"Alpha, you must see this!" The urgent voice—broke the silence in the meeting room.

Everyone was there—the Beta, the Delta, and Amethyst, clinging possessively to my husband. Those in power let her, knowing that as his wife and queen, I had no authority to stop it.

She acted as if she were his rightful wife, while I was just a pawn, necessary to keep the kingdom from crumbling. The Lycans were loyal to their own kind.

And I—I was a vampire, an outsider they believed would betray them the moment I had the chance.

Perhaps that was why my husband never cared to be close to me. He saw me as they did.

"Julio, what is so important that you had to disrupt this meeting?" Lucas asked, irritated.

Julio, the mediator between our races, looked pained. He hesitated before speaking.

"Are you not going to check on the queen at the ruins?"

Lucas scoffed. "Must I? This early? I’ll deal with her tonight."

Julio’s face darkened. "But Alpha, the ruins are cursed. You need to see what has happened."

Lucas' irritation flared, but his Beta, Leo, cleared his throat.

"Postpone this and go to her, Lucas. She carries your first heir," Leo urged.

My husband cursed under his breath. Amethyst tightened her grip on him, then spoke with feigned concern.

"Go to her, hon. Don’t be so harsh. I understand how she must feel," she said softly, even managing a smile.

Lucas sighed, then leaned down and kissed her. In front of everyone.

"I’ll be back," he promised her. "And I’ll make sure she learns her lesson this time."

He left with Julio. I followed, my chest heavy. Even as my death loomed, my husband felt nothing.

The ruins stood in a desolate part of the forest, a place no one dared enter.

"Alpha, the ruins are cursed," Julio said, his tone accusatory. "How could you leave the queen and your heir here?"

Lucas growled. "She’s tied up. She can’t hurt herself. But if she did something to the child just to spite me…" His voice turned lethal. "She’ll get what she deserves."

A ghost cannot cry, but the way my soul drifted between cold and warmth told me I had been destroyed—again.

When Lucas opened the door, he staggered back, coughing at the overwhelming stench. He covered his nose, looking up.

"Selene! What the hell did you do here?! Did you—" His words froze.

I stood before him, barely recognizable. My skin clung to my bones, my body hollowed out like a lifeless husk.

The ruins devoured those trapped within them.

"Selene?" Disbelief tinged his voice.

Then his gaze sharpened. "Is this an act? Where is Selene? I won’t fall for her tricks!"

I wrapped my arms around myself. I had once been strong, untouchable. And now? I was nothing. And still, he blamed me.

"Alpha, look at this…" Julio knelt beside the bloodstained floor.

The remains of my child. Frail—Empty—was there.

"I think the queen gave birth inside the ruins… and it killed both of them," Julio murmured.

Lucas turned quite—his eyes flickered between my corpse—the blood—and our lifeless child.

Was he angry? At me? At himself? Or… was he relieved? We’re dead.

"Alpha?" Julio’s voice broke the silence. "What do we do now? The queen is dead. You have no heir. The vampires will turn against us."

My jaw clenched. They wouldn’t. I had sacrificed everything for peace—even my life. They’d not waste it.

Lucas exhaled. "Gather the men," he ordered, calm. "Bury them properly. I will make the announcement myself."

Julio hesitated. "Alpha… are you not going to hold either of them before their funeral?"

Lucas glared.

"Selene was a headache," he muttered. "It’s better this way. And that child… would’ve been a burden. This is karma. She got what she deserved."

As he turned away, I felt a presence behind me.

"You still want to go through with our deal?" the demon’s voice slithered in my ear.

I met its gaze—exhausted.

"If the only way to make him regret my death is to use everything I did for him—every sacrifice I made—against him," I whispered, "then I will."

I would not let my child’s soul be trapped here. I would not let this be the end.

—

"The queen is dead. She did not survive childbirth," Lucas announced before the council.

Gasps filled the room. I saw Leo stiffen in shock. Even Amethyst knew the cause of my death—they all did.

The murmurs grew loud. But amid the chaos, my right-hand man stepped forward. The room fell silent.

Instead of spitting curses, he handed Lucas an envelope—one I had prepared long ago.

"I know of your cruelty toward the queen," he said coldly. "She wanted everything hidden beneath the terror of your marriage, but look at you—you seem pleased she’s dead."

Lucas sneered. "And so what?"

My right hand smirked. "Then see for yourself how your reign was never yours alone. It wasn’t just because of you." His gaze flickered to Amethyst. "Not even because of another woman."

He leaned in. "The queen made you. And her death… will cripple you."

Lucas stiffened. He studied my right hand, as if sensing something unnatural.

And then, without a word, I stepped out of my right hand’s body.

He inhaled sharply—acted confused now.

I smiled.

"I'm sorry," I whispered into the air. "But I had to possess someone—to make sure he’ll discover everything now."

