Chapter 5

Caspian withdrew his gaze calmly and spoke without a trace of emotion.

"This antidote was developed entirely by Aurelia. I saw firsthand how much effort she put into it. As for why Serena submitted an identical formula, I think she owes both you and Aurelia an explanation."

Fallon was well aware of Serena's relationship with Caspian.

As the pack's Alpha, Caspian had no reason to lie about something like this, so Fallon instantly believed him.

He shot Serena a glare, his voice thick with disappointment.

"What else do you have to say for yourself? Serena, you were the Elder Council's most promising pharmacology genius. Why would you do something like this? You've truly let us down!"

Caspian pressed on while the moment was still hot. "Perhaps the Elder Council had misjudged her. The real genius may have been Aurelia all along."

Aurelia leaned shyly against Caspian's chest and cast Serena a mocking glance.

Meanwhile, Serena stood there in a daze, finding it hard to believe that he would go this far for Aurelia.

He had ruined her reputation and stolen her research, all so Aurelia could take her place.

Astraea was furious. "He's lying! That antidote is yours. You worked so hard on it. How could he do this to you?"

If Serena hadn't overheard that conversation earlier, she might never have understood why Caspian was doing this.

But now, she understood all too well that Caspian would do anything for Aurelia.

He'd been willing to lower himself, endure disgust, and be with Serena. He'd been willing to leak her private videos, watch her get stripped of her status and demoted to Omega, all just to clear the way for Aurelia to take the position of Luna.

Stealing her research was nothing in comparison to everything else he'd done.

As far as he was concerned, as long as Aurelia was happy, it didn't matter what Serena became or how far she fell.

Fallon glanced at Aurelia, then at Serena, who now stood there as a low-ranking Omega, and the decision settled in his heart.

"Serena Sinclair, your conduct shows a serious lack of integrity. You've violated academic ethics by submitting plagiarized research. As of today, you are dismissed from the research institute. Your position and all related responsibilities will be assumed by Aurelia Laerwyn."

Serena's face went pale.

She barely registered how she made it out of the Elder Council before a sudden force caught her arm and yanked her back.

She turned on instinct and saw Caspian.

Looking at that familiar face, so handsome and so indifferent, pain spread through her chest.

The man she had loved turned out to be nothing more than a liar who wouldn't hesitate to destroy her for someone else.

She endured the despair and spoke, her voice trembling. "Don't you think you owe me an explanation for what just happened?"

Caspian didn't react. "Aurelia ruined her own results by accident. You know her situation. She's been disabled since childhood and never manifested a wolf, so she's always been looked down on. You were researching the same thing anyway. Letting her use your work made sense.

"Besides, you've already been demoted to Omega. You were never going to be my Luna, so don't be so petty about it."

Letting Aurelia use her work made sense? She shouldn't be so petty about it?

Serena's mind buzzed.

He knew exactly how many nights she'd spent in the lab, how many times she'd pushed herself past exhaustion. He knew she'd been demoted because of him, and yet he handed everything she worked for to another woman, as if it were nothing.

The despair, the anger, and the bitterness washed over her all at once, and something in her finally snapped.

"Do you really not know why I was demoted?" she demanded. "Caspian, do you even have a conscience?"

She shifted in a flash, lunging at him with a furious roar.

Caspian stood rooted to the spot, caught off guard by her roar. Nevertheless, he dodged her attack easily, staring at her with visible confusion and a frown.

He genuinely didn't understand why she'd lost her temper.

Serena had never argued with him before. No matter what he asked, she'd always complied without question, and this wasn't even the first time he'd taken her research.

So, why was she reacting like this now?

He sighed, clearly irritated, and moved in a blur. The difference in their strength was obvious as he held her down.

"It's just an antidote. Why are you acting like this? Enough already. Didn't you want me to go shopping with you? I'm free today. Let's go."

Serena shifted back into human form, her eyes red as she tore her arm free from his grip.

"That won't be necessary," she said. "Caspian, I'm not something you keep on a leash. I don't need you trying to make it up to me if you don't mean it. I know you don't want to be with me. You don't have to force it anymore."

She turned and walked away without looking back.

Caspian watched her leave, a hint of displeasure flickering in his eyes.

She had actually rejected him.

She used to be obedient, gentle, and unwavering. He could always see her affection and admiration in her eyes. Now, though, her gaze was empty.

Even her presence felt different. The liveliness she once had was gone, and the air around her felt cold and heavy with despair.

Caspian frowned.

Was this really about the antidote?

It seemed trivial, hardly worth such an outburst. If anything, it only proved he'd indulged her too much, letting her think she could push back like this.

To him, Serena and Aurelia had always been different.

Aurelia was fragile and needed to be handled gently.

Serena, on the other hand, would figure things out on her own.

With that thought, Caspian calmly turned away and drove off.