Ten Days Before Our Contract Expires

Start Reading

It was the fifth year of my mating to Silas Blackwood. He walked into the pack house, bold as brass, with a she-wolf he'd bought out of a shady dive bar called The Velvet Den.

She was his eighth mistress. When our eyes met, she whimpered and buried her face in Silas's chest.

Silas, is this the Lunar Queen you always tell me about? she asked, her voice dripping with fake innocence.

Silas wrapped his arm around her slender waist, his voice a low growl of comfort. "Don't mind her."

He brushed past me, his shoulder hitting mine. That night, the lights in her suite stayed on until dawn.

He forced me to stay outside their door, listening to the sounds of his betrayal. He wanted me to hear every moan and every promise he made to her.

The next morning, he told me to prepare a prenatal tonic for her. Apparently, she was already carrying his pup.

I smiled and obeyed. He seemed to have forgotten that in ten days, our mating contract would expire, and I would be gone.

1.

I walked into the room with two bowls of honeyed cream. I found Seraphina lounging in Silas's lap.

Silas looked at the bowls, his brow furrowed. He turned a cold gaze toward me.

"Seraphina is allergic to honey. Eat the extra one yourself," he snapped.

He took a spoonful from one bowl and fed it to her, his expression softening only for her.

I didn't argue. I just bowed and walked out with the tray.

Behind me, Seraphina's giggles echoed through the hall.

"You were right, Silas. The Lunar Queen is nothing to be afraid of. You'll have to protect me from her glares."

"Of course. You're my precious prize. I paid a fortune to get you back," he replied.

I felt a bitter smile touch my lips. Protection? He wouldn't have to protect her from me for much longer.

For five years, everyone in Silver Ridge knew I was the most patient wife. I let him bring woman after woman into our home.

Other Alphas even used me as an example to lecture their own mates about obedience.

But they didn't know I was once a starving stray in the woods. Silas found me near death and brought me to the Blackwood Estate.

"Elara, you'll be safe here," he had said.

I wanted to run, but he didn't give me the chance.

"Stay with me. I need you to manage this entire pack for me."

He pulled a silver hairpin from his pocket and tucked it into my hair.

That was the first time he'd ever been so close. I could feel his warm breath against my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

That year, I fell for him completely. He promised me the world.

"Elara, don't worry. I will make you my mate," he vowed.

Back then, his eyes were full of me. I was the only one by his side.

He kept his word and mated with me. But he also kept bringing in other women.

He was the son of the High Elder, after all. Every girl he touched thought she was special.

But they all eventually realized they were just echoes. They all looked a bit like me.

But this time, Seraphina was different. She looked almost exactly like me.

If you didn't know us, you'd think we were twins.

I used to ask him why he needed them if he had me. He always dodged the question.

But with Seraphina, his heart seemed to have truly shifted.

The thought sent a sharp pang through my chest. Then, I heard high-pitched laughter approaching.

It was Seraphina, leading a group of his other consorts toward me.

2.

"Greetings, Lunar Queen," the other girls said, bowing their heads. Only Seraphina stood tall, her chin tilted in defiance.

Someone tried to pull her sleeve, signaling her to show respect. She just shook them off.

"Everyone in the city knows Silas loves me more than life itself. I'm carrying his heir now, and I'm far too delicate to be bowing."

"If I hurt myself, I won't be able to please him tonight. I'm sure you understand, right, sister?"

"You're right," I replied calmly. "Do whatever makes you happy."

I told the rest of them they didn't need to bow to me anymore either.

I only had ten days left. I just wanted to spend them in peace.

Seraphina's eyes landed on the silver pin in my hair. She reached out and grabbed me.

"Sister, that pin is beautiful. It would look much better on me."

She reached out and snatched it from my head. I didn't think; I just grabbed it back.

Seraphina let out a dramatic gasp and faked a stumble. She threw herself backward, landing in the decorative pond with a loud splash.

Right at that moment, Silas walked into the courtyard.

He rushed over to pull the soaking Seraphina out of the water. He immediately wrapped her in his own cloak.

"Silas, please don't be mad at her! I didn't mean to upset her," Seraphina sobbed into his chest.

Silas rubbed her back, his voice low and soothing. Then he looked at me, his eyes burning with rage.

"What happened here?" he demanded.

"She tried to steal my pin. I was just taking back what belongs to me."

Silas looked at the pin in my hand. He held out his palm.

"Give it to me," he said.

I stared at him, heartbroken. He had given me this pin the day he asked me to stay.

Now he was taking it back. Well, fine. It never really belonged to me anyway.

I placed it in his hand. Suddenly, he shoved me with enough force to send me stumbling back.

I fell into the freezing water. The last thing I saw was the disgust in Silas's eyes and the smug grin on Seraphina's face.

"If you touch her again, I won't be so merciful," he growled.

He looked at the other girls, and they all dropped to their knees, trembling.

"Silas, I'm so cold," Seraphina whimpered.

He picked her up in his arms, looking at her with nothing but pure devotion, and walked away.

