The Day of the Coronation

Addy

I’m perched on a stool in my dressing room, a lady fussing over my hair. She’s one of the many who volunteered to style it for the big day, but she’s struggling with a few stubborn strands.

“Has your hair always been this difficult to manage?” she asks, tugging at a rebellious lock.

I grip the armrest. “Not really. I used to just brush it, tie it up, and head to school.”

She clucks her tongue. “I can tell. Some of these strands have a mind of their own. I’ll have to pin them down.”

Myra is next to me, another lady working on her hair. “This is going to be such a wonderful day. I can’t wait for everything to unfold.”

Mystic has been restless all morning. ‘What’s bothering you?’

She scans the room. ‘Something’s not right. I can’t put my finger on it.’

Myra’s been chattering away. “Right?”

I blink. “Sorry, what did you say? Mystic was talking.”

She rolls her eyes. “I was asking about my brother. I tried to talk to him, but he was too busy.”

I smile at her. “He’s really nervous. Between the meetings with the disgruntled Alphas and this event, he’s on edge. I feel bad for him. He’s been coming to bed late, worn out, and leaving early for more meetings or training.”

She nods, then the lady doing her hair tells her to stay still. “Tate’s been the same. He comes to bed late and leaves before I wake up. I love this place and the time we get to spend together, but our sex life is practically non-existent right now.”

“Drake and I are in the same boat. We’ve been so busy and tired that we haven’t had sex in weeks. I’m usually asleep when he comes in. He wakes me up when he showers, then he’s out like a light as soon as he hits the bed.” I wave my hand dismissively.

Myra takes my hand. “I’m waiting for my heat phase to kick in. Then we can lock ourselves in our room for a week. It should happen any day now.”

“At least you won’t have to deal with what I went through. You won’t have males chasing you, trying to force themselves on you.” I squeeze her hand.

She bursts into laughter. “You should have completed the mating process sooner. I warned you about what would happen if you didn’t. Tate and I did it to avoid any conflicts.”

I glare at her. “You didn’t have a difficult life like mine. Your mother prepared you for this; I had no guidance.”

She grins. “I know, but we did try to educate you. You were just too shy to take the leap.”

I grunt. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to sleep with him. There were plenty of times I wanted to. I just wasn’t mentally ready, and I’m grateful he was patient with me.”

She starts to turn towards me, but the lady doing her hair pulls her back. “He was raised to be kind. People think Alphas are cold and controlling, but his heart is pure gold.”

The lady styling my hair steps back, admiring her work in the mirror. “There. It looks perfect.”

I touch it gently. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

She bows and leaves, as does the lady who was doing Myra’s hair. We walk over to the closet where our dresses are hanging. Myra picks hers up and I help her zip it up. She twirls in it, her face glowing.

“I love this dress. Tate hasn’t seen it yet. I wanted it to be a surprise,” she smooths the fabric.

“I didn’t let Drake see mine either. He tried to sneak a peek the other day, but I smacked his arm. I moved it in here afterwards so he wouldn’t be tempted,” I say, my hands trembling as I take it down.

Myra takes it from me and lays it on the lounge. “Addy, relax. I know this day has been stressful for both of you, but there’s no need to be so jittery.”

I shake my head. “It’s not just that. Mystic has been on edge today. She keeps saying something’s wrong, but I don’t know what’s bothering her.”

As I turn to pick up my dress, the door bursts open. A man I’ve never seen before stands there, his silver eyes locked on me, an evil smirk on his face.

Mystic springs up. “Run, Addy. It’s Ewart. I can sense his wolf. He’s here to disrupt the ceremony.”

Myra turns to speak, but the man transforms into a massive silver and black wolf. It’s the largest one I’ve ever seen. I quickly link with Drake and shift into my wolf form, while Myra stands frozen in shock.

‘Mystic, I’ve been searching for you. It’s about time I found you,’ his wolf purrs.

