Chapter 4

Aria's POV

Lily's claws tore across my cheek with full force, and three bloody scratches opened up on my face.

I grabbed my cheek instinctively. "Lily! What the hell are you doing!"

Rage flooded through me a second later, and I moved to strike back without thinking. But then a powerful alpha grip locked around my wrist, and I could feel the mate bond itself forcing me to submit.

Ethan had my wrist in his hand, and anger simmered in his voice. "Aria, Lily didn't do anything to you. Why are you attacking her?"

I yanked my numb wrist back. "I attacked her? Ethan, ask any of these people who hit first!"

Lily immediately put on this pitiful expression. "Ethan, you said I was too weak and that pack members need to build courage, so I thought I'd try challenging the luna in public to practice. I couldn't find any other opportunity. But luna was so fierce just now, and her wolf almost dominated mine. I got so scared."

After hearing this explanation, Ethan frowned. "I told you to build courage, but how could you use your claws to hurt someone? And she's my luna!"

Lily started crying. "I'm sorry, I'm just too stupid. You said luna has a good temper, so I thought even if I scratched her, she wouldn't get mad. I didn't expect..."

The moment she cried, Ethan forgot all about being angry. "It's fine, no one's blaming you. Stop crying, be good."

I snapped at him. "Ethan, I'm the one who got hurt, and you're forgiving her for me? And Lily, what kind of innocent act are you putting on? Who practices building courage by hurting their luna!"

Lily flinched at my words and cried even harder, almost hyperventilating. She looked like she was about to pass out.

Ethan felt bad for her, and he said dismissively, "How sharp can her claws even be? Do you really have to make such a big deal out of this? She feels so guilty she's about to faint. Aria, that's enough. You're a luna, act like one."

After dropping that line, he picked Lily up and left.

I never thought I'd hear something like that from him. I stood there in disbelief, and coldness seeped into my bones.

When I got home, the maid saw the blood on my face and freaked out. She kept asking what happened and if someone had bullied me, and she wanted to call Ethan to make him come home and get justice for me.

"Don't bother." I stopped her quietly.

All my pain came from his own hands.

I sat by the window with an ice pack for an hour, and the swelling had barely gone down when I got a message from Lily.

"Luna, did you make it home? I'm at the hospital now. Ethan is so worried about me. I just had an emotional breakdown and fainted, but he booked the entire VIP floor and got more than ten healers to check on me."

She continued, "Oh, how's your injury? It's my fault for not controlling my strength. It must hurt a lot, right? Why don't you come to the hospital, and I'll be generous enough to spare you one doctor to check if it'll scar? After all, as luna, it wouldn't look good to have scars on your face."

I looked at it once and forwarded it straight to Ethan.

It wasn't until the early morning that he replied with just a few words. "Lily means well."

I laughed, and tears came with it.

"You're protecting her this much? Why don't you just mark her now? I'll step aside and wish you both eternal happiness. Early mark and happy bond."

This time, Ethan replied instantly, "Aria, why are you saying things you don't mean again? I've told you so many times—you're my only luna, and my mate bond belongs only to you. I'm just playing around with these omegas, so can you please not make such a big deal out of it? Get some rest. I'll come home tomorrow to spend time with you."

I laughed bitterly at myself and started getting ready for bed. I didn't want to play along with this boring charade anymore.