Lucy's POV
"Don't touch her." Stellan's voice dropped to a deadly growl, his alpha power flooding the room so strongly that even I felt the pressure.
The guards hesitated, their wolves responding instinctively to their king's order.
Lady Vivian's smile weakened for just a second before she recovered. "How wonderful, Your Majesty. But you're in no position to give orders." She nodded to the lead guard. "Councilman Dorian's order was very clear. Both of them. House arrest. Now." "On what grounds?" I demanded, finding my voice despite my pounding heart.
Vivian turned her cold look on me. "On the grounds that you're a commoner of suspicious background who somehow tricked the king into an illegal marriage. On the grounds that you've been caught trespassing in restricted places." Her smile widened. "And on the grounds that you're clearly a bad influence on His Majesty's judgment."
Red threads burst around her like angry snakes. Every word was carefully crafted, truth mixed with lies to make the lies harder to spot. "We know what you're doing," Stellan said quietly. "We know about Dorian's plan. About the Moonvale massacre. About tonight's ceremony."
For a split second, real shock crossed Vivian's face. Then she laughed high and sharp like breaking glass. "Oh, do you now? How clever." She stepped closer, her voice falling to a whisper only we could hear. "And who exactly will you tell? The group that already thinks you're unfit to rule? The guards who follow Dorian's orders? Your sister, who's currently enjoying tea with people who would love a reason to hurt her?"
My stomach dropped. She was right. We had no friends. No proof anyone would believe. No way out. "Take them to the king's chambers," Vivian told the guards. "Make sure they stay there until the ceremony tonight. No visitors. No phone calls. No contact with anyone." "You can't jail the king," I protested. "We're not imprisoning him, dear. We're protecting him from making more terrible choices." Vivian's smile was poison-sweet. "After all, being drugged and forced into marriage must have been so painful. He clearly needs rest and care before tonight's important ceremony."
The way she said it, like she was truly concerned, made me want to scream.
Two guards moved toward Stellan. He didn't fight. What could he do? Attack the guards and show the council right about him being unstable? Start a fight he couldn't win? "It's okay," he said quietly, though his eyes blazed with anger. "We'll work. For now."
The guards led us back to Stellan's chambers. The same room I'd woken up in this morning, was it really only two hours ago? It felt like a lifetime.
They shoved us inside and locked the door from the outside. I heard the distinct hum of a magical seal being put.
Stellan immediately went to the windows. Locked and sealed. He tried his phone. No signal, they'd stopped it somehow. He went to the door and pounded on it. "Open this door! I am your king, and I command. "Sorry, Your Majesty," a guard's muffled voice came through. "Council's orders. You'll be released for the ritual tonight."
Stellan slammed his fist against the door hard enough to crack the wood. Then he slid down to sit on the floor, his head in his hands.
I'd never seen anyone look so defeated. "Hey." I sat beside him, not sure what to say. "We'll figure something out. We still have hours before the ceremony." "Hours to do what? We're locked in. Celeste is being held hostage. The council thinks I'm crazy. And Dorian has already won." His voice was hollow. "I've never felt this helpless. Not even during the war."
I understood that feeling too well. I'd felt it five years ago, running from my burning pack, unable to save anyone. "Tell me about Celeste," I said softly. "Your sister."
Stellan looked up, shocked. "Why?" "Because we're going to save her. And I want to know who I'm saving." I managed a small smile. "Also, we're apparently married now, so I should probably know about my sister-in-law."
That got a tiny laugh out of him, bitter but real. "Celeste is twenty-four. Three years younger than me. She was born with a problem that affects her legs, and she's used a wheelchair her whole life." His voice softened. "Our parents died when I was twenty-six, right before I became king. Celeste was only nineteen. I've been protecting her ever since." "Why keep her hidden?" "Because people would use her to get to me. Enemies who'd see her disability as a weakness to abuse." His jaw tightened. "I won't let that happen. She's the only family I have left."
I knew exactly how that felt. Grandma was my only family now, too. "We're going to get her back," I promised. "I don't know how yet, but we will."
Stellan met my eyes. "You really believe that?" "I have to. The alternative is giving up, and I didn't escape a massacre just to give up now."
We sat in silence for a moment. Then Stellan said softly, "Tell me about your pack. About what really happened that night."
So I did.
I told him about Moonvale, a small pack that lived in the northern mountains, away from politics and court drama. We weren't fighters or nobles. We were truth-keepers, scholars, record-keepers. Boring, quiet work.
I told him about my parents. My mother, Elena, who could see lies even better than me. My father, Marcus, who made the best apple pie in the area and told terrible jokes.
I told him about that Solstice night five years ago. How we'd been partying like always, music, food, laughter. How the attackers came at midnight when everyone was distracted by the Moon Goddess's welcome ceremony. "I was in the archive building," I whispered, the memories sharp as knives. "I heard yelling and ran outside. Everything was on fire. Wolves in masks were killing everyone. I saw my mother trying to protect the younger kids. She saw me and screamed for me to run."
My voice cracked but I kept going. "I ran. Like a coward, I ran and hid in the forest while my pack burned. I heard my mother die. I heard everyone die. And I did nothing." "You survived," Stellan said strongly. "That's not weak. That's what your mother wanted." "I should have fought. Should have" "You would have died too. Then Dorian would have won five years ago." He touched my shoulder gently. "You survived for a reason, Lucy. Maybe this reason. To stop him from killing anyone else."
