Ariana’s eyes widened in shock as her chest began to hurt. It felt like she had been shoved underwater—her head plunged into the sea—gasping for air, only for water to replace it instead. Her hands instinctively moved to her chest.
Ava stood at last, muttering sothing under her breath before walking away. She didn’t even glance at Ariana’s face. The once naive-looking girl was gone within seconds.
Ariana slowly moved, pushing the plate aside and pressing her head against the table as she clutched her chest, which felt like it had been squeezed repeatedly. She tried her best to calm her racing mind. The shock—and the insult—had hit harder than she expected. She couldn’t believe her sister had actually said those words to her.
She hadn’t expected them at all. Maybe it hurt more because it had to do with the stranger. Maybe that was why. This wasn’t the first ti she’d been insulted because of her muteness. Not that those didn’t hurt—they did—but she had always managed to hide the pain. This, however, had hit deeper than she thought possible.
She rose to her feet slowly, her body trembling slightly. She was not going to cry. If her sister wanted to use this against her, she wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of a single tear.
She also needed to forget about that stranger—but how could she, when her daily reminder was just a few inches away?
*
*
*
Hours had passed, and Ariana stood quietly in the room clad in a baggy silk Nightgown, carefully double-drying her hair to avoid catching a cold during the night.
She walked over to the bed, picking up the neatly folded royal blue gown. She carried it to the wardrobe and gently placed it on top. She didn’t have the energy to inspect it tonight—there would be ti for that in the morning, when she’d try it on.
For now, she didn’t bother. She was simply grateful the dress had arrived. She was sure Ava had taken hers. She moved and dropped the towel.
She and Ava shared a room, as their father stayed in the other one. As soon as Ariana stepped toward the bed to lay, Ava spoke quietly, almost coldly.
"Stay on your lane. Don’t move to my side," she hissed.
Ariana said nothing. She didn’t have the strength for her sister’s pettiness. She simply walked to the bed and lay down silently, her back sinking into the thin mattress. She stared up at the ceiling, her hand resting gently on her stomach, caressing it in slow circles.
And though so much remained uncertain, she didn’t regret having this child. Sohow, the baby gave her strength—a quiet motivation to do things she’d never imagined she could, like standing up for herself. More and more, she felt this child might actually be a gift. Even if the pregnancy had shocked her, she didn’t hate it. Not anymore.
She rembered that day so vividly—every detail still sharp in her mind. She and her sister Ava had gone to see the local physician after Ariana’s constant vomiting had left them all scared and worried. That was when the news broke: she was pregnant.
But the one who seed even more shocked was Ava.
From that mont on, her sister never let it go. She clung to the news like a weapon, and each ti she brought it up, she would quietly say the sa thing:
"It’s always the calm ones who are the most dangerous."
Ava repeated that line over and over, like it carried so hidden aning she wasn’t ready to say out loud.
Ariana’s fingers brushed her belly again.
Tomorrow’s punishnt would seal her fate.
She wondered what kind of punishnt the Alpha would give. Just as the thought passed her mind, Ava suddenly moved, turning as she spoke.
"If I may ask... the stranger—do you rember who he is?" she asked quietly.
Ariana shook her head, then began signing with her fingers. Slowly, carefully, she raised each finger as she signed: "I don’t rember. But I rember him having darkish grey eyes."
The mont she finished signing, Ava sat up.
"Are you sure about that? Darkish grey eyes?" she asked, her voice almost teasing. "Maybe you were really drunk that day," she added with a quiet laugh. Her expression returned to normal as she laid back down.
"Good night, sister," she murmured.
If soone heard her now, they would think she was on her period. A few hours ago, she had insulted Ariana, and now she was simply telling her good night. But Ariana was used to her sister’s attitude.
Ariana signed a gentle good night. But she didn’t sleep. Her gaze drifted toward the almost-torn curtain. The fabric hung limply, and through its ragged edges, the damaged ceiling was visible. You could nearly see the open sky.
She wasn’t exaggerating—during the rainy season, their house turned into a little pond. An unwanted pond. The only things missing to complete the picture were fish and smooth stones.
Then, surprisingly, she heard her sister’s voice once more.
"Oh, Ariana... you better start praying to the Moon Goddess to make the Alpha—the Alpha King—my mate. At least then, I could beg him to consider you. Since you’re already pregnant, maybe he could stop the punishnt. Maybe he’d help us... maybe he’d get us out of this wretched place, this miserable cottage," she said quietly.
Ariana shook her head, sighing softly as she prayed silently—not for herself, but that her sister would et the Alpha King. Not because she wanted to undo her punishnt, but because she could see just how desperate Ava was becoming. The kind of desperation that, if not fulfilled, could drive her to do sothing reckless. Maybe even sothing deadly. That’s how it sounded.
But weren’t there other well-off n who could be her sister’s mate? Why did it have to be the Alpha King?
Ariana didn’t even have a wolf. If it ant finding peace, she wouldn’t mind being with an oga. All she wanted was a simple, gentle life. A life where she could be loved. Because all she had ever known was hatred. No kindness. No warmth. Not from anyone.
Except... maybe her mother. She was the only one who had ever shown Ariana even a flicker of true love.
And now the world, in all cruelty, had taken even that away.
Ariana sat up. She moved toward the bedside and took the lantern, gently blowing the light out.
The room now dark, she closed her eyes as she dozed off.
But one thing was certain above all else—
Tomorrow would determine her future.
And she didn’t know if she was ready to face it.
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