Chapter 3

The peace did not last long.

Olivia stormed into the room and threw a stack of papers in my face. "How much longer were you planning to keep this from me? The reports say the rogues ruined you—you'll never be able to bear children! End your mate bond with Anthony immediately!"

I turned to Anthony. I was baffled that he had gone to such lengths to trick me into getting pregnant, yet he had not even bothered to coordinate his lies with his mother.

Anthony immediately pulled me behind him. "Which pack doctor has been spreading this nonsense? Sophia is perfectly fine—we will have children."

Olivia's glare burned into me. "I'll give you one year. If you don't conceive by then, I'll have the werewolf court dissolve your bond myself!"

After she left, Anthony sat beside me, brushing his fingers against my cheek. "Don't cry. I promise I won't let them separate us—we'll have a healthy pup."

I lowered my head; I said nothing. I knew what they wanted. They were all trying to force me to have a child—but for different reasons.

Since the Alpha King, Andrew Amadeus, was away, Olivia had appointed Anthony and Emma to host the Hunting Festival.

As for me? Olivia shoved me toward the kitchen, where the hunters had just delivered their kills.

She said, "You can help in the back. You look so sickly. I don't want our honored guests to be disgusted by the sight of you!"

Emma clung to Anthony's arm as they walked away, her voice light with amusement. She asked, "What did those rogues do to Sophia? Even the strongest female warrior in the pack is now infertile. Do you think she was in pain? Because I heard some of the wolves saying Sophia actually looked like she was enjoying herself."

...

Outside, the festival was in full swing. The warriors were being honored, the alliances that provided funding for the pack were being praised, and the politicians who had shaped the pack's future were being celebrated.

Meanwhile, I was in the kitchen, gutting the festival's game like a servant. By the time the full moon set and the festival ended, my body ached with exhaustion.

I wiped the blood off my hands and went to find Anthony. After all, I could not leave the castle without him.

Even though I had been his mate for a year, his family never accepted me. As I walked toward the guest wing, I heard a voice from inside the room.

Emma said, "Whenever you're drunk, you can't keep your hands to yourself. It's a good thing Andrew isn't home."

Anthony's voice was hoarse, thick with emotion. "Emma, I've only ever dreamed of walking into the Hunting Festival with you on my arm. Do you know what my mother said?

"She told me to break my mate bond with Sophia. I wanted to say yes—I almost said yes. But I didn't because I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Emma asked, her voice soft.

Anthony admitted, saying, "Afraid that Andrew would want her again. He had chased her for years. He even gave her the world's largest ruby. That's when I knew—he never let go of her."

I froze. Andrew had once given me a ruby, but he had taken it back and given it to Emma.

Through the window, I saw Anthony reach into his pocket. He pulled a sapphire from it. "I found this for you. It's even rarer than that ruby."

His voice was filled with adoration as he asked, "My Luna, may I sketch you?"

I had been through so much that this did not hurt me anymore—I was numb.

I had begged Anthony to draw me, but he never even picked up his pencil. Yet, here he was, pleading for Emma to be his muse.

Emma stood, slowly undoing the straps of her dress, letting it slide off her body until she wore nothing but the sapphire hanging from her neck. Then, she lay back on the couch, her posture languid, seductive, and effortless.

Her skin was so flawless that she did not have a single mark on her body. Meanwhile, I was the total opposite—I did not have a single patch of smooth skin left.

Anthony knelt before her, reverent, kissing her face over and over.

Emma wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her body against his. "I'm sorry, Anthony. I've put you through so much pain."

Anthony shook his head, eyes burning with devotion. "I don't care. I love you. Just being able to have this and to love you in the dark—is enough for me."

Over and over, my mind replayed every moment I had spent with Anthony. The way he would grab me, force my face into the pillows as he took me.

It finally dawned on me that he had never been thinking about me. I was so stunned that I could barely stand. My legs gave out, and I slid down the wall, my body trembling.

Inside the room, Emma sighed, brushing a hand through Anthony's hair. "What was it like being with Sophia?"

Anthony's answer was low, almost a whisper. "Like being poisoned with wolfsbane."

I could not listen anymore and staggered away, crawling out of the hallway. I had never felt more broken and worthless.