Caden POV
As much as I hated this marriage, what I hated even more was having to share a mate with my brothers.
But fate had other plans. I and my three brothers were born together, so we were fated to share. And trust me, it wouldn't be long before that chaos erupted between us.
For now, we were trying to follow the Alpha King's command to marry the daughter of king Graveranon to secure peace between the kingdoms. We didn't have a say. It was either obey or trigger a war we weren't ready for.
But just when I thought this circus couldn't get any messier, a whole new drama began to unfold.
I leaned back against a pillar, arms crossed, legs folded casually, like I was watching a stage play. And maybe I was.
Xaden had just ordered the guards to let go of the beggar.
He was staring at her hard. Like he was starting to doubt the Lucy we were about to marry.
And if anyone should remember the princess's face, it was him. He'd been closer to her than the rest of us back then.
Too close.
That fact alone made something burn in my chest. An anger I couldn't fathom, because he's had memories with her… none of us has had.
"Xaden... it's me. Lucy," she whispered, her voice quivering. "The girl you spent the night with… telling stories, laughing... on the night of my mother's birthday."
She stepped toward him, slow and fragile
But Xaden's snarl cut through the tension like a blade. How had she known those details? She must be a bitch, a clever one at that… to manage to get all this information from the princess and use it against her.
"Don't you dare speak my name like you were ever allowed to."
The grin tugged at my mouth.
And Lucy, our bride, whirled around, fury snapping in her emerald eyes.
"Where do you find the nerve to call the Alpha by name?" she hissed. "Did you forget your place, maid?"
There it was, raw possession, flaring through her like fire. And gods, it turned me on.
If she wasn't so damn worked up, I would've dragged her away right then and gotten down to business.
"There's only one way I can decide who's telling the truth," Xaden said coldly, his voice slicing through the tension. His eyes flicked from Lucy to the ragged girl, his eyes burning with rage.
"What?" Lucy's voice dropped an octave, thick with disbelief. "You're doubting me now, Xaden?"
She shook her head, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. The air grew heavier.
"No, I'm not, Princess," Xaden replied, his tone clipped and sharp. "I'm just deeply irritated. And if this maid wasted our time," he turned to the girl, his jaw tightening.
"This will be unforgivable and punished severely."
The girl flinched at his words, but she didn't back down. Her voice cracked, raw with emotion.
"Xaden… It's heartbreaking that you still doubt me."
I clenched my jaw. Her voice, her tears…it was pissing me off. Not because I felt bad for her, but because she was enraging our bride. And that? That was unacceptable.
Xaden's gaze hardened.
"Whoever has the butterfly tattoo on the side of her neck," he declared, "is the real Lucy. The other…" he paused, letting the silence twist.
"gets thrown into the dungeon. Starved for three days."
The room froze.
It was time to find out who the hell was lying.
"I do have the tattoo, Xaden!" Lucy suddenly snapped, tossing her curls to the side. Her neck arched proudly as she revealed the mark—clear, bold, and impossible to ignore.
My breath caught. The butterfly.
She smirked, like she'd just won a damn war.
"What?!" the beggar spat, like the very sight of it poisoned her. "How could you copy that too?" Her voice cracked, rising like a storm. "That tattoo is mine. Mine alone! There was no way you could have it!"
She lunged forward, all fury and desperation, ready to strike our bride—our bride—but Xaden was quicker. His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist midair, his face inches from hers.
"If you ever raise your hand to her again," he snarled, his voice low and burning with Alpha heat, "I'll make damn sure you never use these hands again."
The girl froze. Trembling. Her bravado shattered. Her eyes welled up, brimming with hot, helpless tears.
"You shouldn't believe her," she whispered, her voice barely steady. "I have mine too… the same place."
Slowly, as if pulling away her last layer of hope, she shoved aside the matted curtain of her hair and revealed it.
The butterfly.
Same size. Same curve.
Xaden gasped. We all did.
"I'm the real owner of that tattoo," she whispered. "She is the imposter."
"No. I don't believe a word from your filthy mouth," I snapped. "You're the imposter. A fraud. You reek of lies, and for daring to accuse our bride and insult this union." My voice cut sharper, "You'll rot in the dungeon."
I turned to the guards.
"Strip her. Let the cold be her punishment. No bed, no fire, not even a scrap of cloth to cover her shame."
He looked her dead in the eyes. "Let her feel what it means to defy royalty."
"No! Xaden, please!" She cried, stumbling forward as the guards seized her. "You can't believe her."
Her voice cracked, raw with panic.
"I'm the princess! I won't survive the dungeon. Please, don't do this to me!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks as her voice broke into a sob.
"Please… Xaden, you used to smile at me. You used to look at me like I mattered. If there's even a sliver of that memory left in you, don't let them do this to me."
Xaden ignored her cry. God knows where she got all that audacity to forge a memory between her and Xaden.
Xaden ignored her cries. Damn, where did she even get the audacity to forge a memory between them? To speak his name like they shared something real?
"Can't we have her locked away forever?" Lucy's voice trembled, her tone soft but laced with venom. "She dared to insult her princess… to humiliate me publicly."
She turned to us, eyes glassy with unshed tears, lips quivering as if wounded.
"She disrespected me before the entire court. That kind of offense… it's unforgivable, dear Alphas."
She paused, pressing a delicate hand to her chest, her voice breaking just enough to stir sympathy.
"Please… don't let her walk away after what she's done to me."
"Tomorrow, her real torment begins. For now, let the cold break her." Xaden snapped, his fists clenched tight, the fury in his eyes burning like wildfire.
Xaden stepped forward, his voice deep but calm. "You've had enough for one night. I can see you're exhausted. We'll continue the ritual tomorrow."
He placed a firm hand on her lower back, guiding her gently.
"You need rest."
The Alpha King exhaled, long and heavy, then nodded in approval.
"Very well. The ceremony shall resume at first light."