Athena's eyes fluttered open to the faint glow of daylight seeping past the curtains. The air was different now, refreshing but carrying an underlying scent of herbs and something faintly floral.
For a moment, her mind floated in the haze between walking and dreaming… until her gaze settled on the figures across the room.
Four women stood silently against the far wall. They were perfectly still, their hands clasped neatly before them, eyes fixed on her with focused attention. They didn't smile nor did they speak. They just… waited.
Athena's heart thudded hard in her chest. Are they here to drag me somewhere? To lock me up again?
As if sensing her panic, one of them… a woman with a smooth crown of silver hair and a calm, practiced expression… stepped forward. "We are here to take care of our Luna."
Athena frowned. "Luna? What's that supposed to mean?"
A younger woman, barely older than Athena herself, offered a small smile as if she were delivering good news. "It means you are Alpha Xavier's mate and his soon to be bride. He has instructed us to tend to you and prepare you for him."
The words felt like stones dropping into her stomach.
What! What did she just say?
Her breath got caught as her throat tightened. His mate? His bride?
A sour taste rose sharply and she realised the nausea was coming fast.
One of the women quickly stepped forward. "You look pale… let us help you to the washroom."
Athena was too stunned to protest, so she let them guide her towards a door on the side of the room. But as soon as she entered the lavish marble bathroom, she swung the door shut behind her with a firm click.
I need to be by myself for a moment. I can't take this shit anymore!
Leaning over the sink, she barely made it before the bile surged. The sound of her vomiting echoed in the polished space, her stomach twisting violently until there was nothing left to bring up. She rinsed her mouth, the cool water helping her to call down.
Until, her eyes fell on the mirror ahead. She expected to see the reflection of a pale, deranged woman before.
But what stared back at her wasn't what she remembered.
Her cheeks were naturally flushed with a healthy pink. Her eyes seemed brighter, shimmering with faint golden flecks she was certain hadn't been there before.
Her skin glowed, smooth and unblemished, with not a trace of the exhaustion she had felt all these years. Even her hair… once plain and tangled… now lay over her shoulders in glossy, silken waves.
She lifted trembling fingers to her cheek. What the hell is happening to me?
Somehow, she felt lighter, stronger. The pain from last night… the tearing agony… was gone.
It's not real. This… this can't be real. Oh god!
To prove herself, she unbuttoned her clothes, tugging them off piece by piece until bare skin was exposed. She stared at her body, horrified and awestruck all at once.
The claw marks, the bruises and the blood clots… all gone.
Not even a scar. Her body looked as though nothing had ever happened to it.
Suddenly it became difficult to breathe… panic surging again through her chest. This isn't possible. This isn't…
The door burst open with a sharp crack of wood against the wall. Athena turned, clutching her clothes to her chest.
Xavier filled the doorway, his towering frame cutting a dark silhouette against the light. His voice was cold, edged with authority. "What are you doing, locking yourself…"
He stepped as his gaze fell on hers. Then dropped lower, lingering on her exposed skin. His eyes darkened, sharp with desire and searching, as though trying to memorize every inch of her.
Athena's heart slammed against her ribs. "Get. Out. Now!" She screamed, her voice echoing in the small space. "You… you pervert! Aaaaahhhh!"
Her shriek rattled the walls and still he didn't move right away.
For a heartbeat, the only sound was the ragged breathing of Athena's and the faint drip of the water from the tap.
Xavier's eyes stayed locked on hers, unreadable but burning. His jaw tightened as if restraining something… anger or amusement or it could be desire, she couldn't tell.
Behind him, the door frame filled with startled faces. Two of the attendants who had been waiting outside gasped audibly.
No one ever raised their voice to their Alpha. No one.
The weight of the room shifted. The air felt thick, pressing in on Athena from all sides but she refused to look away from him.
Xavier stepped inside, closing the door just enough to shield her from the gawking servants. Then his voice dropped in a deep, measured growl. "You have a dangerous mouth, little human."
Athena's grip on her clothes tightened until her knuckles whitened.
From the hallway, a nervous murmur rippled among the women. They could not fathom how she was still standing, still breathing, after speaking to him like that.
Xavier's gaze swept over her again, slower this time, as though confirming the impossible… the vanished wounds, the golden glint in her eyes. Something in his expression shifted, a flicker of realisation he quickly masked.
"You healed."
Athena swallowed hard, "stay away from me."
Instead, took one more step forward, close enough that the faint heat of him brushed against her bare skin. "If you want to survive here," he murmured, "you'll learn respect… or you'll regret it."
Xavier dragged her by her arm into the room, not giving her a chance to wear her night suit back. But Athena, swallowing her pride, begged him. "Please."
His eyes softened for a moment seeing her desperate to hide herself from him. "Fine!"
He turned the other side to give her a moment to slip back into her dress.
"I'm done." Athena said once she dressed up.
The atmosphere remained awkward between them. He cleared his throat, "look, there's some rules you need to follow…"
"My name is Athena Taylor." She cut him off. "You didn't even bother to ask your bride her name huh?" She mocked him.
He glared at her but mostly stunned by her feisty nature. "So the omegas told you the truth?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "Now what the hell is omegas?"