How To Catch A Lycan Prince

ISABELLA

My biggest mistake was being born a few seconds after my sister and "killing" my mother in childbirth.

So yeah, it goes without saying I wasn't my father's favorite, the Alpha of the Silver Mountain Pack.

I was born into a family where twin girls were the worst kind of taboo.

The Olivans had bred, for generations, a bloodline of she-wolves with the incredible gift of controlling the violence of the lycans, the ones who ruled our realm, Vargheim.

They called us Seraphina she-wolves, or at least, that was the title given to my sister, Savannah Olivan.

Me... I was just Isabella. A shadow in this pack.

Hidden in plain sight. Just another warrior.

Trained to protect the acknowledged heiress; I only took off the face mask to act as her double whenever there was danger.

If Savannah gained weight, I had to gain weight.

If she dyed her blond hair red, I had to follow.

I studied her walk, her voice, every gesture and preference... I even sometimes changed my scent with a magic spray.

My life was nothing but a copy of my older sister's existence.

Today was the first time in twenty years that I slipped up on the job my father gave me... and Savannah ended up in an accident.

"He's coming, Isa." My wolf Thera's voice trembled a little, but stayed firm, trying to give me strength.

The shackles on my wrists rattled with the growing spasms of my body as I heard those steady footsteps coming closer.

The chill of the brick walls in the cell seeped into my bones, and the darkness swallowed whatever courage I had left.

The door flew open with a shrill squeal, and the massive shadow of the Alpha stepped into my prison.

"Father, I swear I didn't mean to..."

"Shut up!" His sudden slap cut off my pleas.

My head rang, and a sharp pain stabbed through my skull.

"You only had one mission in your miserable life, just one, Isabella, and you managed to screw it up again!"

I pressed my lips together hard, staring into those hard gray eyes that were always judging me.

He still hadn't forgiven me for my mother's death, like I'd done it on purpose.

"Father, it was an accident. I didn't know Savannah had left the pack without telling me..."

"It was your job to follow her, she didn't owe you any explanation! Tell me, where the hell were you while she was being attacked?!"

He took a step closer, canines out.

His sharp Alpha aura crushed me without mercy.

"I..." I swallowed hard.

Lying to my father was not easy.

My eyes fought not to flick toward the entrance of the cell, where his Beta was standing.

"I went out for a walk..."

"With who? What exactly were you doing, Isabella?!"

Sweat was pouring under my clothes as I dodged his relentless questions.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He yanked my hair hard.

"You conspired with those assassins to get rid of your sister!"

"No! No, Father! How can you think I'd do that to Savannah?" My eyes filled with helpless tears.

No matter how much he pushed, I refused to reveal that I had a secret romance with his Beta.

Elliot watched from the doorway, but there wasn't much he could do against the Alpha's abuse.

"Savannah is in a coma and for your own good, she'd better wake up... or I'll peel your skin off myself."

"Dad, please..." The tears finally spilled from my eyes. "I'm your daughter too. How can you be this cruel to me?"

"You were nothing but an unplanned mistake. Be grateful you're still breathing." His words sank into my heart like a poisoned dagger.

I knew exactly how much he despised me for surviving.

My twin was supposed to consume me in our mother's womb... but I refused to give in and took part of the power that was meant only for Savannah.

He hated me for ruining his perfect bloodline of pure Seraphinas.

He walked out of the cell where they'd kept me after the surprise attack that had almost gotten Savannah killed at the borders.

"Elliot, come wait with me for the doctor's report. If I decide Isabella had anything to do with this, you'll come back and interrogate her."

I heard his order as they left.

The door slammed shut and, through the little barred window, Elliot's green eyes pinned me with a look full of pity before he walked away.

Pity was the last thing I needed from him. What I needed was for him to finally grow a spine.

We'd been secretly seeing each other for almost six months, and because of my situation, I kept putting off the idea of making it official in front of my father.

He always had some excuse, but today I finally understood he'd never had any intention of acknowledging me as his partner.

The minutes crawled by so slowly they felt endless.

With my arms raised, numb, and my body limp, I waited for my sentence.

"Bella... Elliot's coming. I'm sure he's bringing good news. The older sister must've woken up and named the real culprits." I tensed at my wolf's warm words.

I could feel her unease; not even she believed what she was saying.

When the door opened again and I saw the whip in Elliot's hands, a shiver ran through me from head to toe.

"You know damn well I didn't do it... I was with you, for the Goddess's sake. You have to tell my father, Elliot, you can't do this to me!" I shouted, a knot cutting off my breath.

I'd neglected my duty as Savannah's guardian because I'd been with him.

"I'm sorry, Isabella... those are the Alpha's orders. Your sister's in critical condition and you're the main suspect."

He answered with such cold cynicism I couldn't believe this was the same passionate man who'd been making love to me hours ago.

"You know that's not true. You're my alibi!"

"I don't know what you're talking about..." he dodged my gaze.

