Chapter 2

"What's the matter, Elena? Why do you look so pale?" Damon asked as he stepped out of the bathroom, his voice soft and laced with probing.

I offered no reply. I simply sat on the edge of the bed, my mind compulsively replaying the sickening stream of celebratory messages over and over again.

"Elena?" Damon walked closer, trying to catch a glimpse of my phone.

I quickly locked my phone screen and looked up at him, noticing that my sudden movement had brought a look of alarm to his eyes.

"It's quite festive in the group chat," I replied calmly—a calmness that even terrified me.

Damon momentarily faltered. He then coolly resumed drying his hair, though the stiffness in his shoulders betrayed him. "What group chat are you talking about?"

I slowly stood up and looked him in the eyes, replying, "It's the group chat made up of all your closest allies. Isabelle is pregnant, Damon."

He immediately let go of the towel, causing it to fall onto the marble floor. He then hurriedly explained, "I can explain this—"

I moved toward him, every step deliberate. "How do you want to explain this, Damon? Do you want to explain why you permitted her to share photos of her pregnancy in your most trusted circle? Or do you want to explain why you stood by as she accepted every single oath of loyalty from your allies?"

Damon's complexion was drained of color. He tried to speak, but he found himself unable to respond on the spot.

I closed in on him. "Do you want to explain why you, the admin of the group chat, remained silent while the Betas were openly discussing the naming ceremony? That is a sacred ritual that only the Luna of the pack can preside over, Damon."

His voice began to tremble slightly, saying, "I-It's not what you think, Elena."

I directly stopped in front of him, asking, "What is it then, Damon? How exactly are things supposed to be, Damon?"

Damon responded with a chilling, detached tone, sounding like a complete stranger. "You ought to know that our union was always a contract for the benefit of the two major packs, Elena. You surely knew that to be the case."

I felt a sudden, fierce pain seize my chest, as if something inside me had shattered. I then asked in a trembling manner, "What is your point, Damon?"

Damon's gaze was utterly cold, devoid of any remorse. "What could you possibly be lacking, Elena? You're the Luna of the pack, you command respect, and you possess endless wealth and authority. You dwell in the grandest mansion, wear the most expensive clothes, and the household staff treats you with the utmost deference. What more could you possibly want, Elena?"

I stared at the man before me. We had been together for three years, but now he seemed like a completely ruthless stranger to me.

I asked softly, my voice barely above a whisper, "What, then, of the love between us, Damon?"

Damon scoffed. "What do you mean by love, Elena? You're past the age of playing an innocent young lady in love. You ought to know that the alliance of the packs far outweighs any personal emotion."

I felt sick to my stomach. "Do you plan on keeping that pup, then?"

In that instant, the only sounds in the room were the harsh breathing of the two of us, punctuated by the distant cry of a nocturnal bird.

Damon replied flatly, "I need an heir, Elena."

I suddenly burst out laughing, even as my tears streamed down my face. I retrieved a crystal vial from beneath the pillow, its base holding the residue of a dark blue elixir. "You require an heir, huh? What is this, then, Damon?"

Upon seeing the crystal vial, Damon's eyes immediately widened in surprise. "T-That's—"

I immediately cut him off, reaching into the bedside drawer to retrieve a piece of parchment. "I have the official test report from the shaman here, as well as the formal diagnosis from the healer of the pack."

I took slow, deliberate steps toward him. "Those so-called elixirs you prepared for me were Shadowmoon Drugs, right?"

Damon, with his back against the wall, had no way out. "Please hear me out—"

I could barely speak without trembling, saying, "It's been three years, Damon. You personally brewed this toxic drug for me for every full moon for three long years."

Damon sounded very weak, saying, "I never intended to cause you any harm—"

I bellowed, "You didn't intend to harm me? You forced me to drink such a potent drug for three years, suppressed my wolf, cut off my connection to the Moon Goddess, and made me infertile! You actually dare to tell me now that you want an heir?"

In that instant, my voice reverberated throughout the room, a sound saturated with pure fury and deep despair.

Damon turned deathly pale, a fine sheen of cold sweat breaking out across his forehead.

In the meantime, a wolf's howl sounded outside the window, the unmistakable signal of the border patrol. In the quiet of the night, that sound was especially eerie and piercing.

He finally broke his silence, his voice laced with a slight desperation. "I'm willing to compensate you, Elena. I can give you anything you want—territory, jewels, authority—"

I wiped my tears away, my voice settling into a stillness that was far more unnerving than any rage. "You want to compensate me? What do you believe could ever compensate a woman for having her right to bear a pup deliberately taken from her, Damon?"

Damon's gaze shifted away, unwilling to meet mine.

I spoke softly, yet each word held a terrible, cold menace. "You irrevocably destroyed the most valuable thing I will ever have, Damon. Do you even realize what you have done?"