THREE

Eden pov

I was taken back to the cell and for safe measure, thrown against the wall. The man laughed and locked the metal bars to ensure I won’t try to escape. 

My mind was racing. What was my step-mother telling that man? Was he really an Alpha? Would he believe her words without listening to my side of the story? Would someone, sent by the Goddess, disregard my pain and walk away from me? 

Was he already planning to leave me behind so I can rot in here? 

I sat in the corner of my so-called room and silently sobbed. My emotions were all over the place and I couldn’t fight off the tears anymore. 

Years of abuse, pain and suffering. All that, for what? For her to block the last chance in happiness and freedom I had? 

I had no idea how much time had passed, but by the time I heard someone open the door to the cells, I almost dozed off. 

Heavy footsteps echoed against the walls as someone walked down the stairs. I didn’t pay much attention, thinking it was another guard on his way to the rogue cells, but when the steps stopped at the bars of my room, I looked up.

A man, I had never seen, stood at the bars, watching me in silence. 

“I-I’m not a rogue,” I blurted out and instantly slapped my hands over my mouth. What had I done? I knew better than to talk to anyone. 

The chuckle that left his lips was a light-hearted, foreign sound to my ears. 

“I know you’re not a rogue. You are the adoptive daughter of the pack’s Luna, right?” He titled his head as the question left his lips. 

“Yes, sir,” I muttered, keeping my gaze focused on the ground. 

For as long as I didn’t dare to look at him or challenge the stranger in any way, I was safe from any punishment step-mother might want to inflict. 

“If that’s so, why are you locked in here like some dirty rogue then? No offense, but you look and stink like a rogue too.”

His words stung. Although he sounded polite, every word was aimed straight at my heart. 

“I might stink like a rogue because I am not a part of this pack, sir,” I answered the question. 

He hummed as if he was breaking down and analyzing my answer. “Interesting,” he muttered. 

The silence that took over didn’t feel heavy or uncomfortable. In fact, it felt refreshing and welcome, like no silence I had ever experienced. 

Usually, I feared the moment I was left with my thoughts, but with the stranger’s presence, I enjoyed the moment of clear mind and no fears. As odd as it sounded. 

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Eden, but it is better I leave before they notice my absence. I am looking forward to when we meet again.” He stepped away and froze in his step. “And by the way, if he rejects you, accept it. These people showed you no mercy, so don’t hold any in your heart for them. One day, they will pay. Mark my words.” 

With that being said, he was gone as suddenly as he appeared. Funny how a complete stranger gave me the time of his day to show support while people I called family never bothered to show me so much kindness. 

When I heard the door to the cells close, I let his words sink in. They showed me no mercy, so I shouldn’t hold any in my heart for them… He was right. 

All I did was endure and survive, never really fight for my place under the sun. For years, I thought I deserved the treatment for something I had done, but there was no fault of mine. 

And then, as the fighting spirit flamed up in me, it went out. ‘If he rejects you.’ 

Only now, the severity of the situation I was stuck in sunk in. Step-mother pulled my mate aside to ensure the rejection would happen. Although she would rather die than admit it, she needed me. 

By getting rid of my mate, she ensured I had no place to go and hide. No person to take me away. 

Soon after the stranger left, the door to the cells opened again and I pulled my knees to my chest, pretending to be as small and invisible as I could. I just wanted to be left alone. 

“Halfbreed, showtime, get your ass up and get to cooking, the pack is starving!” A guard hissed at me as he unlocked the metal bars and pushed them aside. 

I forced myself to my feet and followed him to the kitchen, which surprisingly, was empty. Usually many people hung around here before dinner time so the lack of pack members was truly unusual. 

Unlike any other time, a guard entered the kitchen and handed me a piece of paper. “Luna wants specific dishes today, we’re celebrating.” 

He didn’t bother to give me more details about this sudden celebration, but the thing I noticed as soon as my eyes zeroed in on the paper was that all of the foods she had written down were my favorites. Did that mean the celebration was about me? 

I knew better than to let hope blind me, but I still felt a little giddy inside as I put in extra effort in cooking. Every dish came out better than expected and by the time the maids entered the kitchen, I had already set out dishes and even garnished some of them. 

Unexpectedly, they praised the work I put into the meal and happily set the table for the pack members and guests. 

I didn’t know if I was allowed to join, which was technically a flat chance, so I stayed behind to clean up, but this time I didn’t rush to leave the kitchen. I knew it was wrong, but I wanted to stick around and listen to the conversations. Something big was happening. 

My suspicions proved to be right when my step-mother barged into the kitchen and rushed me to the dining room with a wide smile across her lips. “Come on, dear, you can’t miss the celebration.” 

Internally, I knew she had lost it. No way would this woman ever act kindly to me. But she did, and the moment I stepped into the dining room, I understood why. 

At the end of the table sat the man, who was supposedly my mate. Next to him sat my step-sister, all smiles and radiating happiness. 

I nearly tripped over my feet when his eyes stopped on me. That might have been an illusion, but I think I saw pain flash in his eyes. Just for a brief moment, though, because the emotion was gone the moment he stood up and raised the glass in his hand. 

“I, Asher Williams, the Alpha of the Crescent Moon, reject you, Eden Larue, as my mate.”