INDY

The sensations came to me all at once. The moment everything cleared up, the first thing I saw was a massive descending staircase. Was this the stairway to heaven? Then, why was it going down? Don't tell me that every single sacrifice I made led me to the hellish afterlife!  

However, as I looked around the place, I couldn't help but admire its design. Maybe I really was in heaven. The architecture was damn nice. Marble floors. Golden chandeliers. Velvet curtains that probably cost more than my entire apartment. A grand hall so big I was already thinking about the poor soul who has to mop this floor.  

The house was stunning.  

As I continued looking around the spacious manor, I suddenly saw a girl at the bottom of the stairs.  

On her knees and bloody.  

Wait, bloody?  

My heart did a double take. My feet moved before I could even think. It felt like I had truly been reborn because my body wasn't as sluggish as before. Although, the dress I was wearing was quite uncomfortable. I hadn't gotten around to seeing what I was wearing just yet, but it was quite heavy.  

I stumbled down the stairs, hands clutching the banister, until I was right in front of the girl. She looked up, and I was almost blinded by her beauty.  

Holy hell, she's gorgeous.  

Even with blood trickling down the side of her head, she looked like an angel hand-sculpted by every YA fantasy description ever. Long, golden blonde hair. Ocean-blue eyes. Skin so fair it was practically glowing.  

"Whoa," I breathed out before I could stop myself.  

Not the time, Indy.  

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, crouching down to her level. "What happened?"  

Just then, she flinched and moved away from me, her back hitting the edge of the table. My eyes widened, and I stood, looking around to ask for help because it seemed she was too frightened.  

However, my voice got caught in the back of my throat when I saw the type of people I was surrounded with. It seemed we were surrounded by maids and butlers. In fact, this woman was also wearing the same uniform as the ladies around here.  

"Can someone help her, please?"  

All of them turned to the side. None of them came forward. Instead, they were shaking-trembling, even. Along with that, they were looking at me like I was the Grim Reaper himself.  

Just then, the beautiful girl spoke again. "Lady," she whispered. "Please. I didn't do anything wrong. Please don't do this to me."  

I walked closer to her to see if the bleeding had made her hallucinate into thinking I was going to hurt her. However, she flinched once more.  

Right on time, a deep voice echoed across the hall. "Clara!"  

I turned and saw a man, a very tall one, with eyes that looked CGI-rendered. He had long, dark hair tied back in a half ponytail, and he looked out of this world.  

He rushed to the girl-Clara, I guess-and dropped to his knees beside her. His eyes burned holes through me.  

"What did you do to her?" he growled.  

"Sorry," I said, stepping back. "I was just trying to help. I think she hit her head pretty hard."  

He scoffed, shaking his head, appearing to be unamused.  

"Don't play innocent, Lucinda."  

That name made me pause for a moment. Lucinda?  

He helped Clara stand, careful like she was made of glass. She collapsed into his arms, and I watched as he glared at me again.  

"Alpha Lucio," Clara croaked. "I-I'm fine. Really."  

"Lucio?" I echoed, eyes snapping to him.

His jaw clenched as he held onto Clara tighter. "That's Alpha Lucio for you. Don't act like we're close."  

"Just wait until Rome hears about this."  

He said those words with so much disdain that I found myself swallowing instinctively. However, much more than that, I thoroughly observed everything around me. Just then, I realized that the similarities were uncanny.  

The names they'd mentioned also echoed in my mind.  

Clara.  

Lucio.  

Rome.  

Lucinda.  

Suddenly, I was hyper-aware of the way everyone was looking at me. Their hatred. Their suspicion. The way they averted their eyes whenever I met them. I spun around, taking in the setting again. That staircase. The paintings on the ceiling!  

It hit me just this time.  

This was my book-The Wolf Prince and the White Rose.  

This couldn't be real.  

I was dreaming. Yeah. I must be! Maybe the caffeine and the sleep deprivation had gotten to me, and I slipped into a coma and right into this dream.  

Yep. That has to be it.  