I wanted to believe that. Wanted to think my life meant something beyond just dumb luck. "Before she died, my mother told me something," I said quietly. "She said, 'Hide your light, little moon.' I didn't understand what she meant until later. The truth-seeing ability she called our light. She wanted me to hide it so whoever killed our pack wouldn't find me." "And you did. For five years." "Until now." I laughed coldly. "Dorian found me anyway. Used me anyway." "But he hasn't won yet." Stellan stood up, offering me his hand. "We still have time. We still have your ability. And we know what he's planned."
I took his hand and let him pull me up. "What are you thinking?" "I'm thinking we need to use these hours wisely. We can't leave this room, but we can prepare." He started pacing, his tactical mind clearly working. "You said you can see lies. Can you force people to tell the truth?" "I... maybe? My grandmother told me I had that skill, but I've never tried. I didn't even know about it until yesterday." "Then we practice. If we can't leave, if we can't get help, we need to make absolutely sure that when we face Dorian tonight, we can force him to confess everything in front of witnesses."
It was a long shot. A frantic plan.
But it was all we had.
For the next several hours, we practiced. Stellan would tell me lies, and I'd try to force the truth from him. It was harder than I expected, like grabbing smoke with my bare hands. "I hate chocolate," Stellan said.
I focused on the red threads that appeared, trying to grab them with my mind the way I'd done once before in the temple. "Tell the truth." "I hate chocolate," he repeated, not motivated at all.
We tried again and again. Sometimes, I got small flickers, Stellan would pause or look confused. But I couldn't fully control him. "This isn't working," I said, frustrated after the twentieth attempt. "It will. You just need practice." Stellan checked his phone, still blocked. "We have six more hours. Keep trying."
But as the afternoon dragged on and the sun started to set, I felt my hope fading. Even if I mastered this skill, what good would it do? Dorian had the council, the guards, and Celeste as hostages.
Around five o'clock, someone knocked on the door. "Your Majesty?" A servant's voice. "I've brought you dinner and formal attire for tonight's ceremony."
The door opened quickly. A servant brought in a cart with covered dishes and two garment bags, then left quickly. The door locked again immediately.
Stellan lowered the covers on the food. Roasted meat, fresh bread, fancy sweets. A feast. "The condemned's last meal," I muttered. "Don't say that." But Stellan didn't sound convinced.
I wasn't hungry, but I forced myself to eat. I'd need energy for whatever came next.
The garment bags held official Solstice ceremony outfits, a beautiful silver dress for me, and a ceremonial king's outfit for Stellan. Both were clearly expensive and perfectly sized. "They planned everything," I said, looking at the dress. "Even what we'd wear."
As the sun set fully and darkness fell outside, the reality of our situation sank in. In less than three hours, we'd be taken to the final Solstice celebration. Dorian would force us to join in his ritual. He'd steal my family's power, probably kill us afterward, and no one would ever know the truth.
I sat on the edge of the bed, trying not to cry.
Stellan sat beside me. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "For what?" "For pulling you into this. If I hadn't opened that storage room door last night, you might have escaped. You could have run while they were focused on me."
I shook my head. "They would have found me eventually. This was always Dorian's plan: the killing, keeping me alive, and forcing our marriage. You didn't drag me into anything. We were both victims." "Still. I wish I could fix this. Protect you. That's what a husband should do, right?" He smiled sadly. "Even an accidental one."
Something about the way he said it so real, so kind made my chest ache. "For what it's worth," I said, "if I had to wake up married to someone with no memory of how it happened, I'm glad it was you. You could have been awful about this. Could have blamed me or abandoned me to save yourself. But you didn't." "Neither did you."
We sat in silence as the last light faded from the sky. Outside, I could hear the Solstice parties starting music, laughter, and fireworks.
Everyone was celebrating while we sat trapped, waiting for our death.
At precisely eight o'clock, the door lock clicked open.
Lady Vivian entered, guarded by guards. She looked pleased like a cat that caught two mice. "Time to get dressed, lovebirds. The ceremony starts in an hour, and we can't have the guests of honor coming late." She pointed to the garment bags. "Put on your formal clothes. Try to look happy. After all, this is supposed to be a party for your beautiful new marriage." "Where's Celeste?" Stellan demanded. "Waiting at the temple with Dorian. She's perfectly safe. As long as you cooperate." Vivian's smile was sharp. "Oh, and don't try anything stupid at the ceremony. We'll have guards positioned around your sister with very specific orders. One wrong move and..." She made a cutting sign across her throat.
She left, locking the door. Stellan and I changed him behind the screen, me in the bathroom quickly. The dress fit wonderfully, hugging my body like it was made for me. Which it probably was. Dorian had planned this for years.
When I exited, Stellan was waiting in his ceremonial outfit. He looked every inch the powerful Alpha King. "Ready?" he asked. "No. But I don't think we have a choice."
At eight-thirty, the guards came for us.
They escorted us through the palace halls. Servants and lords stopped to stare as we passed. Some whispered. Some looked concerned. Most just seemed curious about the incident.
Outside, a royal wagon waited to take us to the temple.
As we climbed inside, Stellan grabbed my hand and squeezed it three times.
I squeezed back, not knowing what it meant but glad for the contact anyway.
The carriage rolled through the joyful city toward the Royal Temple where our fate waited.
And sitting in the darkness, I made a choice.
If I were going to die tonight, I wasn't going quietly.
I would find a way to reveal Dorian. Find a way to save Celeste. Find a way to make my pack's deaths mean something.
Even if it costs me everything.
The temple loomed ahead, lit by thousands of candles for the sacred ritual.
This was it.
No more time. No more chances.
Just one last desperate bet against a man who'd already won.
The carriage stopped.
The door opened.
And Chancellor Dorian stood waiting with a smile that promised death dressed up as fate.