Leah Pov
"Who are you?" A scratchy voice asked, waking me up from the half-sleep I had slipped into.
I was so tired after all the hours pushing myself to make medicine to heal the princess, the small bread I begged a maid for, the only thing in my stomach.
The little magic I pushed into the herb mixture sapped up the last of my strength and nearly sent me into another dead faint.
"You're awake princess, that's good. Let me tell someone to inform your father," I stood up tentatively, staggering to the door to call one of the guards when the princess's voice stopped me in my tracks.
"No. Don't call them yet, please," Princess Anne begged, her light blue eyes shiny with tears in the dim light of the room.
"But your father will be worried. He needs to know you are alive and well, and my life depends on this too. I'm hungry and tired and I can't wait any longer, I need to make a deal with your father if I hope to survive the coming days at least," I informed her, my tiredness loosening my tongue and pulling the words out of my mouth.
"What deal is that?" The princess asked, her head tipping to the side slightly in curiosity, as she sat up slowly on the bed.
"I have nowhere to go, and I need a place to stay for a while. I helped heal you, so I'm hoping your father will allow me to stay here for some time, till I can find another place to go to,"
"Wait! How did you heal me? I made sure what I took didn't have a cure. Nothing should have been able to heal me, well, except the forbidden arts,"
Looking at me with a suspicious look in her eyes, she asked.
"Did you use magic?"
"What!? N- no! I don't know what you are talking about. I just mixed a few herbs, which I gave you to drink and you were cured" I stammered, caught off guard.
I needed to get out of this room immediately before the princess put me in deep trouble.
"That's impossible. I did my research about the poison before I drank it. There is no cure for it, except if magic is used, and since magic is forbidden, there are no magic users, which would have allowed me to die like I wanted!"
"Why would you want to kill yourself?" I asked, surprised at the princess's vehemence.
At my sudden question, the princess burst into tears, sobbing softly.
"It's all father's fault. If he had just allowed me to go with Elias instead, but no! I have to tie myself to that beastly Alpha instead, all in the name of the betterment of the pack," She spat, still crying.
"Beastly Alpha?" I probed, my tiredness pushed to the side to satisfy my curiosity.
But Princess Anne shook her head adamantly instead.
"Not yet. I will tell you everything, but first, there is something I need you to do for me," She stated, her gaze glittery in a way that made me feel cautious.
What does the princess want from me too?
****
I observed my image in the mirror in front of me, as the servants of the Risenmoon pack dress me up.
This was my job as a servant in my pack, to clean up after important members of the pack, and now here I am. Talk about a role reversal.
It's been five days since I healed the princess and we came to an agreement.
By now, the princess should have reunited with her love, Elias, and the illusion magic would have faded off her, leaving me the only one wearing the illusion mask.
I studied my appearance, which was no longer the way it used to be.
My vibrant auburn hair was now wheat blonde, my grassy green eyes, now the light blue of a cloudless sky, my heart-shape face now a perfect oval, my curves gone, my body now slim and slender.
I was now the Princess, Anne. That was what the princess had wanted me to do. To cast an illusion spell so we could switch appearance.
With my appearance, the princess had left Risenmoon pack lands to reunite with her lover, who was waiting for her at another pack, leaving me at Risenmoon pack to bear the brunt of her responsibility.
"Don't be scared Princess, today is not the mating ceremony. The Alpha had it pushed to two days time, so you can have enough time to recuperate from the poisoning," One of the servants said in an effort to console me, and I needed the consoling.
I was way over her head here, and for the hundredth time, I wondered why I had agreed to the Princess's idea.
"Anddd… done!" They announced simultaneously, then shuffled me out of the dressing room, to the meeting room where I would be meeting my soon-to-be mate, Alpha Damian.
The Alpha, Princess Anne had called cruel and cold in the most disgusted tone.
And from the manner in which she had spoken of him, I was expecting a lewd old man, with grabby hands.
Just my luck to be tied to an old man, instead of the one I wanted, which was Thomas. I quickly pushed the painful thought away before I found myself curled up in a fetal position from thinking about him.
Standing by the window of the meeting room, I observed the plant life outside and tried to quiet my anxious thoughts.
I needed to act natural, like I was really the princess. They mustn't suspect anything was wrong or I was as good as dead.
