The Fallen Wolf

"Lady Eva, you look stunning in this dress," Maya, her personal maid, said warmly. Eva twirled in front of the mirror, a satisfied giggle escaping her lips. Today was the culmination of her long-held dream—she was about to marry the man she had loved for years, the alpha crowned prince, Adam. "Indeed! Prince Adam personally requested the Snow tribe to craft this golden butterfly-embroidered dress just for you. It’s truly unique. He loves you deeply, Eva!" Angela exclaimed as she entered Eva's room. "Angela!" Eva's smile broadened as she hurried towards her sister. "I’m so happy today! Look at this beautiful dress!" "It is beautiful," Angela replied, forcing a smile. Her eyes, however, betrayed her true feelings. "What's wrong? Aren’t you happy for me?" Eva asked, puzzled. "Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about whether I would ever find someone like Adam. He loves you so much!" Angela sighed, her forced smile faltering. "How could you not? You’re the first young lady of the General's mansion. You deserve the best. One day, someone even better will come along, someone who’s perfect for you, just like Adam is for me," Eva reassured her, giving her shoulder a comforting pat. Angela wanted to scoff. How could she ever find someone better than Adam, the one she adored and longed to marry? Yet, she was resigned to her fate. She felt a burning rage towards this man who had robbed her of her rightful place. She had been forced to conceal her true feelings for years, all because Eva's grandfather had saved the late alpha king’s wife. Now Eva was benefiting from that decree, while she, the true General's daughter, was left to suffer. Adam had no choice but to accept the decree and appear the perfect prince. Eva’s naive belief in his love only fueled Angela's anger. After that night, everything should fall into its rightful place. After tonight, the decree would be null and void. Adam would be hers. Angela’s lips curled into a satisfied smile as she imagined her plan unfolding. "Angela?" Eva asked, noticing Angela’s smile. "Are you thinking about your prince charming?" "Eva, you should focus on yourself today," Angela said, turning Eva towards the mirror with a sinister smirk. "And make sure to get some rest. You don’t want to wake up with dark circles on your big day!" She signaled Maya to hand Eva the tonic she had brought. "You know me best!" Eva grinned as she removed her robe and placed it gently into a packet. "I should get some sleep!" She drank the tonic water in one swift gulp. As soon as she finished, a wave of dizziness washed over her. Her legs felt unsteady, and her vision blurred. "Angela, hel- help- he..." she mumbled, struggling to stay upright. "Why is everything...moving?" Her eyelids grew heavy, despite her efforts to keep them open. The room spun around her, and Angela's smirk only heightened her anxiety. Maya, typically so attentive, offered no help. Was something in the tonic meant to induce sleep? Angela wouldn’t harm her. The tonic must be a sleep aid. As her strength failed her, she collapsed onto the floor. "Angela... Maya..." She whispered weakly, barely seeing her adoptive parents enter the room before darkness claimed her. The next morning, Eva struggled to wake up to the noise around her bedside. Her eyelids fluttered as she adjusted to the daylight. Was she late for her wedding? Why were there so many people surrounding her, looking displeased and angry? Did she overslept? "Ahh!" she cried out as she attempted to rise, feeling as if gravity had become ten times heavier. Her body felt like it was being crushed under a boulder. Her head throbbed, and her limbs were unresponsive. She tried to piece together the events of the previous night. Had the tonic water caused her to oversleep? "What is all this commotion?" A gruff male voice rumbled beside her, startling Eva. She turned her head to see a man’s bare back. A naked man! Panic surged through her as she looked under the sheets and found herself naked as well. Why was she exposed? Why was there a man in her bed? She struggled to stand, clutching the sheets to cover herself, her eyes pleading for help and justice. Her gaze searched for her parents, Angela, and Sirius, hoping for support. Instead, everyone regarded her with judgmental stares. "What a disgrace!" Amanda said with disdain. "What is all this noise so early? Where is my tea?" The familiar but horrifying voice grumbled as the man pulled the surrounding sheet. Eva mustered the strength to pull the sheets tightly around her and stumbled to the floor, her legs too weak to support her. She cursed silently, searching for her family to come to her aid, but they all looked away in shame. How could this happen? She had always been pure and innocent. This man was to blame. Why was he here with her? She looked up to see the man sitting with his face turned away, already covered with a robe. "Kai!" The crown prince’s voice echoed through the room, jolting Eva. Why was he here? How could she explain this to Adam? How could she claim innocence now? Kai? Was it really Kai? Eva looked up again; it was indeed him. Kai appeared just as bewildered, or was he pretending after violating her? Something felt off. What was happening to her? How was this possible? "Why are you shouting? Isn’t this your big day?" Kai grumbled, searching for his clothes and rubbing his head. They were scattered, and his wheelchair was out of reach. His legs ached, and he was frustrated. What happened last night? He had gone to the brothel to drown his sorrows, but this was not the brothel. Where was he? Had he been poisoned? "Leave!" he commanded, his frustration manifesting