Chapter 14 Unwelcome Guest
Amanda was still recovering in her room when the commotion started downstairs.
Voices echoed through the hallways. Servants moved with sudden urgency. The kind of activity that meant an important guest had arrived.
She pressed the cool cloth to her forehead. The nosebleed had stopped an hour ago, but the exhaustion lingered. Breaking even one layer of the curse had drained her completely.
Worth it, though. The look on Derek's face when he felt Raze again.
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
"Come in."
Mrs. Hallowell entered. Her expression was carefully neutral. "Luna, you have a visitor. Your sister has arrived."
Amanda's stomach dropped. "Lena?"
"Yes. She's in the main parlor with Master Derek."
Of course she was.
Amanda stood too quickly. The room tilted. She steadied herself against the bedpost.
"Are you well?" Mrs. Hallowell moved forward with concern.
"I'm fine." Amanda smoothed her dress. The simple gray fabric suddenly felt shabby. Plain. "Tell them I'll be down shortly."
Mrs. Hallowell hesitated. Then she nodded and left.
Amanda moved to the mirror. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. Her skin was pale from the morning's work. She looked exhausted. Weak.
Everything Lena would notice immediately.
She pinched her cheeks to bring color back. She fixed her hair as best she could. It did not help much.
This was going to be terrible.
Amanda made her way downstairs. Her legs felt unsteady. She gripped the banister tighter than necessary.
Lena's laughter drifted from the parlor. Bright and musical. The sound made Amanda's jaw clench.
She paused outside the door. Took a breath. Then entered.
Lena sat on the sofa like she owned it. She wore an emerald green dress that hugged every curve perfectly. Her blonde hair fell in glossy waves. Her makeup was flawless.
She looked like everything a Luna should be.
Derek stood by the window. His posture was formal. Polite. But not cold like it usually was with Amanda.
"Amanda." Lena rose gracefully. She crossed the room with perfect poise. "There you are. I was starting to worry."
She pulled Amanda into an embrace. To anyone watching, it looked affectionate. But her whisper was ice.
"You look terrible."
Amanda pulled back. She forced a smile. "Lena. This is unexpected."
"I know." Lena's expression was all concern. "I felt awful about how we left things at the wedding. I had to come see how you were settling in. Mother insisted I stay a few days to keep you company."
Lies. Every word was a lie.
"That's thoughtful of you." Amanda kept her voice steady despite the exhaustion.
Derek watched them both. His expression was unreadable.
"I was just telling Derek about the Spring Festival last year." Lena returned to the sofa. She gestured for Amanda to sit. "Do you remember? When the Riverside Pack visited?"
Amanda sat in the chair across from her. "Vaguely."
"Of course you don't. You spent the whole night in the corner with a book." Lena's laugh was light. Dismissive. She turned to Derek. "Amanda was never much for social events. Always hiding away somewhere."
Derek said nothing.
"But you were there, weren't you?" Lena leaned forward slightly. "Before everything happened. I remember you dancing with half the eligible women from three packs."
"That was a long time ago."
Derek's voice was flat.
"Still." Lena's smile was warm. Inviting. "Those were good times. Alpha Victor must miss having those celebrations. The estate used to be so lively."
The mention of Derek's father made his jaw tighten slightly.
Amanda's hands clenched in her lap. She watched Lena work. Every gesture calculated. Every word designed to remind Derek of what he had lost.
And to remind Amanda of everything she was not.
"Would you like some tea?"
Amanda's voice cut through Lena's nostalgia.
"That would be lovely." Lena did not even look at her.
Amanda rang for a servant. Mrs. Hallowell appeared almost immediately.
"Tea, please. And please have the east guest room prepared for my sister. She'll be staying a few days."
"Right away, Luna."
The title hung in the air. Lena's smile tightened for just a moment.
"So." Lena turned her attention back to Derek. "How are you managing? Really? Mother was so worried after the wedding. The whole pack is talking about the curse."
Derek's jaw clenched. "I'm managing fine."
"Are you?" Lena's concern seemed genuine. Almost. "It must be so difficult. Being trapped like that. Cut off from your wolf. And with your father still waiting to pass the Alpha title. The pressure must be unbearable."
"Lena."
Amanda's voice was sharp.
"What?" Lena blinked innocently. "I'm just trying to understand what Derek is going through. It's important for family to support each other during hard times."
Family. Like she had any right to claim that connection.
The tea arrived. Amanda poured with steady hands. She would not let Lena see how much this visit was affecting her.
"I'd love to see the estate properly." Lena accepted her cup. "If you don't mind showing me around, Derek?"
"Amanda should show you." Derek's voice was cool. "She's more familiar with the house now."
Lena's smile faltered. "Oh. Of course."
Small victory. But Amanda would take it.
They left Derek in the parlor. Amanda led Lena through the main floor. She pointed out rooms without enthusiasm. The library. The formal dining room. The conservatory.
Lena critiqued everything.
"The curtains are so heavy. It makes everything feel dark." She ran her finger along a windowsill. "And the dust. Don't you have enough servants?"
"The house is well maintained."
"Is it?" Lena paused in the portrait gallery. She studied the Livingston ancestors. "It's so sad how far Nightfang has fallen. This used to be the most powerful pack in the region. Now look at it. A cursed heir. A weakened pack. Alpha Victor must be devastated. It's tragic, really."
Amanda's nails bit into her palms. "Things change."
"They certainly do." Lena moved to another portrait. "I suppose you think you can fix it. Fix him."
"I'm not trying to fix anything."
"Aren't you?" Lena turned to face her. The false sweetness dropped from her expression. "That's why you're really here, isn't it? You think if you cure his curse, he'll suddenly see you as something more than a consolation prize."
"That's not..."
"Please." Lena stepped closer. "We both know the truth. You were invisible at home. You're invisible here. The only difference is the size of your room."
The words hit harder because they echoed Amanda's own fears.
"Why are you really here, Lena?"
"I told you. Sisterly concern."
"Try again."
Lena's smile turned sharp. "Fine. I'm here to remind you of your place. Even if you somehow manage to heal him, and that's a big if, he'll never truly want you. You're not Luna material. You don't have the presence. The strength. The beauty."
Amanda's exhaustion made it harder to maintain her composure. But she refused to crumble. Not here. Not in front of Lena.
"You don't know what I'm capable of."
Lena laughed. "Don't I? I've watched you my whole life, Amanda. Always in the shadows. Always second best. This won't be any different."
"We'll see."
Something flickered in Lena's eyes. Surprise, maybe. She had expected Amanda to break.
"You're different." Lena's voice was thoughtful now. Calculating. "Something's changed."
"Maybe I'm just tired of being invisible."
"Hmm." Lena studied her for a long moment. Then her smile returned. Sweet and false. "Well. I should settle into my room. The journey was exhausting."
"Of course."
They walked back toward the main staircase without speaking. A servant waited at the bottom to show Lena to her quarters.
Lena offered one last perfect smile. Then she turned away. Her perfume hung faint in the air as she began climbing the stairs.
Amanda watched her sister's figure disappear step by step. Each click of Lena's heels rang through the hall.
Only when Lena was gone did Amanda's shoulders sag.
The confrontation had drained her. She had nothing left after the curse-breaking. And now this. She needed rest.
But something twisted in her chest. Lena never did anything without a reason.
Staying for several days? That was not concern. That was something else.
Amanda turned away from the staircase. Her hands trembled at her sides.