Mira

“You look like a princess, Mommy,” Noah beamed at me as the make-up artist added a highlight to my look.

“Thank you, baby,” I replied, forcing a smile on my face. The make-up artist was doing a great job, but I didn’t feel beautiful in any way. If anything, I felt like a lamb being led to the slaughterhouse.

My so-called wedding was a sham to draw people out and execute the worst kind of evil, and the one person I had to come to trust with my life turned out to be the devil himself.

When I returned from the library last night, I couldn’t catch a wink of sleep. Sex with Griffin was the perfect escape from reality after the news I was hit with, but now it was over. The information Lady Sheila dumped on me replayed in my head.

She discovered it from a trusted source.

The elders were against the reform and didn’t want Griffin on the throne, so they agreed to whatever Victor wanted, with no care about the lives that would be lost or the consequences.

What I didn’t understand was what Lilith stood to gain in all of this.

With the elders against Griffin, it meant that Victor would be king, and I would be queen.

From where I stood, she wasn't getting the crown she wanted so badly.

“My source suspects the elders have promised to find a way to get you out of the picture and put Lilith in your place. The original plan was for her to dissuade him from the reform, but following Victor’s return and Griffin’s refusal to yield, they have no other choice but to put him away while maintaining their promise to make her queen,” Lady Sheila filled in, earning her a scoff from me.

That bitch would really do anything for a piece of metal.

The revelation only intensified my worry. They really did have the perfect plan.

“And Lilith is okay with Griffin being killed to ensure her place?”

“She had requested some time to try to sway him, but Victor wanted the throne for himself, and Griffin’s request for a divorce bruised her ego.”

“So why does she keep acting like she’s so in love with him and can’t bear to watch him go?”

Lady Sheila let out a chuckle.

“Appearance is everything, Darling,” she paused, reaching out to fix my veil. “She must appear as the scorned woman to lead Griffin into underestimating her, else, he’ll become suspicious of how willingly she was taking everything. Lilith is quite well-known for being temperamental. ”

“So, everything is just a ruse to divert everyone’s attention from the real thing?” I blinked in disbelief.

“You would be surprised at how far people would go for power.”

I only hoped I got enough time to avenge Mary’s death before I was thrown away, but I was equally bothered about Griffin’s safety.

I wanted to warn him about the impending danger, but Lady Sheila assured me that he was safe and that she had teamed up with elders on his side to put a stop to the madness.

All that was left was for Lilith and her minions to strike.

Lady Sheila also advised that we stay on guard and keep our loved ones close, as her informant suspected they might strike during or immediately after the wedding.

It’s why I had Noah brought to the palace and assigned a woman of Lady Sheila’s choosing and a trained warrior to keep him.

I needed to have him within my visual range at all times.

I didn’t trust anyone enough at the moment.

“Will I get a crown too, Mama,” Noah asked as his nanny dressed him in his three-piece suit.

“Sure baby. You just have to stay with your nanny. No troubles or running away, and you’ll have a nice crown on your head.”

“Noted,” he grinned, and I returned my focus to the mirror in front of me.

I had refused to take anything for fear that I’d end up emptying my stomach. Lady Sheila had promised to return with more information after our meeting last night, and I didn’t think I could hold anything down with all the nerves firing through me.

The artist moved to cover the hickey on my neck with a concealer, and I stiffened. I knew she thought it was from Victor—two people so excited about spending the rest of their lives together that they ended up devouring each other. If only she knew .

“Is the bride ready yet?” Lady Sheila’s commanding voice filled the room. Since I had no family with me, I requested that she join me on my walk down the aisle, and she gracefully accepted.

“Good morning, Ma’am,” Noah chirped from the background, and Lady Sheila’s lips split into the most beautiful smile.

“You must be Noah,” she replied, squatting to his level.

“Correct,” he replied with a toothy grin, and despite the makeup artist asking me to hold still, I couldn’t hold back the smile settled on my lips.

I watched Lady Sheila and Noah’s interaction in the mirror.

Our little alliance had developed into some form of friendship and during one of our meetups, she let me in on a story about her family and kids.

Consequently, I told her everything about me, leaving Noah’s paternity out.

