Chapter 2

Rhett had Sierra under lock and key. For two months, I could not catch even the faintest whisper of her whereabouts.

He had not set foot in my treehouse since.

The Kingdom was abuzz with gossip that the Alpha King was going to cast me aside, his human mate, for the unborn pups Sierra carried.

The once-oppressed elders sent their fighters to corner me at every turn.

I had barely fended them off with the Alpha King's Seal.

Then, under the moonlit ritual, he crowned Sierra with the Luna Queen diadem, declaring her status to all.

The whispers of my downfall grew louder and more vicious.

Werewolves Rhett had punished for my sake were then itching to see me destroyed, to savor the taste of humiliating his mate.

Their taunts were etched for all to see on the message slate. [The crazed werewolf casts out the feeble, setting the bloodline right!]

He once vowed to make the entire Northern Wolf Kingdom bow to Fiona.

In the blink of an eye, he was the one leading the charge against my honor.

So when Sierra strutted up to me by the pool, wearing her Luna Queen crown, her smugness was palpable.

"Fiona, it's been a while. You're looking a bit worse for wear, aren't you?" she sneered.

I met her gaze with icy silence, toying with a sharp obsidian shard in my hand.

"By the way, I owe you thanks. Without your little scene, I wouldn't have known how deeply Rhett cares for me.

"He's promised to give me another pup soon. What does it matter if you killed one?"

Her eyes dropped to my flat stomach with scorn.

"I've heard about how your body's broken, incapable of bearing pups, because of your past injuries in the human world. You'll never outdo me."

She did not get to finish. The obsidian shard slashed across her face, cutting her off.

Sierra's hands flew to her face as she let out a piercing scream.

The surrounding werewolves perked up, ears twitching, yet none dared to step forward.

I tossed aside the bloody shard of stone from my hand, leaned in close to her ear, and murmured, "It's none of your business whether I can have kids or not.

"And you? Better watch those claws. If we weren't by this pond, it wouldn't have been just a rock slicing your pretty face."

The pain on her face eased, and she shot me a look filled with pure malice.

Then, in a flash, her gaze shifted.

She clung to my arm, her body suddenly tipping backward into the heart of the pool.

I tried to pull away on instinct, but Sierra clung on with all her might, pulling us both into the frigid waters.

The splash echoed as we hit the water.

The thud of bones against the rocks below mingled with a high-pitched wail.

As I shielded my head, I caught Sierra's sly grin between the chaos of the swirling water.

"Why... help me!"

A sharp pain shot through my back as it collided with a jutting rock.

I let out a stifled groan, managing to steady myself against the rushing water.

"Back off!" I had not even made it to the shore when a shadow loomed over me.

With a rough shove, I was sent tumbling back into the water.

Rhett scooped up the still-shrieking Sierra, cradling her like she was his most prized possession.

Using a rock for support, I looked up just in time to lock eyes with Rhett's stormy gaze.

"I warned you, there won't be a next time.

"Fiona, apologize to her."

His words hung in the air, and a hush fell over the poolside, quickly followed by a raucous chorus of murmurs.

"The rumors must be true. Sierra really does have a special place in the Alpha King's heart."

"Well, obviously, Sierra's the she-wolf, and Fiona... She's just an outsider."

"Shh, keep it down! You want to get us killed, bringing up old stories like that?"

"What's there to be scared of? Everyone knows who's captured the Alpha King's heart. As for the broke human? If you were in his shoes, who would you pick?

"Right, the Alpha King's got a reputation to uphold. Can't let our kind down now, can we?"

Their whispers cut through the air, every word a needle to my ears.

Rhett caught every murmur, his brow creased in a frown, but his lips sealed shut.

Pain wracked my body. My fists balled so tight they ached, but then I forced them open again.

Sierra nestled against him, shooting me a smug look, her eyebrows dancing with glee.

I did not flinch.

In a flash, I snatched a jagged branch from the riverbank and lunged for Sierra's throat.

However, it missed its mark.

Rhett's reflexes were lightning-fast. He snatched the branch, pulling Sierra to safety.

The branch skewered his hand, blood welling up and dripping into the water.

He did not even wince, just fixed me with a steely gaze.

He handed Sierra off to the wolf guards rushing over.

"Get her to the King's den. Have the healer check her."

Watching Sierra being led away, rage burned in my eyes.

I lashed out, my hand flying towards his face.

However, Rhett was quicker, his teeth clamping down on my neck, pinning me to the ground with the Alpha King's aura.

"Fiona, stop! There's only so much I can take. You're the last person I'd ever want to hurt.

"Don't make me do this!"

Blinded by anger, I bit down on his shoulder with all the fury I could muster, as if I wanted to rip him apart.

He grunted, not dodging, but pressing down harder, our struggle raw and fierce.

It was a while before he let go.

He licked the blood from my lips, his voice rough with emotion.

"Fiona, leave her be. Think of your mom, still in that hospital bed back in the human world, will you?"

I stared at him, disbelief etched on my face.

Had my parents not saved him from freezing to death all those years ago? Without them, where would he be?

He was actually using my mom's safety as leverage against me, all for the sake of protecting Sierra?

I stared him down, fury in my eyes, ready to let loose a torrent of curses.

However, then, everything went black, and I passed out cold.