Chapter 90: Don’t take it personally

Alyssa and Henna stepped into the dining room, where Dorian and the rest were already seated.

Alyssa melted into Dorian’s side as he caught her hand, pulling her chair close to his own so there wasn’t an inch of distance between them.

Several uniformed maids began to set the table. As they began to eat, Alyssa looked around, a sudden, overwhelming warmth blossoming in her chest.

Jake and Henna were unable to tear their eyes away from each other. Across the table, Anthony and Pandora were engaged in their usual teasing bickering with Alec. The atmosphere felt complete. Perfect.

This was the life she had dreamed of during those cold, dark years in the South. A family. People who saw her, protected her, and loved her as one of their own.

Dorian caught the distant look in her eyes and lifted her hand to his lips. "What’s on your mind, my love? You look almost sad."

"I’m not," she chuckled softly, leaning her shoulder into his massive frame. "I’m just happy. Sitting here with everyone... it’s the family I never thought I would have."

Dorian’s gaze darkened with raw affection, tracing the line of her mouth. That fiercely protective thrum in his blood, the one that had claimed her from the moment they met, surged to the surface.

He lifted two fingers, gently turning her face toward his, and kissed her depthly right in front of the table.

Alyssa gasped softly into his mouth, but the initial surprise melted instantly as she wrapped her fingers into his lapels, kissing him back with fervent heat. When Dorian finally drew back, the two of them shared a sweet, secret smile.

"Oh, please," Pandora groaned, rolling her eyes dramatically. "The air in here is so thick with romance I might actually need to gag."

She made a dramatic gagging face, and Alyssa burst out laughing, turning to face her. "My apologies, Pandora. We’ll attempt some restraint next time."

"Sounds like jealousy to me," Jake chimed smugly. "You’ll understand once your mate finally shows up."

"Aren’t you a cocky bastard?" Pandora shot back, a wicked smirk playing on her lips. "You’ve had a mate for less than twenty-four hours, Jake. Don’t act like you haven’t been single right alongside the rest of us."

Henna laughed softly, her cheeks flushed, as Jake brought her knuckles to his lips.

"Alright, settle down, lovebirds," Alec cut in. "Give us a break from the public display of affection."

"What would you know about affection?" Anthony teased, leaning back. "You’re as single as a lone rogue."

"Not for long," Alec retorted smugly, swirling the dark coffee in his mug. "Something tells me this is the year I find my mate."

​"In your dreams," Anthony and Pandora said in absolute unison, sparking another round of laughter around the table.

Breakfast wrapped up quickly. As preparation for the Moon Ceremony began, Alyssa stood in the doorway, holding Dorian’s hand tightly.

In just a few minutes, he would lead hundreds of Lycan warriors into the forest for the ceremonial Pre-Moon Hunt, an ancient tradition that anchored the Alpha’s power to the land before dusk.

"Do you truly have to go?" she asked, looking up at him.

"It’s tradition, little lamb," he murmured gently, brushing a thumb over her cheek. "The pack expects the Alpha King to draw the first blood of the ritual. Don’t worry. It will only take a few hours. I will be back long before sunset."

He leaned down, burying his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. "Stay inside with Pandora and Henna. If you need anything, the house guards are under strict orders to answer to you. You have the phone I gave you?"

She pulled the sleek black phone from her pocket, flashing it at him. "Right here."

"Good. If anything feels wrong, even a shadow out of place, call me. If I don’t answer immediately, it means the blood-hunt has begun. Leave a message and find the nearest guard."

"I will," Alyssa promised softly.

Dorian grasped her waist, pulling her body flush against his, and kissed her with a fierce, possessive intensity that left her breathless. He lingered for a long moment before forcing himself to pull away.

"Stay safe, my love. I’ll be back soon."

"I’ll be waiting," she whispered.

Out in the driveway, Jake was pulling Henna into a final embrace, while Alec leaned against the sedan nearby, looking bored.

Up on the terrace, Anthony and Pandora stood side by side, the icy wind whipping around them.

"It must be incredible to feel the bond like that," Pandora mused quietly, watching Jake gently cup Henna’s face and kiss her. "Jake looks so content."

"He is," Anthony agreed, his deep voice carrying over the wind. After a quiet beat, he added, "I have to go with Dorian for the hunt."

"I know," she nodded, keeping her gaze on the horizon.

"I’ll return as quickly as I can."

Pandora offered a soft, amused laugh, turning to look at him. "I’ll be fine. I’ve survived days without you around, haven’t I?"