After that day, every servant in the estate knew that Seraphina was the one in charge.

I caught a terrible fever from the cold water and couldn't even leave my bed.

My maid, Lyra, tried to get Silas to visit me, but he kicked her out every time.

The servants outside my window didn't even bother to lower their voices when they gossiped.

"I heard the Lunar Queen was just a placeholder. She was only chosen because she looks like Seraphina."

"Yeah, if Seraphina hadn't gotten lost years ago, Elara would still be a beggar on the streets."

I lay in the dark, listening to them. My heart felt like it was being shredded.

So that was the truth. I was just a ghost of the woman he actually wanted.

3.

Five years ago, I woke up in the woods with no memory. I was a stray, a nobody.

Silas found me and offered me a home. The catch was that I had to sign a mating contract and help him manage the pack's politics.

I did it because I owed him my life.

Over the years, I watched him bring in women who all shared my features.

I thought it was because he loved me so much he couldn't get enough of me. I was a fool.

Last New Year, Silas got drunk. He held me tight and whispered something that haunted me.

"Elara, don't waste your heart on me."

I thought he just didn't know how to love. But last year, I found a hidden room in the basement.

It was filled with old photos and paintings of a girl. She looked exactly like me, but more vibrant.

I wondered if I knew her. I started digging into Silas's past and found out about his childhood sweetheart.

Looking at how he treated Seraphina now, I knew she was the girl from the paintings.

A few days later, I was finally strong enough to get out of bed. I went to find Silas to discuss pack business.

As I reached his study, I heard Seraphina's playful voice.

"Silas, you have to teach me how to read every single day."

Silas was standing behind her, his arms wrapped around her as he guided her hand across the paper.

I once walked into this room without knocking, and he screamed at me in front of everyone.

But with her, he looked like a man possessed by love.

"I promise. I'll teach you everything," he whispered.

Seraphina looked up and saw me. She gave me a look of pure malice.

"Oh, is the Lunar Queen mad that I'm taking up all your time?"

Silas looked at me, his face turning into a mask of ice.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly.

I kept my voice steady. "I heard you're giving Seraphina an official title?"

Silas frowned. He seemed annoyed that I wasn't calling him by his pet name anymore.

"Yes. We were separated for years. I won't fail her again."

"I'm sending the other consorts away. I expect you two to get along as sisters."

I nodded slowly. "Understood."

I turned and walked away. Silas watched me go, a flicker of unease crossing his face.

He probably thought I was just throwing a tantrum. He thought things would go back to normal eventually.

4.

That night, the High Elder's office was the only room with a light still on.

I sat across from Silas's father. He looked exhausted. He sighed deeply after a long silence.

"Are you sure about this, Elara? Being a Peace Treaty Bride is a heavy burden."

The wind howled outside, but the room was warm. I bowed low.

"I want to repay my debt to the Blackwood family. I'm ready."

The Elder reached out to help me up. "Is this because of Silas and that girl?"

I stayed silent for a moment, then shook my head.

"Silas and I are finished. Our bond is broken. I just want to help the pack now."

Our pack had been losing the war against the Northern Tundra for years. They wanted a high-ranking bride to seal a ceasefire.

The High Elder had been losing sleep over which of his daughters to send.

I volunteered to save them the trouble. It was the only way to truly pay him back for everything.

The Elder nodded. "I accept your sacrifice."

"Please don't tell Silas until I'm gone," I requested.

He sighed. "He'll be devastated. But even if I don't tell him, he'll find out soon enough."

I smiled bitterly. He was too busy planning his big wedding with Seraphina to notice anything else.

When I got back to my room, I saw a shadow behind the bed curtains.

My heart skipped a beat. A familiar, cold voice spoke.

"Where have you been?"

It was Silas. Why wasn't he with his precious Seraphina?

"Just taking a walk. I couldn't sleep," I said, lighting a candle.

Silas suddenly grabbed me from behind. He held me like he used to, with a strange desperation.

"Elara, stop being so distant. It's just a title for Seraphina. It doesn't change us."

I laughed softly. There was nothing left to change.

"Okay," I said.

He turned me around to face him. "Good. Tomorrow, I want you to apologize to her for the pond incident."

I pushed his hands away. My throat felt tight, and tears pricked my eyes.

"I didn't do anything wrong. I won't apologize. If that's why you're here, leave."

Silas's eyes hardened. "When did you become so jealous and petty?"

"She's going to be a leader of this house too. How is she supposed to command respect if you treat her like this?"

I looked him dead in the eye. "I am the Lunar Queen. Not her. Remember that."

Silas had no comeback. He turned and stormed out of the room.

The next day, a shipment of royal gifts arrived from the pack alliance. He immediately ordered the servants to take half of them to Seraphina.

He called it an "apology gift" from me.

I stepped in to stop them. "No. You can't take those. They are for theD"

"For what?" Silas asked, suspicious.

I caught myself. "They are for the princess who is going to the Northern Tundra. If you steal them, the Alpha King will have your head."

