Chapter 2
Erevan held Virelle tightly, his eyes locked on mine for my reaction.
“Liora, what do you say?”
“I’ll do whatever you want. I have no objection.”
Erevan’s expression darkened. Without a word, he slammed his glass down and stormed off.
Virelle glared at me before chasing after him.
Mr. Gideon, frozen in place, glanced at me, unsure if Erevan had agreed or not.
I downed the wine in my hand without blinking.
“My apologies, Mr. Gideon.”
“So… Liora… about tonight-?”
Before he could finish, a metallic taste rushed up my throat. I doubled over and coughed up blood on the spot.
His smile froze, shifting to concern. He asked whether I needed someone to take me to the hospital.
I wiped the blood from my lips, voice flat.
“I’m fine. No need to trouble you, Mr. Gideon.”
Erevan was long gone.
By the time I reached the parking lot, his Maybach had disappeared.
The cold wind stung my skin.
I stopped walking, clutching my stomach as I slowly squatted down.
Seven days without food. I had survived on dirty water from a rusted pipe. The pain in my gut was unbearable. My body trembled uncontrollably, curling in on itself from the pain.
When I felt like I might pass out, my hand found its way to the sun tattoo on my wrist. I traced it over and over again.
The broken mate bond on the other end had been silent ever since.
His wolf would never answer me again.
“Elian… Elian…”
Eventually, I found the strength to stand and stumbled back toward the pack house.
Dawn had barely broken.
I don’t know if Erevan had slept, but he was leaning against the front gate, cigarette between his lips, expression unreadable when he was staring at me.
“So, was Mr. Gideon satisfied with you?”
I said nothing.
He smirked.
1.79%
“Didn’t serve him well enough, and you still dared come back?”
He made me stand outside in the cold for another thirty minutes until Virelle woke up hungry and wanted to have breakfast.
The moment the door opened, my legs gave out.
Erevan instinctively caught me. His dark eyes narrowed, as if he wanted to say something.
But Virelle suddenly laughed.
“Every time Erevan goes hard on me, my legs give out too. It looks like Liora really enjoyed herself last night, huh?”
At her words, Erevan’s hands dropped away at once. He showed a disgusting expression.
Without support unexpectedly, my knees slammed into the ground. The pain from my injuries flared, sharp and blinding.
I bit my lip hard and dragged myself to the kitchen. I cooked two portions of the breakfast just the way Erevan liked it.
Back in my room, I downed a handful of painkillers and anti–depression magic potions.
I barely had time to rest before Erevan barged in and yanked me out of bed.
“Virelle got sick from the food you made. You’re coming with me to the hospital!”
He raised hell, gathering experts from every department in the hospital for a full consult, terrified that something might happen to Virelle.
As the Alpha King of the Rosenoir Pack, the economic core of Blackvale, no one dared defy him.
“Liora, do you have anything to say for yourself?”
Faced with his interrogation, I met his gaze calmly. “It was my fault. You can punish me as you like.”
Erevan sneered and stepped closer toward me.
“No need to say it. You’re just jealous of Virelle, aren’t you?”
“Because the Luna I’ve chosen is her. Even if my wolf once accepted you, I still rejected you as my mate. Your little dream of marrying into power shattered, and now you’re disappointed. Isn’t it right?”
I leaned against the wall and looked straight into his eyes. I told him with sincerity.
“No. I’m happy. As long as you’re happy, that’s enough for me.”
That had been Elian’s wish and my promise to him.
Our eyes met. A flicker of shock passed through Erevan’s gaze.
Something inside him cracked, and for once, the always–confident Alpha seemed at a loss.
Then a soft, syrupy voice called out, “Erevan…”
He snapped out of it.
“Liora didn’t mean it. A light punishment’s enough. Don’t be too harsh on her, okay?”
Erevan ruffled Virelle’s hair, but his eyes stayed on me, who was outside.
“Fine. Let it go, then.”
Chapter 2
1.79%
Virelle’s smile faltered for a moment.
Let it go? What does that mean? So does he stop teaching her a lesson?
Still, she forced a sweet smile. “Okay!”
The next day, I went to Rosenoir Pack Hall.
And I found rumors had already spread–about me spending the night with Mr. Gideon.
As I passed the interns, Virelle shot me a provocative glance.
Colleagues whispered behind their hands.
“Liora’s been with Alpha Erevan for, what, eight years? I heard she didn’t even get paid. Basically free, cheaper than a red–ligh
district whore.”
“No matter how much she throws herself at him, she’ll never beat our Virelle. To Alpha Erevan, she’s just a dog he can boss around, summon or dismiss at will, someone he can toss into someone else’s bed without a second thought.”
I ignored it all.
I delivered my signed resignation and the handover documents to Erevan’s office.
But the moment I saw the address on the Mate Bonding Ceremony invitation lying on his desk, it was like a bolt from the blue. I
was so shocked and froze.
Mooncrest.
Why is Mooncrest?
That was where I met Elian…
And where his gravestone still stood.
7
1.79%
