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(Charming's POV)

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Out in the city of Rivera, in a crowded place. There I was standing at a corner of a building waiting for a cold-blooded creature with skin that would glow like sparkles, to meet me.

Fine! I was exaggerating. They don't sparkle. They just have nice skin with a natural glow. A creature that would not have a heartbeat or warmth to touch.

F*cking Vampires! Hated them but in my desperate times, I needed their help.

"Charming. Pleasure to meet you." His hair was perfectly in its position even if a tornado hit the town. Fair and smooth skin that was said they would not be eaten by time. Endless beauty remained in the same age as when they were turned into creatures with fangs.

No! I was not jealous. Being a furry large animal that could eventually grow old, and die was not a bad option.

OK, I was just kidding! Life was never meant to be fair.

"Do you have what I need?" I asked while avoiding any direct eye contact. I did not want him to mess up with my already messed up mind.

The myth about Vampires' ability to glamour their way through your brain was accurate. And sometimes I wondered if they glamoured their way to make others think or see them as the most attractive creatures among the supernatural beings.

"Full moon tonight. Are you not supposed to be locked in your golden cage, my Prince?"

If only I could kill this idiotic Vampire, I would do so a long time ago.

"Clark, give me the damn potion!" I hissed my words to him in anger.

"You can't go on like this, Logan. You need to find a true cure for what you are having. This potion is just a temporary fix to ease your pain. It is not the solution" Clark got closer to me to whisper, "If it is not for Hector asking me for a favour, I would not give you this potion. It has its side effects."

"Stop lecturing me. Here's the money. Bring me another batch the next time we meet, Clark. And next time, don't be late."

"Charming, don't take so much of it. You'll get addicted and your condition will worsen."

I heard him but had chosen to ignore his warnings. Without the potion, I would be in excruciating pain beyond words to explain. And he was right, I needed to get back to my golden cage before midnight!

A little secret of mine that only my family and close friends knew what was wrong with me. And the cure to my curse was long gone in this life.

It was another full moon. The darkness locked inside me was growing even stronger.

I didn't know how much longer I could hold on. .

*****

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(Aurora's POV)

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After a few days of preparation, I finally embarked on my journey of vengeance.

A trusted contact for the NightShades had arranged for me to be a maid at the Old Royal Palace of Rivera. Where Logan was said to be living with his pack of Werewolves.

A maid? Never had I thought I would be one in this life.

My mission was to end King of Rivera's life. King Lance Charming was an easy target for me. I could get that mission done by the end of the week. But I have another mission on my own.

That would be to poison Logan and kill his father in front of his own eyes.

It was said Logan had taken over as the new Alpha King directly after my father's death. He told everyone my dead father was attacked from within and he was there trying to save them. People believed his bullshit but I would never forget what happened that night.

He killed my father and pretended to be the good one huh? I would tear his mask off, showing the world what kind of beast he was. He wasn't qualified to be this king!

I would make him feel the pain of losing his own father as I had felt when he ended my father's life. Blood for blood.

I had to disguise my looks to become a maid. The colour of my hair changed from red to black. I kind of like the look I was seeing in the mirror.

With coloured lenses, I changed my eye colour from grey to brown. My fair skin was covered with a tanned cream to make it more looking like the people of Rivera.

Sitting in the car, I swallowed the pill before I arrived at Rivera. Luke gave it to me and said it could change my scent from being tracked. But the effect could only last for a week at most.

The Palace of Rivera was enormous and magnificent, and several guards were manning every entrance of the palace.

The one for the workers and maids like me was an entrance at the side of the palace. I waited patiently in the car for the guard to check on my documents.

"Rory Romania," the guard called my new name. I nodded and gave him a smile. "Are you from Rivera? Which town is that?"

"From Hilla. Quite a long ride for me to reach the palace" I had answers memorised in my head anticipating those who would check on my background.

"Hilla. A small town" he then made a call to someone before allowing me to enter. I gasped seeing what was behind the large gate. The palace was magnificent looking. Well-kept and strong.

It would not be easy for me to get out of the place after I ended Logan and his father's lives. Most likely I would get caught.

I did not care about that. I wanted justice for my family!

"Rory Romania, you're assigned to the Stardom Court."

The voice of the supervisor pulled me out of my thoughts. The Stardom Court? How could it be? The contact clearly told me I'd be placed at the Central Palace to facilitate my approach to the King.

"Are you sure you're not wrong?" I asked hurriedly.

