Chapter 2

Serena's POV

The grip around my throat tightened. Carlisle's eyes turned vicious, searching for traces of the old love and submission in mine.

He was going to be disappointed.

"Arthur, don't be rash! She's still Fangarde family!" Lydia shrieked from the bed, seeming to hold him back while deliberately emphasizing "Fangarde" to remind Carlisle of my backing.

Carlisle snorted and threw me aside like garbage. I slammed into the cabinet corner hard, tasting blood.

"So what if she's Fangarde?" Carlisle looked down at me with pure malice. "Once you married into the Locke clan, you became OUR property. Serena, you're so crazy you can't even recognize people anymore. Time for some treatment."

He turned to Lydia, his expression instantly softening: "Lydia's beast core has been unstable lately. She needs blood from your bloodline to fix her core. You've lived like Locke royalty—time to pay up."

My heart plunged into ice.

Beast core blood—the source of every shifter's power. Extracting it was like roasting your soul over fire. One wrong move and your core would shatter, leaving you powerless.

He wanted to use my life to feed his precious lover.

"Like hell I will." I wiped blood from my mouth and struggled to my feet. "I'm going straight to the Shifter Council to break our bond! I'll tell everyone what sick freaks you really are!"

"Break our bond?" Carlisle burst out laughing. "Serena, you forgot something—your mate Carlisle is DEAD! Legally, you're just a widow now. And I'm Arthur, acting head of this clan. What I say goes!"

Before I could react, several burly clan guards stormed in. They pinned me down without hesitation, cold iron shackles snapping around my wrists and ankles.

"Let me go! Touch me and my brother will destroy you!" I fought desperately, my beast core spinning frantically, trying to break free.

"Your brother?" Carlisle crouched in front of me, using those lips I'd kissed countless times to spit poison. "Kyle's up north fighting rebels. He can't save you. By the time he gets back, you'll have signed away everything. You'll be nothing but Lydia's little pet—without even the right to speak."

He waved his hand. A clan healer in white robes entered, carrying a thick bone needle that pulsed with eerie blue light.

"Do it." Carlisle's order was ice-cold.

"NO! Carlisle, you can't do this to me!" Seeing that needle, terror and despair finally overwhelmed me. I wasn't afraid of pain—I couldn't accept that this man who'd sworn to protect me with his life was now personally dragging me to hell.

"I told you, I'm ARTHUR!" He grabbed my jaw viciously. "Serena, face reality. Your pathetic love means NOTHING to me. Lydia is the mate I'm truly protecting."

The bone needle pierced my spine without mercy, driving straight toward my beast core.

"AHHHHH—!"

I screamed. Pain like my soul was being ripped apart. Cold sweat poured down my body. I could feel my purest essence being drawn out drop by drop through that needle.

Lydia leaned against the headboard, watching the tube slowly fill with dark red blood, greed and satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.

"Sister, don't blame Arthur—he's thinking of the clan's greater good." Lydia dabbed at nonexistent tears. "Just be obedient and sign the severance contract. Transfer the mines to me, and we'll let you live."

Wave after wave of agony hit me. My vision blurred as my nails clawed bloody streaks across the hard floor.

Carlisle stood watching me writhe and struggle on the ground, not an ounce of mercy in his eyes.

"Such a nice beast core—hate to see it turn to dust." He smiled coldly. "Sign the papers and I'll make this stop."

I bit my lip until it bled, refusing to make a single sound of surrender.

In that extreme pain, every beautiful memory I had of Carlisle got shredded by that cold needle. The boy who'd told me under the stars "my life belongs only to you" was dead. Standing before me now was just a beast who'd sell his soul for profit and lust.

Fine. Perfect.

Just blood? Just mines?

I laughed coldly in my mind.

Carlisle, you want my life to perfect your love story? Then let me show you what happens when you push a Fangarde woman too far!

I stopped struggling, letting that draining sensation hollow me out. I closed my eyes, hiding the murderous intent burning within.

"I'll sign."

Triumph flashed in Carlisle's eyes. He thought he'd finally broken me completely.