Chapter 2

I woke up the next morning with a very high fever, but I still managed to get out of bed. Outside my bedroom window, I could hear chants from protesters who wanted me gone from the pack. This had become a routine; they did it every morning until they were chased away by the guards.

I got dressed and headed downstairs to join Dante for breakfast. Although I didn’t want to, he had insisted, not giving me much of a choice.

So, against my will, I had to see him every morning before he left the packhouse.

Today was different, though. Kara was sitting at the breakfast table, smiling as she poured Dante a cup of coffee.

“Good morning, Amaya,” she said, as if she wasn’t sitting in my house, at my table, sharing coffee with my husband while I sat at the far end, away from both of them.

“Good morning,” I muttered, keeping my eyes down.

Dante, on the other hand, didn’t look up. He was busy reading something on his tablet.

“Amaya, you look pale,” she added just as I was about to take a bite of my sausage. “Are you not feeling well?”

I looked at her, caught off guard. There was no way she would care. That was confirmed when I saw pity in her eyes, and my walls went back up.

As if on cue, Dante looked up from his tablet, his gaze meeting mine, waiting for my response.

“I…I’m fine,” I muttered.

“If you’re fine, stop sulking,” Dante said coldly.

“Dante,” Kara scolded. “Why are you being harsh? She doesn’t look well.”

“She’s the daughter of a powerful Alpha. I’m sure her wolf will heal her,” he said.

And he would be right, except I had lost contact with my wolf as a result of the trauma. It was like she just vanished. Perhaps that was another reason I couldn’t feel the mate bond, and that was why his words hurt less.

“But…” Kara tried to insist, but he cut her off.

“Fine…I will get the pack healer.”

“No, it’s not necessary. It’s just a fever.” I tried taking a bite of the sausage, but the smell made me nauseous, and I put it back down. “Excuse me,” I said, standing up.

“Where are you going?” Dante asked.

“I’m not hungry,” I replied. Not waiting for his response, I turned and walked out of the dining room.

In the corner, I could see some maids giggling as I walked by. I knew it was about me, but I could do nothing but continue walking.

Later that evening, Dante informed me I would be joining him for a party. My dress had already been picked out, and all I had to do was be there, in his words.

It was difficult walking in heels. I had mentioned this in the past, but I guess he had forgotten—or perhaps he only pretended to care back then.

I felt dizzy due to my rising fever, yet I had to shake it off for the sake of this occasion.

As soon as we entered, all eyes fell on us. My hand was wrapped around his, and I could feel my grip tightening because of how nervous I was, which was weird because I was always the confident one.

When we walked in, a man approached us with a smile and extended his hand to Dante.

“Alpha Dante, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said while completely ignoring my presence.

“Always good to see you, Mark,” he said, returning the handshake.

I stood there awkwardly as the two men continued to talk. The man didn’t even glance in my direction, making me feel like an outsider.

After a while, I slowly released my grip and took a small step back, then another, until I had created some distance between us—but I could still hear their voices.

“So, Alpha, why didn’t you accept the marriage proposal?” he asked, as if I wasn’t in the room with them.

“I’m not sure where that rumor came from. I already have a wife,” Dante said, laughing, catching me off guard. But I quickly reminded myself it was probably just to save face.

After a while, the show started, and I was back at Dante’s side. It was a live band playing one of my favorite songs. I closed my eyes as memories from years ago flooded back—when I used to perform on stages, traveling on tours. But after the incident, it felt like I lost my voice.

“Luna, didn’t you use to sing?” I heard a voice from among the crowd, and my eyes snapped open.

“Yes! Why don’t you sing for us?” another said.

“Wait…what…I…” I tried to speak, but they cut me off.

“Come on, one song! Don’t be shy. You’ve earned many awards for your singing.”

It was true, but right now, I couldn’t.

Before I could protest, a woman grabbed my hand forcefully and pulled me to the stage, handing me a mic.

I stood in front of the stage, staring at the crowd in front of me. This was nothing compared to the hundreds of people I had sung in front of in the past, but back then, they didn’t look at me with such disdain.

“Sing!”

They urged, while my heart raced. In the crowd, I could see Dante staring at me expectantly.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

I just couldn’t.

A sudden wave of dizziness hit me, making my body sway slightly. My skin was burning up, but at the same time, I felt so cold that my fingers were trembling.

Gosh, I should have stayed back at home. My head was pounding and my legs felt like they weren’t even mine anymore.

“I…I…sorry. I…” I tried to say, but my vision suddenly blurred, and the next thing I knew, the room was tilting. No, I was falling.

The last thing I saw was an image of Dante’s wide eyes as he rushed toward me, but everything went black before I could see if he caught me.

When I opened my eyes, I was lying in my bed.

“Don’t move,” a voice said sternly. It wasn’t Dante’s—it was the pack’s healer.

I blinked, watching him mix something in a small bowl. “You collapsed at the party,” he explained, not looking at me. “I can’t believe the Alpha called me for something so trivial. There are people in this pack who genuinely need my help, not…” his words trailed off.

I stared at the window. My throat was dry, and my head was aching like crazy. I wanted to close my eyes, but the healer continued muttering.

“Honestly, wasting my time on someone who’s probably just fine. It’s not like I have better things to do,” he said, as if I wasn’t lying right next to him.

The room fell silent. After a few minutes, the door opened, and Dante stepped in.

“What happened?” he asked the healer.

“Nothing serious,” the healer said, waving his hand dismissively. “She’s been indoors too much. Likely a mix of stress and low energy. She’ll be fine after some rest and sunlight.”

Dante crossed his arms. “She fainted in the middle of a party. That’s not nothing.”

But the healer only sighed in frustration. “Alpha, I’ve told you what I think. If you don’t trust my judgment, perhaps you’d like to consult someone else. As I said, she just needs rest.”

Dante’s jaw clenched as he thought for a moment. “Leave,” he ordered.

The healer wasted no time gathering his things before leaving the room.

When the door shut, the room fell silent again. I didn’t dare look at Dante—I was still staring at the ceiling—but I could feel his presence close.

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” he finally asked.

I closed my eyes as the headache worsened.

“I’m fine,” I whispered.

There was another wave of silence between us until I heard his footsteps retreating, followed by the door closing. Only then did I open my eyes.

I managed to sit up and opened my drawer, picking up a bag containing pills. I grabbed the bottled water I always had next to my bed and gulped down the medicine.

Without taking this, I wouldn’t be able to sleep.