Chapter 1: The Lunatic One

"Seraphina, allow me to explain please..." Desmond pleaded as we were sauntering our way to our chamber after he came back from attending the bachelor's party of Count Jacob Urba. "It's not what you think—"

I silenced him by slapping my mate who was also my husband. "You dare to explain when I already caught you?" I asked sweetly.

Desmond's face had gone color seeing how cold I was right now even though I was smiling brightly. I could feel the emotions he felt right now and so was he because we both marked each other. He was feeling lost and frightened by the way I was acting. I knew he could feel how hurt I was right now.

I smirked. "That's right. Shut the hell up."

When I arrived at our chamber, my heart jumped out of my ribcage as I felt Desmond's pair of arms wrapped around me from behind. Then I felt his face buried in my hair.

That made my heart ache. Tears suddenly cascaded down my cheeks, feeling in pain. My wolf and I were both howling in pain.

"Seraphim... I have hurt you... Please... Please forgive me..."

I smiled bitterly. Seraphim... That was my mate's endearment to me because he thought that Seraphina came from Seraphim, a type of celestial being.

While my endearment to him was... Cinnamon. It was because he was the spice of my life. For me, he looked so alluring when I addressed him. He always squirmed and melted every time I would call him with that endearment even though he was known as the ruthless ruler here in the north of the Sowinski Kingdom.

But right now, just remembering those endearments we had for each other, made me feel in pain.

Desmond must have felt what I was feeling because his hug tightened which squeezed my heart.

"Seraphim... Seraphina... Please forgive me... Don't leave me... I cannot afford not to be with you." His voice croaked.

I could feel he was in pain as well. But nothing could be overwhelmed by the fact that catching him sleeping with a... courtesan. It was the result of drinking with them. If I only knew that he would have slept with a courtesan, I shouldn't have allowed him to come to Count Urba's bachelor's party.

"Did you sleep with her because until now, I cannot bear a pup?" I asked in agony.

Now, that I realized. We were married for five years yet I haven't gotten pregnant with our pup. It was a trivial matter for Desmond and he always assured me that we should enjoy ourselves being husband and wife. I agreed to it and felt blessed that he had the same thinking as mine.

However, now that I remember. This must be the result which was why he slept with a slut.

Desmond gasped in horror. "No! No!" He spun me around. His eyes were already red. "It's not... They put in an aphrodisiac incense... I thought that was you... Seraphina, believe me. All I thought about was you..." He knelt before me and hugged my waist. "I beg you... Please don't leave me if you are considering that. I cannot afford to lose you, Seraphina. Please..." he cried.

I stared down at him, not moving an inch. Just looking at my mate right now made my stomach churn. There was pure hatred starting to blossom in my heart. Even my wolf was feeling downcasted when we found out about what happened. It broke our heart...

Could I even trust him again?

Could I?

Could I forgive him?

I snapped back when Desmond was already sobbing while begging at me. His eyes were broken.

"One more chance, seraphim... Please, one more chance, Seraphina. I will prove to you that—"

"Desmond." I cupped his face. "I will not leave." Then I reached for his hair and stroked it. "Didn't I tell you before that I can forgive? That is one of my vows, remember?" He nodded. "I will forgive you only once. However, if this happens again, I will not forgive you anymore. I will divorce our marriage and I will break our mate bond. Do you understand me, cinnamon?" I said in my sweet tone, threatening him.

Desmond gulped and nodded. But his sullen look brightened up as he took my hands and brought them to his lips, worshipping like a goddess.

"Yes, thank you, seraphim!" He stood up and hugged me so tight as he sniffed.

I tried my best to forget what I had seen at that time. I really did my best. But there were times that I didn't want him to come near me because every time I would see his calloused big hands, I could remember the part of how he caressed his hands to another woman who wasn't even me.

Desmond noticed that. He noticed that I was starting to distance myself from him these past few weeks. I couldn't even allow him to kiss me on my lips because I would only remember that he kissed and ran his tongue to that courtesan's body. I did everything not to allow him any physical touch from Desmond.

Even deciding to make love with him... I just couldn't find myself to be aroused by his touch. It was why we ended up sleeping without facing each other. Or more likely, I was the one who was not in the mood to make love with him.

"I can't... I'm sorry..." I said and immediately faced my back to him as I covered my naked body under the sheets.

I heard his sigh. Desmond knew that I was still bothered about the event that happened these past few weeks. He couldn't just say that I must forget it already because there was no way I couldn't.

"C-Can I at least hold you?" There was a pain in his baritone voice. His voice croaked. Gone was the enthusiasm he had whenever we talked before bedtime.

I shivered in disgust at his question. "You should go to sleep. I am already tired," I said coldly.

"Seraphina..."

"I am tired!" I said angrily and turned my head at him. "Can you not see that, Desmond?!"

Desmon's jaw dropped at my sudden outburst. Then his jaw clenched before he averted his gaze from me. "I-I understand. Forgive me if I make you uncomfortable..."

I exhaled sharply and faced my back to him. But somehow I felt guilty about the way I just acted. I just couldn't help bursting out because my wolf and I couldn't move on from what happened.

I couldn't tell my deranged thoughts to Desmond because I felt like... he wouldn't be able to understand my feelings.