Lost in the thoughts of the different ways the Alpha of Rivermoon would kill me for what I have done, I didn't hear the meeting room door open, till the most refreshing scent I have ever smelled, wafted faintly into the room.
"Uhmm… What's that smell?" I murmured, as I turned to face the door, my eyes colliding with the light brown of the male who just walked in.
The male stood quietly as I studied him, my eyes brushing past his face to rest on his broad shoulders, then headed downwards to his flat stomach, the loose flannel shirt he was wearing unable to hide the fold of muscles there.
Of their own accord, my eyes moved to his slim strong hips, and muscular long legs, encased in black slacks, before snapping back to his strong carved face, which his wavy dark hair didn't soften a bit.
The male standing in front of me wasn't what anyone would call handsome by any standards. His facial features were too bold, too roughly hewned for him to be considered handsome.
No. He looked wild. Untethered. And wildly attractive.
The kind of look that stopped people with its bold power and made them stare with fascination and a little bit of fear.
I certainly would have kept on staring at him if not for the flash of confusion and anger I saw in his eyes briefly before it became cold and expressionless again.
"Do you need something?" I managed to ask, trying to pull my senses away from his magnetism, and noticing that the faint sweet refreshing scent was coming from him.
The scent was making me feel so calm, and restless at the same time. Suddenly, I felt a slight rustling inside me, before it went silent again.
Uhn… What was happening? A flash of fear went through me at the feeling.
It's nothing, just mind tricks. My wolf has been quiet for so long, my mind is playing tricks on me. I tell myself, exhaling a soft breath of relief.
My wolf remaining inactive was the only way mine and Princess Anne's plan was going to work successfully.
"Maybe," The powerful figure in front of me answered, his husky baritone shooting a jolt of pure lust through me that my body seized for a moment, warm liquid pooling in between my legs, startling me.
The heck? I wondered, staring wide-eyed at the stranger in front of me.
Damian Pov"What is Elijah thinking pushing the mating to two days' time? I should have been informed before I even got here, now what the fuck am I supposed to do, twiddle my thumbs and wait?!" I snapped at my Delta, Connor, running a hand through my hair in frustration. I got to Risenmoon pack this morning, only to be told that the mating ceremony had been postponed. A mating ceremony I never wanted, with a mate I didn't want. I didn't need another woman in my life, but since Stephanie agreed to the mating, citing its importance, I decided to go with the flow. When I came to Elijah, the Alpha of the Risenmoon pack for access to his Lead mining site, it didn't cross my mind that mating his daughter would be a prerequisite to having access to the mines. And my pack, Silverback pack, needed urgent access to the mines which was one the reasons I even agreed to Elijah's idiotic suggestion. The Silverback pack didn't have a good relationship with other packs, but we were feared and r
Leah pov "What's going on here, Alpha Damian? Get your hands off my daughter!" a voice shouted, the hand around my throat suddenly removed. Gasping from the pain in my throat, I placed my hand over the bruised skin and watched as Alpha Elijah faced off with Alpha Damian, the two of them growling loudly, seconds away from ripping each other to shreds. "What game are you playing Elijah? Who is that woman behind you?" Alpha Damian questioned, his eyes flashing gold, as he pointed a finger at me. "Who else would she be? She's Princess Anne, my daughter. You met her before," Giving a glance at me where I stood huddled behind him, Alpha Elijah added."Oh. I get what you mean. She feels different, doesn't she?" Straightening his stance from his half-crouched position, Alpha Elijah confessed, his face expressionless and posture stoic, not giving anything away. "She got poisoned with wolfsbane and almost died," At his words, Alpha Damian straightened too, his anger draining, but the su
Leah povAfter nearly four days of travel, we finally got to Silverback pack, amidst grumblings and side-eye glances from the few warriors Alpha Damian had brought with him. I could understand their grumbling, as the journey was supposed to take just one day in their wolf form, but because I couldn't shift, they had to keep to my pace, which made them angry. I could sense Damian frustration with me, but he didn't say a word, leaving me in the company of his warriors while he went on to scout. Immediately we got to what I assumed was the pack house; since it was the biggest building I could see, the door flew open and a stunning silvery-haired woman came flying out of it. "Damian!" She shouted, jumping on him and planting a full kiss on his lips. Damian caught her by the hips, and the two of them kissed so deeply I could only stare in shock. What the-? The two of them ease off each other reluctantly, their eyes hooked on each other, and the depths of their feelings obvious. If
