Chapter 13
Abigail's POV
My heart slammed against my ribs as I listened to Queen Luna’s words. Elodie’s head tilted slightly, interest clearly sparking in her eyes.
"Really?" she said, leaning closer to me again and inhaling deeply. "Mm... that is unusual. I've never heard of sisters having completely identical scents." She turned toward Olivia, whose smile had frozen to the point of rigidity. "Let me smell too."
Olivia instinctively took half a step back, her lips tightening. "I don't think—"
Before she could finish, Elodie had already taken two large steps, closing the distance between them. She leaned in close to Olivia, sniffed lightly, then pulled back, her brow slowly furrowing.
"Indeed." She said slowly. "Exactly the same." She turned back to Queen Luna. "Is this normal? Have you seen this before?"
The Queen's eyes narrowed slightly, thoughtfully studying both Olivia and me. "No. However, there are some rare herbs that can mask or even temporarily alter a person's scent. Such medicines are extremely rare, and they become unstable when exposed to water."
Her gaze settled on me, on my borrowed dress and still half-dry hair. I knew she'd already connected the dots.
Realization flashed across Elodie's face. "Right. Abigail fell into the pond just now. If something was masking her scent before, that soak would naturally have washed it away."
She turned back to Olivia, her smile suddenly sharpening. "What about you? Want to take a dip too and see if your scent changes?"
"Elodie." Queen Luna spoke up, her tone still gentle. "Don't take the joke too far."
Alpha King stepped forward, his gaze slowly moving to Olivia. "Is that your natural scent?"
Olivia hadn't even opened her mouth when Evelyn instinctively stepped forward, positioning herself beside her daughter, her face swiftly shifting into an expression of perfectly calibrated anxiety and apology.
"Your Majesty, please forgive us—Olivia is still young. She admires her sister so much, she only wanted to—"
Matthew immediately stepped forward as well, standing shoulder to shoulder with his wife, his expression respectful yet forcibly composed.
"If there's been any impropriety, Your Majesty, I assure you this stems purely from ignorance. My daughter meant no disrespect to tradition, or—"
"Enough."
The Alpha King's tone remained low, yet it carried an undeniable authority that silenced Matthew and Evelyn instantly.
"I asked your daughter," he said mildly. "Let her answer for herself."
The silence that followed was almost suffocating.
I watched Matthew's jawline tighten visibly, saw Evelyn's fingers curl slightly at her sides, yet neither dared utter another word.
Every gaze in the vicinity fixed on Olivia.
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, knuckles white from the force. She opened her mouth, then closed it again as if something had lodged in her throat. After several agonizing seconds, she finally forced out words in a thin, trembling voice:
"I... I really like Abigail's scent." She kept her head lowered, barely daring to meet the Alpha King's eyes. "I thought it smelled wonderful, so I... used herbs to mimic it. I'm sorry. I meant no harm."
Alpha King's expression showed no obvious change, but something in his eyes hardened. "You shouldn't have done that, Every wolf's scent is unique. It's how we recognize family, how we identify our pack. When you rewrite it, pretending to be someone else—it's disrespectful to yourself, and it's a desecration of the bonds that hold our people together."
Olivia's face instantly paled, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize—"
"Make sure this is both the first and last time."
The King's tone was final, and Olivia quickly nodded, head bowed, not daring to say anything more.
I stood frozen in place, my mind racing. The King's words echoed in my head one by one, each syllable heavy as a hammer: Every wolf's scent is unique. It's how we recognize family.
Something clicked in my mind, pieces sliding into place with sudden, terrible clarity.
In my previous life, I'd been expelled from the gathering early—humiliated and sent away before I ever laid eyes on Alpha King himself. I'd never known what happened after I left, what conversations took place, what opportunities Olivia seized in my absence.
But now I understood. Evelyn's careful preparations had all been designed to make Olivia carry my scent, to let her wear my identity like a borrowed cloak while I was removed from the picture.
But why? What was so special about my scent that Evelyn would go to such elaborate lengths? What did she know that I didn't?
Before I could dwell on it further, Alpha King's expression shifted again, the sternness melting into something almost gentle. In my peripheral vision, I saw Matthew and Evelyn exchange a swift glance, their bodies tensing almost imperceptibly.
"Abigail," he said, my name soft in his mouth. "Tell me, child—how have you been preparing for your Awakening ceremony? It's less than a year away now, isn't it?"
The question caught me off guard. "Yes, Your Majesty. I... I've been training as best I can. Though I admit I'm nervous."
"Nervous?" His eyebrows lifted slightly. "About the transformation itself, or about what comes after?"
I chose my words carefully. "Both, I suppose. The transformation is said to be painful, and I worry about... whether my wolf will be strong enough. Whether I'll be strong enough."
"Strength comes in many forms," he said quietly. "Not all of them are immediately visible. Some wolves surprise everyone, including themselves."
He paused, studying my face as if searching for something specific. "And your family? They've been supportive during your preparations?"
"They've provided everything I need for my training, Your Majesty."
He was quiet for a moment, then asked, "And what of your interests beyond training? What occupies your mind when you're not preparing to shift?"
The shift in topic was so abrupt it took me a second to adjust. "I... I enjoy reading, Your Majesty. History, mostly."
His face lit up with genuine pleasure. "A scholar's mind. How rare and valuable."
He glanced at Elodie, who had been standing patiently through this entire exchange. "I think I've monopolized enough of your time. You two should go enjoy the gathering. There's music, dancing, good food—make the most of the evening."
"It was a pleasure speaking with you, Abigail. I hope we'll have more opportunities to talk in the future."
"The honor is mine, Your Majesty."
As Elodie hooked her arm through mine and began pulling me away from the crowd, I glanced back once. Alpha King was still watching me, his expression thoughtful, one hand absently touching the silver medallion at his chest.
And in that moment, I could have sworn I saw something in his eyes that looked almost like... longing.
"Come on," Elodie said, tugging me forward. "Let's find somewhere quieter. I'm starving."
We crossed the courtyard, weaving between the coming and going guests, until we slipped into a somewhat secluded alcove. It was much darker here than the main venue, the outside clamor reduced to a muffled background hum.
Elodie released my arm and turned to face me. "Wait here. I'll go get some food. Don't wander off."
"I won't." I promised.
She was quickly swallowed by the crowd, only her gradually receding dark silhouette visible. I leaned against the cool stone wall, slowly exhaling.
What did all of that just mean?
Every piece pointed to something larger, some truth I was still missing.
"You did it on purpose, didn't you?"
A low voice tinged with amusement came from the shadows behind me.
I spun around sharply, my heart leaping into my throat.
Behind the alcove's stone arch, two men stood vaguely visible, their figures half-hidden in shadow. The taller one leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed loosely, his expression calm and inscrutable; the other, slightly shorter, stood half a step behind him, his posture somewhat tense, eyes wide, his face written with disbelief.
It was the taller man who had spoken.
"You fell into that pond on purpose, didn't you?"