ARIA
A violent splash of icy liquid tore me from sleep, each drop biting into my skin like tiny knives. I gasped, sitting up straight, my eyes colliding with Lyra. And the blue bucket with the water was still in her hand, while water trickled slowly out of it onto my body.
"What the hell, Lyra?!" I scowled, yanking the bucket out of her hand and tossing it on the floor.
The content poured on the rug while the bucket skidded to the room's corner.
"I thought you lost your viciousness for a while," Lyra smiled sweetly at me.
She looked perfect. Her blonde hair was in a high ponytail, not a single strand out of place. Her makeup was subtle, the same she wore before, and she looked healthy, barely like the person who was poisoned.
"What are you doing here?" I asked her. I grimaced, scooting away from the side of the bed that was drenched. "You should be at the hospital."
Lyra huffed, folding her arms in front of her. My eyes narrowed on her as she began to tap her feet on the floor.
"Don't tell me it was all staged. You lied," I murmured.
"And so what if I lied?" She retorted, glaring at me. "Would you report me to father? No one will even believe you."
She was right. He wouldn't believe me. Just like he had thought, I had done something wrong to Lyra; he'd assume I was lying. After all, he had punished me earlier, and my back still hurt.
I opened my mouth to speak, but instead I heard Selene's voice, and her footsteps echoed as she approached my room.
"Aria. You silly girl, where are you hiding?!" Selene snapped.
Not again. I scrambled out of bed, pulling out my damp blanket. I scurried to the door, but before I could open it, it flew open, and Selene stood there like a fire-breathing dragon.
Her breath ragged, and she shouted even though I was in front of her, "Why didn't you respond to me when I called?!"
"I only just heard you," I whispered, stumbling back as she pushed me out of the way.
She stepped into the room, noticing Lyra.
"M–mother," Lyra whimpered, clutching her stomach.
I gulped back lumps, breathing through my nose as I stared at Lyra, who suddenly doubled over. Selene rushed to her, holding her before she fell.
"What did you do to my daughter?" Selene growled.
"I…did nothing. She was fine a few seconds ago," I muttered, furrowing my brows. At least, she looked fine to me. This was another of her tricks.
"I…heard you call for her, so I came to tell her. But she shoved me…telling me Kaiden is her mate…" Lyra paused; her breath came out in short, rapid gasps.
"She said Kaiden is going to be her mate, mother. What should I do? I'll be ridiculed and become mateless," she whispered weakly, tears pouring out of her eyes.
I stood frozen on the spot, my heart thundering. Heat prickled across my skin, and my gut twisted violently. She was lying!
How could someone lie so perfectly?!
I didn't even know who my mate was, let alone that it was Kaiden! Of course, I loved him and would accept if that was what the goddess gave to me, but he was way out of my league, and my wolf was too silent even to sense anything!
Selene turned to me, hissing, "I've always known you're such a shameless, ungrateful little witch!"
"I did nothing wrong. We didn't even have that conversation!" I retorted, my fists flexing.
"I won't lie, mother. She even threatened to poison me again if I fought for his attention." Lyra choked out.
"That's a lie!" I snapped.
"I've had enough of you in this house." Selene rose to her feet, marching towards me, and she got into my face, her eyes narrowed on mine. I held her gaze, trembling with rage, and my hands forming fists.
"Do you feel the mate bond yet? Do you happen to know who your mate is?" She asked me.
"Why do you care?" I murmured.
SLAP!
My head whipped to the side as she struck my cheek. The same place my father had hit me. My ear rang for a few minutes, and I pushed back the tears burning in my eyes.
"I am your mother, and when I ask you a question, you respond to me!" She sneered.
"My mother is dead," I said evenly.
Selene's nostrils flared, and she grabbed a fistful of my hair before I could stop her. "Of course, I know who your mate is. The witch told me everything. I can't have you taking the spotlight from my daughter tomorrow."
"What…are you talking about?!" I gasped as she dragged me out of the room, to the living room, and down the basement.
When we were finally in the dark, damp basement, she let me go. She brought out a vial with black liquid in it, extending it to me.
"Drink this," she ordered.
I shook my head, inching away from her until my back hit the wall. "Why would you want me to drink such without giving me a reason as to why?!"
It could be poison! Heck, Selene was the last person I even desired to take anything from. She was as cruel as her daughter. Since she hated me, she wouldn't even mind killing me just to have my father to herself. It wasn't as if she didn't have him already.
"You're going to drink that yourself, or I shall force them to shove it down your throat," she threatened, approaching me menacingly.
My eyes darted around quickly. I knew the basement well because my father and Selene often punished me here. I knew another exit. I started in that direction, but my head slammed into a rock-hard body, sending me flying backwards.
I gasped, falling on my butt with a loud thud. Two strong hands hurled me up, slamming me hard into the wall. I heard my ribs crack.
"Let me go, bastard!" I growled, kicking the air.
"Someone should hold her legs and face in place," Selene ordered, and two other guards slipped out of the shadows.
I kicked the one reaching for my leg in his forehead, but that didn't stop him, and the last pressed my forehead with one hand, and his other hand pressed into my cheeks, forcing my mouth open.
Selene opened the vial and dumped the entire liquid into my mouth, pinching my nose. I gagged, gulping down the contents. It was cold and tasted like metal and ash. Utterly disgusting.
Selene let me go immediately. "Now, my daughter is going to have a chance with Alpha Kaiden."
I groaned, my knees weakening, and I slammed hard into the floor. My gut twisted and turned like it was being boiled. I felt a stabbing pain in my chest, and I heard my wolf howl, painfully blessing me with a blinding headache. Then she was silent. I couldn't feel her anymore.
"W–what did you do to me?" I cried out.
"I suppressed your scent and wolf."
"S–suppressed…no, please," I whimpered, my vision blurred.
"You heard that right," Selene cooed. "You'll be fine."
I'd be fine? I wanted to yell at her, to tell her to undo what she had just done to me. But I didn't have the strength even to open my mouth.
Selene's head hovered above mine, and I fought to stay awake.
"Your mate is Kaiden Thorne. The witch told me. Tomorrow, instead of claiming you as a mate, he'd have my daughter instead."
She just tried to kill me because of a mate I never knew until now? I jerked twice before going limp. The last thing I saw was Selene's cold, gleaming eye, then everything went black.