"Well, yes," Anthony chuckled softly, his emerald eyes locking onto hers. "But we were just friends back then."

Pandora tilted her head, giving him a sidelong glance. "Are we not still friends?"

Anthony’s smile slowly dropped. He cleared his throat and nodded. "Right. Yeah. We are."

Another silence stretched between them until Anthony stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her into a warm hug.

"I’ll see you at dusk," he murmured into her hair.

"Take care of yourself. And my brother," she replied gently.

He flashed a charming smile. "I always do."

Pandora watched him leave. A strong impulse to pull him down and kiss him had seized her chest, an urge so fierce it terrified her. She pressed her lips into a tight line, forcing herself to turn away.

She had just reached the hallway when Samantha burst around the corner, her face pale as ash, her eyes wide with horror.

"Pandora!" Samantha gasped, her voice trembling violently. "Thank the goddess. You have to help!"

Pandora snapped into immediate focus, stepping forward. "What is it? What’s wrong?"

"It’s Lyra," Samantha’s breath hitched in panic. "She was pregnant, and I think she tried to get rid of it. She’s bleeding out in the basement."

"What?!" Pandora’s stomach plummeted. Lyra was her personal maid, a young girl she treated more like a younger sister than staff.

Without thinking, she sprinted towards the stone steps leading to the basement. She took them two at a time and pushed through the door into the musty air.

"Lyra!" she called out. "Lyra, where are you?!"

Silence. Complete silence.

A sudden chill spiked down Pandora’s spine. She spun around to demand where Samantha had seen the maid when a heavy iron wrench slammed into the back of her skull.

She collapsed, a choked scream dying in her throat as black spots exploded across her vision. She rolled onto her back, groaning weakly, her vision blurring as a shadow loomed over her.

Samantha stood above her, her expression devoid of warmth. She reached into her apron, pulled out a thick rope, and began tying Pandora’s wrists and ankles together.

"Don’t take it personally," she muttered in a cold, unfamiliar voice that sent terror shooting through Pandora’s veins. "I have no quarrel with you. It is your brother’s life I came for. But I can’t let you ruin my plans."

As Pandora’s consciousness rapidly slipped into blackness, she forced her eyes to focus on the shape standing over her.

What she saw stripped the air from her lungs.

Samantha’s face was fracturing. Her skin shifted, bones snapping and reforming in a terrifying, sickening rhythm. In a matter of seconds, an exact, chilling replica of herself towered over her.

Then her eyes rolled back, and darkness swallowed her whole.

Pilate, now Pandora, stepped over her body without a second glance. He slipped out of the basement and turned the key, locking the deadbolt from the outside.

Upstairs, Alyssa was searching for Pandora when she spotted her emerging from the hallway.

"There you are," Alyssa called out, jogging toward her with a relieved smile. "Henna and I were looking everywhere for you."

"I just realized there is a critical pre-ceremony ritual you have yet to perform," Pandora said.

Alyssa blinked, her brows furrowing. "A ritual? Dorian didn’t mention anything about that before he left."

"My brother has a thousand war matters on his mind," Pandora replied, taking Alyssa gently by the arm. "It is an ancient custom for the Luna of Wintercrest, some sort of cleansing offering."

Having performed similar rites on her wedding day, Alyssa believed without a trace of suspicion.

"Alright. Should we call Henna to come with us?"

"No," Pandora said quickly, her voice smooth and convincing. "The rite requires only the Luna and her escort. I will bring the car around myself. André isn’t around to take us."

"Okay," Alyssa smiled warmly. "I’ll grab my coat."

Ten minutes later, Alyssa slipped into the front passenger seat of the SUV waiting at the secluded side exit of the mansion.

Strangely, the perimeter guards who usually patrolled that area were nowhere to be seen. Yet with Pandora behind the wheel, Alyssa felt entirely safe.

She offered a quick wave through the tinted glass to Henna who was standing near the main terrace window, before Pandora slammed her foot on the accelerator, tearing out of the driveway into the foggy forest road.

Up on the terrace, Henna watched the SUV disappear into the dense trees, a sudden, suffocating knot of foreboding tightening in her chest. Something was dangerously wrong.

She had spent hours with Pandora the previous night, but the woman who had just driven off looked... wrong. Her movement had been too precise, her posture too stiff, her eyes completely void of that bright, fierce warmth.

She pulled out her phone with shaking hands, her heart pounding against her ribs, and dialed Jake’s private line.