Chapter 2

2

Before Alaric could speak, Lydia stepped forward with a look of pure condescension.

"Stop lying, you savage brat. There is no curse. You and your mother just used that magic to trick the Prince into an engagement!"

"Otherwise, why would he ever look at a girl like you?"

I was shaking with anger.

When Alaric collapsed at our doorstep years ago, he was dying.

My mother saw the silver-frost curse eating his soul and spent forty-nine days crafting a spirit-shard to eat the poison.

It took her six months to recover from the strain of saving his life.

"My mother nearly died for you!" I yelled. "How can you be so ungrateful?"

Alaric's face darkened as he stepped closer. "I don't care. Even if I die, I'm not marrying a lowly werewolf girl."

"Look at yourself. You're trash. Only a woman like Lydia is fit to be my Duchess."

I looked at the man who once held me and called me the most special girl in the world.

He was a stranger now.

"Fine," I said coldly. "As soon as my mother is strong enough, she'll take it out."

I turned around and started packing our bags.

Suddenly, the new Senator, my father, walked in.

He saw me packing and asked, "Where do you think you're going?"

"You're getting married to someone else," I said without looking at him. "We're making room for your new life."

Lawrence Sterling scoffed. "At least you're smarter than your mother."

He walked into her room, and I followed him, hearing his cold voice.

"My new in-laws are embarrassed by your existence. I need to handle this."

He threw a piece of paper on the bed. "Sasha, sign this confession for the newspapers."

"Tell everyone you drugged me years ago and trapped me with that child. Tell them you've been blackmailing me ever since."

"Now that I'm a Senator, I'm finally breaking free from your lies."

My mother started laughing, a wild, broken sound.

Lawrence snapped. "What's so funny?!"

"I'm laughing at how blind I was!" she spat. "I supported you for years, and now you want me to destroy my own reputation to save yours? Never."

Lawrence grabbed her collar, his eyes full of malice. "If you don't sign it, don't blame me for what happens next."