"How dare you question me?" The Supervisor gave me a disgusted look while touching his bulging purse, "Does an omega like you even think you're qualified to serve the nobles in the Central Palace?"

Disgusting scum! He was bribed to give someone else the position that should have been given to me. How dare him!

I tried to argue but was pushed to the ground by the guards, some of the maids around me covered their mouths snickering, "I heard that the Stardom Court is the most remote place here. Once you are placed there, you will never have a chance to meet His Majesty. She's really unlucky."

I gritted my teeth and wanted to fight back but I had to calm down when the royal warriors passed by. It was too early to reveal my strength. I could only lower my head and follow the guide to the Stardom Court.

The room I was given was smaller than the bathroom at my destroyed home in Mystic Town. I rolled my eyes and laid my back on the bed. I needed to think while I rested. The original plan was disrupted, and I needed to find another way to approach King Lance.

The task time wasn't limitless. I need to act as soon as I can!

That night was a full moon, my wolf was somehow restless, and I had to go out to find a place for running. Just before I was ready to shift, I heard a horrible roaring and a strange scent appealed to my Wolf.

'Roxy, what is it?' I asked my Wolf for I did not understand what it was I felt.

'Follow that sound. It is pulling me close.'

'What? What is pulling us closer?' I was curious but Roxy didn't explain a lot. I decided to trust my Wolf.

Following that, I walked carefully into the night, and then an old metal door appeared before our eyes. It seemed to be a hidden dungeon. Creepy.

It took me a moment to open the door. And as I slowly stepped down the stairs, the tantalizing scent got stronger. Roxy got excited and even wanted me to shift.

I didn't have the mind to listen to her, because I had come to the bottom and saw the bloodied-looking man being locked inside a golden cage.

I didn't need even a second to recognize that face. Logan Charming, the man I swore to kill.

I should have been happy to find my enemy so quickly, but my heart was quivering as my wolf Roxy told me something that was enough to crumble my world.

'He is our mate, Aurora.'

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(Charming's POV)

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The transformation was taking over my body faster each time. My Wolf instinct was taking over what was left of me as a Human making me fall into pieces in a mess. "Nox! It is not time!"

I shouted to my Wolf that was forcing me to submit to its transformation. Hunger for warm blood and fresh flesh. The full moon hadn't risen to its highest.

Not now. Something was wrong with me.

'Let me out, Logan!' it cried out pushing me to the brink of collapse. I was already on my knees in a cat-like position. Roaring in pain as my body was forced to shift into a monster that my people feared.

A predatory monster killing innocent beings. No one knew who the monster lurking in the dark under the full moon was. It was a well-kept secret my family was trying very hard to keep.

The golden cage was built with magical properties. Hardened with pure metal that was fortified by Witches with their spells. It was said to be the strongest to hold me back, keeping me locked away from danger or most accurately, my prey.

The predatory instinct of the cursed creature in me was angry at my attempt to tame its berserk behaviour. I had drunk the last drop of the potion to ease the pain, and I knew I could no longer control it to my demands.

My wolf Nox was more excited than ever that night as if something was luring it outside.

'CLANG'

My Wolf paused for a second, searching for the source of where the sound came from, "Who is out there?"

My voice was a mix between my deep voice and the roaring sound of my angry Wolf. I could barely recognise it myself.

Someone was definitely with me in the darkened dungeon. Someone who I could hear the faint heartbeat racing with fear. "Come forward, you fool! How dare you enter this place!"

There was no surveillance camera placed in this part of the castle. Not many royal guards either. My people knew I had made it crystal clear to stay the f*ck away from this place. My own space.

"Come closer and show your face!" I roared in anger. Louder.

The unidentified scent was getting stronger, and my instinct wanted so much to find out who it was. Then I would gladly end that idiot's life. Trespassing to this side of my property would be punishable with death.

Judging by the silhouette, it was a woman wearing a hooded sweatshirt. And as the moonlight skimmed her arm, something caught my eye. Well, a nice prey for tonight.

If this woman was to my liking, I wouldn't mind giving her a wonderful f*ck before sending her to hell.

The closer she approached, the more I could feel my adrenaline spike. I wanted to put my hardness inside her. I wanted to claw my teeth deep into her flesh and taste her blood to fill the excruciating hunger in me.

Bloodlust flickered in my eyes as I waited with all my attention for her to take another step forward. One more step to allow me to grab her throat and end her life.

