Chapter 3

I was forced to tilt my head back. My nose almost touched his jaw.

“I can cure you.”

The moment I said it, Jaxson’s eyes darkened. His fingers clamped around my throat.

“I'd rather silence you forever than bet on a human.”

His knuckles tightened. My breath was cut off.

I clawed at his wrist, forcing out broken words. “Three days… I’ll show you results… cough…”

“If I fail… you can kill me then… You have nothing to lose.”

We stood there, locked in a stalemate for a full minute. Finally, the hand on my throat let go.

I collapsed to the floor, coughing violently. Tears stung my eyes.

For a second, I really thought I was going to die.

I made the bet because I knew my worth.

I am a top researcher in supernatural genetics. In my last life, Julian was a hundred times more difficult than Jaxson, and I survived by his side until the end.

It wasn't luck. I was irreplaceable.

Back then, I followed my parents' orders to hide my strengths. The world only knew it took me a full year to help the sickly Julian recover.

No one knew he had once been under a similar curse.

It took me over a month of brutal treatment just to get him healthy enough to sire an heir.

I forced my breathing to even out. I grabbed Jaxson's wrist, feeling the chaotic rhythm of his pulse.

Good.

The poison's structure matched my research data. It wouldn't be hard to cure.

“How did you know about the poison?” A flash of murderous intent crossed his eyes again. His grip tightened.

I smiled, completely fearless. “As your future Luna, I need to know my Alpha won't go feral and tear me apart in his sleep.”

His feral episodes weren't a total secret in my last life.

My sister had tried everything to conceive, but failed. Furious, she drugged him and had a doctor run a full examination.

The results showed the strange poison. She even witnessed him lose control and was almost killed.

When Jaxson woke up, he was enraged. He locked down all information and threw my sister straight into the dungeons.

After my explanation, his eyes narrowed. His deep gaze swept over my face.

“You knew all this… and you still chose me over Julian?”

Jaxson was easier to persuade than I expected.

I gave him a complete formula for a serum.

The condition: if the serum worked, he would escort me to the Inter-species Peace Gala in three days.

On the night of the gala, I stood at the manor gates until the very last moment. Jaxson never showed. I had to walk into the glittering ballroom alone.

The air filled with hushed whispers. Everyone looked at me with mocking pity.

Clearly, I was the human fiancée, abandoned by her Alpha.

The moment I stepped inside, I heard Cora’s shrill voice.

“Father, Julian and I picked out this vintage blood-wine just for you. And this black pearl necklace is for Mother.”

My parents beamed, showering her with praise.

Seeing me alone, Cora smirked. “Sister, did your Alpha make you come alone? Is he so disgusted by your human blood that he wouldn't even escort you?”

“Your Prince isn't with you either,” I shot back coolly.

She scoffed, flashing a massive black diamond ring. “You wouldn't understand. Julian is the Lord of the Vampire Council. He is busy. Not like your Alpha, who's just a brute with nothing but muscle.”

As she lifted her hand, her dress sleeve slid down. It revealed a small, glaring silver burn mark on her wrist.

Julian was a master of keeping up appearances.

In my past life, his temper was so dark it was pathological. Late at night, he liked to use an enchanted leather whip to strike me. He burned my skin for his own amusement.

I endured it for a long time.

Seeing her so pleased with herself now, I couldn't be bothered to burst her bubble. I walked past her towards the powder room.

But she followed me, relentless.

“Sister, don't tell me your Alpha didn't even get you a gift?”

I ignored her. Her eyes went cold. She lifted her glass and splashed the crimson cocktail straight into my face.

The next second, as if she'd tripped on her own high heel, she shrieked and fell hard to the floor.

Her cry instantly drew my parents and a crowd of guests.

She clutched her stomach and started sobbing, expertly playing the victim.

“Father! Alina pushed me! She's jealous! She wants to ruin my body so I can never bear the hybrid heir!”

“Sob… She can't stand to see me happy…”

I was about to defend myself.

But after her performance, my father's face turned to stone.

In front of everyone, needing to save face for the Vampires, he didn't even ask a question. He raised his arm and swung at me with a merciless slap.

“It's bad enough you showed up alone and embarrassed us! Now you dare attack the future Vampire Queen?!”

“Are you insane?!”

The slap never landed.

A strong, heavily scarred arm shot out, clamping down on my father's wrist in mid-air.

A deep, primal voice, heavy with Alpha authority, cut through the noise.

“Who said she was alone?”