Claire POV:
"Claire?" Kenya looked at me, feigning hurt.
Her fake, concerned gaze made a wave of physical nausea churn in my stomach. I quickly lowered my eyes, letting my silver hair fall forward to conceal the raging inferno of hatred burning within them.
I forced my body to tremble, making my voice sound fragile and pathetic. "I... I just had a nightmare," I whispered, grabbing her sleeve as if she were my lifeline. "It was terrifying. I dreamt Erich and you... you both wanted me dead."
Kenya's smile stiffened for a fraction of a second, a flash of panic in her eyes, but she quickly recovered. She patted my shoulder with practiced affection. "Oh, you silly girl. It's just pre-wedding jitters. Erich loves you so much, and I am your best friend! How could we ever hurt you?"
I gripped the bedsheets so tightly my knuckles turned white, biting the inside of my cheek to suppress the urge to rip her throat out right then and there.
Just then, the bedroom door clicked open. A young woman in a simple maid's uniform hurried in, carrying a delicate tray holding my bridal veil and jewelry. Desiree Frederick.
My heart violently clenched, a sharp, physical spasm of pain and overwhelming guilt hitting my chest.
Desiree and I grew up together. Though we were technically master and servant, we were as close as sisters. She was fiercely loyal to me.
In my past life, when I was framed and thrown into the dungeon, Desiree tried to sneak out to beg my grandfather for help. Kenya caught her. She was beaten to a bloody pulp right in front of my eyes. Kenya, laughing, had ordered the guards to shatter Desiree's knees and rip out her wolf fangs. Even as her bones ground into dust, my loyal maid didn't let out a single cry of pain. Her last words, choked with her own blood, were a breathless plea for me to survive.
Desiree. My loyal, foolish Desiree, I thought, my eyes burning. In this life, if anyone dares to touch a single hair on your head, I will butcher their entire bloodline.
"My Lady! Why did you take your veil off? Alpha Erich's procession will be here any minute! We need to get you ready!" Desiree fussed, rushing over with genuine worry.
Only then did I realize I was already wearing the heavy, extravagant white wedding dress. Looking at my perfectly made-up face in the vanity mirror, a wave of surreal dizziness hit me.
On this exact day in my past life, I was completely blind to the monster hiding beneath Erich’s handsome exterior. I was madly in love with him, harboring the shy, blushing fantasies of a young girl about to marry her prince. But all those dreams were brutally shredded the moment he secured his crown. He drained every last drop of value the Bryant Pack could offer, and then slaughtered my entire family.
Smiling, Kenya reached for my hand again, pulling me from my dark thoughts. "Claire, you look absolutely breathtaking today. Erich is so lucky to have you. With the Bryant Pack's backing, he will definitely become the Alpha King. Later, when you are the Queen, you mustn't forget your best sister, okay?"
Right. If he becomes the Alpha King.
Currently, Erich was not the King. The reigning Alpha King had several sons. Erich was merely the most unremarkable, overlooked bastard son among the pack, treated worse than a stray dog.
In my past life, the King had actually intended for me to marry the legitimate heir. But I was blind and foolishly insisted on marrying Erich. Because of my stubbornness, my grandfather mobilized the entire military might of the Bryant Pack to back Erich, eventually paving his bloody path to the throne. I gave him the crown, and he gave me a mass execution.
But in this life...
I took a sip of the water Kenya gave me, letting the cold liquid soothe my dry throat. My mind raced, sorting through the chaotic memories, searching for an escape route.
Running away wasn't an option. The estate was crawling with elite guards. A bride running around in a massive white gown wouldn't make it a hundred yards before being dragged back.
Then, a memory flashed in my mind. There was another mating ceremony happening today in the Dominion.
Caiden Gregory. The Alpha of the Blackmoon Pack.
He was a God of War who struck terror into the hearts of every werewolf in the kingdom. Despite his young age, his power and ruthlessness were nearly on par with my grandfather's.
I turned to Kenya, forcing a fragile, curious expression onto my face. "You know," I began softly, "I was just thinking... what a coincidence it is. Isn't the Alpha of the Blackmoon Pack also having his mating ceremony today?"
Kenya immediately rolled her eyes, her face twisting in sheer disgust. "Ugh, don't even mention him. Everyone knows he’s a hideous monster who hides behind a mask. He's a bloodthirsty warmonger afflicted with some cursed illness. Rumor has it he eats human flesh and drinks blood. He's already had several Lunas, and every single one of them died within seven days. Today, another poor girl is being sacrificed to that tyrant. Honestly, she's probably the unluckiest person in the entire Dominion today."
A bloodthirsty tyrant? I sneered inwardly. Perfect. Compared to the hypocritical demon I married in my past life, a monster sounds like a saint.
"Poor girl?" I pressed, keeping my tone casual. "Do you know who she is?"
Kenya tapped her chin, clearly relishing her role as the local gossip. "Hmm, I think it's the daughter of some Beta from the Sunstone Pack. Anabel Davis? Her family traded her for some lucrative trade routes. I heard she's been locked in her room crying for days, trying to hang herself."
Anabel Davis. I repeated the name in my head.
A crazy, audacious plan began to take shape in the darkest corners of my mind.
I stood up, smoothing down the heavy satin of my wedding dress.
"I think... I think I just need a few minutes alone to collect myself," I said to Kenya, my voice soft and apologetic.
"Of course, sweetie. Take your time. But don't keep your Alpha waiting too long, okay?" She winked playfully before slipping out of the room.
The moment the door clicked shut, the fragile facade vanished from my face, replaced by a chilling, absolute resolve. I turned to the only person in this world I could truly trust. I grabbed Desiree’s hands, gripping them tightly, and looked dead into her eyes.
"Desiree," I said, my voice low, intense, and deadly serious. "I need you to do something for me. No questions asked. My life depends on it."