I couldn't be in the same werewolf story I swore I would burn in a pit if I ever saw it in physical print. However, as I glanced around, it became more and more apparent. I was in my own nightmare. A werewolf world I built from the ground up-not out of love, but out of financial need and capitalist desperation.  

The story of a lowly omega girl with no mate and no other options-Clara Saint. At 22 years old, she was left on her own and was compelled to take care of her two younger brothers. With that, she left everything behind and took a job as a housemaid in the royal household.  

Where, of course, she somehow captured the attention of not one, but three Alphas.  

One of them was the heir to the throne of Algard-Romanov Maximillian Percivel Windsor. What a mouthful. He was cold and always rational, but Clara managed to melt his icy heart. And I, Lady Lucindabella Valeska Pendragon (another mouthful), was Rome's mate, a.k.a. Clara's living nightmare.  

I looked back down at the trembling, angelic mess that was Clara. If I remembered this chapter correctly, I wrote that Lucinda shoved Clara down the grand staircase after seeing Rome taking her out to dinner.  

It was born out of the fact that Rome never invited Lucinda out unless she forced him to. That also meant that, at this point of the story, Lucinda's atrocities were already profound. She had thrown water at Clara's face, treated servants like garbage, and was absolutely obsessed with Rome.  

Fuck. Even Clara's necklace that she inherited from her grandmother, the only family she had left before the latter died, was thrown into the fire!  

"This can't be," I muttered to myself. I closed my eyes, pinching myself to wake up from this dream-no, from this nightmare.  

Suddenly, like the world itself was cementing my fate, the massive doors at the end of the hall creaked open. A hush fell over the room like a wet blanket of dread. Everyone stiffened as he walked in.  

Alpha Romanov Maximillian Percivel Windsor.  

Tall. Cold. Regal.  

His dark hair fell over his brow. His eyes scanned the room slowly, like a predator. He was even more handsome than I had imagined. However, that thought was quickly thrown out of the door when he began making his way toward us.  

The crowd parted as he strode forward.  

Clara gasped in Lucio's arms. "Alpha Rome..."

INDY

The first thing Rome did was gently grab Clara and pull her into his arms. Lucio straightened and cleared his throat, turning to the side and crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

Rome inspected Clara's wound carefully before turning to me with a sharp glare. I had the urge to raise both hands to claim my innocence, but I couldn't even do that. I-this character-had done this to Clara. 

"Lucio," he started off, his voice deeper than what I had imagined. No wonder he was the most wanted man in this country. I shook my head. I was getting distracted again. 

"Take Clara to the hospital."

"Yes, brother," Lucio said, bowing his head slightly.

Clara tried to counter his request. "It's really alright, Alpha. Lady Lucindabella didn't mean to do-"

Rome cut her right away. "No arguments."

Lucio took Clara's arm and pulled her in the direction of the clinic, glaring at me one last time.

Goodness, I may get cooked alive with how heated all of these people were staring at me-especially Rome. As soon as Clara was out of the room, his eyes stayed on me, burning. I looked around, evading his gaze. However, it was near impossible to ignore. His eyes were really piercing.

Curse me for writing him to be so handsome! 

"Everyone... leave."

There was a collective gasp heard inside the manor, one of them including mine. I didn't even realize I had done so. Rome truly had the aura of the main character.

Everyone scrambled, looking to be both satisfied and fearful at the same time.

Heck, I wrote this character from the inside and out, and he, too, was scaring me!

I turned around, preparing to bolt although I didn't know where, when I felt a strong hold on my arm. I flinched in pain and tried to jerk my arm away from his hold. However, it was no use. He pinned me down with a single hand and pulled me closer to him.

I could see his face more clearly from this angle, and I really did write him to be my ideal man in terms of looks. I tried to evade his gaze, but he held onto my chin with his free hand and forced me to look into his eyes. 

It was the gaze of a man who loathed me.

"What did you do this time?"

I opened my mouth to argue it wasn't me, but I couldn't even do that. I knew that I was the one who did it even though I technically did not.

