Chapter 1 The Alpha is keeping an eye on her

“What the heck? I’m not sure we should do this,” Danielle whispered. “I don’t want to be stripped naked in front of a court full of those beasts. Goddess, I’m getting goosebumps just imagining it.”

The terrified girl twisted her fingers anxiously, already imagining the horrifying fate that awaited them if the Alpha discovered them wandering around his castle without permission.

The two women stood in the middle of the bustling marketplace, their whispered argument continuing despite the danger surrounding them.

Danielle, a blonde-haired, green-eyed young woman, couldn't seem to keep her trembling hands still. Fear was written across her delicate features as she repeatedly twisted her fingers together.

Beside her stood Martha, remarkably calm despite the circumstances. Her gaze remained fixed on the magnificent castle perched high upon the distant cliff.

The sight of it stirred something deep within both women.

The castle seemed impossibly beautiful from this distance—an enormous structure of gleaming stone and towering spires, illuminated against the darkness like a jewel suspended above the town.

For two women who had spent their lives working in a brothel, such a place represented a world they could scarcely imagine.

Snowflakes drifted softly through the night, covering the marketplace in a delicate white blanket and transforming the entire scene into something straight out of a fairytale.

The marketplace stretched along two rows of small shops, one on either side of the narrow street. Warm light spilled from their windows, while tall lampposts illuminated the snow-covered road in pools of golden light.

Danielle and Martha stood on the snowy footpath, their cloaks pulled tightly around them as the cold seeped through their clothes.

Yet neither woman seemed able to tear her eyes away from the castle.

It stood beyond the town, high upon the cliff, glowing beneath the winter sky like a diamond against a sea of darkness.

Beautiful.

Untouchable.

And, according to every terrifying story they had ever heard, deadly.

Danielle shivered.

Whether it was because of the cold or the thought of entering that castle, she couldn't tell. 

The changing weather was said to have a peculiar effect on the moods of werewolves, and perhaps that was why the kingdom of Selene seemed to have come alive that evening. Families and couples had already ventured out of their homes, eager to revel in the snowfall and enjoy the festive atmosphere surrounding the long-awaited ball.

Yet, while nearly every werewolf in the kingdom appeared carefree, Danielle stood on the corner of a bustling street with her friend, Martha, outside one of the town’s most expensive clothing boutiques.

“Are you certain we should attend this ball?” Danielle asked, her voice laced with unease. “Don’t you find it even a little… creepy? Or at least suspicious? I mean, what exactly is the purpose of holding a ball every five years?”

Her gaze drifted toward the distant castle, its towering silhouette visible against the snow-laden sky. Even from several miles away, the palace was impossible to miss, illuminated by hundreds of golden lights that shimmered through the falling snow.

Danielle couldn’t shake the strange feeling tightening in her chest.

Something about tonight felt wrong.

Martha, however, seemed completely unaffected by her friend's apprehension. Her eyes practically gleamed with excitement as she stared at the magnificent castle, a dreamy, almost predatory smile tugging at her lips.

“I’m quite positive there’s nothing suspicious about it, my dear,” Martha replied with a careless wave of her hand. “You’re overthinking everything for no reason. Besides, if you keep worrying like this, you might just ruin your chances of finding a suitable groom tonight.”

Danielle stared at her incredulously.

Martha had always been the bolder of the two, but tonight there was something almost unsettling about the eagerness in her eyes.

Danielle shifted uneasily, appearing slightly taller beside her friend, her frightened expression reflected in the depths of her green eyes. Her fingers repeatedly tightened around the hem of her modest dress as she wrestled with her doubts.

Should she listen to Martha and attend the ball?

Or should she trust the uneasy instinct warning her to stay away?

The distant castle seemed to glitter more brightly with every passing moment, yet instead of comforting her, its brilliance only deepened the inexplicable sense of dread settling over her heart.

"You are right, Martha. I should not exhaust myself with these ridiculous thoughts. Instead I should focus on grooming myself to look pleasant. Hopefully I can find my mate there apart from the delicious food. Of course, hehe!”

Danielle averted her head with a confident gaze as she spoke with enthusiasm this time, which contrasted with the cold gushes of the wind which had been blowing ever since. 

Martha successfully convinced her to shift the point of focus from possible punishment to something which would benefit Martha; finding her mate at the castle. 

"Yes, yes, you are thinking in the right direction now, Danielle. Let's do this and change the course of our lives, where we don't have to save for months to spend on some occasion anymore. I want to live with freedom, to be able to spend the way I like." 

Martha tried to encourage her before she could change her decision of going to the ball dressing up as royals or respected people at least. However, compared to the impulsive and naive Martha, Danielle was sensitive and mature. 

It was still a mystery how they both even got along with their contrasting personalities and totally different thinking; both of the women had different ways of perceiving life and vision of the events happening around them. 

“Yes. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life living miserably, serving wine and meals to those lecherous Betas and Omegas. For once, I want to be free, to live as a respectable woman and make my own choices, on my own terms.”

Nonetheless Danielle agreed, acknowledging that there was no use of trying a counter strategy or logic in front of impulsively driven Martha. Hence she inhaled deeply and nodded while keeping all those disturbing questions and theories to herself.  

Danielle cast an eerie look at the castle where she could see the huge windows lightened up with the golden lights and the black flags which had been fluttering due to the wind. The castle was not somewhere any commoner could intrude whenever he or she wished to. It was the home of alpha Cyrus Rhaziel who was notoriously known for choking people to the death with his bare hands. 

People claimed that his eyes had a nonchalant expression and the alpha exuded a dark aura. Everyone had their own theories and made up stories since not many people had actually seen him. 

