CHAPTER 29: A MOTHERLY ADVICE

I jolted awake, my heart pounding as though it had been running miles without me.

For a few seconds I lay still, staring into the dimness of my bedroom, before the familiar ceiling above my bed reminded me where I was.

Finn’s manor.

Disappointment swept through me in a heavy wave.

The dream, if it was even a dream, had left me with more questions than answers.

What was I supposed to do after swallowing the pill?

I pushed myself upright, the sheets clinging damp to my skin, and ran a trembling hand across the pillow beside me.

My fingers brushed against something small and crumpled.

There it was.

The pill. Still wrapped in the scrap of paper the crow had delivered.

I held it up in the faint light from the few lit candles.

It looked harmless enough, unremarkable, just a dull little thing resting in its paper cocoon.

What could it possibly do to me that would help me escape?

I bit down on my lip. The shadowed man’s voice replayed in my mind, the way he spoke as though everything was already decided.

He had been vague, infuriatingly so. I couldn’t know for certain if his offer was meant to save me, or simply draw me into another trap.

But what choice did I have?

I closed my fingers around the paper, the edges creasing against my palm.

I had decided.

Tomorrow.

I would take it tomorrow. Two days before the Heirbind Rite.

My chest rose and fell in a shaky breath. That would be the moment I gambled everything.

For now, I tucked the pill safely beneath the pillow and lay back down, though sleep refused to claim me again.

***

Mother came to my room the next morning.

Her room was only next to mine, and though there were rules set for her as a guest, she was not forbidden to visit me at any time.

We sat by the balcony, the world just waking under a veil of gold. A round table was set between us, covered with trays of warm bread, fruit, and steaming broth.

Mother wore a dress of fine fabric, smooth as water, the sort of garment that only someone belonging in this manor would be given. Her hair was brushed and gleaming, her face alight with a contentment that startled me.

She looked... happy. Content.

Meanwhile, my own reflection in the mirror earlier looked pale, washed of color.

I felt heavy, as though the food laid before me would never reach my stomach.

"Do you know what you will do on the night of the Heirbind rite?" she asked, slicing a piece of fruit with delicate fingers. Her voice was gentle, cheerful.

I let out a short breath. "Spend the night with the Alpha. What else is there for me?"

She gave a soft laugh, as though I had said something naïve.

"Of course, I know that, silly girl. What I meant to ask is... do you know how to please a man?"

The words twisted in my gut. My spoon hovered above the broth, unmoving.

Heat crawled to my throat, thick with bile.

I stared at her, hoping she would see how much I despised the question.

But her eyes sparkled with maternal mischief, as if this were nothing more than a mother teasing her daughter.

"You are the Alpha’s breeder, Vivien. Your duty is not only to bear him an heir, but also to make sure the deed itself is pleasant for him."

Her tone was calm, practical, like she was reciting a recipe.

"I..." My lips pressed shut.

I had no answer for her.

No words that would not betray the storm inside me.

She leaned closer. "Listen to me carefully. A man of power, especially an Alpha, does not want to be challenged in his bed. You must act submissive. Let him take the lead, let him feel his dominance. Do not displease him with resistance or coldness."

I blinked, stunned by how casually she said it.

My own mother, instructing me on how to surrender myself.

"You think this is easy for me to say?" she asked, as if reading my silence. "It is not. But it is what will keep you safe, Vivien. If you do well, he will remember you. He will keep you close, even after you give him the child he desires."

Her words scraped against me.

"How can I please him if I am uncomfortable to do the deed?"

Mother sighed, setting down her knife. "Do not speak with such bitterness. This is the reality of our place, and you must learn to live within it. Many breeders are forgotten once their children are born. But if you make yourself valuable, if you ensure he finds no displeasure in you, you may hold a place in his life."

A cold laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "A place in his life? As what? A treasured pet?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Better a treasured pet than a despised criminal."

I turned my face away, looking out to the courtyard below.

Some guards were already training there, their bodies moving with ruthless strength. All of them bowed to Finn, the Alpha who owned this house, this land, who would own me soon.

My chest tightened. "You speak as if I should be grateful."

"You should be," Mother said softly. "Grateful that he chose you. Grateful that you are not cast aside into some lower pack, breeding for scraps. Do not let pride blind you, Vivien. Pride cannot keep you warm. Pride cannot protect you when the Alpha grows weary of your defiance."

I stopped arguing with Mother. The more I pushed back, the more amused she looked, as if I were a child refusing to eat her greens. So I let her win.

Breakfast ended quietly after that. She hummed to herself while sipping her tea, and I only moved the food around my plate until it was respectable enough to be left untouched.

When she finally left, I thought I would have the rest of the morning in peace, but a maid appeared at my door not long after.

"The High Matron will be here tomorrow to help you prepare for the Heirbind rite. She will work with the priestesses to ensure the sanctity of the ritual. The Alpha advised you not to do anything extreme today so you’d be ready to meet her tomorrow morning."

I only gave a small nod in return.

Inside, I wanted to laugh at the word sanctity. There was nothing sacred about any of this.

She left quickly.

I closed the door and leaned against it for a moment. Silence. Finally.

I went back to my bed and sat on the edge.

My hand slipped under the pillow, finding the little scrap of paper I’d hidden there. The paper was already soft from being folded and unfolded too many times. Inside it was the pill.

I unwrapped it and held it up to the light.

Tomorrow the High Matron would arrive. Tomorrow I’d be pretending this was a gift instead of a sentence.

I pressed the pill into my palm until it dug against my skin.

And this time, I didn’t hide it back under the pillow.