Talia POV
"Miss, we’ve now left Turin. Where exactly do you want to go?"
The driver asked after driving for more than an hour.
"Please help me find a nearby motel," I replied.
“Sure.” He replied positively, and a few minutes later, he pulled up to a decent motel.
"Here we are."
"Could you... lend me $1,000?" I asked the driver hesitantly."This necklace is worth at least $30,000."
He looked back at me with furrowed eyes. "We had an agreement, right?!I drive you out of the city, and you give me the necklace. How can you go back on your word? Besides, just because you say it's worth $30,000 doesn’t mean it really is. Now, get out!"
His words hurt me, but I had no choice. I got out and stood in front of the motel, having no clue what to do without money.
Just then, a group of men on motorcycles pulled up at the motel entrance.
"Well, well, look what a pretty little thing we have here,” A red-bearded man said with a smirk. “ Did some guy knock you up and dump you?”
Seeing the danger, I walked away, to which he got off the bike and followed me.
Oh god, princess, look at your swollen feet. Why don’t you be my woman? I’ll take good care of you."
He let out a sharp whistle, prompting laughter from his companions.
I quickly turned and tried to run into the motel, but they blocked my way.
Before I could scream for help, a strong voice echoed. "Let go of her!"
I turned toward the voice and froze.
Carson!
He stepped between me and a bearded man, his posture confident.
"I’ll give you $10,000 if you let her go. Otherwise, I’m calling the police," Carson said, his voice firm.
The red-bearded man gave Carson a once-over. "You her husband?"
Carson didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled out his wallet and handed over all the cash he had.
"She’s just a pregnant woman. Let her go," Carson said politely, and the man ordered his group to leave.
Once freed, Carson turned to me. “Are you okay?
“Mmm…But how did you find me?” I asked curiously.
"There’s no time to explain. Get in the car. Damon’s on his way," he said, ushering me into the car.
Before I could even buckle my seatbelt, I caught sight of a black Lamborghini in the rearview mirror.
“Damon is alreay here, Carson!” Fear gripped my heart.
Carson sped off. but Damon’s car closed in even faster, and with a loud crash, his car rammed into ours.
I clung tightly to the door handle, my body drenched in cold sweat by the time Carson’s car came to a stop.
Before I could balance myself, Damon opened the door and yanked me out.
"Damon, how can you be such a bastard?! Talia is carrying your child!" Carson shouted, jumping out of the car and grabbing Damon by the collar.
But his strength couldn’t match Damon. He was just a human like me.
Damon sneered and pushed Carson to the ground with a single punch. "My child? This is probably just your excuse to protect your own."
"Alpha Damon," Abby cut in, approaching Damon with a small bag of white powder. "This was found in their car. It’s the same wolfbane that’s been used against our pack’s werewolves."
Damon sniffed the powder, his expression instantly darkening.
"I loved you so much, and yet you keep betraying me! You even conspired with your lover to harm my pack! Maybe I should’ve never trusted you malicious humans in the first place!" Damon shouted, his hand closing around my neck.
I wanted to defend myself, but I could barely breathe.
"Damon, have you lost your mind? We didn’t do anything!" Carson said, struggling to his feet and prying Damon’s hand away from my throat.
"The evidence was found in your car, and you still dare to deny it?" Damon snapped. "Abby, take them both to jail. I don’t want to see them again."
Abby nodded.
"Damon! I didn’t do anything! You have to believe me—I was framed!" I coughed and called after him as he walked away.
"Damon!"
He didn’t look back.
"This is your doing, isn’t it?!” Carson turned to Abby, his face reddened with rage. “You’re the one who framed us! You planted that wolfbane in my car.”
Abby instantly shifted into her wolf form and slashed Carson’s chest with her claws.
And before we could do anything, a police car pulled up and stopped right in front of us.
