Skylar
Alec's tension didn't break. He knew I was playing the game, but he didn't like how close I was to the edge. And I liked that part.
"He is..." I started as I looked back at Bellina. "He is very... protective."
"Good," Bellina said, satisfied. "Because we have a lot of guests coming tonight for the post-wedding gala. The entire Council will be here to see the new Luna. It's a big night for the Black-Stone pack."
The gala. Another performance. Another night of pretending to be a wife while feeling like a slave.
Breakfast continued in a blur of fake smiles and small talk. I barely ate a bite. When it was finally over, Bellina stood up.
"Alec, dear, meet me in the study. I have some documents for you to look over regarding the border patrol," she said. Then she turned to me. "Skylar, why don't you go with Aveline and look around?"
"Oh, I'd love to!" Aveline jumped up before I could even process the request. "Come on, Skylar. I'll show you the gardens."
Alec's chair scratched against the floor as he stood up, towering over me. He didn't look at his sister. He looked straight at me, his eyes narrowing into cold slits.
"She stays in the North Wing," Alec said and made the room go quiet. Great.
Bellina frowned, her blue eyes darting between us. "Alec, don't be ridiculous. She's been in that room all night. A little fresh air won't kill her. Let Aveline show her the grounds."
I felt a small spark of stubbornness in my chest. "I'd like to see the gardens, Mom," I said softly, keeping my eyes on Bellina. I could feel Alec's gaze burning into the side of my face, hot enough to leave a mark.
"See?" Bellina smiled, patting Alec's arm. "Go to the study, dear. She will take care of her."
Alec didn't move for a long moment. I could hear his heavy breathing. Then, he leaned down, his face coming close to my ear.
"Do not forget Rule Three, little ghost," he hissed, so low that only I could hear. "One mistake. One word to the wrong person. And your two-day grace period ends early."
He straightened up, gave a curt nod to his mother, and walked out of the hall without looking back.
Aveline grabbed my hand, excitedly. "Ignore him. He thinks the world will stop spinning if he isn't holding the lever. Come on!"
She led me through the twisting hallways of the manor. The further we got from the dining hall, the more the tension in my shoulders began to fade. Aveline talked non-stop about the pack, the annoying council members coming tonight, and how much she hated the heavy dresses we had to wear for the gala.
"Here we are." she said, pushing open two large glass doors.
The gardens were beautiful, but they were high-walled, surrounded by the same dark stone as the house. It was just a bigger cage.
"So," Aveline said, her voice dropping as she looked at me sideways. "Is he really being... protective? Or is he being a total prick?"
I stopped walking. I looked at her, seeing the genuine concern in her eyes. For a second, I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell her that her brother was a monster who was holding my family's lives over my head.
Aveline seemed to read my expression. With a sigh, she said. "Alright. My brother is an ass. You don't have to pretend he is not. I have had a lifetime to get used to it." she said, pushing a strand of brown hair behind her ear.
I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped my lips. "I will keep that in my mind." I replied, glancing around at the vibrant blooms surrounding us. The garden was a burst of color, the roses, lilies, and wildflowers mingling in a fragrant symphony.
"But—" Aveline looked at me, her expression softening. "He is not the worst." She added, almost reluctantly. "You can say, he is… complicated." She paused, turning her focus on the cactus in a corner. "Like a cactus. Sharp on the outside, but there is life somewhere beneath all those spikes."
I nodded. "Well, thank you for the warning."
Aveline grinned. "The pleasure is all mine." She leaned down, plucking a small white flower from a nearby bush and handing it to me. "Do you know what this is?"
I took the delicate bloom in my hand, its petals soft between my fingers. "Jasmine."
"Yes, white jasmine." She explained. "It represents purity and deep affection. It's great for calming nerves, which you might need if you are going to survive being married to Alec." She joked.
I laughed, more freely this time. "You are probably right about that."
Aveline's eyes sparkled as her eyes fell on a red bloom. "And this one," she continued, picking one of them. "This is a red camellia. It means *you are a flame in my heart.* You should give one to him and watch him squirm."
I snorted. "I think he would rather burn it than accept it."
"That's the spirit!" Aveline clapped her hands. "You are catching on fast. Just remember, with my brother, you need to keep him on his toes. Don't let him think for a second he is in control."
"I won't, teacher." I replied matching her playfulness, feeling a lot lighter.
She walked ahead, pointing out different flowers. "These are my favorite," She said, stopping by a patch of violets. "They are small, but resilient. Kind of like you, I think."
I managed a small smile. "Thanks, I think?"
She laughed. "It was a compliment, I promise," she added with a wink. "I figured you might need a bit of a break from…well, all that." She gestured vaguely in the direction of the house.
"Yeah, thank you. I mean it."
"Again, pleasure is all mine." She brushed off the dust from the rose petals. "But I will say, give it some time. It will get better…or at least, less awkward."
Time. That was limited in this case. They were definitely not aware of the stupid contract.
Aveline was like a whirlwind. She showed me the massive library, the hidden gardens, and the training grounds. She talked constantly, but I barely heard her. I was looking for my way out. My mind was stuck on how to escape this cage.
"And this," Aveline said, stopping in front of a narrow, spiral staircase hidden behind a tapestry, "…leads to the old observatory. Alec hates it up there. Too much 'dreaming,' he says."
She started climbing, and I followed. But halfway up, Aveline's phone buzzed. She groaned, looking at the screen. "Ugh, Dmitri needs help with the gala seating. Stay here! I'll be back in five minutes!"
She vanished down the stairs before I could even blink.
I stood alone in the dim, quiet stairwell. Silence. For the first time since I arrived, I was truly alone.
I didn't go up to the observatory. I couldn't. The walls of this house felt like they were slowly closing in on me, and every minute I spent playing the "lucky bride" was a minute I lost to the cage.
I took a deep breath and moved toward the window at the end of the dock.
The Black-Stone manor was built into the side of a cliff, a jagged drop into a forest that looked like an endless sea of dark pines. I looked down, my head swimming.
Escape.
The word was a heartbeat, a desperate pulse in my veins.
If I could just get to the tree line. If I could find a way to the stables or the back gates without a guard spotting me.
Rule Two: The Luna shall not leave the Black-stone-manor without an armed escort.
I was an Omega. I was weak, and I was surrounded by the strongest predators in the land. But I was also a ghost here. And ghosts are hard to catch.
I hurried down the back servants' stairs, my heart hammering against my ribs. I avoided the main halls, sticking to the narrow, cold corridors used by the staff. I reached a heavy wooden door that led to the kitchens. Beyond that was the delivery yard.
I could see a wagon filled with empty crates. The driver was busy talking to a maid, his back turned. This was it.
I stepped out into the cold as I kept my head down. I was ten feet away from the wagon.
Five feet.
"Going somewhere, Skylar?"