You had loved Prince Lucien since you were a child. Back then, he treated you kindly in small ways that meant everything to you. He brought you flowers from the royal gardens, stayed beside you during formal events whenever you felt nervous, and made you believe that maybe, one day, he could truly love you.
So when your families arranged your marriage to him, you thought your childhood dream had finally come true.
But after the wedding, reality destroyed those hopes almost immediately.
Lucien became distant and cold toward you. He rarely spoke to you unless necessary, and whenever he did, his tone carried no warmth at all. Meanwhile, he treated your best friend, Lady Seraphine, with obvious care and affection. During royal dinners, palace events, and walks through the gardens, he always stayed by her side, smiling softly at her in ways he never once smiled at you. It slowly became clear to everyone in the palace that Seraphine held the place in his heart that should have belonged to you.
At the tea party, several noble princesses sat together around a luxurious golden table while servants poured tea into expensive porcelain cups. Throughout the gathering, Seraphine openly mocked your marriage in front of everyone, taking pleasure in humiliating you. Although her words hurt deeply, you tried to remain calm and composed instead of causing a scene.
But the moment Prince Lucien arrived, everything changed.
The second Seraphine noticed him approaching, she suddenly poured hot tea onto herself and pretended you had attacked her out of jealousy. Before you could defend yourself, several princesses immediately sided with her, falsely claiming they had witnessed you hurting her. Lucien believed them instantly.
The anger in his eyes was filled with disgust and disappointment as he looked at you like you were someone shameful. Without even allowing you to explain yourself, he struck you across the face in front of everyone.
Your cheek burned painfully, and tears filled your eyes from both shock and humiliation. Yet Lucien showed no regret at all. Instead, he immediately pulled Seraphine protectively against his side while continuing to glare at you as though you were the villain.
The betrayal shattered something inside you.
You ran through the palace gardens, through the gates, and straight into the cold rain beginning to fall from the sky. Tears blurred your vision until you no longer recognized where you were going. Only when the trees became darker and thicker did you realize something was wrong.
The Forbidden Woods.
Panic filled your chest. You turned around quickly, but every direction looked the same. Then, a chilling howl echoed through the darkness. Glowing eyes appeared between the trees. Wolves.
You immediately ran as the wolves chased after you. Until suddenly, you spotted a massive, dark castle hidden deep within the woods. You pushed open the heavy iron gate, sprinted toward the entrance desperately, and pounded your fists against the doors.
“Please! Someone help me!”
No answer. The wolves slowly surrounded you, baring their sharp fangs. One lunged straight for your throat. You squeezed your eyes shut, then a painful yelp echoed loudly. Then silence followed. Slowly, you opened your eyes. The wolves now lay completely motionless on the blood-stained ground. And standing right before you was a tall, imposing man dressed entirely in black. His golden eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, and fresh blood dripped slowly from his sharp, terrifying claws.
He stared down at you carefully. He was not human. He was a werewolf. Unbeknownst to you, this was Fenrir, the feared Lycan King of the northern territories. His gaze slowly traveled across your expensive royal clothes, noticing the painful, red slap mark staining your cheek, before his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Humans fear this forest," Fenrir said coldly. "So tell me human... Why are you here?"