Chapter 4

Eero's perspective

I breathed in deeply and then out slowly. I needed to do that because if not, it felt like I would collapse. 

“Alpha Ameo, is Luna Vera telling the truth? You will pass down the ruling right to Serra? Isn't the firstborn of the Alpha supposed to inherit the ruling right?! If so, I should be the next Alpha of Moon River instead of that mistress!” 

For the second time around, my father hit my cheeks with the back of his palm. I tasted blood in my mouth.

“Enough is enough! I asked you to stop it already. I am the Alpha and your father. You should be following my order. Saying no to me or questioning my decision was never your option! If Cohen failed to cut your bonds as mate, I would do it if you're pushing me to my limit!” My father snarled at me savagely.

I was so lost and confused. They had asked me a thousand times today whether I lost my mind. And right now, it felt like I did, in fact, have lost my mind. 

“Father?" Ichuckled bitterly. "You know what is funny to me, Alpha? You've never acted like a father to me, at least not as caring for me as you're for Serra. Whenever you mention the word 'father' to me, you're condescending.” 

I shook my head as I wiped off the trail of blood in the corner of my lips.

“For years, I've been the one who endured all the hard training. I've spent countless nights when I felt like giving up because those pieces of training were killing me bits by bits. But I didn't give up, because I thought it was my responsibility to take it. Now you're telling me that all these hardship I've suffered are meaningless, just because you suddenly changed your mind?!” 

“My decision will remain the same even if you weep blood. Serra will be my heir and the pack's next Alpha. So have some respect for her, or you'll end up getting locked up and facing severe punishment!" 

“I'll accept her as the next Alpha of our pack as long as she gives me an adequate answer to my question.” 

I averted my eyes from my biased parents and brushed them at Serra, who still looked indecent with that blanket wrapped around her body.

"Tell me, how are you gonna defend out pack if the Alpha passes down the ruling right to you? By sleeping with the pack's enemy?” I asked with the raw intention of humiliating her.

“That's it. I've had enough of you!” Alpha Ameo pulled me away from his younger daughter and taunted me with his shaking finger. 

He then mind linked our head delta Gil to take me out of the pack house. 

It only took a few seconds before Gil showed up. 

“Lock her up in the dungeon!” 

Despite all these unfair treatment, I wasn't able to fight back because my wolf was currently in great pain, suffering from my mate's betrayal. Soon, I found myself in the cold and dark dungeon. 

Staring at the steel bars of the prison cell, I thought they were simply made from strong materials. But I got burned immediately as my fingers touched the bar. 

They had wolfsbane coatings!

Seconds later, my nose picked up the natural scent of Cohen. I found him standing outside my cell, with one of his hands in the pocket of his jeans. 

“I never want this to happen to you, Eero. You're my mate. I still care for you, but I have to marry the future Alpha of this pack. Unfortunately, it's not you.” 

“You know you'll be cursed by the Moon Goddess for cheating on your mate, right? You'd have an miserable life because of this!” I gave him a wicked look.

“Oh please, Eero. You're making me laugh. Clearly, you are the miserable one here.” 

"Howl!!!!" My wolf purred as I felt a strike of pain in my chest. She didn't allow my mate to talk to me in this way. 

“Did you just try to reject me? But I could still feel the bond… Can you feel it too?” Cohen asked me, his eyes glowing tenderness.

But in the blink of an eye, I found that tenderness gone. What greeted me was that deadpan and cold look. 

I must have seen it wrong. After everything that he did, one thing was for sure. He no longer cared about me. 

“Do you really love Serra, Cohen? Or you're just doing this for the sake of your pack?” I asked. 

Just this once, I wished that he'd be completely honest with me.