Chapter 2

“I... I rushed Selah to the hospital, and when I came back to find you, you were already gone,” Kellen stammered, trying to defend himself. “I thought you’d run back on your own. I looked for you for days...”

“Looked for me for days?” I let out a cold laugh. “I was lying in the infirmary for three days. If you’d actually looked for me, you would have at least stepped foot inside the infirmary, wouldn’t you? Kellen, if you’re going to make up a story, at least put some thought into it.”

Kellen fell silent for a moment. “I did this to teach you a lesson for sending the rogue after Selah.”

He continued, his voice hardening, “If word of this gets out, the Alpha will banish you from the pack. To calm Selah down, I have no choice but to hold a bonding ceremony with her first.”

Kellen’s words hit me like a bucket of ice water, drenching me from head to toe and freezing the very blood in my veins.

This man, who just days ago had sworn before me to protect me for the rest of my life, was now making that woman—the one who nearly got me killed—his mate.

“What about me?” I gritted my teeth, forcing the words out.

Kellen frowned. “Once Selah gives birth to the Beta heir, I’ll make it up to you. There’s no point in feeling upset or wounded. And don’t you dare make a scene. This is simply the price of your own wrongdoing.”

A bitter laugh escaped me. It was a laugh that caught in my throat, so hollow and aching it almost made me cry.

His so-called love and that promise to protect me forever? Every word—bullshit!

Just then, a weak voice came from the side.

Selah approached, her expression a mask of false concern—yet her eyes betrayed a glimmer of triumph.

“Don’t blame him, Celia. Kellen had no other option,” she said.

She reached out, trying to take my hand. The chill of her fingertips made my skin crawl.

I yanked my hand away violently. She stumbled back, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. “I know this is hard for you. Don’t worry, I just want a child. Once the baby is born, I’ll leave the Silver Moon Pack.”

“You’re so frail. How could you survive leaving the pack?” Kellen interjected immediately. “You and the child will stay in the Silver Moon Pack. I’ll take good care of you both!”

“Kellen...” Selah gazed at him with tender affection.

I watched Selah coldly, making no effort to hide the disgust in my eyes. “Drop the act, Selah. I see right through you. You sent that rogue after me. You faked that fall—pretended to be hurt. And you made Kellen abandon me there. Did you really think I wouldn’t figure it out?”

Selah immediately shrank behind Kellen, sobbing pitifully. “Kellen, look at her! How can she hurl such baseless accusations at me? I came here because I was worried about her—and this is what I get in return...”

Kellen’s voice cut through sharply, silencing me. “Celia, that’s enough! Selah is being kind, and you accuse her like this? I think you’ve lost your mind! I’m telling you, this is settled! I’m holding the bonding ceremony with Selah. You can either stay here and behave yourself, or get the hell out of the Silver Moon Pack and never come back!”

As I stared at them—those two, so brazen in their shamelessness—all that remained was a hollow, crushing disappointment.

“Kellen,” I said, looking him straight in the eye. “We’re done. You want to hold a ceremony with Selah? Go ahead. It has nothing to do with me anymore. The moment you abandoned me in that forest, everything between us was finished. Completely.”