"I know this might sound crazy-"

He scoffed, not letting me finish. "You can give me all the reasons in the world, but I still wouldn't believe you. Just because I went to another city for some business, you think I didn't hear about what you've been doing to Clara?"

I followed his words inside my head. He really spoke just as I wrote him to say.

"That was because you invited her to dinner! You've never invited me. Don't think that I didn't see you kiss her right after! She deserves everything I'm doing to her!"

Fuck. 

I covered my mouth once I realized those words came from me. I wasn't even aware of it. It seemed that this universe wanted to follow the script at all costs. 

His eyes darkened as his disdain increased further.

"Is that so?"

He chuckled without humor, pulling me even closer to him until his lips were just a breath against mine. I couldn't breathe properly, but even then, the minty scent of his hot breath filled my senses. 

"You've always tormented me for my kiss," he continued. "Is that all you want in order to leave me alone?"

My eyes widened. Right-I nearly forgot. This was the part where Rome finally kisses Lucinda to appease her obsessions. It was the scene right before asking her to break off the engagement, but Lucinda becomes even more obsessed right after and does everything within her power to stay with Rome! 

I needed to stop this before it happened.

However, before I could even react, I felt heat against my lips-a rough, wet sensation that left me gasping for air. My eyes widened even more before they closed when he held tighter onto my jaw.  

Rome kissed me fervently, and although all I could feel was hatred, the sparks that went through my body were also undeniable. I had been kissed in my older body, but it never felt like this. I guess the mate bond really doesn't lie.  

It felt so good that I found myself letting out a small sound against his lips despite my reluctance. He deepened the kiss even more, massaging my tongue with his, making me release another moan.  

"Rome," I said his name unconsciously.  

With my utterance, he pushed me away, making me feel more lightheaded than I already was. I couldn't comprehend anything for a couple of seconds, so I merely looked at his lips, which were red and bitten. However, the moment I looked into his eyes, I snapped back to reality.  

"You finally got your long-awaited kiss," he smirked. "That's what you wanted all along, right?"  

"Now, stop holding onto me."  

I looked down and saw that I was still holding onto his collar. I was about to pull away, but he didn't give me the opportunity to do so. He pushed my shoulder forcefully until I fell ass-first to the ground.  

"Ouch," I muttered, looking up at him.  

"That's just a fraction of what you did to Clara. I have been enduring until now because you are my mate, and we have been arranged by your father and mine. However, at this point, I cannot lie anymore."  

"I loathe you with all of my heart, and I will gladly die first rather than marry you in this lifetime."  

I felt a sharp ache inside my chest despite only having personally known this man for a couple of minutes. I clutched my chest, right where my heart was, and felt heat rise in the back of my eyes. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried my hardest not to cry.  

Gosh. This mate bond was truly a pain in the ass. It was forcing me to feel things I didn't even feel!  

"You have stopped every attempt to break off this engagement, but this time, I'll make sure you won't succeed."  

He stepped closer and kneeled down, looking deep into my eyes, causing a tear to fall from my own.  

"If I could reject you at this moment, I would."

INDY

I sprinted upstairs where I knew my designated room was located. I hadn't been here before, but I knew the layout in the back of my mind-naturally, I was the one who wrote it. Pausing in the hallways, I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself after the intense interaction. 

It took a while before I finally calmed down. Then, the moment everything became clear, I slapped my cheeks multiple times, hoping to transport myself back to my small apartment. 

"This truly can't be real," I muttered, shaking my head while pacing back and forth. 

However, everything felt so vivid! Since the slap on the cheek didn't work, I proceeded to slam my head against the wall. That should do the trick, right? 

"Have you lost your mind?" 

I turned to the side and saw Lucio, the second Windsor, around the same age as Lucinda. In fact, the two of them were childhood friends before having a massive fall-out when Lucinda's uncle assassinated the Queen Windsor, their mother. 

Their whole lore was quite complex, but the gist was that Lucio also hated Lucinda. Well, everyone hated Lucinda. 

