Chapter 3

[Rose's POV]

Wade had trapped me in a cage in the most direct and brutal way possible. He confiscated my phone and laptop, cut off my mind-link, and severed every connection I had to the outside world.

Only then did anger at my own stupidity rise up. I never should've lost my temper and told Wade I wanted to dissolve our mate bond and leave for good.

I sat alone in the empty living room, my chest so tight that it felt like a boulder was pressing down on my heart.

Since Wade was already treating Nina like his mate, I'd decided to step aside and let them be together. So why was he keeping me here and tying me down?

Was he afraid I would ruin things for him, or was this just some sick desire to satisfy his Alpha need for control?

The thought was like a poisoned thorn that made me angrier the more I dwelled on it. But there was nowhere for all that fury to go. In the end, it curdled into helplessness, clogging my chest until I could barely breathe.

During the day, I stared at the front door and quietly memorized the warriors' shift changes. At night, I ran my fingers along the window frame, replaying escape scenarios over and over in my head.

Every attempt at fleeing ended the same way—the patrolling warriors dragged me back. When Wade found out, he doubled the number of warriors. Every corner of the villa was watched.

Even then, I refused to give up. I secretly swiped a maid's phone and tried to send out a message for help, but a warrior confiscated it just before I could hit send.

When Wade showed up, all he did was toss me a cold warning. "Rose, behave yourself. Stop thinking about running or contacting outsiders. I'll know about everything you do!"

I clenched my jaw and swallowed every ounce of resentment back down. He had Alpha ruthlessness carved into his bones. He wouldn't go easy on me; he would only use whatever method worked best to make me submit.

But the thought in my mind never changed. I had to escape this prison. But every attempt failed, again and again.

And just like that, I was trapped for two months.

One day, Nina showed up at the villa with her parents and several maids hauling suitcases. The moment Nina's mother, Victoria Russo, stepped through the door, she swept a disdainful gaze over me and opened her mouth to spew pure vitriol.

"You can't even give the pack an heir, yet you still have the nerve to call yourself Luna. Nina's carrying the future heir of this pack. You think you still deserve to live in this villa?"

The second I heard that, I knew Nina had been spreading rumors that I couldn't carry my pup to term. Blood instantly rushed to my head.

But they had numbers on their side, so I had to swallow my rage. I just leveled a hard stare at Victoria, my gaze so cold they could've frozen her in place.

Vincenzo gave a derisive snort, his eyes full of scorn. "Honestly, Alpha Wade is out of his mind. How can he tolerate a Luna who can't bear an heir?"

My gaze turned into a dull, heavy blade as it swung hard toward Vincenzo. "Vincenzo, you're a Beta. If you dare disrespect your Luna again, I'll deal with you under pack law."

He immediately shrank back, but he still shot me a resentful look before jerking his chin at the maids behind him. "Hurry up and get Nina's room ready."

The maids lugged the suitcases straight upstairs, blatantly acting like I wasn't even there.

When the others finally left and only Nina and I remained in the living room, her smugness came spilling out. "So what if Wade formed a mate bond with you, Rose? You can't give him a pup, but I'm carrying his flesh and blood in me. That's why I can replace you so easily."

She stepped closer, her every word like a needle stabbing me. "Just watch. I'll soon make him break the bond with you and make me Luna. My pup will be the Bloodmoon pack's only heir."

Her gloating smile was blindingly sharp. My temper, which I'd been holding back for so long, finally exploded. I grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back, and clamped my hand on her shoulder, slapping her hard across the face again and again.

She'd picked the wrong person to provoke. A she-wolf whose heart was already dead had nothing left to fear.

Nina's pained shrieks pierced the villa, high and shrill enough to rattle the walls.

That was the scene that greeted Wade when he got home. His expression darkened as he pulled me away. His gaze sliced over Nina before landing on me. "What were you two doing?"

"She came at me first!" I shot back, refusing to back down.

Nina sobbed with everything she had, loud enough to drag her parents downstairs.

Victoria rushed over and pulled Nina protectively into her arms, glaring daggers at me. "Alpha Wade, you need to throw her out of here! I'm not letting Nina stay here with someone like her. If she doesn't leave, I'll take Nina home."

Cradled against Victoria, Nina lifted her head just enough to flash me a secret, triumphant smile.

Wade fell silent for a moment. The murderous air around him slowly faded, and his tone went flat. "Rose is my mate and the Luna of the Bloodmoon pack. I am not throwing her out. Nina, take your parents and go home. This place is not where you belong."

The moment the words left his mouth, Nina cried even harder. Seeing that, Vincenzo rushed to smooth things over, giving Nina a way out.

As punishment for what I'd done, Wade ordered me to give up the best bedroom and let Nina have it.

Honestly, I didn't care where I slept anymore. Whether it was the master bedroom or a prison cell, none of it could contain my need to get away.

All I wanted was to take my pup and escape Wade's control as soon as possible.