Chapter 2: The Dead Princess’s Replacement

Olivia’s POV

​I stared at the King, but no words came out. My mouth opened and closed soundlessly as the room seemed to spin around me.

​"No," I finally gasped, shaking my head as I stepped backward. "No, Your Majesty, please. I can’t do this. I’m just a maid." Panic tightened around my chest until it became difficult to breathe. "His wolf... he’ll know. Alpha Lucian is one of the strongest Alphas alive. They say he can smell deceit and lies. The moment he senses my broken wolf, he’ll know I’m not Princess Annabel."

​Ever since the trauma that shattered me completely, my wolf had never spoken to me again. She had retreated so deep into the darkness of my mind that sometimes I wondered if she still existed. I couldn’t hear her, couldn’t feel her, and couldn’t even shift anymore. I was a werewolf without her wolf, completely defenseless against a beast like Lucian.

​I looked desperately at the Beta. "If he finds out the truth, he won’t just kill me. He’ll slaughter everyone in this pack for insulting him with a fake bride. Please... don’t make me do this."

​For a brief moment, I thought the King might change his mind. Instead, the grief disappeared from his face. The broken father vanished, leaving only a ruler willing to sacrifice one life to save thousands.

​He stepped closer. "You don’t have a choice, Olivia." His voice was calm, authoritative, and cold. "It is either you take Annabel’s place, or I walk out those doors and tell everyone you murdered the princess."

​My heart stopped. "What?" I whispered in disbelief. "You know I didn’t."

​"It doesn’t matter what I know. You were found alone with her body. Your hands are covered in her blood. If I tell the kingdom you killed the princess, no one will question me. They will execute you before the sun sets."

​I stared at him in horror. The King I had respected all my life was willing to sacrifice me without hesitation.

So that was it. Die here as a murderer or go there and probably die as a liar. Wonderful choices.

​Then, to my surprise, his expression softened. He opened one of the drawers in his desk and pulled out a faded silver ribbon.

​My breath caught the moment I recognized it. It was the ribbon my mother had tied around her hair the night she disappeared four years ago.

​"Where... where did you get that?"

​"I know you’ve spent the last four years searching for your mother," the King said quietly. "I know you still believe she’s alive." He held the ribbon between his fingers. "If you agree to become Annabel, I’ll give you everything my spies have uncovered. Every lead. Every name. Every place they’ve searched. I’ll help you find her."

​My eyes remained fixed on the ribbon. For four years, every road I had followed ended in disappointment. Now something belonging to my mother was hanging right in front of me, but its price was my life.

​My mind screamed at me to refuse. Marrying Alpha Lucian was walking straight into death. Yet if I refused, I would die today as a murderer. If I accepted, at least there was still a chance.

​Seeing the hesitation on my face, the King continued. "Annabel was kept hidden for her own safety. She never attended public gatherings, and she never allowed pictures to be taken. Alpha Lucian has never seen her face."

​I swallowed hard. "But everyone here knows me. The servants... the warriors... the people in the courtyard. They’ll know I’m not the princess."

​"They won’t."

​The King nodded toward the Beta, who immediately opened a wooden chest and lifted out a thick white bridal veil made of heavy lace.

​"It covers your face completely," the King explained. "You’ll wear it until you leave the kingdom. No one will see Olivia. They will only see Princess Annabel."

​A tear rolled down my cheek. The trap was perfect. There was no escape.

​I closed my eyes. "Fine," I whispered. The word felt like poison leaving my lips. "I’ll do it."

​The King wasted no time. "Take her through the secret passage to the royal bathhouse. Wash away the blood. Dress her in Annabel’s spare wedding gown and cover her face before anyone sees her. The Full Moon escort is already growing impatient. We have less than an hour."

​"Yes, Your Majesty."

​The Beta held out his hand. "Come with me."

​Ten minutes later, I stood waist-deep in the steaming waters of the royal bathhouse. Two elderly servants, sworn to secrecy under penalty of death, carefully washed the blood from my body.

​I watched the red water swirl around me before disappearing down the drain. It wasn’t only Annabel’s blood washing away. It felt as though Olivia was disappearing with it. Only an hour ago, I had been crying over my princess’s body. Now I was preparing to become her.

​The thought made me sick.

​Who killed her?

​The question refused to leave my mind. Annabel hadn’t taken her own life. I knew her. She had been frightened, but she loved this kingdom too much to abandon it. Someone had entered that room while I was gone.

​Someone had murdered her.

​"Stand up, child," one of the old women said gently.

​They dried me, brushed my hair, and dressed me in a wedding gown identical to the one Annabel had died in. As they tightened the corset, I struggled to breathe. Every pull of the ribbon felt like another chain locking me into a life that had never belonged to me.

​A few moments later, the Beta returned and carefully lowered the heavy lace veil over my head. The world instantly became dim and blurred. No one would see Olivia. They would only see Princess Annabel.

​The Beta stepped closer. "Listen carefully, Olivia. Until you cross the border, you do not speak unless someone speaks to you first. Keep your answers short. Lower your head. Act like a frightened bride."

​I nodded weakly before reaching deep inside myself.