"I mean, you've already been crazy for a long time," he continued, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he stared condescendingly at me. "However, this just takes it up a notch." 

As he continued speaking, I took the time to study his features. He was as handsome as I had written him. He had a friendlier face than his brother, but his eyes also showed a lot of depth and pain. 

"Can you slap me?" I asked, hoping for this to be the final straw. 

An incredulous look crossed his face. "You've really lost your mind. What kind of scheme are you plotting now? Do you want us to pity you after you pulled that stunt? No-that crime?" 

I bit my lip as he continued to lecture me. 

"Clara is an omega. She needs more nurturing. She is working in our household because she needs money to raise her brothers. She hasn't done anything wrong, but you've tormented her. You used your power as the daughter of the Lord Justiciar to bring about injustice in this household." 

"If it weren't for the fact that you and my brother are mates and that my father isn't indebted to your grandfather, then you would have been kicked out long ago. You wouldn't even be able to step into this household." 

"I wish you would just disappear." 

"Trust me," I whispered. "I do too." 

I said it quietly, but with his heightened senses, he must have heard me. 

"What?" he asked, appearing in disbelief at what he had just heard. 

I ran my fingers through my hair. "Trust me," I repeated, looking into his eyes. "I also want to get out of this place." 

He was stunned for a couple of seconds before a humorous chuckle escaped his lips. "Well, that's the first time you said something like that. Reverse psychology, is that it? That won't work this time around." 

"You nearly killed Clara. If it weren't for me finding the situation early, then you would have succeeded in your evil plan." 

I waved him off, feeling my head ache even more. 

The longer I stayed here, the more real everything felt. 

"See?" he exclaimed. "You don't even care about what you did. That's the kind of person you are." 

"My brother has been through a lot," he continued. "You're making it harder for him to live his life peacefully." 

I looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity in them. I knew how much Lucio admired his older brother, and a big part was because Rome was the one who comforted Lucio when their mother died. Their father, the Wolf King, had always been busy, so Rome acted like a father to his brothers, especially to Lucio. 

"Don't worry," I said right away. "I won't bother him from now on." 

He scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Like I'm going to believe that. I best be on my toes from now on. You must be planning something even grander." 

He walked past me, bumping against my shoulder forcefully in the process. I stumbled to the wall, hitting my head. I closed my eyes once more and massaged my temples. 

"Well, I really do feel the love," I muttered sarcastically. 

Observing my surroundings, I recognized the colorful door at the very end of the hallway. I knew it was mine because it was painted gold-a stark contrast to the natural wood color of the other doors. Lucinda had always been extra in many ways, and she made sure to make it known to everyone. 

I walked briskly to the room, slamming the door shut once I arrived. I flinched the moment I saw the interior. It was even worse than I had imagined. I also loved color, but this was just too much. All of the bright colors were uneasy on the eyes, and they made my head hurt even more. 

Still, I went to the bed and closed my eyes, processing everything that was happening. One moment, my mom was telling me to die, and the next second, I felt like I actually did. However, instead of spawning in the afterlife, I was in my book-the one that had been the subject of my curses. 

Was the universe taking revenge on me for making the main characters suffer so much before they could achieve a happy ending? Or did my readers succeed in their black magic and successfully transform me to become the most cruel character in my story? 

Either way, I already knew that I wasn't dreaming. I opened my eyes again and went to the windows, opening them slightly. I gasped in amazement the moment the view revealed itself. The sun was just about to set, casting a magical glow on the garden and the overlooking view of the entirety of the city. 

At that moment, I realized that I didn't have the luxury of looking outside of my window. It had been a long time since I had done so. In fact, I didn't remember a time when I felt this relaxed. The world, which was so beautiful, appeared bland in my eyes because I was stuck in a mundane routine. 

I placed my hands on the ledge of the window and closed my eyes, inhaling the late afternoon breeze. I didn't know if the universe was playing a cruel joke on me or if it had taken pity on my older body. 

Back then, it felt impossible to live for myself. 

However, with this chance, I might be able to live peacefully as I wanted.