Only his beta Curtis used to make public appearances every time when it was required. People began to conclude multiple rumours that perhaps the alpha was ugly and did not dare show up publicly.

"But we do not have any reasonable attire to look presentable. And I do not want to look any mediocre to those aristocratic women, who would arrive all dressed up and showered in expensive glittering jewellery."

It was the moment when she realised how broken they both were and had been aiming to attend a mere ball. Which could be the only adventure they both had ever wished for and possibly the only night which could change their lives for forever. 

However the complaining tone of Martha made Danielle agitated, she was no doubt a spoilt ungrateful brat who wanted every existing luxury at her feet. Working at the brothel as a dancer Martha had befriended numerous counts and betas from other packs. However, they belonged to the other territories which ruled different kingdoms. And kingdom Selene was under alpha Cyrus Rhaziel’s clutches.

“Yeah, you’re right. We at least need to look noble enough to gain entry into the ball.”

Danielle fell silent for a moment, carefully considering their options. Her searching gaze wandered down the street until it landed on a modest basement shop tucked between two larger boutiques.

An idea suddenly occurred to her.

“How about we buy a cheap dress from there?” she suggested, pointing toward the shop. “We can alter it to suit our tastes and adjust it to our sizes. With a little sewing, no one will be able to tell the difference.”

It was, after all, the most affordable option they had.

Neither of them could afford the extravagant gowns displayed in the elegant boutiques surrounding them, but their skills with needles and thread might just be enough to turn a simple, inexpensive dress into something worthy of a royal ball.

"That's a brilliant idea Danielle. Sometimes I wonder what else you can do with that ingenious brain?"

Martha giggled softly although her remark was true considering how fast Danielle got popular among the brothel dancers in no time. Even though she came from some other pack which Danielle avoided to talk about. 

"To lure men. Maybe?"

Marthna teased her in a hushed tone not to disclose their identities, since they were not considered to belong to a respectable profession if anybody caught them.

"Haha, you sure are sly."

Danielle slipped her arm into Martha's and laughed happily, when they both decided to step inside the basement shop to buy some clothing. Whereas the dark sky began to engulf everything just like Danielle’s life was going to take a drastic turn in tomorrow’s ball.

Who would have known that the two young maidens standing in the middle of the marketplace were unknowingly about to seal their fates?

Danielle had no idea what cruel twists awaited her. She had left her homeland years ago and come to the kingdom of Selene to conceal her identity, hoping to finally live a life free from the chains of her past. She had believed that distance would be enough to escape the fate she had spent years running from.

But fate had never intended to let her go.

The cursed destiny she had tried so desperately to outrun would soon find her again, following her like a relentless shadow.

Meanwhile, as far as the eye could see, the magnificent Castle Belle Morte towered above the distant hills, its grandeur enough to leave anyone who gazed upon it utterly awestruck. Four enormous minarets rose toward the heavens, while hundreds of golden lights illuminated the palace against the darkening sky, making it appear almost like a kingdom carved from gold.

To the people of Selene, the castle represented power, prosperity, and royalty.

But no one knew what truly existed behind those glittering lights and magnificent walls.

For within that resplendent palace lived a troubled Alpha—a man whose own fate was as tormented as the kingdom's secrets.

Alpha Cyrus Rhaziel.

Just like the castle's name the young alpha was also dying, gradually, painfully and slowly alpha Cyrus was drifting towards death. Within those four walls of luxury it would not have been a surprise if his death would be labelled as 'beautiful death,' waiting for his bride as per the prophecy, only Cyrus' mate could save him. 

Luna's touch, her kiss, and the shared intimacy with her was Cyrus’ only cure. But what if the alpha’s mate is an unexpected one? Will it be a poison for him? What if Danielle refused to cure him? Will the alpha die? Or some twisted fate will occur? 

Meanwhile at the end of the marketplace where no one would stand alone in the dark, a pair of golden eyes had been watching over them with keen expression. 

"Is this the woman the alpha is looking for?"

The man draped in the black cloak spoke to himself as his sharp canines became visible. His calm yet curious voice contrasted with his glaring eyes which had a thirsty expression in them.

“She looks like the one the Alpha ordered me to find. Blonde hair, green eyes, but…”

The mysterious man reached into his coat and pulled out a small, worn scroll from his pocket. Unrolling it carefully, he glanced between the description written on the parchment and the young woman standing several feet away.

Blonde hair.

Green eyes.

The resemblance was undeniable.

For a fleeting moment, excitement flickered in his eyes. Could this truly be the woman the Alpha had been searching for?

The woman who was supposed to become his cure?

The death curse had already begun weaving their fates together.

“But she doesn’t smell like a werewolf at all.”

His brows furrowed as he studied Danielle more closely.

“Her scent is completely different. There’s no trace of a wolf in her. And as for her appearance…” His gaze traveled over her plain dress and ordinary features before his lips curled slightly. “The beauty part certainly doesn’t match the description.”

The man lowered the scroll, clearly unimpressed.

Danielle remained completely oblivious to his presence, unaware that a stranger had been watching her from the shadows—or that her mere existence had just caught the attention of the most powerful Alpha in the kingdom.

“Well, I suppose we’ll see what happens.”

He folded the scroll and tucked it back inside his coat.

“But I certainly don’t like the idea of her becoming our Luna. She’s far too plain.”

With one final disdainful glance in Danielle’s direction, the man turned and disappeared into the shadowy alleyway. Within seconds, his silhouette was swallowed by the darkness. But the wheel of cruel fate had already begun to turn.

The Alpha's mate had finally arrived in the kingdom of Selene.

Unfortunately, fate had a far more twisted plan in store.

Because Danielle was not the woman Alpha Cyrus Rhaziel had been searching for.

She was the woman fate had chosen for him instead.