Riya Lesnar
This certainly was the part where I'd get exposed and put to death for I was no holy maiden. I was an exotic dancer who kissed a man the previous night. His coat in my room a constant reminder that kissing this man who turned out to be the Alpha was never in my head.
"I'm blessed with your appearance and that of your holy maidens."
The way Alpha Ethan said this must've been with a smirk, it was how I pictured his amused tone.
My sisters didn't help things, they clustered to themselves as we were ushered to a seat leaving me as the odd one out.
The ceremony began with Keegan taking control of the first ritual of the night. This gave me an opportunity to look in Alpha Ethan's direction.
He looked nothing like he did the previous night. He looked more pale and a bit frail than he was when we first met. Something was wrong.
I looked across my sisters and thought of which to pry into a gossip mode with. Sadly, there was none.
The first daughter, Beth had been married so she couldn't be here, Lara and Tara, the twins clung to each other, fawning over the handsome Alpha as he lit the scented candles. My gaze drifted to the fourth daughter, Jade. No, she had a bad temper and arrogance. She wouldn't welcome a chance to chat. Then there was Madeleine, beside our father and Alpha Ethan, holding the sacred runes for the rituals.
I rolled my eyes and leaned closer to eavesdrop on the twins.
"I pray this curse gets averted. Alpha Ethan looks so ill." Lara huffed.
Okay, there was a curse that made Ethan look sick. If so, what the hell was he doing in the bar last night?
I glanced around at the men in the room, most of them looked familiar from the bar because they were either regulars or they dropped in once in a while.
This made me realize how big of a risk I had taken working in the club. They easily could've spotted me leaving the club. That could've gotten me in real trouble.
It was my turn as the last daughter to put the last candle on the candle stand. A statue of the moon goddess.
I walked there with great difficulty wondering who else could recognize me in the hall.
Alpha Ethan's gaze left Keegan to dwell on me. I nearly died of embarrassment.
This man had seen me in less clothing. Why then did I feel so self-aware prancing before him fully covered?
I completed my task avoiding his green eyes as possible, with my head to the floor I returned to my seat.
Anyone in the could've sworn I was the holiest of the girls but in the truest sense, I did a couple of bold things that my sisters were still very naive of.
Goddess, please don't let this grow out of hand. I prayed with my entire heart promising the goddess things I knew I could never keep.
My plan b was to get away. Disappeared from the room before anyone called me out. But what proof did they have that I was black swan?
This thought consoled me, making me sit a little upright in my seat.
Alpha Ethan couldn't prove I was the girl he kissed last night. Girls looked alike all the time. All I needed to do was to return to my room and get rid of all the evidence.
Now the big question remained, which of my sisters went through my stuff while I was away to steal my dragon tattoo stamp, and why?
Jade?
"I heard Alpha Ethan has a dragon tattoo on his arm," I started, striking a conversation that she likely would ignore, "looks like it's all false after all." I chuckled nervously.
Jade dropped her dark gaze on me, "Is that why you bought a dragon false tatt?" She smirked.
I knew it!
"Don't flatter yourself, he's never going to look your way! Now shut your mouth and shift the hell away!"
I nodded and shifted from her side. I already knew what I wanted to do. Good thing she didn't know why I actually needed one of those stickers.
Madeleine returned, brimming with joy.
"I saw you talking with Alpha Ethan!" One of the twins blushed profusely. "What's he like?"
They chattered silently and lived in their silly little worlds while I thought of ways to sneak back to destroy any evidence that might get me in trouble a few hours from now.
Keegan came to where we sat and spoke privately to his other daughters leaving me out. Making me stick out like a sore thumb.
My gaze drifted back to Ethan only to catch him staring my way. The glint in his eyes and the smugness on his handsome face made it clear he was going to call me out. The chances were just too great. Or was it in my head?
He snubbed me the entire time like he had no idea of who I was. Did he not recognize me?
Fat chance.
"For the last rituals of this ceremony, our Alpha will request the assistance of one of the holy maidens of the pack," Keegan spoke aloud so he could be heard by everyone in the hall.
"Take my purse home tonight, I don't think I'll be returning tonight," Madeleine commanded me, pushing her little Chanel purse my way.
I obliged and took the purse onto my thighs praying this ended sooner.
Alpha Ethan walked towards us, I crossed my fingers and every nerve in me hoping to grow invisible. Praying not to get noticed and unmasked as the stripper in the club at the bar far away from the pack, in the border area which belongs to no pack.
His patchouli wafted to my nostrils, the scent that enveloped me all through the night. His towering height stood before Tara by the edge in the front row.
"What is your name?"
"Tara." Tara sprang to her feet and replied rather shyly.
"I mean the raven-haired sister."
That was me. I was the only sister with black hair. But I dared not look up. I dared not harp on his games without knowing what was looming.
Jade's elbow connected with my ribs when I remained silent in a way that appeared to be rude.
"She's Riya," Keegan came to my rescue for the first time, well, until he added, "She's a runt, my alpha. The rest of my daughters possess unmatchable wolves and are equally beautiful. This is Madeleine, Lara, Tara, and Jade. Beth just got married to her mate."
Things were clarified so couldn't he just pick any of the girls and get back to the rituals to uplift this curse that made him appear sick?
Why was he still planted there gazing eerily at me?
He wanted a holy maiden well, he already kissed me last night so that should tell him I wasn't who he was
looking for.
"I want her for the rituals. Riya Lesnar."
He stated firmly and my head snapped up.