Chapter 3

Like a puppy beaten and abandoned by its master, I dragged my cold, wine-soaked body back to my small room.

I curled up in the corner, my trembling fingers tearing off my wet, torn clothes.

My skin stung, but it was nothing compared to the despair in my heart.

I remembered when Eric had amnesia, I’d injured my leg in a car accident, bleeding badly. His eyes had turned red, and he’d let out a pained growl.

He’d frantically found some medicine to put on the wound, torn strips from his own clothes to bandage me, so incredibly gentle.

I turned, looking for a place to lie down, and saw the discarded mug in the corner.

Eric had bought it for me after seeing me admiring it in a shop window. He’d said I wouldn’t have to drink cheap, awful instant coffee anymore.

Now the mug was as broken as the warm words he’d spoken, covered in dust, useless.

Just like our brief warmth had been crushed by reality, leaving no trace behind.

My eyes burned, but no tears came. My heart was numb, like a block of ice.

I mechanically started packing my "belongings," only to find that all I could take was the fake ID and the bank card Luna Anya had given me.

I was halfway through when the door was kicked open with a loud bang.

Eric stood in the doorway, dressed in a fancy suit embroidered with a silver wolf emblem, his collar open, revealing his strong chest.

He saw my pathetic "luggage" at my feet, his brow furrowed, eyes flashing with anger. "What are you doing?"

"Packing. Getting ready to leave," I answered calmly, my voice flat.

Eric walked closer, carrying Gianna’s rose perfume scent.

He grabbed my wrist, his grip like iron, almost crushing my bones.

"Just because Gianna said a few things to you, you want to run away? You got her dress dirty, embarrassed her, and she didn’t even pursue it, but you’re the one getting angry, trying to get my sympathy?"

I looked at him; his eyes were full of impatience, disgust, and contempt, as if looking at a disobedient insect.

"My mating with Gianna concerns the future of two packs and the stability of the North. She will be my Luna, the mistress of Dark Moon Manor. Can't you just behave, stop causing trouble, and live humbly and quietly like a real Omega?"

Live humbly?

Those words seared into my soul like a brand, agonizingly painful. I clutched the bank card tighter, its metal edges digging into my palm.

I was already preparing to disappear from his world like dust. How much humbler did I need to be?

Did they want me to grovel at their feet like a dog, wagging my tail and begging?

"Speak! Are you mute?" Eric raised his voice, making it hard for me to breathe.

I lowered my head in silence, no longer looking into his terrifying eyes, no longer trying to defend myself.

My silence only angered him more.

He seemed more accustomed to me trembling in fear, begging for mercy, and obeying unconditionally.

"Fine! I’d like to see how many days you can survive out there without my 'charity' and protection!"

He violently threw my hand away and left, filled with rage.

The door slammed shut, shaking the whole room and shattering my last shred of hope.

The next evening, just when I thought I’d been completely forgotten, Eric’s bodyguards showed up and roughly dragged me out of my room.

Eric stood downstairs, noble and distant, like a god. I didn’t even have the courage to look up at him.

"Tonight is the grand banquet to seal our alliance with the Thunder Mountain Pack. You, come with me," he commanded, not asking if I was willing.

Hoping to find one last chance to escape, I paused for a moment, then nodded mechanically.

Under cold gazes, I was forced to change into an ill-fitting servant's uniform.

Half an hour later, we arrived at the magnificent, brightly lit Manor.

Crystal chandeliers sparkled in the grand hall, as bright as day. I carefully followed behind Eric.

As soon as we entered, I saw Gianna in the main seat, chatting warmly with Luna Anya.

Gianna wore a jeweled gown, stunningly beautiful. She raised a champagne flute, smiling at Luna Anya, while the old Alpha nodded in satisfaction beside them. It was a picture of harmony.

"Eric’s here!" Luna Anya greeted him warmly, but her gaze swept over me, instantly turning cold, full of warning. She pretended not to see me, pulled her son’s arm affectionately, and boasted, "Gianna’s been waiting for you. Go sit down, you’re the star tonight, all the wolves are watching you."

Eric didn’t notice anything amiss in his mother’s words, just nodded faintly and glanced back at me.

He probably expected to see the familiar fear and dependence in my eyes, or perhaps jealousy and resentment. Instead, he saw me standing quietly in the shadows, head bowed, as if all of this had nothing to do with me.

"So this is the Seraphina Eric once took 'special care' of?" Gianna said, feigning surprise, but her voice dripped with contempt and triumph. "Since you’re here, find a corner and stay put. Don’t be too formal, and don’t... spoil everyone’s mood."

Only then did Luna Anya deign to glance at me, her tone as cold as an icicle. "Since you tagged along, be smart and behave. Otherwise, you know the consequences. I won’t be polite next time."

