint my eyes at the door, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever Beatrice is speaking to. However, before I can discern their identity, she closes the door and approaches me with a bottle of pills in her hand.
“Good morning,” I greet with a yawn, covering my mouth with my hand as I sit up.
“Here you go,” Beatrice says, placing a pill in my palm.
“What’s this for?” I inquire, studying the small tablet she’s given me.
“It’s plan B, and these are your birth control pills,” she explains. “Take them if you don’t want the king to have both our heads.” She offers me a strained smile before handing over the bottle of pills.
Her words send a chill down my spine, and I swallow hard, accepting the bottle of pills. I consider telling her that I don’t need them but decide against it. The fact that Nickolas instructed her to give them to me speaks volumes. It’s clear he doesn’t want Beatrice to know that we didn’t mate last night, but why? b It doesn’t make sense.
“Thank you,” I murmur, accepting the glass of water she offers. Popping the morning-after pill, I set the bottle of birth control pills on my nightstand. These medications aren’t your run-of-the-mill human prescriptions; they’ve been specially crafted to work on supernatural bodies. It’s a sign of the times – many young supernaturals no longer wait for their mates before having sex. In response, our doctors have had to adapt, ensuring that only planned children come into this world.
I shower and dress in the white and purple floral print dress Beatrice selected for me. The dress fits so well that it makes me wonder if they planned to hold me prisoner all along. I trail after her to the kitchen.
It’s not surprising that there’s a kitchen in the castle; after all, many witches reside in lycan territory, and they often work in the palace. Ava, their queen, lives in lycan territory as well, further cementing their presence here.
As I take in the sights of the kitchen, the atmosphere is markedly different from any ordinary culinary space. The gleaming countertops and modern appliances are juxtaposed against the ancient stone walls and gothic archways characteristic of a lycan castle. Shadows dance ominously in the corners, casting an eerie pall over the room. Despite the eerie ambiance, there’s an undeniable air of luxury and sophistication. Intricately carved wooden cabinets line the walls, their surfaces adorned with intricate motifs reminiscent of centuries past.
“Thank you,” I express my gratitude to Beatrice as she sets down a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast before me. It’s clear she had to cook this breakfast specifically for me, as there are no leftovers in sight. The hisses and glares I receive upon entering the kitchen suggest that my presence is not exactly welcomed, and it was intentional. If glares could kill, I’d be dead a thousand times over by now.
It makes me ponder whether, hypothetically if Nickolas and I were to somehow overcome our hatred and choose to be together, whether his people would ever accept me. I doubt it. Even the witches, who are typically more tolerant, seem to despise my presence. I doubt lycans would ever accept me even if I were… I refrain from voicing the word, the weight of it heavy on my tongue. Deep sighs escape me as I contemplate this reality, realizing that this aspect of myself likely wouldn’t make a difference here.
I quickly finish my meal and make a swift exit from the kitchen before the hostile atmosphere suffocates me entirely. I bid Beatrice goodbye and make my way back to my room. On my way, a guard comes to tell me Ember is looking for me and has asked me to go to her room. With a deep sigh, I begin to proceed there.
Getting to her room, I knock multiple times but get no response. Slowly, with my heart pounding, I turn her doorknob. I pray she won’t have my head for entering without being asked. I quickly finish my meal, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the kitchen. Bid farewell to Beatrice and hasten back to my room. Along the way, a guard intercepts me with news that Ember is seeking my presence and has requested I head to her room. With a heavy sigh, I comply and make my way to her room.
Upon arrival, I knock several times, but there’s no response. Tentatively, I twist the doorknob and step inside, only to be met with a sight that leaves me stunned. I gasp, stepping into room and finding it in a state far worse than when I left yesterday. My breath catches in my throat as I take in the scene before me. The room is a complete disaster zone as if a tornado had torn through it with unrelenting fury.
The vanity table lies shattered, its mirror glass scattered across the floor like a mosaic of destruction. The bed is now a chaotic mess, with pillows torn open and cotton strewn about like snowfall. Every corner of the room bears the mark of Ember’s wrath – lamps overturned, tables upended, and curtains torn to shreds. If I didn’t know the bitch was a lycan and a female, I would assume she went feral on a full moon as an unmated Alpha male does. What the hell happened last night?
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Ember’s voice cuts through, startling me as she emerges from a corner of the room. She looks like a wreck, her eyes red and swollen, dark circles prominent beneath them. Mascara stains streak her cheeks, evidence of tears shed in anguish.
“You asked for-” I begin, but she cuts me off with a sharp accusation.
“Is that my old dress you’re wearing?” Her tone is accusatory, her words laced with venom as she closes the distance between us.
“I don’t know,”
“First, you take his cock. Now you want to take my fucking clothes too,” Ember screams, her anger palpable as her face flushes with rage.
“I didn’t know it was yours,” I say, realizing now why the dress fits me so well. We’re practically the same size.
“Take it off,” she demands, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she glares at me, her impatience evident.
“Can I have something to change into?” I ask before taking it off because the last thing I want is to step out of here only in my underwear.
“No!” Her response is swift and uncompromising.
“Then I can’t,” I retort.
“Do I look like I’m playing, bitch? Take it off!” Ember’s voice rises to a crescendo, her anger boiling over.
I do nothing in response to her command.
She laughs bitterly, closing the distance between us until her breath is hot against my ear. “If you want me to beat your fucking ass harder than I did yesterday, you’ll still be wearing that dress when I step away.”
My blood chills. I might have healed from the beating, but it doesn’t mean all the evidence of what happened faded. The pain I felt was still fresh in my mind. I quickly unzip the dress and step out of it.
I grit my teeth and begin to peel off the dress, each movement accompanied by a sharp pang of humiliation. As much as I resent giving in to Ember’s demands, I know she holds all the power in this situation. Yesterday, I was fortunate that Nickolas intervened, but today, I might not be so lucky.
“Now get out and make sure this is the last time I ever see you in my room,” Ember commands once the dress is off, and I’m left standing there in my underwear.
Taking a deep breath, I steel myself for what lies ahead. My insides churn with a mixture of humiliation and anger as I slowly approach the exit. The thought of walking out wearing nothing but my underwear fills me with a sense of profound discomfort. I grasp the doorknob, but my hand hesitates, unable to find the strength to pull it open. I’m a princess, fuck it. I shouldn’t be seen in my underwear.
Throwing my head back in frustration, I sigh heavily, lamenting the sudden turn my life has taken in a matter of days. Before I can dwell on it further, Ember interrupts my thoughts by hurling something in my direction. Thanks to my werewolf reflexes, I narrowly avoid being struck. With a quick turn, I step out of the room, Ember’s enraged screams echoing behind me as I make my hasty exit.
I release a breath of relief as I step away from Ember’s room, the tension in my muscles slowly easing. But as I look down at my nearly bare body, panic begins to rise within me once again. I can’t possibly walk back to my room like this. What the hell am I going to do?
Rubbing my arms in a futile attempt to ward off the chill that settles over me, I realize I have no choice but to make a run for it rather than risk freezing to death at her door. With a deep breath, I steel myself for the inevitable and start to move away from Ember’s door.
However, before I can take more than a few steps, a strong hand grabs my arm, halting me in my tracks. Startled, I lift my eyes to meet the gaze of the person and see it’s Nickolas, his expression inscrutable as he stares at me, his nostrils flaring and his knuckles turning white with tension. A sinking feeling settles in the pit of my stomach as I realize this is not good.