Chapter 2
“He holds you so tight,” Wynne’s voice echoed in my mind, laced with mockery.
I dug my nails into my palm. “He’s just afraid I’ll run away.”
I didn’t realize when the rain stopped, but the sound of an airplane’s engine roared in the distance.
"Are you really leaving?" Wynne’s voice sharpened with alertness.
I pressed myself against the cold wall and moved toward the study door. "The iPad is in the hidden compartment."
The glass display case was neatly arranged with silver-edged albums. "Look, our 'love' looks so perfect."
I pointed to the first page.
In the 2015 photo, Alpha William kissed my forehead.
In the 2017 photo, I held a birthday cake, and Alpha William kissed me.
"The hidden compartment is under the third board on the left," Wynne suddenly reminded.
I pried open the wooden board with force, the cold touch of metal reaching my fingertips.
When the iPad screen lit up, the lock screen photo stabbed into my eyes like a shard of glass.
Yasmine was curled up in Alpha William’s arms.
The background was the Moonstone altar of Blackthorn Pack’s forbidden grounds.
"How dare he take her there?"
Wynne let out a furious wolf’s growl. "That’s a place only fated mates can use for ceremonies!"
Suddenly, a video began to play automatically.
In the footage, Alpha William pinned Yasmine to the Sacred Tree of Blackthorn Pack.
His hands roughly tore at her clothing, while Yasmine giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Lyra is such a fool. Every time there’s a fake kidnapping, she gets scared like a rabbit."
"She’s your perfect replacement."
Alpha William’s voice was filled with sarcasm. "So easy to fool, and when she blocked bullets for me, she didn’t even blink."
I suddenly remembered the Moonlight Gathering from two years ago.
Alpha William held a bouquet of red roses and knelt before me.
“Lyra, you are the most precious part of my life. I will protect you with my whole life.”
It was all a lie.
"But she is your fated mate..." Yasmine’s voice had a trace of concern.
Alpha William scoffed. "What does the fated bond matter? What I want is her status, so that you can stay by my side in peace."
"No! That’s impossible!" I staggered back, bumping into the bookshelf.
The iPad slipped from my hand, but it automatically switched to the next video.
In the footage, Alpha William and a group of people sat around in the study, planning the so-called "kidnapping plan."
"Just say that Silverfang’s people came. Lyra will definitely rush out to protect me no matter what."
Alpha William’s face showed a smug grin.
"Her feelings for me are our best weapon."
Alpha William’s face was full of satisfaction.
"She thinks I’ll be touched by the surprise I prepared for her birthday. Little does she know, all those gifts were bought according to your preferences."
I grabbed the iPad, wanting to smash it to pieces, but just then, I saw a more heartbreaking scene.
Alpha William gently caressed Yasmine’s cheek. "Endure for a little longer. Once I break the bond with her, you’ll be my one and only Luna."
"So everything was a lie..." I whispered, my voice full of despair.
Wynne’s voice was thick with sadness. "Lyra, we must leave. Not only have they betrayed your love, but they want your life!"
"Turns out, the one he wants to be with openly was never me."
Wynne whimpered in my mind: "Remember that night of the coming-of-age ceremony? He said, ‘The Moon Goddess has made you my light.’ It was all a lie!"
"From meeting to falling in love, to marriage," I hugged my trembling shoulders, "It was all just a carefully designed script."
"Behind every gift, there was always Yasmine’s shadow."
I carefully placed the diary back in the hidden compartment, whispering, "Wynne, why am I so stupid?"
"It’s not that you’re stupid, it’s that he’s too good at pretending!" Wynne’s roar made my temples pound, "Every time he gently bandages your wounds, he’s thinking of Yasmine!"
I curled up in the corner, my throat tight. "The first time I was kidnapped, he held me and whispered, ‘Don’t be afraid, I’m here.’… Now I realize, that was just the start of his plan."
