Chapter 4

"Aurora, don't make a fuss over a little scratch. Rex is just a pup. Bear with it for me, okay?"

After the party, Cain only spared a moment to check on me in the master bedroom.

He didn't even look at the bandage on my forehead.

He just casually threw out a promise, "Don't worry, once Jasmine gives birth to the heir, I'll make the pup acknowledge you as its mother. You will still be the most honorable Luna."

As soon as he finished speaking, a maid rushed over from outside, saying Jasmine's stomach was hurting.

Cain's face changed instantly.

He turned and dashed out without hesitation, not even leaving a word of comfort.

And the moment he stepped out the door, he unilaterally cut off our mind link.

Silently. He was afraid my jealousy would ruin his mood.

Facing the empty room, I let out a cold laugh.

Half a month later.

My trusted pack doctor held the test results, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

"Luna, you... you are pregnant!" The doctor lowered his voice, his eyes burning with fanaticism. "This life force is extremely powerful. It's a miracle!"

I touched my flat stomach.

"Keep this a secret for me. Do not leak it to anyone."

"Yes, Luna!"

Over the next few months, I acted increasingly silent and submissive in public.

Secretly, using my Luna authority and my family's money, I quietly planted my trusted people in the main house's guard detail and medical team.

It was not time to expose my King yet.

Until the day Jasmine went into labor.

Bloodcurdling screams came from the annex. The whole main house was in chaos.

I was sitting in my room drinking tea when the door was suddenly kicked open with massive force.

A dark witch in a black robe stormed in with a squad of guards.

"The evil aura is right here!" The dark witch pointed at my bedroom, her voice shrill.

She didn't even give me a chance to speak. She directly ordered the guards to swing their sledgehammers.

"Smash the floor!"

The marble tiles in the four corners were forcefully smashed.

Four dark magic totems—soaked in wolfsbane and silver dust, wrapped with Jasmine's hair—were dug up.

"Take her!" The guards stepped up coldly, twisting both my arms.

I didn't struggle. I let them drag me forcefully to the main hall.

"You toxic bitch!"

The moment I entered the hall, Cain's mother directly smashed one of the silver-laced totems hard into my face.

The silver dust burned through my cheek, oozing warm blood.

"I was so wrong about you!" She pointed at my nose and roared, her face twisted. "No wonder Jasmine is having a hard labor! How dare you use dark magic to murder the prophesied Alpha King!"

Right then, a heartbreaking scream conveniently came from the delivery room.

Followed by Jasmine's frantic scream, "Save the baby! Cain! Even if you have to cut my belly open, save the baby! He is the prophesied King!"

This wretched scream completely ignited Cain's mother's fury.

"Guards! Take her to the courtyard! A hundred lashes with the silver-laced whip!"

A hundred lashes with a silver-laced whip was enough to beat a strong Alpha to death.

Let alone me.

I suddenly burst with strength, broke free from the guards, and lunged toward Cain, who had been standing silently in the shadows.

I gripped his legs tightly, looking up at the Alpha who once swore to be with me for life.

"Cain, I didn't do it! I'm being framed!" I forced tears into my eyes and desperately played my final trump card. "You can't hit me! I'm pregnant too, Cain! I'm carrying your flesh and blood!"

I thought, faced with his own bloodline, he would at least hesitate for a second.

But I was wrong.

Cain looked down at me.

His fake affectionate face finally tore apart, revealing eyes full of sick possessiveness and absolute ice.

"You think you deserve to talk about bloodlines?"

He sneered, raised his hand, and gripped my jaw hard.

"Aurora, I love you, so I can tolerate your jealousy. But I will never allow you to hurt my 'King'! You were poisoned by silver. Your bloodline is already polluted. Even if you have a pup, it will only be a weak piece of trash. What right do you have to compare it to the Alpha King in Jasmine's womb, who carries the fate of the pack?"

He kicked me aside like a piece of trash. I crashed hard against the cold floor.

"Since you won't behave, you must be taught a lesson. Beat her! Not one lash less!"

The silver-laced whip was raised high.

And struck down brutally.

Smack!

My back was instantly torn open.

The agony shredded my nerves. I bit my lip hard, forcing my screams back down my throat.

The taste of rust spread in my mouth.

As fated mates, when the whip struck, the backlash through the mate bond made Cain frown slightly.

But he forced himself to endure it.

My inner wolf, feeling our mate's overwhelmingly biased cruelty, completely gave up struggling.

I lay on the freezing floor, my heart completely dead.

Blood quickly soaked the carpet beneath me.

And Cain didn't even spare a glance at me in the pool of blood.

He turned around and eagerly rushed toward the hall entrance—the urgently summoned Seer Silas had arrived.

That high and mighty Alpha now fell to both knees with zero dignity.

"Seer! Please save Jasmine!" Cain's eyes were red, his voice shaking. "Save the pup that holds the destiny of our entire pack!"

The hall was dead silent.

The only sound was the muffled cracks of the whip striking my flesh.

Seer Silas leaned on his staff, looking down at Cain kneeling at his feet.

Then, his gaze crossed the crowd and landed on my dying body.

A flash of fury crossed his eyes.

He spoke slowly, his voice deep, laced with confusion and mockery:

"When did I ever say that the Alpha King was in Jasmine's womb?"