Chapter 4

For five days, Lucas didn't visit me.

The estate had been unnervingly quiet since I'd lost my pup, and most of the maids were transferred elsewhere under various pretexts. Now, only Sarah stayed by my side.

Once, I asked her, "Everyone else is gone. Why are you still here?"

Sarah didn't answer. Instead, she kept urging me to eat. "Luna, the Alpha's just being stubborn. Please don't starve yourself to spite him!"

As soon as she finished speaking, familiar footsteps sounded outside the door. I looked up and met Lucas' icy gaze.

"Why aren't you eating?"

I ignored him and turned to leave.

But he grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight it felt like he was trying to crush my bones.

"Evelyn, I'm talking to you!"

The pain was sharp, but I clenched my teeth and stayed silent. My body was already covered in scars, and he'd shattered my heart long ago.

Now, when I was looking at him, all I felt was exhaustion.

"What's the point, Alpha? I'm just someone you despise. Why should it matter if I live or die? You don't care anyway, so why not let me die too? At least then you won't have to stare at me like I disgust you."

Lucas stiffened, as if he hadn't expected me to be so harsh.

His grip on my wrist trembled slightly. But in a flash, the ice in his eyes hardened further.

He roared, "You wouldn't dare, Evelyn! If you die, I'll make sure Sarah joins you in the grave!"

My heart was nothing but ashes. When did that once noble, fearless Alpha, the man I believed was my savior, become so cold and cruel?

I closed my eyes, tears streaming down my face. I was too broken to go on.

Lucas panicked at the sight of me. He pulled me into a crushing embrace, his voice cracking with tears. "Evelyn, stop this. Don't hurt yourself. Please..."

I shoved him back hard, stumbling a few steps as I glared at him, fury burning in my chest. "Hurt? You don't get to say that. If it weren't for you, would I have been disfigured by that corrosive potion? Would I have been rejected and left to rot like this?"

The memories ripped open old wounds in my heart, and fresh pain bled through.

"So, now you know everything?"

Lucas' face went ghostly white. He wanted to explain, but didn't know where to start. Panic and regret flashed in his eyes, only to be quickly smothered by hot, defensive anger.

He spun toward Sarah, who stood shaking nearby, and snarled, "Why the hell are you still here? Get out!"

Sarah stammered frantic apologies before bolting from the room.

Watching him take his anger out on others only deepened the hatred in my heart. "Lucas, aren't you afraid I'll hate you for this?"

His body tensed, but then he straightened his back, his eyes burning with obsession and madness. "Hate me all you want! You're never leaving me, not in this lifetime, anyway!"

And Lucas meant every word. He had the maids bring only a small amount of milk and green juice each day to break me.

I didn't care. This body of mine wouldn't last much longer anyway.

But I couldn't bear watching poor Sarah grow thinner by the day while I stood helpless.

…

That night, Sarah came down with a sudden high fever. As I watched her breathing grow weaker, I realized she might die right there if she didn't get help soon.

But the attendants at the door would never let us leave. With no other choice, I lit the bed curtains on fire.

I turned to Sarah and asked, "Are you scared?"

She shook her head. "I'd follow you even to death, Luna!"

The moonlight was faint that night. If the estate went up in flames, the guards at the door would surely rush inside to help. We'd have our chance to slip away amid the chaos.

I wasn't leaving anything to chance. I piled up all the clothes, the documents, even those antique books I'd spent years collecting just to please Lucas, then threw them into the fire.

As the flames roared to life, a fierce satisfaction surged through me.

"Fire!"

It didn't take long for someone to notice and erupt into shouts.

Sarah and I saw our chance as the attendants ran to check the fire.

We sprinted through the thick smoke to the stables and grabbed the strongest horse. Then we escaped through the hidden passage.

The night wind roared, tearing at my hair as it streamed wildly behind me like freedom's banner.

I thought we were finally free, so I dug my heels harder into the horse's sides.

But then Lucas' furious voice cut through the air behind us, distant but seething.

"Evelyn, stop now, and I'll forget all this!"