CHAPTER 002

CHAPTER 002 

Mattias’s Point of View 

"It should have been Amélie." 

Ray’s voice echoed through my mind with a strong tone of anger. The wolf inside me kept repeating the same words since I asked Élise to marry me. 

I had already informed you about this, Ray, but I maintained my composure while thinking it. "This was my decision. It’s done." 

You made the choice to sleep with her during the previous month, right? His growl carried deep frustration with every spoken word. You found her acceptable enough to be with her back then! 

"That’s different," I shot back. The mate bond typically stands unstoppable for any individual who experiences it. My sexual relationship with her does not indicate that I love her. Her relationship with me doesn't qualify her to join the pack. She’s not fit to be Luna." 

Ray's growl intensified, but I chose to disregard his noise. This argument had become a familiar routine between us. His words could never create any shift in my unwavering opinion. 

Our pack required Luna with noble lineage. My bond with Amélie couldn’t energize her into fulfilling the role of Luna because 

"Alpha King! Congratulations!" 

As I faced the voice I heard,, I could see a few elders draw nearer, wearing glowing expressions of acceptance. One of the elders gave me a congratulatory back slap. 

The pack has made an excellent decision in choosing Luna for their leader. Purebred noble lineage flowed through this female wolf's very bloodlines. Perfect for the Alpha family." 

I responded with a polite nod and said, "Thank you." 

Élise spoke with a sweet and measured voice as she announced that our brother who rules Pack SanguineLune would be delighted to learn about our immediate plans to produce pups. Her hand touched her belly gently while a tender smile spread across her mouth. 

"An heir already? Excellent news!" One elder expressed delight while smiling broadly at us. 

I managed to smile while sensing their enthusiasm was empty. They had relentlessly pressured me to produce an heir throughout the years. All council meetings and discussions concluded with gentle nudges about marriage and pack succession. 

For some time, I believed Amélie would stand beside me in life. In her hands, I found the qualities I looked for in Luna because she exhibited the perfect mix of strength and intelligence while remaining loyal to our pack. Her lack of noble birth didn't matter to me. Her nobility stood with her consistent dependability along with unwavering selflessness. 

That belief remained with me until everything changed. 

But then, everything changed. The moment when my trust in her broke apart like shattered glass came back to me. 

The day before I became the official Alpha King arrived. I accidentally listened in because my father's office door stood open while their conversation drifted through the hallway. 

Amélie’s voice maintained quiet insistence when she stated it’s not enough. 

With a sharp tone, my father replied, "We have completed the deal." For now, you will hold the interim Luna position.. 

She begged for more money while desperation began to show in her voice. "I need more." 

I left before they finished speaking. I started walking away while my stomach churned with disappointment. 

I reviewed the pack’s financial records during the night. The big deposits into her bank account stood out painfully like an obvious warning signal. She received large gifts many times over, yet she continuously demonstrated more uncontrollable need. 

I felt betrayed. She was not the faithful Beta I had assumed her to be. She shared the same greedy motivations as everyone else. 

Ray attempted to defend her, but I chose not to hear his words. 

He growled at me. "Your judgment about her is incorrect." 

"Am I?" I snapped back. "She said it herself. She wants more." 

I made a promise to myself that I would never choose her as Luna. Fate Mates be damned. 

Despite my efforts to distance myself from her, I found myself unable to resist her during certain moments. The way she existed before me, together with her fragrance, ensnared me as irresistibly as a moth above a flame. The mate bond showed no mercy and demanded attention. 

And the sex? The sexual experience surpassed every other encounter I had ever known. She matched me exactly as if we were two puzzle pieces designed to fit together. 

Ray growled his desire to keep her with us through his voice filled with longing. 

I shook my head. "The pack comes first. Always." 

That was why I chose Élise. Élise distinguished herself with nobility and appropriate pack conduct that Gabirelle lacked, along with Amélie. Her knowledge about what being Luna entailed proved she required no validation. She needed no validation to demonstrate her worth. 

My gratitude went to Élise when she suggested talking with Amélie about ending her temporary role. This conversation would inevitably be hard, but Élise’s gentle nature would help ease the discomfort. 

This belief remained with me until everything changed. 

Unable to locate Élise at the celebration, I started looking for her. Instead, I found Amélie. She stood by herself while tears flowed freely down her cheeks. 

Her tears caused my mind to react in bewildering ways. My chest constricted, and I experienced a brief inability to breathe. 

Why does her pain cause me such deep discomfort? 

Ray spoke in a gentle yet forceful manner. "That's because she's your mate." Her pain hurts you because she is your mate. 

I tightened my jaw muscles to force the thought from my mind. 

I moved toward her with no idea what words to use. She hurled two bank cards at me before I could utter a word while her face showed both anger and pain before she stormed away. 

I remained motionless for a brief moment as shock took hold of me. Throughout everything, Harding never wavered and maintained composure. Her current state made me feel uneasy. 

"Something’s wrong," Ray growled. 

Élise is the reason for her distress. I told him, but my voice lacked conviction. 

The moment I spoke those words, doubt started to invade my thoughts. Was that really the reason? Or had I misunderstood everything? 

---

Amélie’s Point of View 

The endless winding halls of Château Royale caused me to lose my way as I searched for the exit. I needed to leave. The celebration around me felt like a heart-piercing dagger, so I had to leave. 

The quiet conversation of waitstaff reached my ears as I walked past them. 

"I assumed he’d make his proposal to Amélie," one guest whispered. 

The staff member revealed that she has served as interim Luna for several years. 

"Yeah, but she’s low-born. The elders would never approve." 

My fingers tightened into fists while my nails pierced my skin. The staff members understood that he considered me unworthy of him. 

"You’re his Fate Mate!" Astrid’s voice screamed inside my head. 

"Does it matter?" I snapped back. "He doesn’t care. He never has." 

After turning a corner, I pushed through a door that led me outside. While the cool night breeze caressed my face outside, I still felt the heavy pain residing deep inside my chest. My feet moved me away from the celebration as I continued to walk. 

My destination remained unknown to me. The crushing weight of my emotions demanded that I move away from it. 

Eventually, my legs gave out. I pressed myself against a lamppost while my breath came out in short, shallow gasps. 

My vision became Tears blurred my vision as I fell to the ground, sobbing into my hands.Previously, my tears had not reached this intensity. It was not until I lost my parents that my tears reached this intensity.It was not until I lost my parents that my tears reached this intensity. The nobles' sneers never hurt me this much. This pain surpassed anything I had ever experienced before. 

My connection with Mattias never should have broken free, yet he destroyed it. I had no idea how to rebuild myself after everything fell apart. 

The pain in my stomach forced me to double over as I vomited onto the pavement. 

A stricken tone marked Astrid’s voice as she spoke, "Amélie," followed by a visible sense of concerned care. "Something’s not right." 

I wiped my mouth, trembling. All my energy had vanished, leaving my body feeling completely weak. 

Then, a thought struck me. 

"When was my last period?" 

My body stopped moving as my heart raced against my chest. I started to count each day since my last encounter with Mattias. 

I suddenly realized it with the force of a lightning strike. 

"Could I be... pregnant?"