Chapter 2

Iris Bennett's POV

My mouth opened, but no sound came out. I'd never seen Adrian look at me like this before.

All I'd wanted was to give him time with the woman he loved. What had I done wrong? My heart pounded so hard I could barely hear his words.

"Alpha, Luna just drove those Rogue Wolves out of the pack! If she hadn't stepped in, several pups would've been hurt." The beta rushed forward to explain. Adrian waved him off, the fury on his face not diminishing in the slightest.

I'd never felt it so clearly—to him, I was nothing but a burden. He'd never loved me. Not once.

My whole body trembled. I couldn't tell if it was from blood loss or just pure heartbreak.

"Answer me, Iris." He walked toward me.

I looked up at him. In the moonlight, his face looked like something carved by a master sculptor. I froze for a moment, then pulled away from his outstretched hand.

I coughed painfully. The hastily bandaged wound on my side throbbed, but compared to everything else, it felt like nothing.

"I'm the luna of this pack, Adrian. I'm supposed to be responsible for it." Tears welled in my eyes. I fought the urge to cry, steadied my breathing, and forced myself to meet his gaze.

Besides, I didn't want to ruin his happy moment.

"Really? If you can't even handle three Rogue Wolves, maybe you're not cut out for the job." Adrian's laugh was cold. He stopped a foot away from me.

"You actually let them claw you?"

I wasn't some legendary warrior, but I was an alpha's daughter. I wasn't weak.

The only reason I'd struggled was because I was pregnant. It had drained my strength completely.

But I couldn't tell him that. Not now.

Adrian's phone rang. He answered it, and I slipped past him into the bathroom.

My wound was bleeding through. I cleaned it quickly, wrapped fresh bandages around it, and opened the door.

Adrian was on the balcony, still on the phone. His voice drifted through the crack in the door. I didn't want to listen, but I couldn't move.

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere." His voice was so gentle it made my chest ache.

"Get some sleep. Stop overthinking."

I almost laughed. So he could be tender—just never with me.

Now that my wound was dressed, I didn't want to do anything but sleep.

I collapsed onto the bed and closed my eyes.

The truth was, Adrian and I were never supposed to be mates.

Two years ago, my father was assassinated by Rogue Wolves. The pack he'd led fell into chaos without an alpha, and we became the laughingstock of the region.

Before that, my father had been one of the most ambitious alphas around—which meant he'd made plenty of enemies. After his death, things got worse.

I started getting messages. Vile ones.

[Your father's debts? I'll clear them—if you become my mistress.]

[Hand over your pack, and I'll let you walk away alive.]

When my father was alive, I wouldn't have given these people a second thought. But now they looked at me like I was nothing.

I didn't have the strength to hold the pack together. My mother and I were barely surviving. I didn't know if we'd make it through another day.

That's when Adrian appeared.

To me, he was like an angel sent by the Moon Goddess. My wolf howled for him. He was a miracle.

"I can help you." He took my hand. And he did—he eliminated every threat to my pack and found healers to treat my sick mother.

"But in exchange, you'll be my Luna."

I could barely believe what I was hearing. We'd grown up together, gone to the same schools. We'd always been friends. I couldn't understand why he'd offer to help me now, when I had nothing left to give.

But he didn't explain. He just held out his hand.

"Don't be surprised. I'm not trying to take advantage of you like those other guys. It's just a contract marriage. You know my mother's always been fond of you. She's sick now, and I need you to keep her spirits up. In return, I'll help you run your pack. Deal?"

My wolf whimpered in my mind. For a moment, I desperately wished I could be his real mate. But why did he only want to make his mother happy?

It meant he didn't love me. He felt nothing for me. But he was already doing so much—how could I ask for more?

This was enough. So I nodded and followed him to his pack. Life there wasn't as bad as I'd feared. Everyone knew me. And more importantly, the threats on my life disappeared.

So what if he didn't love me? To me, it was like a dream. As long as I could stay by his side, nothing else mattered. But if he ever found out how I really felt, everything would fall apart.

With that fear hanging over me, I'd spent every day walking on eggshells. Terrified he'd see through me.

Meanwhile, because it was all just an act to him, Adrian had been perfectly natural. He'd brought me to events, played the part flawlessly. To the outside world, we looked like the perfect couple.

But I knew the truth. This was a transaction. I took care of Adrian's mother in exchange for my pack's safety.

And now, it seemed, the deal was coming to an end.

"Still awake?" Adrian's voice came from behind me.

The mattress dipped. His scent surrounded me. My heart started racing again.

"Yeah." I wanted to turn and look at him, but I was too exhausted to move.

"I need to talk to you, Iris." His tone turned serious.

Even if he didn't say it, I already knew what was coming.

"Let's end this. The mate bond. Let's break it." Adrian's voice was still as smooth as ever, but the moment he said the words, I couldn't breathe.