Chapter 1 Runaway twin
Today was supposed to be my twin sister’s mating ceremony.
As the Alpha daughters of the Dravenclaw Pack, it should’ve been a day of joy and pride, a grand celebration.
But it wasn’t.
Instead, fear clung to the air like poison, thick enough to choke on.
I stood in a corner of the pack house, watching everything unfold. Maids rushed back and forth, faces tight with stress as they tried to make everything perfect. The rich aroma of food filled the air, blending with the faint music playing in the background. The lights shimmered beautifully across the hall, but none of it felt warm, just hollow, like the calm before a storm.
My hands trembled as I stared at the pocket watch ticking in my palm. Each second felt like a countdown to disaster. Not because my twin was getting mated… but because of what she was about to do.
“Elara, don’t mess with me. Elara, don’t mess with me,” I muttered under my breath, my chest rising and falling too fast.
Inside me, my wolf, Lola, growled lowly. Her voice echoed in my head, cold and sure.
“She won’t dare.”
“I just hope…” My words were cut short by a scream.
“MOM!”
I didn’t think, I just moved. My feet slammed against the marble floor as I ran toward Elara’s room. My shoulder hit a few maids along the way, but I couldn’t even process it. I flung the door open… and froze.
Mom was on the floor, tears streaking down her face. The maids stood still, eyes wide and filled with pity. Then my gaze shot to the window.
The curtains were gone. No, not gone. Torn. Tied into a long rope, dangling outside.
My heart stopped.
That witch!
“She ran away… she ran away,” I whispered, shaking my head. “What the hell…”
I took a step back, my chest tightening so hard it hurt.
“I’m not doing it!” I screamed, the words bursting out of me.
Mom sobbed harder, but I didn’t care. My mind was spinning, rage and disbelief clashing like thunder in my head. I turned toward the door, ready to get out of there.
“Elinra!”
Her voice sliced through me like a blade. My body froze mid-step. Slowly, I turned, my throat dry, tears burning behind my eyes.
“No,” I whispered. It was all I could manage.
“Elinra, please…” Mom’s voice trembled.
And that’s when it hit me.
She wanted me to replace Elara.
What the actual hell.
I laughed, but it came out broken. “So you knew, didn’t you? You knew she was going to run away.” My voice cracked, my chest shaking. “So that’s why you told me I’d replace her if she ever ran away!”
Mom scrambled up and threw her arms around me, crying so hard her whole body shook.
“Please, Elinra,” she begged. “I can’t let your father find out. He’ll say I failed him.”
I pushed her away gently, staring at her in disbelief.
She was worried about her dignity? Not me?
Elara and I looked almost identical, the only real difference was the scar on my wrist. For years, Mom used our resemblance for her own convenience. Elara got the praise, I got the blame. I lived in her shadow while Mom made excuses for her.
And now, she wanted to throw me into a cursed Alpha’s arms just to save face?
Elara was supposed to marry Alpha Kaelrix, the dark Alpha whose entire pack was said to live under eternal night. A curse so strong that sunlight avoided his lands. Honestly, when Father arranged the marriage, I felt relieved. At least Elara would be gone.
But weeks ago, Mom had warned me, “If your sister ever runs, you’ll take her place.”
I thought it was just another one of her threats.
I guess not.
“So that’s it?” I asked, my voice trembling with anger. “You care more about what Father thinks than about me? You’d send me to that cursed Alpha like some replacement doll?”
Mom looked up at me, eyes red. “So, you’d rather your sister be the one to suffer?”
Her words cut deeper than any knife. And then it hit me, what if she and Elara planned this?
I stepped back, shaking my head. “I’m not replacing her. I don’t even know how to be a wife. I only know how to fight. I can’t bow to some cursed monster.”
“Elinra…” Mom’s lips quivered.
I didn’t wait to hear the rest. I turned for the door, and slammed right into a wall of muscle.
That scent.
My heart stopped.
Father.
He towered over me, his green eyes burning with fury. Before I could speak, he shoved me back into the room and slammed the door shut behind him.
“You little devil,” he growled through gritted teeth. “How dare you walk out on your mother?”
“I’m sorry,” I stammered, shaking. “But I’m not replacing Elara.”
Before I could even finish, his hand shot out, gripping my jaw so tight I could barely breathe.
“You don’t decide anything,” he hissed. “You’re lucky Alpha Kaelrix even wants you. A useless, cursed girl with no wolf morals.”
My stomach dropped. He’d always hated me, I just never understood why.
He turned to Mom. “Stop crying and get this cursed girl dressed in the gown Kaelrix ordered.”
My head spun. The cursed Alpha ordered my gown?
How ridiculous. We weren’t even mated yet, and he already acted like he owned me. No wonder Elara ran.
Father grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to sit. “You won’t ruin this,” he said in a low, dangerous tone. “Kaelrix is not a man to cross. If you mess this up, he’ll destroy us all. Now sit still while they dress you.”
My wolf whimpered quietly in my head, defeated.
I stared blankly at my reflection as the maids surrounded me. Every stroke of the brush, every touch of powder felt like another chain tightening around my neck.
When they were done, one of them walked in holding a gown, a long, black crystal dress.
I froze. I hated black.
“I’m not wearing that,” I muttered.
“You don’t have the right to object!” Father’s voice thundered from behind me.
I swallowed hard, blinking back tears.
I got dressed in the gown anyway, the heavy fabric clinging to me like regret. A black veil was placed over my head. I stood motionless, staring at my reflection, biting my li
p until I tasted blood.
“They’ll regret doing this to me,” I whispered, my voice trembling, but my eyes, cold and alive.