Dianna's account
The Crown Prince's words hung in the air like a challenge, knocking the breath from my lungs. Promised mate? What could that possibly mean?
"Your Majesty…" I began, my voice trembling as I pulled my hand from his grip. "I don't know where you got that idea, but you're mistaken. I'm not a werewolf, and I can't be your mate."
"Do you honestly think werewolves only mate with their own kind?" he scoffed, his tone sharp. "You must think the goddess is a fool. She creates balance with pairings like this. Do you really believe I want to be mated to a witch after what your people did to us?"
"My people?" I echoed, my voice laced with pain. "All they ever wanted was to live in peace. But who's the last witch in Galacia? Me. And I'm also the most hated woman here, so please, Prince Zarek, don't call me your mate if you don't want me dead."
He let out an ambiguous chuckle. "You finally said my name."
My mouth dropped open. What was wrong with this prince? I was talking about my impending doom, and he was getting excited about me calling him by name. Wait—wasn't it taboo for a non-royal to address the prince so informally?
The thought of apologizing crossed my mind, but I pushed it aside. I couldn't explain it, but I felt no fear when I looked at him, and that was a first. I'd always avoided the royals.
I bowed slightly. "I request that we never speak of this encounter to another soul. Enough sin has already been committed here."
"What sin?" The prince stepped closer, making me retreat instinctively. "Your Majesty, wh-what are you doing?" I stammered.
"Committing the sin you accused me of." He caught my hand and pulled me into his arms. His breath was warm against my shoulder, sending a shiver down my spine. "Do you know how strange this feeling is for me? This sudden obsession with a woman I've only just met?"
He shook his head softly. "No, you don't understand how I feel. My wolf *yearns* for you. From the moment I saw you, I knew you were my mate. I can't think straight when you're near; I can't breathe when I'm close to you. Do you think this is what I want? No, Dianna, I can't help myself."
I stood frozen as the prince leaned in and kissed me. His breath brushed against my skin, sending electric chills down my spine. Our tongues touched, and I tasted the wildness on his lips.
Time seemed to stand still as we clung to each other, the only sound was our soft gasps and the gentle hum of lips moving together. In that moment, I felt the weight of my fate pressing me into the earth.
Gathering whatever strength I could, I pushed the prince away. Without thinking, I did the most unforgivable thing in this kingdom—I slapped the Crown Prince.
Both of us were shocked; he held his cheek, while I stared wide-eyed, stepping back in horror. I gasped, covering my mouth as my heart pounded violently in my chest. What I'd just done was an offense punishable by death.
Blinking back tears, I continued to retreat until I ran out of the room. I sprinted through the palace, dodging the guards who tried to stop me.
Running was futile, but it was all I could do. I reached the main gates, but the guards there wouldn't let me leave. I cried and begged them to let me go, but they thought I'd lost my mind. Instead of helping, they called Christopher and told him I was causing a scene. He arrived immediately.
When we got home, Christopher slapped me for embarrassing him. As he started to take off his belt, a call came in, interrupting him. I sighed in relief as he was forced to return to the palace.
"This isn't over," he warned before leaving.
I wished it was just an empty threat, but the news spread quickly. People said Christopher hadn't trained me well, that I was overstepping my bounds, that I was plotting something.
The weeks that followed were the worst. The abuse escalated to the point where I could barely get out of bed. It had been a week since I last saw my boys. Though we were in the same house, I told the maids to tell them I'd traveled. I couldn't bear for them to see me like this.
One afternoon, as I lay in bed, feverish and weak, a letter arrived. Suspicion flickered through me—who still used letters in this day and age? Ignoring the gnawing feeling in my chest, I opened it.
It was a cryptic message written in a strange language that, to my surprise, I could read. It was from the prince. It read: Escape now, while you still can. Christopher's intentions are far from pure.
That's it? I flipped the red paper over, but there was nothing on the back. Enraged, I crumpled the letter and threw it across the room. It was no news to me that Christopher had ill intentions towards me.
I spent the rest of the day pushing the prince's warning out of my mind but like a dark shadow, it clung to me. As night fell, I found myself unable to sleep, the walls of my room felt like they were closing in on me, suffocating me.
I needed air, an escape from this place even if it was for a moment. I slipped out of my room unnoticed, for some reason, Christopher decided to stay over at the palace. I made my way to the forest garden near my home- it had been my reset place all these years when it got too much for me.
The cool night air brushing against my skin, brought me a sense of relief that I was dying for but the gentle babbling of the stream water wasn't strong enough to soothe my troubled heart this time.
But as I stood there lost in thoughts, a rustle in the bush near me made me freeze. My heart skipped a beat as I turned half expecting to find one of Christopher's men. But it wasn't any of them-it was Lyrien.
"What are you doing here?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the sound of the stream.
He stepped out of the shadows, his expression unreadable in the moonlight. "I could ask you the same thing. It's dangerous for you to be out here alone."
"I needed to clear my head," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "But why are you here?"
Zarek hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I came to make sure you're safe."
I frowned, confused by his concern. "Why do you care? You've already warned me."
"Because my uncle is planning to turn you into the council tomorrow," he said,his voice low and intense. "The flow of dark magic in the kingdom increased greatly after that night in the palace… the night you lost control."
His words sent a shiver down my spine, but it wasn't just fear that I felt. There was something else—I could feel the sincerity in his words. "Wh-what does that mean for me?"
He stepped closer, his gaze locking onto mine. "My uncle won't stop until he destroys you. But I won't let that happen. Dianna, escape with me. "