Catherine
…
The grand event was approaching, the Emerge Ball, and I couldn't afford to let Layla's wolf surface—not now, not ever. The prophecy, the one that haunted me since I first heard of it, needed to remain buried. Layla's power was something to be feared. I had worked too long and too hard to let everything slip away because of a prophecy. Her wolf must never emerge.
I stood by the window, staring out into the distance, my mind racing as I mulled over the future. The gentle breeze outside did little to soothe the storm brewing inside me. My thoughts were interrupted when I felt Rhys's presence behind me. His hands slid around my waist, pulling me closer to him. His touch was familiar, but it did nothing to calm the growing unease that gnawed at me.
"Are you worried, my love?" Rhys's voice was soft, but there was an edge of concern laced in his words.
His voice snapped me from my dark thoughts, but his touch only deepened the frustration. Maelis, Layla's mother, was everything I wanted to be. Powerful, gifted beyond measure, and loved by all. The Moon Goddess had favored her, blessed her with rare abilities. Everything Maelis had, I wanted. And in the end, I took it all. Everything. I had no choice. She had to fall. She had to be taken from the world.
The sickness that had claimed Maelis's body had been my doing, one carefully executed over time. I had worked in the shadows with her husband, Layla's father, to ensure no one ever learned the truth. We had orchestrated the deaths of the council members, silencing anyone who could expose the prophecy. Layla's mother was a living reminder of the power I could never have, and that needed to be erased.
But I didn't anticipate Layla's power. And now, it threatened to undo everything. Her wolf, her gifts… she was destined for greatness, but I would make sure those gifts would never see the light of day. I'd made sure of that long ago.
Rhys tightened his grip around my waist, his chest pressing against my back. His heat was a contrast to the coldness inside me.
"You're lost in your thoughts," he murmured, his breath hot against my ear. "Is everything alright?"
I stared out at the horizon, pretending to think about our plan, even though my mind was already years ahead, calculating every move. Rhys was a means to an end. He was useful—so useful in the grand scheme of things. But little did he know, he was just a pawn in my game.
Rhys had helped me bring Layla under my roof, under my control. I had forced her into this house, knowing she was destined for something powerful. But I needed to keep her wolf suppressed. She could not shift.
"Don't worry, my love," Rhys continued, his voice dragging me back to the present. "Since birth, we've been injecting her with wolfsbane. You remember, right? That's why we brought her under this roof in the first place."
I nodded slowly, the plan well-etched in my mind. I had known what I was doing when I had her brought here, to be weakened, to be controlled. Wolfsbane was a clever tool—it suppressed her wolf's potential, slowly diminishing her connection to her true nature.
"And the witch?" I asked, my voice almost a whisper, though my insides were churning.
Rhys's smile was dark and knowing. "She's coming today, just as we planned. She'll bind her powers again. Layla will be nothing more than a shadow of what she could have been."
I closed my eyes, letting out a slow, controlled breath. The witch would ensure the power Layla had would never surface. It was the perfect plan—no one would suspect a thing.
But there was something I hadn't anticipated in all of this. The rogue Alpha King, the Beast.
That cursed, immortal man.
The Beast, a being so powerful that even the strongest packs trembled in his wake. He was rumored to have spent centuries trying to break a curse, a curse that had made him a beast in human form. And yet, he was bound to the same fate: unable to detect his fated mate, unable to find love. He had searched for centuries, using countless alpha daughters in vain, only to see them die at his hands.
But now, he had heard of Layla's prophecy. He believed she was dead, but I knew better. Layla was alive, and her wolf would remain dormant—just as I intended.
Rhys leaned in closer, his lips brushing against my neck as he whispered, "You don't have to worry, Catherine. He won't stand in our way. Layla's power is the only thing we need to keep under control. I could only hope Rhys was right. Because if Layla's power ever surfaced, it would be the end of everything I had worked for.
I would rule this kingdom. I would take what was mine.