Chapter 32: Varick’s wedding

“Let go of me, you proboscis monkeys!!”

Owen and Sebastian's grip was harsh, dragging me through the hallway as if I were nothing more than a criminal. It was my grandfather’s command that I be brought to him, and there was no escaping it, no matter how much I resisted.

“I said put me down!! I need to get my sandals!!’

I shouted in vain, but they didn’t even acknowledge my words. Their hold on me was firm, their steps steady as they pulled me along. Every protest I made was like air, slipping past them without effect. Frustration bubbled inside me until, without warning, they tossed me to the ground, my body hitting the cold floor with a painful thud.

“Auch!! Do you have no decency?”

I winced as I tried to push myself up, but they were already barking orders.

“You better hurry,” Owen snapped.

I clambered to my feet, unsteady and shaken, the sting from the fall still fresh in my limbs. My legs felt like they belonged to someone else, each step a struggle to stay upright, my arms flailing to maintain balance like a marionette caught in a gust of wind. I limped toward the basement—the place where I’d been scrubbing before they came for me. My old sandals, full of holes and barely hanging together, scraped against the floor as I shuffled forward.

But as I entered the house, the sharp, venomous gaze of Ariel immediately locked onto me. and she slapped me hard on the cheek

“Why is there a stain on my dress?” she hissed, her voice dripping with contempt. “Do you have any idea how much this dress costs?”

I barely looked up, my voice small and apologetic. “That stain wasn’t there when I put it in the closet. I don’t know how it happened…”

But Ariel wasn’t listening. She had no interest in my excuses. To her, I was just an inconvenience, something beneath her to be trampled. And my grandfather? He would lift mountains for Ariel, but for me? I was nothing more than a shadow in his eyes.

After my mother took me in, my grandfather’s life had fallen apart. The scandal was too much for him—his own daughter had been reckless enough to have a child with a human. My mother had never known who my father was. It was just a mistake, a one-night stand that she couldn’t even remember clearly. Three years later, she married her mate, and then came Ariel. My stepfather, however, had always hated me. The slightest provocation from me, and he’d lash out, hitting me, leaving me wondering why I was so hated.

The worst day came when my stepfather tried to do worse than hit me. My mother’s fury was enough to push him away, he hit his head violently and he died instantly.   Terrified, she fled with Ariel and me. I remember the panic in her eyes, the fear in her grip on the steering wheel as she drove. She didn’t see the truck coming. The crash was instant.

My mother died that day, but Ariel and I… we were miraculously unhurt. Ariel, however, had carried that hate with her ever since, her resentment only deepening after everything that happened.

And my grandfather? He took Ariel in without hesitation. She lived a life of luxury, showered with everything she could ever want. As for me? I became a servant in his house, treated like I didn’t belong. While Ariel basked in comfort, I scrubbed floors, cleaned, and endured. I wasn’t his granddaughter in his eyes. I was just a burden.

“Ariel, you promised to be nice!”

My grandfather intervened, his voice stern but laced with a rare hint of kindness. I couldn’t help but wonder why he was showing me kindness now—he had always supported Ariel’s actions, and I had never seen him stand up for me like this before. What was different today?

“I just can’t stand her, Grandpa!” Ariel snapped, her words full of venom.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced myself to swallow them back. I couldn’t understand why my grandfather had called me to the main mansion. I was never allowed inside. The basement had always been my home, and the thought of stepping into the main house was foreign to me.

“Pamela, my dearest child, come. I made toast for you. I know you must be hungry after scrubbing the entire house.”

His tone was overly sweet, too sweet. Something didn’t sit right with me. He had never spoken to me this kindly in my life. I accepted the plate of toast and syrup, eating it as though my life depended on it—because it felt like it did. I’d never been properly fed, and my hunger had driven me to devour the food in a way I couldn’t control.

He watched me the entire time with a strange smile on his face. After I finished, he handed me a glass of orange juice to wash it down.

“Thank you, Grandpa,” I said in a faint voice, unsure of what was happening.

Owen and Sebastian stood in the doorway, their jaws tight, their faces unreadable. I’d never seen them smile, and the awkward silence in the room was suffocating.

“So, you know how the circumstances surrounding your birth caused me to lose my position at the council, right?” My grandfather’s voice was cold, detached.

I nodded, my gaze fixed on the floor. “Yes, Grandpa.”

“What if I told you that you could redeem yourself and help me get my position back?” His voice dropped, and for a moment, I felt a chill run down my spine. “And if you do that… you will have won my heart forever.”

His smile was fake, but I still looked up to meet his gaze. I couldn’t understand what he was asking of me, but deep down, I knew this wasn’t going to end well. My grandfather had never cared for me. He had always looked at me with indifference, and now he was talking about ‘redeeming myself’ as if I owed him something.

“What must I do?” My voice shook, fear and nervousness lacing my words.

“Good girl.” He smiled at me, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m sure you’re aware of the peace treaty between the Lycan King’s brother and all the packs within his territory, right?”

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of the Lycan King’s brother. The blood drained from my face. I knew exactly where this was headed.

“You’re talking about the Virgin Feast…” My voice trailed off as I struggled to keep myself together.

“Yes.” My grandfather leaned forward, his eyes glinting with something dark. “I’m thrilled to announce that you will be representing this family. As the oldest daughter, it’s your duty. And it’s a plus because you’re still a virgin.”

I felt my world tilt, and suddenly, the room felt smaller, suffocating. My knees buckled, and I collapsed to the floor, the weight of his words pressing down on me. Marrying me off to the  King’s brother was a death sentence. Everyone knew what happened to the women sent to him—they were never seen or heard from again.

“Please, Grandpa, you can’t do this to me!” I cried, my voice breaking as the sobs wracked my body. “Please don’t send me to the King’s brother. I’m better off dead.”

My grandfather shoved me away from his legs, his face hardening.

“I thought you said you’d do anything to redeem yourself?”

“Yes, Grandpa, but this is too much!” I gasped, clutching at my chest. “You can’t possibly want to send me on a journey of no return!”

“It’s either that or I sell you to the rogues. And you know what that means.” His voice was cold, almost dismissive. “The ceremony is tomorrow. Get ready.”

He turned and walked toward his room, leaving me there, frozen.

“You heard him,” Ariel added, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “You’ll finally be out of our lives for good.”

My heart shattered. All I’d ever done was try to please my grandfather, to earn a sliver of his affection. And now, he was sending me to the Lycan King’s brother—a man known for his cruelty and for leaving nothing but destruction in his wake.

Tears flooded my eyes, and I could no longer hold them back. There was no hope for me. I was nothing but a pawn in their game.

I stumbled back to my basement, where the rats were my only company, and the bedbugs were my bedmates. I collapsed on the hard, cold mattress, tears streaming down my face.

Then, a thought struck me. The only reason I was being chosen for this fate was because I was a virgin. What if I could change that? If I could find a man, sleep with him, break my virginity, then I would no longer qualify to be sent to Zarok the King’s brother.

“I will go out tonight and find a man who will mate with me,” I whispered to myself, the plan forming in my mind like a desperate, reckless lifeline.

I knew the consequences of what I was about to do. The shame, the guilt, the consequences of breaking the rules. But I didn’t care. Being sent to Zarok was worse than death. If this was the only way to escape that fate, then I would take it.

As the sun set, I knew what I had to do. Tonight, I would find a man—any man—and make sure I was no longer a virgin.