第2章

Back in the bedroom, I threw myself onto the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.

If not for the mark's warning, I probably never would have discovered Rook's betrayal.

After all, he had always treated me so well.

I loved wild roses, so he had a gardener fill an entire garden with them.

I loved collecting oil paintings, so he spent a fortune at auctions acquiring rare pieces from around the world to hang in my room.

I loved meaningful gestures, so on the night he marked me, he placed a wolf-fang necklace around my neck, one he had crafted himself.

Except... the wild roses had been replaced by Elowen's favorite roses, and the paintings by the relief sculptures she loved.

Even the necklace. She had an identical one.

So I had never been the only one.

I ripped the necklace from my neck.

What was once a token of love now felt like a collar, strangling me.

Rook didn't return to the bedroom until midnight.

The mark had been aching the whole time, keeping me from sleeping soundly.

Half asleep, I felt Rook grab my arm and haul me upright.

"Where's your necklace? Why aren't you wearing it? I thought you treasured it."

The missing necklace rattled him far more than I expected. He got up and tore through the room searching for it.

Finally, he found the broken wolf-fang necklace in the trash.

He stared at the broken pieces, lips parting before he thought better of it. After a long pause, he sighed.

"Since it's broken, I'll get you a new one.

"Wildveil just released a new collection. I'll have one sent over tomorrow.

"Lira, I've told you before. You can ask me for anything."

I laughed without humor.

If I asked him to send Elowen away, would he?

He wouldn't.

If the one thing that mattered most would never be granted, then everything else was meaningless.

Perhaps my days of coldness and resistance had made Rook uneasy.

He leaned in instinctively, wanting to kiss me.

But the closer he got, the more clearly I could smell the faint human scent lingering on him.

The scent was faint, yet it turned my stomach the instant I caught it.

"Get away from me!"

I shoved him back hard, the nausea surging through my chest. I doubled over, gagging.

Casual contact could never have left a scent of intimacy that strong.

What had happened between him and Elowen was obvious.

My rejection pushed Rook over the edge.

A proud Alpha could never tolerate being pushed away again and again.

"If you hate my touch that much, then you can stay right here.

"Starting tomorrow, you're confined to this room. You don't step one foot outside without my permission."

For the next week, guards monitored my every meal and movement.

A servant delivered a new necklace, expensive and exquisitely made, far finer than the old one.

But no matter how costly it was, without the sincerity it once held, it was worthless.

During that week, I prepared all the paperwork needed to petition for the removal of my mark.

Finally, one afternoon, I found my chance to slip out.

Callan Mercer, Alpha of the neighboring Silverfang Pack, had sent Rook a declaration of war. Every wolf in our pack was called to prepare for battle.

The estate was in chaos, and no one noticed me slipping out of the locked bedroom.

The Alpha King approved my petition. The mark removal ceremony was set for one month later.

I headed back from the council hall.

I had planned to slip quietly back to the bedroom, but I came face-to-face with Elowen as she left the basement.

She approached me with a bright smile, her tone dripping with provocation.

"Being locked up must not feel too great, huh?

"How does it feel being Luna and watching me steal your mate right in front of you?"

She had finally shown her true colors.

I kept my expression cold, watching her gloat with complete indifference.

When she saw that I didn't flinch, her eyes flickered. She raised a hand and delicately fingered the necklace at her throat.

"Oh, Luna just gave me a new necklace yesterday. He said it's one of a kind. Want to see it?"

My gaze fell on the necklace.

It was from the same luxury brand as the one the servants had delivered to me, but even more finely crafted.

So the compensation he offered me was just a lesser version of what he gave her.

My indifference dimmed the smile on Elowen's face, and her expression soured.

But when she caught sight of someone behind me, she suddenly lunged forward, grabbed my wrist, and yanked hard.

The momentum sent us both tumbling off balance.

At the same time, a strange scent spread through the air, making me dizzy.

The next instant, a broad hand shot out to support Elowen's back and pull her securely into his arms.

I had no one to catch me. I hit the cold ground hard.

I looked up to see Elowen curled in Rook's arms, her eyes red-rimmed and brimming with tears.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know Luna would mind me wearing the necklace Luna gave me.

"I'll take it off right now. I'll never wear it again."

She tilted her head up at Rook, her voice soft and innocent.

"Maybe I should just leave the pack. I don't want to cause problems between you and your mate. This is all my fault."

Elowen's deliberate display of vulnerability ignited Rook's fury.

His face darkened, and he lashed out at me.

"Didn't I warn you to stay away from Elowen?

"I've let things slide over and over, and you still don't know when to stop. You dare pick a fight with her right under my nose? I've indulged you so much you've forgotten your place!

"Guards, take Luna back to her room! Double the watch. If she escapes again, every last one of you will be banished from the pack!"

With that, he turned away, soothing Elowen as he led her off.

He didn't notice that as the guards hauled me to my feet, the sharp pain in my lower abdomen had already stolen my voice.