Chapter 75 A Strand of the King
Kira’s POV
“How will you reset it, Liana?” I repeated.
She leaned in, voice hushed. “I need a strand of the king’s hair. For the cleansing ritual.”
I blinked, totally caught off guard. “Since when do you do rituals?”
She laughed awkwardly, glancing away. “It’s not me doing it. I’d take it to a sorceress in the valley.”
“Oh, so there are sorceresses here too?” I said, raising an eyebrow. “What next…dragons? Fairies? Sparkly monsters?”
Liana gave me a look. “This isn’t a children’s book, Princess. It’s real life. Real situations.”
“Yeah right,” I muttered, “real life where people turn into wolves, vampires walk freely and people perform rituals. Totally normal, not like a blockbuster movie at all.”
She ignored the sarcasm. Or maybe she didn't understand it. “So, yeah…just a strand of his hair, princess. That’s all. The sorceress can reverse the process that started with the first…tainting. But don’t let it happen again. Are you still in heat?”
“You mean still horny?” I asked bluntly.
She nodded.
“Not really. I don't feel funny anymore.”
“Good.” She dug in her pocket and pulled out a small white pill. “Swallow this if you feel it coming back. Because I'm sure it's not over. It’ll quench the fire fast.”
“Thank you,” I said, pocketing it. “I’ll get you the strand of hair as soon as I can.”
Inside, I almost blurted out my LA plan…needing to crash my own funeral, get revenge. But no. She might freak out. She might damn well take me to the so-called sorceress for an exorcism due to how unbelievable my situation sounds. Besides…she doesn’t know who I am. How do I explain that I’m someone else living in the body of her mistress?
Liana nodded, eyeing me somewhat suspiciously. “I have some things to do. I.was assigned a role by the King's beta. Make sure you get me that hair by morning,” She said, slipping out quietly without waiting for my response.
Rude.
Not even minutes later, a soft knock, and the door creaked open. Victoria edged in, hauling a massive luggage bag like it weighed nothing…perks of being a werewolf, I guess.
“Why’d you take so long?” I demanded. “I even thought about having you meet Liana…she just left as you showed up. She could’ve taught you a thing or two about serving me properly.”
Victoria’s nose wrinkled. “That weird smelly girl who follows you everywhere?”
I rounded on her fast, eyes blazing. “You have no right to talk about Liana…or anyone…like that. Demeaning, insulting crap? Not on my watch.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled, eyes down. Then she perked up a bit. “I didn’t see that Liana girl on my way up. Did she vanish on the stairs or something?”
“Maybe she bolted out in a hurry. She did say she had something to do,” I said absentmindedly.
“What’s in the bag?” I asked, eyeing it suspiciously.
Her face lit up excitedly…the first real smile I’d seen from her. “I did a little shopping for you! That’s why it took time.”
She heaved the bag onto the bed and unzipped it, pulling out clothes like it was Christmas. Trendy lounge stuff…high-waisted denim shorts, oversized graphic tees, cropped hoodies, tank tops, yoga leggings, comfy joggers, sports bras, leather jackets, boots, even some casual sundresses and oversized sweatpants sets.
My throat tightened looking at them. This was my life in LA…simple, comfy clothes I could throw on for a quick coffee run or gym session. No gowns, no corsets. Just freedom.
“Are there bralettes? Sweatpants?” I asked, voice a little thick as memories flooded in.
“Yes!” she said happily, unpacking more…soft gray sweatpants, black crop tops, a few free-flowing sundresses in light fabrics.
One dress caught my eye…a simple white sundress with thin straps, flowy skirt. Tears blurred my vision. I had one almost exactly like it back home, hanging in my closet. I wore it on lazy weekends, feeling the sun on my skin each time.
More than ever, I needed to get back. Settle scores, take back my life.
But…this body. Abby’s face staring back in mirrors now.
‘How the hell was I going to prove I’m the dead Kira Summers?’ I asked myself over and over again. But there was no way out.
I stood there staring at that white sundress, tears threatening to spill over again, when Victoria’s voice snapped me out of it…bright, eager, almost bubbly.
“Your Highness! Come on, you have to try some of these on! I picked the cutest stuff. Please?”
She was already holding up a pair of light-wash denim shorts and a soft pink crop top, eyes sparkling like we were besties about to have a sleepover. I blinked, caught off guard by how normal she sounded. How excited she looked.
“Uh…fine,” I muttered, wiping my eyes quickly. I wasn’t in the mood, but I needed clothes that didn’t scream “trapped werewolf princess,” so whatever.
What followed was the weirdest mini fashion show of my life.
First outfit…high-waisted black yoga leggings with an oversized white graphic tee that said “Good Vibes Only” in faded letters. Victoria clapped like a kid at a talent show. “Yes! It makes your legs look endless!”
Next…a baby-blue cropped hoodie and matching biker shorts. She gave me two enthusiastic thumbs up. “Super cute! You look like you could actually run if you had to.”
Then the denim shorts with a black tank top. She twirled her finger, making me spin, and actually giggled. “Okay, this one is fire. Total hot-girl summer energy…even if it’s freezing outside…not like that affects us though.”
For a few minutes, it felt…normal. Like two girls messing around with clothes, laughing at silly poses in the mirror, trading opinions. She even did a dramatic thumbs-down to a pair of baggy cargo pants, saying they swallowed my figure, and I snorted when she struck a fake model pose in them herself.
I was mid-spin in a flowy off-shoulder top when it hit me like a bucket of ice water.
This girl bullied Abby for years. Made her kneel and run errands for her. She sent me to die in the Dark Zone. Laughed while Abby cried in the past.
And here I was, letting her play dress-up buddy.
“Stop,” I said sharply, freezing in place. “Stop laughing. We’re not friends. You're just my maid.”
The room went dead silent. Victoria’s smile vanished instantly. Her hands dropped to her sides, and she stared at the floor, shoulders slumping.
Without a word, she turned and walked slowly toward the door, head hanging low like a kicked puppy.
I almost felt bad. Almost. But I can't afford to be soft. These people will chew me and spit me out any second. I have to be strong.
“Take all the outfits,” I called after her, voice firm again. “Hang them properly in the walk-in wardrobe. Neatly.”
She nodded without looking back, gathered everything back into the bag, and disappeared into the massive closet.
I grabbed what I wanted to wear now. A soft heather-gray sweatpants that sat low on my hips and a matching cropped top that showed just a sliver of stomach. Simple, comfy, me. I slipped them on and checked the mirror.
Damn. It looked cute. Really cute. The sweatpants hugged my curves without being tight, the crop top soft against my skin, and for the first time since waking up in this body, I felt like myself again. Like Kira from LA, not some broken bullied princess.
I twisted my hair up into a high ponytail, securing it with a band from the pile Victoria brought. Casual. Ready to move.
Victoria came out of the closet a minute later, still looking like a soaked, sad puppy…eyes down, moving slow.
“Done, your highness,” she mumbled.
“Good,” I said, grabbing a light jacket from the new stash. “Now lead the way.”
She blinked up at me, confused. “Lead the way to where, Your Highness?”
“To Dominic’s human camp, of course.”
Her face went pale. “Oh.”
I stepped closer, voice dropping dangerously low. “Oh? What exactly does ‘oh’ mean?”
She swallowed hard, eyes wide with something that looked a lot like fear. “We…we can’t go there anymore.”
Fury exploded in my chest, hot and instant. I grabbed her arm….hard. “Have you lost your mind? What do you mean we can’t go there anymore?”
Victoria winced, voice barely a whisper. “The king…the king found out…”