Elara's POV:
The door swung open with force, the wood slamming against the wall as Damien stormed into the room.
His icy glare bore into me. “What audacity do you have to barge into my study like that?” He growled.
I stood there, trembling but. My heart felt as though it might shatter, but I couldn’t let him see my fear. Not now. “What has gotten into you, Damien?” I demanded, my voice shaking. “You were never like this. How could you ignore me for days? How could you… how could you cheat on me?”
His lips twisted into a bitter smile, his eyes filled with disdain. “Me? Cheat on you? You’re so selfish, Elara.” His words dripped venom, and it took all my strength not to flinch. “I gave you everything—a family, a pack, power. But you couldn’t even let me have my own happiness.”
I blinked, stunned by his words. The man I loved, my mate, was unrecognizable. “So she makes you happy, but I don’t?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
“Yes, she does.”
My legs wobbled, and I clutched the edge of a nearby chair to steady myself. “How dare you say that to my face after doing something so despicable!” My voice rose, raw with pain and anger. Without thinking, I raised my hand and hit his chest lightly.
Damien’s expression darkened. Suddenly, he grabbed my wrists and shoved them down before striking me across the face. The sound of the slap echoed in the room, leaving me stunned.
“Remember this.” He hissed, his voice cold and detached. “You are nothing without me. You’re just an orphan, Elara. A nobody. If I decide to choose another woman, you’d be useless to everyone.”
I stared at him, my cheek stinging and my heart breaking into pieces I didn’t think could shatter any further. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall in front of him.
Damien turned without another word, walking toward the door. The jangle of keys was the only sound in the room, and before I could process what was happening, the lock clicked into place.
He locked me in.
For a moment, I stood there in disbelief, staring at the closed door. Then the weight of everything crashed over me. My legs gave out, and I sank to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
Why? Why was this happening? This wasn’t the Damien I fell in love with, the mate the Moon Goddess chose for me. What has changed? Or have I been blind to who he really was all along?
I cried until my body ached, my tears soaking the cold floor beneath me. Eventually, I drifted into a restless sleep.
But peace didn’t last long.
A rough hand shook my shoulder, jolting me awake. Before I could react, cold water splashed over me, drenching my hair and clothes. I gasped, my body jerking upright as I stared at the two guards standing over me.
“What—what are you doing?” I stammered, shivering from the shock of the cold water.
One of the guards stepped forward. “You are being summoned to the Pack’s clearing.”
I blinked, confusion and anger rising within me. “What nonsense is this? How dare you treat me, your Luna, in such a way?”
The second guard crossed his arms. “Come quietly, or we’ll be forced to drag you there.”
I rose shakily to my feet, glaring at them through my tears. “What the hell is wrong with you both?” I began, but before I could finish, they each grabbed an arm and yanked me toward the door.
“Let me go!” I shouted, struggling against their grip. “You’ll regret this! Do you hear me? Damien will—”
I stopped myself, the words dying in my throat. Damien wouldn’t stop them. This was his doing.
But I didn’t stop fighting. I twisted and pulled, my wrists aching from their iron grip. “What is wrong with you? Why are you doing this?”
They didn’t answer.
I was dragged through the halls like a prisoner, my bare feet scraping against the cold floor. Servants watched from the shadows, their gazes filled with pity, but none of them dared to intervene.
When we reached the clearing, they threw me to the ground without ceremony. My knees hit the dirt; the impact was painful, but I quickly pushed myself upright.
Around me, the clearing was filled with pack members, their faces a mix of curiosity and judgement. At the centre of it all sat Damien. He was surrounded by his Beta, Caspian, the Pack Elders,and Councilmen.
The cold wind bit at my skin as I locked eyes with my husband, Alpha Damien Scott of the Vellex Pack.
My heart pounded as I stared at him. “What is going on, Damien?” I demanded, my voice shaking. “Why am I being treated like a traitor in my own pack?”
Damien rose from his seat, his gaze sweeping over me with disdain. “You have been summoned here today to receive judgement,” he announced. “For deliberately attempting to kill my son—the future Alpha of our pack.”
I stared at him, unable to comprehend what I was hearing. “What?” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “What are you talking about?”
Damien’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t play innocent, Elara. You drank poison, knowing it would harm the child.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head vehemently. “I would never—Damien, I lost our baby because I fell down the stairs! You weren’t there, but that’s what happened. I would never hurt our child!”
The crowd murmured around us.
“You’re lying,” Damien said. “You couldn’t handle the thought of my child coming before you, so you took matters into your own hands.”
Tears streamed down my face as I looked at him, pleading with my eyes. “Damien, please. You know me. You know I would never do something like that. Please, believe me.”
But he didn’t.
He turned away. “Elara Scott, you are hereby stripped of your title as Luna and your position in this pack. You are nothing to me now.”