"Don't lie or you could incriminate me in front of the Alpha, and I'm not losing my Beta position for you or for anyone... I'll deny whatever you say."

I was left speechless, drowning in disbelief.

"Tell me who you conspired with. Who were those assassins that attacked Miss Savannah?" he even had the nerve to ask.

I kept shaking my head like an idiot, going through so many emotions it felt like a damn carnival inside my skull.

"For the last time... tell me the names of your accomplices!"

"You hypocritical pig!" I spat right in his face, a thick glob landing between his wide, shocked eyes.

"Go to hell, you fucking coward!" I snarled, bile burning in my stomach.

"This is going to cost you, Isabella..." His tone promised exactly what was coming next.

He wiped his face with disgust and circled me, stopping behind my back.

Those rough hands that had caressed me just hours ago ripped the fabric of my blouse, exposing the old scars on my back.

This wasn't the first beating I'd taken, but it was one of the most painful, because I was getting another taste of betrayal along with it.

I'd been so naive. A stupid girl starving for any scrap of affection.

The crack of the whip soon echoed off the four walls.

My wolf was giving me strength.

Even though she was a small Omega, she was roaring at Elliot's wolf, furious and disappointed...

The smell of blood filled the air and harsh breaths tore out between my lips.

After five brutal lashes, I couldn't hold it in anymore and I screamed.

Tears streamed down my cheeks out of control, my throat raw, my legs shaking.

He showed me no mercy. He wanted to prove to the Alpha he had nothing to do with me.

On the fifteenth blow, I blacked out.

The world went dark... though for me, it had always been black.

*****

I woke up at night, lying in my little bed, in the gloomiest corner of the Alpha's mansion, where he kept the "unplanned error" hidden.

Very few people knew who I really was.

I knew something was wrong the second I opened my eyes.

My torso was bandaged, and there was some kind of ointment on my wounds... that was the first thing that set off alarms.

They never treated me after a "lesson".

The other thing that made me shoot upright like a spring, despite the pain and dizziness, was the presence lurking in the corner.

"Da...d..." My voice came out hoarse and low.

My throat felt like it had been scraped with sandpaper.

"The pack doctor said Savannah suffered a severe concussion and there's no way to know when she'll wake up," he started, way too calmly.

He was sitting half in shadow, half in the light.

His cold eyes, the same shade of gray as mine, stared straight through me.

"And the sorceress?" I asked, thinking of the powers of that dark witch who worked for him.

"Her magic isn't healing," he said flatly.

I clenched the blanket over my lap and lowered my gaze.

He'd never cared about the wounds he himself gave me.

"Despite what you think, I would never hurt Savannah. I've risked my life more than once to protect her."

It was the plain truth, and Savannah had never thanked me for it.

My sister was a bitch to me, a harpy, and after my father, the person who humiliated me the most.

"Let's say I believe you," he said suddenly, and I lifted my head, hopeful like an idiot.

"Now we have a serious problem that could sink our pack, and you're the only one who can help me."

"A problem?" What could possibly be serious enough to bring the whole pack down?

"Here, see for yourself." He tossed something onto the bed.

A heavy envelope, fancy and official-looking.

I grabbed it on top of the blanket and pulled the document out, reading.

The more I read, the faster my heart raced, cold sweat trickling down my spine.

"They're requesting Savannah's admission to HighMoon Academy?"

"Prince Aurelius just turned twenty. It's the most unstable age to control his lycan. He needs the support of a Seraphina she-wolf, so the Lycan King ordered that Savannah enroll with him at the Academy."

I needed a few seconds to process that bomb.

Then it clicked... if Savannah wasn't available, then...

"Father, you can't seriously be thinking that I..."

"Exactly what you're thinking. I can't disobey the King's order, and I sure as hell can't tell him we lost our blessing." He stood suddenly, his Alpha command slamming into me.

"You'll leave for the Academy in a few days and you'll pretend to be your sister. You have to buy us time until she recovers."

"Father, I'm not Savannah!" I yelled, rage boiling over.

"I don't have her ability, I'm not prepared! You suppressed my power to strengthen hers!"

I threw his cruelty in his face.

That was the whole point of the twin Serafina taboo.

It wasn't the same having all that power focused in a single she-wolf as it was having it split between two.

"The sorceress will take part of the restraint seal off you. All you have to do is pretend, like you've always done, and calm the lycan prince down however you can," he told me firmly.

That "however you can" made my stomach churn.

Everyone knew sexual favors were included in that kind of "therapy".

"And if I refuse?" I met his gaze, my voice shaking.

"You know I can force you with the spell. I can even... kill you. So don't get clever, Isabella," he warned, like he was talking to an enemy.

I swallowed back a sad, bitter laugh.

If he hadn't finished me off yet, it was only because he was afraid of damaging his precious daughter's power.

"You'll go to HighMoon Academy, you'll pretend to be Savannah Olivan... and that's my final word."