“Shit! Hey, kid! What the hell are you doing?!” I shouted at the young man standing outside the ruins.

Did he not know the curse of this place? Entering meant death.

I could smell his blood. A Lycan. Why was a Lycan in a place like this? Was he trying to kill himself?

Before the ruins sealed, I grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back. He collapsed, limp, eyes glazed as if under a spell.

“Hey! Wake up!” I slapped his face lightly, but he didn’t react.

Then his body convulsed. He coughed—once, twice—then blood spilled from his lips. The scent of it stirred something dark inside me, but I forced the hunger down. He’s dying.

And he’s my enemy.

Should I let him die?

I exhaled sharply. I couldn’t.

Scooping him into my arms, I used my speed to carry him to the nearest Lycan camp.

“Help! Somebody, help!” I called out, then swiftly hid myself—masking my scent.

Guards rushed toward him.

“It’s the Alpha’s heir! It’s Lucas! What happened to him?!” one of the older men cried.

“Tell the Alpha! His son is sick!”

From the shadows, I watched as two young figures approached. Their expressions flickered between worry and fear.

“Go on. Check on him so he won’t suspect you did this on purpose,” the boy muttered.

He bore the same features as the unconscious boy—were they brothers?

The girl beside him was stunning, but I caught the scent of both a witch and a Lycan in her blood. Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke.

“But what do we do now?” she whispered. “Lucas is still alive. That means… you can’t take his place. You won’t be the next Alpha, Leo.”

Shock spread through me. So this girl—she was the one who bewitched Lucas?

“It’s fine,” Leo answered. “If I can’t take his place as Alpha…”

His lips brushed her ear. “Then can you do something for me, Amethyst?”

The girl gazed at him, utterly devoted.

“Of course. Anything,—I’d do everything for you.”

Then, without hesitation, she pulled him into a tender kiss.

A shiver ran down my spine. I didn’t understand their full connection yet, but something was undeniably twisted here.

Moments later, Amethyst entered the camp’s base, only to be stopped by a guard.

“Are you here to visit Lucas?”

“Yes, I am,” she said sweetly.

“Who are you, Miss?”

She smiled—innocent—gentle, nothing like the scheming woman I’d just witnessed.

“I’m Lucas’ girlfriend. His mate. Please, let me see him. I need to make sure he’s safe.”

My lips parted in shock.

She was claiming to be Lucas’ mate—the same boy she’d just tried to lead to his death? Right after she kissed another man?

I followed Leo after—who had taken another path. A smug smile played on his lips— disappearing and reappearing as if something else lurked beneath his skin.

“Leo! Where have you been?!” an older woman scolded. “Did you hear about your cousin? You’re his future Beta! You should’ve been by his side, or you’ll never get the position!”

I scoffed silently.

So that was it. Leo was supposed to be Lucas’ Beta. But that wasn’t enough for him—he wanted more. And he had used Amethyst to try and kill Lucas.

And I—I had just saved him.

Years passed before I saw Lucas again. This time, as my future husband, the man I was forced to marry to secure peace between our clans—vampires and Lycans.

At the time, I had no idea he's the same boy I had saved that day. I didn’t know he's the boy being played by his own cousin and the woman he loved.

By the time I learned the truth, Amethyst was still beside him. Leo stood proudly as his Beta. And I could smell danger.

But Lucas never trusted me. I had no proof, and even if I did, he wouldn’t believe me. So I kept quiet.

I protected him in secrecy.

“I cannot die,” I reminded myself every time Lucas nearly killed me. “If I die, no one will protect him. No one will stop his downfall—orchestrated by his Beta and the woman he thinks loves him.”

I ran my fingers through Lucas’ hair. He slept, unmoved by my death.

“I cared for you, Lucas, but you wasted it,” I whispered. “Now, I’ll protect myself—even though it's hurting your reputation—heart—position.”

The clock struck midnight.

My third day here.

I couldn’t waste time.

—

The next morning, I faced Lucas, my eyes hollow as he greeted me with a warm smile.

“Good morning,” I said flatly. “Sit down and eat. Your schedule today is the ceremony for your wife, Selene, and your child. You need to be there, Lucas.”

His brows knitted together, concern flickering in his gaze.

“Will it be okay for you if I stand beside her coffin?”

My heart clenched, but I steeled myself.

“I will be okay, I promise.”

Instead of taking his seat, he pulled me into a tight embrace, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

“It will always be you, Amethyst. Always you,” he murmured.

I didn’t respond.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror—at the body I now possessed.

Amethyst's body.

I would use her to expose everything.

To destroy Leo.

To make Lucas see the truth.

I would possess his love, steal his kisses, his warmth—even if it meant using the body of the woman who had betrayed him.

His greatest love.

My greatest rival.