Silas hesitated, then told the servants to put them back. He left with a huff.

I watched him go and sighed with relief. But Silas wasn't done. He ordered me to go kneel in the ancestral hall as punishment.

5.

The autumn air was biting.

I knelt on the cold stone floor, wearing nothing but a thin dress. The stars were my only company.

Every hour I spent there, a little bit more of my love for Silas withered away.

Three days later, the courtyard was filled with thousands of blooming hibiscus flowers.

People gathered outside the gates, whispering in awe.

"My Lady, Silas hand-picked every single one of them," Lyra told me.

My heart fluttered. Hibiscus were my favorite. My old ones had died months ago.

I couldn't help myself. I walked toward the main gate.

Silas was there, holding Seraphina. He was looking at her with so much tenderness it hurt to watch.

"He bought every hibiscus in the territory for her," a passerby whispered.

"I'd die happy if a man loved me that much," another said.

I froze. Silas looked up and saw me. His loving expression vanished, replaced by a wall of ice.

I felt like everyone was laughing at me. I turned and ran back to my room.

I grabbed a pair of shears and started hacking away at the dead hibiscus branches in my own garden.

I didn't realize I was sobbing until the ground was covered in brown petals.

Five more days. Just five more days of this hell.

I picked up a broken branch and squeezed it. It hurt, but the pain was a reminder that I was still alive.

That afternoon, a royal painter arrived to take my portrait.

Silas had taken Seraphina out for the day, which made things easier.

The Northern Tundra needed a portrait of the bride before the wedding. I put on a blood-red dressDthe same one I wore when I mated with Silas.

The painter gasped at how beautiful I looked. It was ironic. I was wearing the dress of my greatest mistake to start my new life.

Two hours later, a servant told me Silas wanted to see me.

"Tell him I'm busy. I'll come when I'm done."

The servant didn't move. He just stood there, waiting.

I realized what Silas wanted. He wanted the keys to the pack vault and the official seal.

He'd given them to me years ago. Now, he wanted to give them to Seraphina.

6.

I pulled out the box containing the seal. Inside, there was also a handmade sachet.

I had spent weeks embroiderying it for him, even had it blessed at a shrine.

But by the time I finished it, he had already brought Seraphina home.

I looked at the sachet one last time and tossed it in the box with the seal.

"Give this to your master. He won't bother me again after this," I told the servant.

The man looked confused but took the box and left.

Three days before my departure, the Blackwood Estate held a massive banquet. Everyone was celebrating the fact that a princess was finally chosen.

I arrived late. The room was buzzing with rumors.

"The Alpha King is so pleased with Elder Sterling. Who is the lucky girl going to the North?"

Silas looked at his father, his eyes full of curiosity.

He had been so distracted by Seraphina that he hadn't even bothered to ask who the bride was.

For some reason, he looked panicked. He started scanning the room, looking for me.

"The bride is my most cherished daughter," the Elder said vaguely.

The guests took the hint and changed the subject.

"I heard Silas found a new beauty. They say she's even better than Elara."

"Well, Silas saved Elara from the gutter. She owes him everything."

Silas looked annoyed. "She was just a stray. I gave her a roof over her head, that's all."

I chose that moment to walk through the doors. The room went silent.

I acted like I hadn't heard a word. I walked up to the Elder and knelt.

"Father, the portrait for the princess is finished."

I handed him the scroll. I could see Silas leaning in, trying to catch a glimpse of the painting.

The Elder looked at the portrait and nodded. I took it back to give to the royal messenger.

"Since it's for the Northern King, why don't you show us all?" Silas challenged.

Before I could speak, the messenger stepped in.

"This is the image of a future Queen. It's not for the eyes of common wolves."

Silas looked embarrassed and backed down. I picked up a glass of wine and walked over to him.

"I hope your wedding in three days is everything you dreamed of, Silas," I said.

I drained the glass in one gulp. I meant it. In three days, I would be a memory.

Seraphina was standing next to him, wearing the sachet I had made for Silas.

I smiled bitterly and poured another glass for her.

"And I hope you two are very happy together."

Seraphina smirked and leaned into Silas. "You were right, Silas. A little punishment in the ancestral hall really fixed her attitude."

The wine felt like acid in my throat. Silas was staring at me, his eyes full of confusion.

He could feel the distance between us, and it was driving him crazy.

I didn't give him a chance to speak. I made an excuse about being tired and left.

7.

After the guests left, I heard Silas and his father screaming at each other.

I wondered how he would feel when he realized I was the one leaving.

The day before the wedding, the estate was covered in red decorations.

A royal messenger arrived with the final decree. Everyone gathered to hear it.

After the public announcement, the messenger pulled me aside.

"My Lady, this one is for you specifically."

I knelt to receive the mandate.

"Elara, for your grace and sacrifice, you are hereby titled the Lunar Princess of the Alliance."

I took the golden scroll, my heart heavy.

Behind me, I heard the sound of something shattering.

It was Silas.

%%%