​Please... just this once. Give me something. A growl. A whisper. Anything.

​Nothing answered me.

​"And after we cross the border?" I asked.

​The Beta looked at me for a long moment before lowering his eyes. "After you cross the border..." His voice became almost a whisper. "...pray the gods have mercy on your soul."

​A cold chill ran down my spine. If even the Beta was warning me to pray, what exactly was waiting for me on the other side of that border?

​He guided me through the palace until the great doors opened and bright sunlight filtered through my veil.

​Outside, hundreds of people filled the courtyard, standing in complete silence with their heads lowered. None of them saw Olivia. They believed they were saying goodbye to Princess Annabel.

​Three sleek black cars waited at the center of the courtyard, surrounded by Full Moon warriors dressed in dark uniforms.

​A tall, stern-faced man stepped forward. "Alpha Kenneth," he said, his deep voice carrying across the courtyard. "I am Beta Levi. I will be taking Alpha Lucian’s bride to him."

​My stomach dropped.

​He hadn’t even come himself.

​Alpha Lucian had sent his second-in-command to collect his bride like a prize won in war.

​Our Alpha nodded slowly. "Please tell him to take care of my daughter."

​Beta Levi said nothing. Not a promise. Not even a word of reassurance.

​Then King Kenneth turned to me and pulled me into a tight hug. He buried his face against my shoulder and let out a broken sigh, playing the grieving father so perfectly that for one terrifying second, I almost believed him. I almost forgot that less than an hour ago, this same man had threatened to frame me for his daughter’s murder.

​Soft sobs spread through the courtyard as our people watched their princess being sent into the hands of their enemy.

​"We have to leave," Beta Levi said impatiently.

​The King pulled away, and Beta Levi gestured toward the open door of the middle car.

​"Come with me."

​I looked through my veil one last time at the people I had known all my life. They were crying for Princess Annabel, completely unaware that she was already dead.

​I climbed into the car, and the door slammed shut behind me.

​For over an hour, we drove in silence. I watched my home disappear through the window until there was nothing left but trees.

​Eventually, the road became rougher beneath the tires.

​The border.

​My heartbeat quickened as we approached the checkpoint, but the gates opened without question. Within seconds, we crossed into Full Moon territory.

​There was no turning back now.

​Fifteen minutes later, the thick forest opened, revealing a massive mansion surrounded by guards. It was easily three times the size of our palace.

​The car stopped at the grand entrance. I stepped out carefully, gathering the heavy layers of my wedding dress while keeping my head lowered beneath the veil.

​Three women approached us. One was an older servant with gray hair pulled into a tight bun, while the other two were much younger. All three bowed.

​"Princess, welcome to the Full Moon Pack," the older woman said. "Please come with us."

​Remembering the Beta’s warning, I simply nodded.

​They led me inside. The entrance hall was enormous, with massive stone pillars and a wide staircase leading to the upper floors, but I barely noticed any of it. All I could think about was Alpha Lucian.

​Somewhere inside this huge, beautiful mansion, Alpha Lucian—the beast himself—was waiting. The thought alone made my knees weak. Were they taking me to him right now?

​I followed the women upstairs until they stopped before a pair of large wooden doors. The older woman pushed them open, and I stepped inside.

​The bedroom was larger than the entire servants’ quarters I had shared back home. A huge bed stood in the center, and a fire burned quietly in the fireplace. It was beautiful, but to me, it felt like a cage.

​"This will be your room, my Queen," the older woman said softly. "Alpha Lucian is not in the mansion right now. When he returns, someone will come for you."

​A quiet breath escaped me. At least I had a little more time.

​One of the younger maids stepped closer, curiosity brightening her eyes. "I’ve heard you’re very beautiful," she said with a smile. "May I see your face?"

​My heart nearly stopped as she reached for my veil.

​Before her fingers could touch it, the older woman slapped her hand away.

​"Stop! The Alpha will be the first to see his bride’s face. Don’t you know the custom?"

​The maid immediately lowered her head. "I’m sorry."

​She glanced at me before following the others toward the door. "We’ll return when the Alpha sends for you."

​The doors closed behind them.

​The moment I was alone, my legs gave out. I stumbled toward the bed and sat down heavily, struggling to breathe.

​In only a few hours, I would meet Alpha Lucian. What would happen when he came close enough to sense me? What would happen when his wolf searched for mine and found nothing?

​What am I going to do?

​I slid from the bed onto my knees.

​"Moon Goddess..." My voice shook. "Please... I’ve already lost my wolf. I’ve lost my mother. I’ve lost my home. Please don’t let me lose my life too."

​Hours passed as afternoon slowly became night.

​Then several car doors slammed somewhere outside, followed by voices and hurried footsteps. My body went completely still as servants began rushing through the hallways.

​Then everything went quiet.

​A few moments later, the heavy click of my door handle echoed through the room.

​My whole body jumped. I scrambled backward onto the bed, my heart pounding so hard I thought it would burst from my chest.

​The doors opened.

​It was the same young maid from before, but the curiosity was completely gone from her face. She looked pale, even frightened, and swallowed hard before speaking.

​"Alpha Lucian has returned," she whispered, her voice shaking. "He has sent for you."