in his alpha aura. The servants and helpers hurriedly left the room, leaving only Eva, Adam, Angela, the General and his wife, and Kai. Eva’s heart raced as she faced Adam’s presence. She clenched the sheets tightly, her nails digging into her palms. Her fear was palpable. "How could you?" Adam's eyes fixed on something on the bed, his anger clearly directed at Eva. He broke a nearby vase in his rage, injuring his hand. "How dare you sleep with my brother before our wedding and lose your innocence? All these years you didn’t let me..." He hissed, his fists clenched as he advanced toward Eva, who felt a mix of guilt, helplessness, and fear. "Eva?" Kai whispered, more aware of the situation now. He peered at the girl covered in sheets, hoping it was someone else. It was indeed Eva, his brother’s bride. A surprising sense of relief washed over him, though he was puzzled. Did he drink too much and end up here? Despite everything, he would never harm Eva. "Are you both going to pretend nothing happened?" Angela scoffed, her displeasure evident. "Mother, father, what will we tell the king? She can no longer marry Adam!" She seemed eager to announce this. "How dare you accuse a prince like that? She is your sister!" Kai roared, his eyes blazing with anger. His veins were prominent, and his scarred face added to his fearsome appearance. "Accuse!" Adam scoffed, his anger shifting to Kai. "She was supposed to be mine!" He groaned, clenching his fists tightly. "Supposed to be?" Eva whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Adam, trust me, I am innocent. I am pure." She pleaded with him, grabbing his hands and begging for his trust, but he pushed her away, distancing himself. "Innocent, huh? How can you lie with the bloodstained sheets?" Amanda spat. "Did we take you in only to bring shame to our house?" Her words were venomous. "Mother!" Eva pleaded, shocked by her family's betrayal. "Eva, how could you betray Adam? He saved you and gave you this life, this family. And you repay him by degrading him with his crippled brother? What had he done to you to deserve this? You are a shameless traitor!" Angela’s hatred was palpable. Eva scoffed, realizing now that the tonic was poison, part of Angela’s scheme. Everything was falling into place. "How dare you accuse me! Nothing happened between us! The blood could be from anything, even a small injury!" Kai defended, seeing through Angela’s deceit. He squeezed the sheets, trying to control his rage. "You dare lie after committing such a heinous act? Don’t shift the blame onto Eva. I know you must have plotted this to tarnish my bride. You’ll never admit it, but I know it’s you. You wanted to hurt me by taking away what was rightfully mine," Adam raged, stomping his foot in frustration. Eva sighed, her heart sinking as she realized Adam’s interest in her was lost, tainted by her loss of virginity. It was not her heart or feelings that mattered, only her body and its purity. "We all know, Prince Kai, that you’re a playboy with no intention of marriage. Why would you do this to Eva? To make the crown prince lose face? You know how important this is to our pack!" Angela taunted, smirking. Eva was spiraling downward. By the end of the day, she might be cast out of the pack; exactly where she belonged. "You must beg the king and Prince Adam for forgiveness. With your chastity lost, you can no longer be Prince Adam’s bride. If they do not forgive you, we will have no choice but to sever all ties with you," Sirius, the General, declared with finality before storming out of the room. He had remained silent until now, clearly waiting for the perfect moment to deliver this harsh verdict, leaving no room for argument. "But Father!" Eva pleaded, her tears flowing freely as she realized the depth of the betrayal. "I will never forgive you!" Adam shouted, his voice seething with anger as he turned to leave. "What a disgrace! A fallen wolf!" Angela sneered as she and their mother retreated, leaving Eva crumpled on the floor, her life in tatters. "I will marry you!" Kai declared with unwavering determination. To him, Eva would never be a fallen wolf as long as he drew breath. Eva was left alone to prepare for her wedding with Kai. Was she truly a burden to them all? She knew that Kai was marrying her solely to salvage his honor. Crippled and at risk of losing his position if he avoided responsibility, he saw her as a mere means to an end. Her heart ached knowing that Angela was preparing to marry Adam in the next room. It was one thing to have her marriage to Adam canceled, but why the rush to marry Angela to Adam? It was all a charade, a carefully orchestrated plan. She gazed at a cup of wine, seeking solace in alcohol to numb her pain. She might no longer be a virgin, nor the beloved daughter or Adam’s lover. Now, she was the bride of Kai, someone she dreaded. How could she live with a man whose very presence terrified her? Her laughter turned hysterical as she faced her grim fate. "You all win! I lose!" Eva laughed bitterly, drinking cup after cup of wine in her sorrow, dressed as a bride. Unsteady and disoriented, she stumbled to the closet and retrieved a small box. She forced a painful smile as she opened it, determined to end the relentless torment that had pierced her heart. The contents of the box were Wolfsbane; something she had kept for protection but now she would use it against herself. As she poured it into her final cup of wine and drank it in one gulp, she resolved to end her life. Collapsing to the floor, her life, which had been a series of deceptions, flashed before her eyes. For the first time, she truly realized that she was indeed the fallen wolf.