‘Lemuel, you always were overconfident. I suggest you leave before everyone in this castle attacks you,’ Mystic growls.

He laughs, a chilling sound. ‘Don’t you see your friend standing there, frozen? Everyone is frozen except us.’

Tate and Soloman burst into the room, stopping when they see his wolf. “We thought we smelled your stench. When everyone froze, we knew something was wrong.”

He spins around, glaring at the two men in their formal attire. He shifts back to his human form, naked. “Magic and Silverdust, I should have known you were close by. I was hoping she hadn’t found you yet.”

“We’ve been together for months. Didn’t Phoebe tell you when she returned to your realm? I suggest you leave immediately and return to your realm before we send you back permanently,” Tate growls.

Soloman points at him. “You sent Phebe to destroy her again and she failed. We knew you’d come after her, but we didn’t know when.”

He crosses his arms over his chest. “I’ve been waiting for the right time. Phebe told me how you killed her when she tried to connect with her mate.”

Tate rolls his eyes. “More lies from that witch. The man she claimed was her mate was not. He was created for Mystic by her mother. I’m surprised you can’t tell when she’s lying to you. But then again, everyone in your realm lies. They’re all there for a lifetime of crimes they committed when they were human, or because they were desperate for something they couldn’t have.”

Ewart takes a step back towards me as Mystic backs away. “When she failed again, I decided to take matters into my own hands. My mission, which has been ongoing since the dawn of time, will be completed now.”

He turns towards us and Mystic leaps out the window. She hits the ground running, with Lemuel hot on her heels. My Magic and Silverdust follow, and we weave through the trees. He’s gaining on us, but she pushes herself harder.

‘Mystic, don’t slow down. We’re almost there,’ Silverdust communicates.

She glances back to see how close they are, but his nose is almost touching her tail. She looks forward again, just as a large blue portal appears in front of us. She tries to stop, but we slide through it. Lemuel follows, and the portal closes before the other two wolves can jump through. We fall through the darkness until we hit the ground. She stands up, scanning the gloomy surroundings as he slowly approaches.

He shifts back to his human form. “Welcome to my home, Mystic. This is where I will end you once and for all. I’ve waited a long time to take the power from you that your mother should never have given you. I warned her when you were born not to make you so powerful, but she didn’t listen. She wanted another child with the same power as her. I tried to please that witch, but it was never enough.”

We keep our eyes on his chest, trying not to look at the rest of his naked body. He’s built like any other wolf, but his manhood is as long as Drake’s, and it makes us uncomfortable. We shift our gaze, trying not to look at him.

Mystic looks at me, then meets his gaze. ‘What are you talking about? My mother created me to fill a void in her life.’

He lowers himself, meeting her gaze. “She was never content with me. I did everything in my power to make her happy, but the moment you were conceived, I ceased to exist for her.”

She recoils, his laughter echoing in her ears. “No, that can’t be. You and my mother... it’s impossible.”

He rises, spreading his arms wide. “I am your father, Mystic. How else do you think you came to be? Your mother is strong, but not that strong. I fell in love with her, only to be discarded when she got what she wanted from me. She desired a daughter to maintain our kind’s peace. When I tried to take you away to save you from this endless cycle, she banished me to this hell she created.”

Her eyes are wide with fear. “Why would you want to kill your own daughter?”

A slow, sinister smile spreads across his face. “She loves you the way she once loved me. I pleaded to be a part of your life, but she shut me out. Years of living in this hell hardened my heart, turned it black. I watched you live a life of luxury while I suffered. I wanted to raise you, to give you a good life filled with my love. When Phebe approached me with her proposition, I couldn’t resist. Taking away the one thing she loved more than anything was the only revenge I could think of. I wanted to make her as miserable as I’ve been, for longer than I can remember.”

Suddenly, I feel a sharp sting on my rear. My eyes close as I collapse, succumbing to the darkness.