Chapter 2: Married Life

Cora's POV

Liam and I have been married for two months now, and I still can’t stop thinking about the name he’d whispered on our wedding night. 

Who exactly is Iris? 

We’re sitting at the breakfast table now, a semi-awkward silence stretching between us. 

Ever since we got married, Liam’s been distant.

Sure, we still... sleep together, and he does indulge some of my requests, but most of the time, I feel like a ghost in this house—like he doesn’t really see me.

I can’t help but think this has something to do with Iris.

There’s so much swirling in my head, but today, I know I have to talk to Liam. Really talk to him.

He hasn’t said anything to me except for a passing “morning” as I sat down to eat. 

As I fill my plate, I do my best to muster up my courage and look Liam dead in the eyes, pulling his attention towards me. 

“Who’s Iris?” I ask bluntly. 

Liam freezes, gaze breaking away from mine in that distant way that kept sending me spiraling. 

“You must’ve misheard me, Cora. I don’t know who you’re talking about,” he said. His tone was flat—almost cold.

My mouth falls open in disbelief. 

“‘Cora’ and ‘Iris’ sound nothing alike!” I press. I refuse to let it go. “I know we haven’t known each other for long, Liam, but if there’s someone else in your life, I feel I have a right to know!” 

All I wanted was to clear the air between us. But as I kept pressing him for answers, I was stunned to see a spark of fury flare in his eyes—the most emotion I’d ever seen from him.

“Shut up, Cora!”

Liam’s furious roar cut through the air just as his glass shattered on the floor, water spilling everywhere. The crash was sharp and jarring.

It was the first time Liam had ever yelled at me like that.

My eyes widened, and I instinctively stepped back.

Was he this angry... just because I mentioned Iris?

The thought sent a sick, sinking feeling through my stomach.

“As the Luna of this pack, it’s not your place to question the Alpha’s personal affairs,” Liam said coldly, shaking his head like he was disgusted.

“It’s been two months and you still haven’t gotten pregnant? As a woman and as a Luna, you’ve failed.”

His cruel words cut through me like jagged glass, and tears instantly welled up in my eyes.

Was this really the man I loved? 

So this is what he really thinks of me? 

For these two months that we’ve been married, Liam has been as cold and distant as ever–except in bed. 

Every night, sometimes multiple times a night, he’s wanted to be intimate with me. At first I didn’t have any complaints. Despite his emotional distance, he’s an exceptional lover in the bedroom. 

But the relentlessness of his drive has been somewhat unsettling. Our intimacy has been frequent, and yet I never truly felt like he cared about me. 

Now, hearing the truth straight from Liam’s mouth, I’m finally able to realize why. 

Liam doesn’t care about me at all. He only cares about getting me pregnant as soon as possible. 

Is this really why Liam married me? 

My body trembled uncontrollably, but I had to admit... he was right. As Luna, I did have the responsibility of bearing an heir.

“But we’ve only been married for two months, why—” I started, trying to explain myself, hoping maybe Liam would understand.

But before I could even get the question out, Liam roared, his eyes flashing with a warning.

“There’s no time!” He spat, his voice seething with frustration. “You need to get pregnant—now!”

My heart started pounding. “What do you mean, no time?”

“You don’t need to know,” Liam hissed, his brow furrowing. “Your only task right now is to get pregnant. That’s it!”

With that, he turns and exits the room, leaving me alone amidst the pile of glass shards. 

Heart racing, I sit down heavily in my chair. Tears continue to well up in my eyes as the realization overwhelms me–Liam only sees me as a means to an end, as an incubator for his future child. 

He doesn’t love me. It’s not about me at all. 

It’s about producing an heir. 

Tears streamed down my face, my heart shattered to the point where I could barely breathe.

But deep down, I knew a part of what Liam said was true. I wasn’t just his wife; I was the Luna of the pack. I had to bear the responsibilities that came with that.

That meant, even though I was in so much pain, I still had to take care of things. I went back to our bedroom, starting to tidy up his clothes, cleaning the coffee table and vanity.

My vision was blurred with tears, and I wiped them away while trying to straighten up the items. As I wiped down the vanity, I accidentally knocked a delicate little box off the edge. I knew this was one of Liam’s most prized possessions. He had warned me countless times never to touch it.

Panicking, I reached out to catch the box, but it hit the floor and cracked open, revealing a photograph.

“Damn it!” I whispered, panic rising in my chest.

I quickly bent down, frantically picking up the photo, praying it wasn’t damaged. But when I saw what was on it, I froze.

The person in the picture was Liam… and me.

Though I had never seen this scene before, I knew instantly it was us. He was holding me gently, kissing me with a passion and sweetness I’d never felt before.

Suddenly, I realized that the girl in the photo looked younger than I was now—her smile was so radiant, a smile I’d never shown at that age. I’d never taken a picture with Liam like that, not even at our wedding.

Such a tender, intimate photo... That girl wasn't me...

The girl in that photo wasn’t me.

I stood there, stunned, my body shivering with cold.

So… why does the girl in the photograph look exactly like me?