Are you a monster?

Soren

I lay in bed, unable to sleep. Brioni and Rialla had fallen asleep soon after their showers, and now their soft, rhythmic breathing filled the dark room.

My bedroom was spacious and elegantly decorated, fitting for the royal palace. The large canopy bed, draped with luxurious fabrics, provided comfort and warmth. Tapestries depicting scenes from Elysara's history adorned the walls, while an ornate chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a soft, golden glow over the room. Despite the beauty and grandeur, I felt a growing sense of discomfort and heat that kept me awake.

Careful not to wake my friends, I slowly slipped out of bed. The cool marble floor sent a shiver up my spine as I padded across the room. As I crossed the threshold of the doorway, I caught a glimpse of a shadow moving across the far wall. I paused, staring into the darkness, but saw nothing more.

Shaking off the eerie feeling, I opened the door and stepped into the dimly lit hallway. The absence of guards was eerie; the palace had been bustling during the day. Now, the silence and emptiness were unsettling, almost ghostly.

It was past midnight, and I decided not to walk to the main hall, knowing it would be occupied with all the preparations for the engagement ceremony. Instead, I made my way towards the back entrance, hoping to find some comfort in the east garden. Father had created that garden for my late mother, filling it with white flowers that resembled her hair. It was a place of peace and beauty. He had left the garden intact so that I could have a piece of my mother close by.

I pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped outside. The cool night air was a welcome relief from the heat that had been building inside me. The garden was bathed in the soft light of the moon, the white flowers glowing ethereally.

Walking through the garden, I couldn't help but think of Tarian. I would love to see him, and the thought of him brought a small smile to my lips. Since he said he would be on patrol, I hoped to catch a glimpse of him. The winding and intricate garden paths led to various secluded spots where I could sit and reflect.

But as I ventured further down the path, I heard a woman's moan. My heart started to pound quickly, and then the breeze filled with the unmistakable scent of pheromones, scents I knew all too well. Confusion clouded my mind. I followed the increasingly potent scent down the pathway. I turned the corner where there was a small bench near a fountain, and there it was—my sister Lyra riding my soon-to-be fiancé Tarian.

The sight turned my stomach, and bile rose in my throat. Time seemed to freeze. The rush of blood thundered in my ears, the palpitations of my heart echoing like a drum. And for the first time, I heard them—the unsettling sound of chains clashing against each other, a harsh metallic symphony that burned in my soul.

"Ready for my knot?" Tarian asked Lyra, his voice dripping with pleasure.

Lyra's eyelids fluttered open, then closed again as she moaned against his chest, her fingers digging into his skin. Her hair was a mess with sweat. Tarian wrapped his hand around her neck, scratching her nape with his canine.

She gasped, holding his hand. "Please, Tarian. I can't keep waiting. Bite me."

He growled softly, a hint of frustration in his tone. "We have to wait, Lyra. Until after the engagement ceremony. The Queen has everything planned."

What was he referring to? What did he mean by "the Queen has everything planned"? It sounded sinister, even though he said it in that tender tone I believed was just for me. My mind raced, trying to piece things together.

"What?" Lyra snapped, her voice rising in pitch. "Why do you even need to get engaged to Soren? I hate seeing you kiss him."

Tarian's face hardened. "Lyra, keep your voice down. You know why. We need the support. The Duchy and the County are behind us. It's now or never."

"But—" Lyra started to argue, tears forming in her eyes.

"No," Tarian raised his voice. "This is bigger than us. We can make Elysara an empire. We need to eliminate the last of the Drakon lineage. They've held power for too long because the goddess gave them a gift."

How could they? Is Lyra not my sister? I had too many questions.

Lyra's expression twisted with anger. "And you're okay with all this? Getting engaged to him, pretending? What's next, marrying him? Do you love him?"

Tarian sighed, his face softening slightly. "I will never fall in love with a man. And the engagement will not last long enough for me to marry him. Since the day I came back from that campaign, I knew you were my mate. I've been resisting the urge for two years. Please, Lyra, bear with it a little longer."

Tears started to well up in my eyes. How the man I loved, the man who promised me the world, was plotting my death? Two years ago, Tarian declared his feelings for me. He and a group of the kingdom's best knights went on a campaign to the western border, where conflicts between the factions and the kingdom of Lumoria were ongoing. Lyra had just turned eighteen; she was a late bloomer, and it was the first time she had been in a rut.

I closed my eyes, trying to shut down the pain after the realization, but it was already too late. Tears were flowing down my cheeks.

My skin felt like it was burning from the inside out. I tried to steady myself and disappear like smoke, but my feet seemed to be rooted to the ground. I didn't know what was happening.

Slowly, I tried to make my way out, pushing one leg in front of the other. The reality of their words started to sink in, and I knew I had to get away. I had to warn someone.

My legs felt heavy as I turned to leave. I was in distress but needed to control my pheromones; otherwise, they could catch me. I realized I wasn't breathing and was stumbling along the path. Shadows surrounded me, blocking my sight.

Just as I was about to collapse to the floor, strong arms caught me. These arms were stronger than Tarian's. I knew it wasn't Tarian because he was with Lyra. When I looked up, I saw emerald glowing eyes looking down at me, burning into my soul. The man was half-naked, his hair black like a raven's wing. He looked young, but the most impressive feature was not his huge stature or muscles but the enormous black wings that were tucked around me.

I felt like I could breathe again, the stranger's soothing pheromones creating a cocoon around me. His deep, rough, masculine voice resonated in my ears: "It seems we both will need to call off our engagements, my mate."

I stared at him, struggling to process what was happening. "Are you a monster?" I whispered. "Because you are the most beautiful one I have ever seen."