I wondered how I looked next to her now, in my white dress and no jewelry, the contrast was so stark.
"Autumn, my baby girl." My father's face broke into a smile as he spread his arms open for her.
She embraced him, her lips curling into a smile.
"Father, you look so handsome today."
"My baby is prettier than ever." I watched as my father leaned in to kiss her forehead, his gaze adoring.
They were hard to look at, so I averted my gaze.
I felt her eyes on me as she gave me a once-over, her gaze scanning from my braided pigtails to the modest lace of my corseted dress.
With a voice laced with clear ridicule, she chuckled,
"Nice dress, Krystal. Very vintage." She adjusted one of the gold rings on her finger, the one shaped like a coiled serpent while looking at me with a smile.
Feeling my father's gaze on me, I bite my lips,
"Thanks. You look nice too."
Her smile deepened.
"Let's go. The guests are arriving. We need to welcome them." With that, they took each other's hand and walked out of the room, with me following behind.
We walked through the halls of the packhouse together: Alpha Xek in front, Autumn beside him, and me a few paces behind. The entire pack was gathered outside. Lush carpets had been rolled out across the front steps, flowers lined the columns, and I could see guards and servants holding their breath.
The wind shifted again, teasing at the hem of my dress and pushing my pigtails gently across my shoulders. My senses tingled. Even though I wasn't close enough yet to identify them, I could feel them, powerful presences, dominant energies that made the hairs on my arms rise.
Alphas.
The sweet nemesis of an Omega.
I wouldn't have it easy today. I just hoped none of the Alphas would release their pheromones... or I might lose control.
It was already evening, and the moon was beginning to rise, the full moon gleaming in the sky.
The festival was held in the garden, and one could see people moving about.
The air here was even heavier, but it was tolerable.
A few people came to greet my father.
"Is this your daughter?" asked one Luna, holding her Alpha's hand.
I couldn't see my father's face, but his pride was evident in his tone, his voice louder and boastful. "This is my precious daughter, Luna Kai. Her name is Autumn, and she is the one who will inherit my seat once I join the great wolves in the moon."
Luna Kai's expression softened. "I can see that. She inherited your handsomeness." She turned to my sister. "Nice to meet you, Lady Autumn."
She and my sister embraced. "Why don't you visit our pack sometime? You're the same age as my daughter, she's an Alpha too. You might find things to exchange."
"I've heard of Lady Hailey. It'd be my honour to chat with her."
"Hahahaha, then come some times, okay?"
At some point, I started feeling bored.
Why are they taking so long to finish talking? My legs ache.
But there was nothing I could do except continue standing there like a vase.
Eventually, Luna Kai noticed me.
Her eyes lit up, her gaze scrutinizing. "And this is…?"
Her Alpha smiled at my father. "Seems like you still want more babies, Xek."
Uh, what is this man talking about?
The Alpha continued, winking at my father. "Why don't you pass her to us once you're done using her? My son needs an Omega, and our packs have been lacking them." He stroked his beard. "Such a good and bad thing at the same time."
The more I listened, the darker my expression became.
What the fuck is wrong with this man's train of thought?!
My father gave an awkward smile. "You made a mistake. This is my second daughter —Krystal."
"Oh... my bad." The Alpha chuckled, his gaze deepening. I felt my stomach twist, a foreboding sensation rising within me.
"Then... is she a virgin? Have you promised her to anyone?"
My father politely shook his head. "Unfortunately, yes."
The Alpha's smile vanished, clearly disappointed. "That's unfortunate indeed."
"But no worries, you can be her second Alpha. What do you think? Once that Alpha is done, I'll send her to your son."
The Alpha recovered, though not as excited as before. "No problem. That's okay."
The entire time, the urge to run from this cursed place grew stronger than ever. Their conversation made my body tremble with rage, but I held it in, biting my tongue, my hands clenched into fists.
After chatting with that Alpha, we moved to the entrance to welcome more guests.
The real festival would start when the moon reached its peak, rounder and brighter than ever. But judging from the cloudy sky, that time didn't seem to be arriving anytime soon.
And finally, there was a hush.
All this while, I'd been scanning the crowd for Cole King, the Alpha of Shadow Moon. I wasn't sure if he had arrived yet, or if he had, maybe he was just mingling somewhere.
Then I heard my father's solemn voice, a hint of coldness in his tone.
"Thanks for honoring me with your presence, Alpha Caesar."
"It's my pleasure."
They exchanged pleasantries, but I noticed my father didn't sound as enthusiastic as he had with the others.
At some point, though, I could no longer focus on what they were saying, my gaze had finally found the one I'd been looking for!
Without thinking, I turned on my heel and slipped away from the group, forgetting to inform my father or my sister.
I was sure the person I just saw was Cole, talking to a few others, then heading toward a quieter part of the garden.
Lifting the hem of my gown, I quickened my steps, my heart racing as I followed him.
I finally arrived where I thought he'd be. My hands rested on my knees, my breath coming in short bursts.
The garden was large, and this guy just kept moving and walking fast.
After catching my breath, I looked up... but—he wasn't there?!
Something cold touched my neck, gripping it tightly. Before I could turn, a dry, cold voice stopped me.
"Don't move..."
"I—I'm not a bad person," I raised my hands.
"Are you not?" I felt his breath fan my neck, and I frowned.
"I'm serious. I am Krystal Mirovich, the second daughter of Alpha Xek." Noticing no movement, I continued. "You're a guest, Alpha Cole."
"Oh? You even knew that?" The hand around my neck tightened inexplicably, and I couldn't help but wonder if I had made the right choice.
"I wasn't chasing you without knowing who you are."
"Well then..." He pressed his nose against my neck. I tried to shrug him off, but one hand held my waist, the other still on my neck. "Why are you looking for me?"
"I have a deal for you."
"Mmmm. A deal?" He chuckled, a sound strangely harsh to my ears. "An Omega wants to strike a deal with me?"
Before I could respond, he continued. "What could that be? Let me guess... You want to be my breeder? I don't think so. Your father's probably arranged someone for you already, hasn't he? Or maybe... you want to spend the night with me and go wild one last time?"
[I don't like him] Echo growled in rejection.
I took a deep breath. I didn't like him either.
But emotions had no place in my plan. He'd come around once he learned my other identity.
"Well, you guessed wrong."
"Really?"
"Release me first," I demanded. I hated this position and especially the way he held my neck.
"What if you run away?"
My expression turned strange. "Why would I?" I added, seeing his silence. "I came here for a deal, remember?"
After a few seconds, the hand finally left my neck, and I could breathe properly again.
I turned around to face him.
He didn't look much different from the pictures, maybe a little more haggard and unkept. His purple eyes scrutinized me. "So, Lady Keira..."
"Krystal."
He waved dismissively. "What do you want from me?"
I slowly looked around, making sure no one was nearby. Once I was sure, I turned back to him.
Under his gaze, I opened my palm, and the healing flame emerged.
His expression froze for a moment, then his eyes widened. "Th–that's the healing power?" His breath became shaky, and I felt satisfied, lifting my chin. "Yes."
With a thought, it disappeared, and my expression turned serious.
"What do you want from me?" Cole asked, running a hand through his hair, his eyes glinting with excitement.
"Wh–what do I want?" I smirked. "Well... crown me as your Luna."