Chapter 4

The scent of blood was thick in the air, mingling with the raw tang of iron and the damp musk of disturbed earth. Alpha Caius’s nose wrinkled in distaste, his heightened Alpha senses detecting the carnage long before his eyes landed on the scene. His jaw tightened, irritation flickering across his face.

“What the hell is that stench? What has Aeris done now?” His voice was sharp with frustration, as if the very idea of my existence was nothing more than a relentless nuisance.

Beside him, his Beta assistant stood rigid, his forehead slick with sweat. His hands clenched at his sides, but his voice remained hushed, almost fearful. “Alpha… you should see for yourself.”

The Beta assistant stepped aside with hesitant movements, unveiling the two shrouded figures sprawled across the blood-soaked ground. The larger one loomed still, silent in death, while the smaller one—so heartbreakingly small—seemed swallowed by the vast emptiness surrounding it. A dark aura coiled around them, suffocating, reeking of death’s final claim.

Alpha Caius’s powerful hands hovered between them, fingers twitching with indecision. The predator within him stirred uneasily, instincts screaming that something was terribly wrong. Yet, his hesitation lasted only a fleeting moment before he reached out.

I gripped my chest, though there was nothing left within it to steady the hollow ache clawing through me. I knew what would happen next. I knew it, and yet I couldn’t tear my gaze away.

His fingers brushed against the edge of the smaller bundle, trembling slightly as he prepared to peel back the veil of cloth—

A piercing shriek shattered the air before he could.

“Caius! What do you think you’re doing?! Don’t touch that—it’s just a filthy rogue pup’s corpse!”

Seraphina’s voice cut through the moment like a blade, shrill and frantic. She stumbled forward, her body quaking as she all but threw herself into Alpha Caius’s arms, her delicate frame pressing against him. Clutching desperately at his shirt, she buried herself into his chest, shivering.

For a moment, Alpha Caius remained stiff beneath her grip. But then, as if her words had flipped a switch, his expression twisted. Disgust replaced hesitation, and without warning, his foot lashed out.

The small bundle was sent flying. It tumbled across the dirt, the white cloth unraveling just enough to reveal a glimpse of pale, fragile skin—skin so soft, so helpless, so utterly undeserving of this fate.

“Get the scavengers,” Alpha Caius barked, his tone void of emotion. “Let them clean this up.”

The command was obeyed in an instant. Shadows shifted as hungry wolves emerged from the gloom, their glowing eyes locked onto the offering before them. With snarls and snapping jaws, they descended, their fangs sinking into flesh without hesitation. The sound of tearing meat filled the air, mingling with the low, guttural growls of beasts indulging in their primal hunger.

A scream ripped from me, raw and wild, an agony beyond words. I lunged forward, clawing at Alpha Caius, at the wolves, at anything that might stop this horror. But my hands passed through everything like mist.

I couldn’t touch. I couldn’t stop it.

But I could feel the pain. It burned hotter than fire, twisting, devouring, hollowing me out until there was nothing left.

What crime had my pup committed? What sin had I paid for with this nightmare?

The wolves did not stop until there was nothing left—just shredded fabric and dark stains seeping into the earth. And as the last piece of my pup vanished, I caught a glimpse of Seraphina. She stood slightly apart, her face carefully composed, yet a faint smirk ghosted the edges of her lips. A flicker of satisfaction gleamed in her eyes before she quickly looked away.

Alpha Caius’s furious roar shattered the silence. “Enough of this! Where is Aeris?! Where is she hiding?!” His fists clenched at his sides, muscles taut with rage. “First, she drove Seraphina to the edge, and now she’s trying to spook her with a dead rogue pup? How did I not see it sooner? Aeris’s nothing but a venomous wretch!”

He turned, his voice laced with venom. “Aeris! Didn’t you swear that pup was your world? If you don’t crawl out here right now, I swear on the Moon Goddess—when my true heir is born, I will cast you aside. You will never hold that child in your arms. Never.”

I sank to the ground, shaking, my silent laughter hollow and broken. Tears streamed down a face no one could see. My parents were gone. The mate I had once trusted had thrown me to the wolves—no, he had done worse. He had let them devour the last piece of my heart.

There was nothing left. Not even a body to mourn.

I swore, from the depths of whatever remained of my soul, that Alpha Caius would suffer for this. That he would rot in agony worse than mine.

His voice rose again, a demand slicing through the night. But no answer would come. There was no one left to answer him.

At last, his Beta assistant, pale and trembling, forced himself to step forward. His hands shook as he reached down, fingers hesitating over the white cloth covering the larger form. His voice barely held.

“Alpha… Luna Aeris is right here. And your pup… you just fed it to the wolves.”