It was a very sensitive topic, and now that Mary was gone, I was the only one who knew the truth.

“You’re all set, my princess,” the maid announced, and I looked at myself in the mirror. I was a picture of perfection.

It’s not too late for a change of mind , my wolf whispered, but I silenced her, focusing on the task ahead.

Lady Sheila handed Noah over to his nanny and took my hand in hers. “Ready?”

My palms were sweaty, and my heart was currently speeding at a terrifying rate. I sucked in a deep breath. “Ready.”

We finally got to the clearing, and the orchestra started playing the classic wedding song. The audience got on their feet to welcome us.

My skin prickled under the weight of many eyes, and I wondered if any of them could see through me. Could they tell what I was up to last night and that I was currently walking up to my wedding while feeling sore from being passionately railed by another man a few hours ago ?

Maybe the outline of my dagger was showing through my dress. I knew I was being paranoid, but I couldn’t help it. Today might just be one of those time-defining moments of my life, and every little detail had to go according to plan.

Instinctively, my eyes sought out Lilith, making a quick assessment to see if anything about her was unnaturally suspicious.

“Easy, dear. You’ll be leaving my muscles oxygen-deprived at this point,” Lady Sheila said, gesturing at my tight hold on her hands.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered in reply, releasing my hold on them.

We eventually got to the stage where the officiating minister was waiting with a dashing Victor by his side.

“I don’t know how it’s possible for you to look even more beautiful than you did yesterday,” he smiled, taking my hand in his. My skin crawled from his touch, and I wanted to tear my hands from his, but I knew this wasn’t the time.

So, I held back my repulsion and settled for a shy smile, fighting the urge to slap the smugness off his face and demand answers to all the questions that had been going through my head.

The ceremony was a lot different from the night celebration we had at Darkmoon.

This looked like a regular human wedding, with the elders and nobles on one side and a few selected families making up the audience.

It appeared that while a royal wedding was widely celebrated, attendance was strictly by invitation.

The guards stationed at every corner ensured intruders were kept away.

The audience was made up of people that mattered.

Lady Sheila’s comment about this being the best time to strike as everyone important was present snuck into my mind, but I pushed it away, choosing to focus on her assurance that our plans were set.

Speaking of important people. Where is Griffin ?

I discreetly scanned the crowd for the tenth time, but the face I sought remained absent. I didn’t know if I was relieved he wasn’t here or disappointed. I just knew his absence sucked.

You want him to watch you wed another? my wolf scoffed. She wasn’t being subtle about how much she hated my decision.

“Today, we are gathered for the joining of Victor Thorne and Mira Raven,” The minister started with the wedding address, and I zoned into a world where things went my way, and it was Griffin smiling at me in place of his brother.

It was a world without Lilith and where Noah was free to run around and play like kids his age without needing constant supervision. It was a world where he could have a proper relationship with his father.

“And now, before we join this beautiful couple by blood and oath, if there’s anyone here who has something to say, they should speak up now or forever hold their peace.”

“I object.”

The crowd gasped, and my heart dropped to my stomach as Griffin stepped into the aisle, working his way toward the altar.

He looked disheveled with a poorly buttoned shirt and wild eyes. Every step he took was heavy with determination and motive. He wasn’t going to back down. I couldn’t tell if I was scared or excited.

“Griffin put an end to this madness and stop embarrassing me. We are married,” Lilith stepped out of the crowd and blocked Griffin from reaching the altar.

“Not anymore,” he replied, his eyes not leaving me as he pulled out an envelope from his pocket and tossed it at her, effectively removing her from his way.

“I, Griffin Thorne, accept you, Mira Raven, as my mate,” he announced the moment he got to the altar, and a feeling like nothing I’ve felt slammed into me.

My body was lit from within, excitement coursing through my veins while my wolf surged inside me, pushing me toward him, but I was too shocked to move.

The audience was staring at us with wide eyes and open mouths while Lilith looked like she could kill someone.

“Mates?”

“The crown prince and the future princess are mates?”

“How is that possible?”

“When did this happen? I thought he was mated to Princess Lilith?”

“What happens now?”