I silently retreated to the most remote, darkest corner, trying to make myself invisible, hoping not to attract any attention.

At the table, Luna Anya and Gianna discussed pack alliances and power, while the old Alpha and Eric discussed dividing benefits and expanding territory with the guests. No one paid any attention to me; I wasn’t even offered a glass of water.

I couldn't eat. My ears were filled with Luna Anya and Gianna’s taunts, deliberately spoken for me to hear:

"The union of an Alpha and an Alpha is the Moon Goddess’s blessing. It ensures pure bloodlines and the inheritance of strength, and won't produce useless burdens for the pack."

"Some worthless Omegas don’t know their place, dreaming of seducing noble Alphas with their cheap scents. Such delusion, overestimating themselves, it’s laughable."

"Gianna and Eric have known each other since childhood. They are a match made by the Moon Goddess. Their union will bring peace and prosperity, unlike certain ominous things that only bring trouble and shame."

These words cut into my numb heart like knives, agonizingly painful. I didn’t even have the strength to cry.

At first, when Eric heard such things, he would frown and quietly hiss, "Enough."

Later, he would just glance at me coldly, signaling me not to mind, to pretend I hadn’t heard.

Now—

He didn’t even bother to look at me, as if I really were insignificant mud, not worth his attention.

I looked down at my dirty, broken fingernails. A cold, desperate tide washed over me, suffocating me.

After dinner, Eric escorted Gianna and Luna Anya back.

Gianna naturally linked her arm through his strong one, walking intimately side-by-side, staking her claim. I followed silently behind, keeping my distance.

The night wind carried Gianna’s noble, overpowering scent of rose and laurel, making me dizzy. She laughed as she discussed amusing things from the banquet with Eric.

I looked up at the manor's luxurious lights, remembering that snowy night three years ago, when Eric held me in his arms, using his body heat to ward off the biting cold. I’d tucked my cold hands into his chest for warmth, feeling like the happiest Omega alive.

"Sera, when I get my strength back, I’ll definitely buy you the warmest, safest house. You’ll never be cold or hungry again. I’ll make you the happiest Omega," his voice was hoarse and weak, but gentle and firm, making me believe him.

Now he had strength, a luxurious manor, and supreme power, but that warm, glorious place by his side no longer belonged to me. I wasn’t even qualified to get close.

Suddenly, a blinding light erupted ahead, and several dark figures, reeking of blood, rushed out like demons from hell – assassins from their long-time rivals, the "Black Ridge" Pack, who had coveted the Dark Moon Pack for ages!

"BANG!"

The sound of a massive energy impact echoed outside the manor, mixed with the shriek of claws tearing through the air and dying moans. The scene was chaotic and bloody.

Eric instantly let out a roar that could crack stone walls, a huge black wolf form appearing, shielding Gianna and Luna Anya behind him, blocking all fatal attacks.

And me? I was slammed against the wall by a Black Ridge assassin, my forehead hitting something hard. Blood blurred my vision.

In the last second before I completely lost consciousness, I heard the sound of my own pitiful heart shattering.

So, even in a life-or-death situation, the ones he’d think to protect first would never be me, the one who had once depended on him for survival.

He would protect his mother, protect his Alpha mate, protect those who could bring him benefits and glory.

And I was just a worthless weed, easily discarded. My life or death was insignificant.

...

When I woke up from the darkness again, I found myself lying on a hospital bed. The air was thick with the smell of blood and antiseptic.

The wound on my forehead had been carelessly bandaged but still throbbed with a tearing pain. My old ankle injury had reopened too, hurting so much I couldn’t move, only lie there helplessly.

Just as I managed to prop myself up, the door opened, and Luna Anya walked in, looking down at me with that same superior air.

"Seraphina, I warned you to behave, to stop playing tricks, didn’t I?" She looked down at me, her eyes full of contempt. "Still haven’t given up? Are you still trying to use this 'selfless rescue' pity ploy to gain Eric’s sympathy, to stay by his side and taint our noble bloodline? You truly are pathetically hopeless! Shameless!"

I looked at her calmly, my voice weak but laced with sarcasm. "Don't worry. As soon as I can move, I’ll get out. I’ll go so far away he’ll never find me, and I won’t embarrass his noble status with my worthless Omega presence anymore."

After a pause, my voice was resolute. "I will disappear completely, as if I never existed in his life. I won’t cause you any more trouble."

Luna Anya sneered. "I hope you mean what you say. Don’t even think about trying to bewitch my son again. The farther you get out, the better."

Just as she finished speaking, the door was thrown open again with a loud bang.

Eric stood in the doorway, covered in the scent of battle and blood, staring intently at me on the bed, his voice hoarse and furious:

"Get out? Who’s getting out?!"