*****

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(Aurora's POV)

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I was shaking in anger as my wolf told me that the enemy I had set my heart on killing turned out to be my mate.

I couldn't understand why the Moon Goddess would play such a joke on me. I used to believe that the Moon Goddess was on my side, or she shouldn't have let me survive.

I wished to survive for revenge, not for such a stupid bond with this hated man!

'Aurora, face it. That's our fate.' My wolf whispered in my head. Obviously, she was happy about finding our MATE. Stupid wolf, so easy to be captured by that stupid bond!

'I know you felt it too, Aurora. Do not deny it.'

'I told you not to call me that!' I was more annoyed hearing her continue to call me by the name I'd already discarded. Roxy was always a stubborn wolf.

'It carries the best wishes for you from your family. You shouldn't abandon it, Aurora.'

'Stop it!' I shook my head trying to get rid of the effect her words had on me. 'My family is why I am here. I felt nothing for Logan. I want him dead.'

I clenched the dagger hidden in my sleeve, ready to step up and slit Logan's throat.

'You can not kill him without my help, Aurora. Our mate is very strong.'

'What?' I froze in my place. 'What do you mean you won't help?'

'The Moon Goddess paired us up for a reason, Aurora. We should be more patient.'

'Go hell of the reason! I can not wait to kill Logan!' I roared at my wolf as I rushed to the golden cage. However, the moment I stepped forward, an invisible boundary blocked me pushing me out a few steps. Then I heard an alarm go off and someone's footsteps approaching.

'Damn it! it's not the time to be caught.' I quickly picked up the fallen dagger and broke through an old vent to escape. Before leaving I took one more look at the caged monster who was growling in anger while struggling to get out of her cage.

The smell of his burnt flesh touching the metal of the cage seemed to make him angrier. The way he suffered at least gave me a bit of comfort.

'Logan, just wait. I'll kill you and your father soon.'

***

I was already out of breath when I reached my tiny maid room. I was about to lock the door behind me but yelped when I felt someone was pushing it wide open.

"Where were you?" it was Lisa. Someone I knew at the NightShade.

"Why are you here, Lisa? You were supposed to be at the other Palace, with the King." I whispered my words softly after locking the door behind me. I made sure there was no one else in the hallway who could hear our little private conversation.

"I was sent here to watch over you. Clearly, Luke has some preference for you," she smirked and looked at me with a side-eye. Her arms folded on her chest, looking at me from head to toe in disgust. "Were you f*cking each other?"

"What?" I gasped and shook my head. "How dare you accuse such thing of me! I'm not with Luke. Get that in your head. I need you to leave or our cover is blown."

She gave out a short laugh and shook her head. "As I said, I'm sent here to watch over you, brat. You can fool others at the NightShade. But you can't fool me. I wonder how a junior member of the NightShade is given such a privilege to complete this big mission."

She got closer to me until I could feel her warm smelly breath on my face. I was sure she had grilled chicken for dinner, "You are not worthy of this mission, Rory."

"F*ck you, Lisa" I whispered back to her slowly. We stared into each other's eyes, knowing well we should not start a fight while we were assigned to a mission. "Get out of my room, b*tch!"

As my eyes gleamed with grey shades, Lisa took steps back. I might indeed be a newcomer in terms of seniority, but in terms of strength, I was a creature that had to be feared.

I'm strong, my wolf is strong. Everyone in the NightShade knew that well. This blonde shouldn't have tried to challenge me out of petty jealousy.

Alright. I knew Luke may have some interest in me. We kissed before but that was all. I only belonged to myself. No one could bond me by any stupid relationship!

She was forced to give in before I bared my fangs. Giving my wrist a provocative glance before walking out of my room, she smirked, "Don't say I didn't remind you, Rory, is it really okay for you to casually expose our mark like that?"

I looked down at the mark on my wrist. It was given by the NightShade as a symbol of us being accepted by the group. It was branded on our skin with hot iron.

A painful experience for Werewolves. But it was nothing compared to my desire to succeed in my revenge.

I would make Logan watch his father's death like how I had watched him kill my father. Even the fact that he was my mate couldn't change my mind. No one can stop me!

But I didn't expect the change to come so suddenly. The early next morning, the head maid roared with rage to awaken all of us.

"Get up quickly, all your lazy asses. The Prince Charming is coming to visit us!"

"He was looking for someone!"

My yawn stopped in mid-air and I quickly looked down at the mark on my wrist again.

No way! The dungeon was dark and he couldn't have noticed this!