Chapter 3

Kieran was gone for three days straight. During those three days, Cecelia sent me taunting videos every single day.

In the clips, Kieran was gently coaxing Tyra with toys while Cecelia leaned intimately against his shoulder, smiling sweetly as she watched the father-daughter interaction.

I endured the heartache and watched every video she sent. There were clips of him keeping watch by Cecelia's hospital bed deep into the night, feeding her soup, and holding Tyra with nothing but adoration in his eyes.

Each video felt like a needle piercing my heart.

The pain kept coming until suddenly, I realized I could not feel it anymore. Perhaps my heart had already died the moment I was locked in that freezer.

I was about to block Cecelia's number when my phone buzzed again. It was a photo of my mom's crystal bracelet being toyed with in Cecelia's hands.

[Want your mother's keepsake? Then come get it.]

I shot to my feet so fast that my vision went black from the lingering blood loss. Yet, I did not care.

I grabbed my coat and rushed out.

In the hospital room, Cecelia was holding Tyra and humming a lullaby softly. "Daddy loves you the most, doesn't he? Daddy's Alpha power will be passed down to you someday..."

She looked up when she saw me, her smile deepening. She said, "You came? Did you know that during my stay here, Kieran hasn't even gone on his territory patrols? He's been right here, using his pheromones to comfort me and our future heir."

She deliberately emphasized the word heir.

My nails dug deep into my palms as I asked coldly, "Where's the bracelet?"

Cecelia leisurely picked up the antique crystal bracelet from the bedside table and dangled it from her fingertips. "You mean this?"

She flashed a cruel smile and said, "Here's the deal. With your human body, bow to me, Kieran's future Luna, and I'll consider giving it back."

I trembled with rage. "Don't go too far."

Cecelia's eyes were full of disdain, her arrogance on full display. "So what if I do? Elise, you're nothing but a fragile, short-lived human, while I possess the purest Alpha bloodline! What right do you have to compete with me for Kieran's affection? Bowing to me is an honor!"

She pretended to loosen her grip. "I'll count to three... If you don't get on your knees, I'll drop it. One, two..."

I bit my lip so hard I nearly drew blood. My knees felt like they were filled with lead, but they finally crashed heavily onto the cold floor as I bowed down with my forehead touching the ground.

Cecelia burst out laughing. "Look at you! You really do look like a pathetic dog."

She raised her hand, and I reached out to catch it. However, she released her fingers just half a step away from me.

The crystal bracelet shattered on the floor, breaking into several pieces.

Cecelia covered her grin with a look of mock surprise. "Oh, my! How careless of you! You couldn't even catch it."

I trembled and had just lunged forward to gather the pieces when Cecelia suddenly screamed and fell backward against the wall.

At that moment, the door was violently pushed open. Kieran and Lucian stood in the doorway with grim expressions, followed by several other elders.

"What are you doing?!" Lucian demanded sternly, his voice carrying Alpha authority that made me feel suffocated.

Cecelia threw herself into Kieran's arms, crying. "Kieran! My stomach hurts so much... Oh, and check Tyra quickly! I just saw Elise pinching and hitting her..."

Kieran frantically picked up the pup to examine her, lifting her clothes to reveal tender skin covered in purple bruises from pinching.

I stared in disbelief. "I didn't! I never even touched her!"

I shook my head desperately as Lucian glared at me with venom in his eyes. Suddenly, a blow heavy with werewolf strength struck me across the face. My vision went black, my ears rang, and blood dripped from the corner of my mouth.

"You vile woman!" Lucian's voice sounded like an echo. "You dare harm a pregnant she-wolf and an innocent pup!"

Another Elder said coldly, "The last punishment was too lenient. Guards, drag her to the punishment chamber and give her 20 lashes!"

Kieran clenched his fists tightly and stepped forward. "Elders!"

"You still want to protect her?!" Lucian interrupted harshly. "She harmed your own bloodline! Even if you plan to run away with her, it doesn't change that this pup carries your blood!"

I trembled, instinctively looking toward Kieran.

He still stood there with his knuckles white from clenching. He looked at me with such struggle, such pain in his eyes. Yet, under Lucian's unyielding stare, it slowly shifted into hopeless calm.

Kieran slowly turned his face away, silently accepting the punishment. I stared blankly at his averted face, feeling my heart being torn apart.

Then, unexpectedly, the corners of my mouth slowly curved upward as I began to laugh.

I laughed at myself for being so foolish as to actually believe he would take me away.

I laughed at my stupidity for thinking those vows could outweigh a pureblooded heir.

I laughed at my naivety for still hoping he would choose me at the crucial moment.

...

In the punishment chamber, wolf guards pinned me down, forcing me to kneel on the stone slab in the center.

The first lash came down, and my vision went black.

In a daze, I remembered when I had broken up with Kieran on the day he decided to rebel against his family to be with me. That night it poured rain, and he stood outside my window, letting the storm drench him until he burned with a high fever.

When I went to see him, he was delirious with fever. Yet, he still grabbed my hand and said, "Elise, remember... Even if it means fighting the whole world, I want only you as my mate."

The second lash fell, and I bit through my lip, the metallic taste spreading through my mouth. I remembered how he had flown halfway across the country overnight just because I had accidentally transmitted a hint of fear through our mind-link in the middle of the night.

The third and fourth lashes quickly came after. Each strike felt like it was tearing my soul apart, hurting more than the wounds splitting open on my back.

At the 15th lash, I seemed to hear his gentle voice from years ago when I was injured. "How did you get hurt again? Let me lick it... It won't hurt for much longer..."

By the 19th lash, my consciousness was fading, and my ears were buzzing. I thought I heard someone calling my name, but I could not tell if it was real or a hallucination.

Finally, the last lash struck, and I could not hold on anymore. My vision went black as I completely passed out.

Just before losing consciousness, I saw Kieran anxiously pulling me into his arms.