From there on, Desmond and I started to distance ourselves from each other. He became quick-tempered. This time, it was the worst. My pack members had to beg at me to halt Desmond from punishing some of them severely.

"Luna, please... Alpha is uncontrollable," one of the wives said as they knelt before me.

One of them cried. "Luna, please... My husband did nothing wrong to be punished in the prison cell. He finished his work as it is supposed to be. But Alpha... Alpha Desmond found him an eyesore. Then he ordered the pack guards to capture him..."

"Luna, please... Please do something. I am afraid Alpha Desmond will kill my mate... Please!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing before I nodded. "Lead the way," I said so I could calm them down and needed to settle this issue as soon as possible.

I went to the prison cells along with the wives and mates of our men. As I arrived there, I was greeted by the strong scent of rusty, metallic one.

Only to know that it was some fresh blood.

Desmond looked surprised at my presence when I arrived there and saw his hands were tainted with crimson red blood. I heard gasps coming from the women behind me.

"What on the Moon Goddess' name are you doing to your pack members, Desmond?" I asked earnestly.

His expression softened for a moment before it changed into a stoic one. "Educating them."

My eyebrows attached together. "Educating what exactly? Can you not see these women behind me were worried about their mates?"

Desmond glanced behind me. His face darkened as I felt the fear emitting from these women behind me.

"Halt!" I raised my voice causing him to snap back to look at me. I narrowed my eyes at him and immediately stepped forward to look at him, challenging him by staring at him before I grabbed his collar. "Do it again," I threatened my husband. "Do it again, Desmond. I dare you."

He squinted his amber eyes at me. I could tell that he was annoyed at me based on the emotions I felt when we marked each other. And I knew too well that Desmond knows me, too. I wouldn't back down so easily if I knew that he was being an irrational Alpha again.

He exhaled sharply. "Release them," he ordered coldly while looking straight into my ocean blue eyes.

I released his collar and immediately gestured to my head. "Leave now," I told him.

He growled softly. "Seraphina, do not tell me what to do..."

"I tell you what to do when I want to. Before more bloodshed happens, get out of this prison cell. Now." I pointed the way out.

Desmond opened his mouth to retort back at me but he halted and turned his back at me. I was glaring at his back before I glared back at the pack guards who were here. They straightened their backs when I eyed them.

"Do inform me if Desmond is being a lunatic bastard again. Do you all understand me?" I asked firmly.

As the pack members of this pack, they should have known better who they must fear. Not the Alpha of the Rising Diamond pack.

It was Luna of the Rising Diamond pack who was frightening enough when she got mad. Even Desmond knew how to curl up like a kitten whenever I stepped forward to assess the situation if my husband was being a lunatic again.

It was why my pack members had huge respect for me as their Luna because I could tame their Alpha even though I was a rogue before Desmond and I met.

They bowed their heads. "Yes, Luna. As you command," they said in unison.

I nodded and turned to the opened prison cell seeing the wives attend to their husbands. I softened and sighed, approaching them. "I already summoned Anderson to come here." I was talking about our pack doctor. "Rest assured. With the antidote he will bring here, they only need bed rest after that," I said softly.

The wives sniffed and nodded. "Thank you, Luna."

Before I left the prison cell, I waited for the arrival of Anderson to be certain that they would be granted enough antidote for wolfsbane.

"Is he there outside?" I asked Anderson after bidding farewell to them.

Anderson looked hesitant to answer. But then, he nodded his head. "Yes, Luna," he replied. "He was speaking with Beta Harvey and Beta Oakley before I came here."

"I see. I shall take my leave then."

"Yes, Luna." Anderson bowed his head before me.

I already expected that Desmond wouldn't just leave like that. He would wait for me until I came out.

He really even asked his two Betas to come there just so he could wait for me. Yes, Desmond has two Betas.

When Alpha King Azarius was impressed with the contribution of Desmond back with the rogue war ten years ago, His Majesty granted him a noble title and an estate where he could build his own pack.

Because of the rogue war, we happened to meet at that time when I was held captive by the rogue leader there. He helped and saved me. That was the time we started to realize we were each other's mates. And I was the only one who could tame Desmond whenever he was being furious and being a ruthless one.

Our mate bond went through ups and downs before we finally had married each other and I became the Luna of the Rising Diamond pack.

That time, Desmond decided to have two Betas and three Gammas who would help him handle the pack affairs as well.

Sighing, when I came out from the prison cell, I spotted them. Desmond immediately turned his head in my direction. The two Betas bowed their heads at me which I only nodded, acknowledging them.

Even though I was feeling hostile because of what happened weeks ago, I couldn't deny the fact that Desmond was the only one who could make my heart skip a beat. But I immediately averted my gaze when the image of him sleeping with that courtesan replayed in my mind.

I suddenly wanted to cry while my wolf was consoling me because of that.

"Seraphina..."

I bit my lower lip when I felt him following me from behind. "Not now, Desmond." I couldn't help my voice croaking which immediately cleared my throat. "We are going to talk about your action today," I said, not turning my head at him.

I didn't hear anything from him. I only heard his sigh.

I could already tell that our conversation later would end up a disaster. I just hope not.