Chapter 4

I stared at Alexander, my thoughts spinning in a fog of disbelief.

He thought I’d betrayed him?! That I carried another man’s child?

The memory of that full moon night slammed into me. He had been drunk—just like now. We’d spent the night together, our bodies tangled, his scent marking every inch of me.

But the next morning… he was gone.

And I found him in Lilian’s room, sitting at her table, eating breakfast as if nothing had happened.

I had tried to explain back then, but he hadn’t listened. He never listened.

Now, under the icy light of the moon, he dragged me to the edge of the pack’s cliff. Bloodfang warriors closed in around us, their crimson eyes glinting with cruel amusement.

Alexander stood in front of me, his silver-grey eyes like frozen steel. His guards blocked every escape route. The Bloodfang warriors’ hungry gazes crawled over me like maggots over rot.

"Why aren’t you running?" His voice was low, dangerous. He ground his boot into the shattered remains of the Lil Pack emblem, the crunch of metal on stone making my skin crawl.

I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood. The air around us grew hotter with the warriors’ lewd laughter.

"Alpha Alexander," one of them said, his tone dripping with mockery, "Since the Lil Pack is gone, why not let us have some fun with its last princess?"

My stomach twisted. The way his eyes raked over me made my skin burn with disgust.

Alexander didn’t answer. He just stared at me, his expression unreadable… and that silence was worse than any words.

"Don’t” I began, but he cut me off by slamming my wrists above my head with one hand, pinning me in place.

"Isn’t this what you wanted?" His breath was warm against my ear, heavy with the scent of alcohol and cedar. "You worked so hard to make yourself my savior—wasn’t it all for this?"

His touch wasn’t tender—it was punishment. Every movement was rough, as if he wanted to carve humiliation into my skin.

The mate mark at the base of my neck suddenly flared white-hot, a searing pain that made me bite my lips until I tasted copper.

"Look at me," he demanded, gripping my chin and forcing my gaze up. "Look closely at the man claiming you."

Through the haze of tears, I caught something in his eyes—anger, yes, but also a shadow of something darker. Regret. Self-loathing.

He wasn’t just punishing me. He was punishing himself.

And yet, the cruelty didn’t stop.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard him whisper, his voice raw, "Why… did you betray me?"

The pain was nothing compared to the humiliation. My Alpha—my mate—was violating me in my own homeland, under the watchful eyes of those who had slaughtered my family.

I felt my soul detach, floating somewhere above, watching it happens like I was a stranger. The cold wind cut through my torn clothes, carrying with it the stink of blood and lust.

The warriors around us laughed, their greedy stares crawling over me.

"Alpha Alexander, once you’re done," one of them jeered, "it should be our turn, right?"

Alexander froze. His eyes snapped to the man, pupils narrowing into sharp, lethal slits.

"Get. Out."

Just two words—but they hit the air like an executioner’s blade.

The Bloodfang warriors stilled. The cold in his tone seeped into the night, and one by one, they backed away.

When the last of them was gone, Alexander’s attention returned to me. His fingers dug into my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes again.

"You think I’d let them touch you?" His voice was quiet now, but dangerous. Twisted. Possessive. "You are my Luna—even if it’s only in name."

A bitter laugh slipped from my throat.

"In name?" My voice was hoarse, trembling with rage. "What you just did to me doesn’t look like you give a damn about what’s in a name."

For a flicker of a moment, something in his expression faltered—but then his cold mask slammed back into place.

"This is the punishment you deserve," he said, stepping back. His shadow loomed over me in the moonlight. "You lied to me. You got pregnant with another man’s child."

"I didn’t!" My voice cracked, raw with desperation. "You were lied to! Lilian stole my keepsake and took credit for saving you! She’s the one who told you I never came to see you!"

The change in his face was instant. Dark. Dangerous.

"Enough!" His grip on my wrist tightened until I thought I heard a bone snap. "How many more lies will you tell?"

And at that moment, I understood the truth.

It wouldn’t matter if I carved my heart open to show him the truth. It wouldn’t matter if the Moon Goddess herself descended to speak for me.

Alexander didn’t want to believe me.

You can’t wake someone who’s pretending to be asleep.