Leah's POV I stared at my reflection in the mirror, the wide floral skirt and cute top made me feel more regal. I was really doing this. I twirled around, loving the feeling when I heard a knock at the door. "It's open," I answered, and the door was pushed open. It was a maid. "Are you ready? I was asked to take you to the dining room, my Princess," she said, her eyes placed on the floor. It pulled at my heart, reminding me of when I was in my pack and unable to look at the higher-ups too. I plastered a small smile on my face. "Yes, please lead the way," I replied just before I could catch what had just left my lips. The maid looked shocked for a moment but she quickly hid her expression again and turned around to leave. So it was the same everywhere, I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. A princess never used the word 'please'. It was a vocabulary that they didn't need as everything they needed could be gotten in the blink of an eye. Well, I wasn't going to be that princess,
Damien's Pov My instincts have never failed me and right now they were blaring at me, telling me something was wrong. It didn't help that my wolf wanted to be close to her. Her scent was refreshing, pulling me in without my will. It was clouding my senses whenever I was in her presence. Whatever trickery she was playing at, I was going to discover it before she confused me. I shook my head as I walked. I wanted to go to Stephanie's room but the passion was no longer there. I suddenly felt tired and drained. As I forced myself to go to her room, I suddenly felt guilty. I was mated yet I would be spending my first night with another woman. I brushed the thought away. This was only a marriage of convenience. I reached her room and opened it without knocking, knowing fully well that she had heard my footsteps and was expecting me. Stephanie was already half-naked in a see-through dress that hugged every part of her body. As I entered, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pull
Leah's POVMy eyes were closed yet I could feel someone around me. I did not know if it was because of the magic I was practicing or my dormant wolf but I could feel his presence. I opened my eyes and immediately I saw a very huge wolf on my window, sleeping peacefully and a scream erupted from my throat. My scream woke him up and I scrambled out of the bed, ready to defend myself. The wolf stared at me for a few seconds before it jumped and ran away from my window. I quickly ran to my window to make sure it was locked. Indeed, it was. Who knew what would have happened if I had forgotten to close it. Who the hell was that and why was he sleeping at my window? He was too huge to be just a member of the pack. This place was weird, I concluded. Just then, a knock came at my door and I ran to open it. Standing outside was Evelyn and she was looking at me strangely. "I heard a scream, are you okay Princess?" She asked, trying to see inside my room. I suddenly felt conscious and I pull
Leah's POVConnor came a few minutes later and we left my room. He started by taking me round the house. It was a big mansion draped with expensive linen and arts. I felt like Damien was trying to show how wealthy he was although the interior did not seem like his taste. It was more of Stephanie's. "This side of the house is for the maids so whenever you need Evelyn, you can search for her here," Connor explained as we passed the east wing. If I was not sure about Damien's money, I was now. Anne had been telling me the truth. "Okay, who does Evelyn work for?" I asked him, looking uninterested in the conversation. Connor stoped walking and turned to me. "The Alpha, of course. Why do you ask?" He looked at me quizzingly.I shrugged. "Just because. She seemed to be taking note of everything I did and looked at me weirdly." He hummed, said nothing and continued walking. We got out of the house and immediately he pulled my to his chest and turned around. "Shit!" I heard a group of b
Leah's POV"Do not make me ask again, what the hell is going on here?" He growled, his eyes glowing as he stared at us. Connor cleared his throat, turning Damian's attention to himself. "Nothing, Alpha. I was just taking the Princess around," he explained. Damien glanced at me, giving me a suspicious look. "She is no longer a Princess so there is no need to call her that. She has a name." I groaned, not wanting to be called another name. It could mess up with my mind. "I'm fine with being called a Princess," I told him. "After all that is who I am." "You are no longer a Princess, Anne," he hissed. Damian didn't look pleased to see me which I understood but what baffled me was the way his eyes kept on roaming down my body. He seemed angry but I could tell there was something more to his anger. "You are my Luna now and should be assessed as such." It took a lot of my resilience not to roll my eyes at his possessive words. "Well then treat me like one," I glared at him. I heard C