Chapter 4

One question that had been bothering me was whether he knew we were going to bind our souls on Blood Moon. But before I could ask it, he said it himself.

“Tomorrow our parents will finalize the arrangements for our mating ceremony. Are you… okay with it?”

A genuine smile appeared on my lips as I said, “More than just okay, I’m happy.”

***

Later that night, Aphra connected me through a mind link and let me hear the voices of their absurd groans. She said, “Since you didn't deliver the lubricant, Nyxen said he didn't care if I get pregnant with his child; he will take care of me and my baby.”

“From this night on, I’m moving to Nyxen's pack, Lucy. Tell your parents to erase my name from their pack’s register. I belong to Nyxen now.”

I only smirked at her. The little show she was letting me watch– only to feel jealous of her?

We will see who is going to have the last laugh when she finds out the man she is so proud of is only an adopted child while the man I’m going to mate with is the true heir.

***

The morning sun did little to thaw the icy tension that had settled deep in my bones. Walking across the pack grounds the next day, the whispers followed me like a physical weight. The sight of Alieus Stormborn—the pack’s most formidable, untouchable warrior—escorting me away from Nyxen’s little circus had sent shockwaves through the hierarchy.

I kept my chin high, my steps deliberate. In my past life, these whispers would have broken me. Today, they were just background noise.

Until a shadow blocked my path.

Nyxen stood near the training grounds, flanked by Jaxon and a few of his usual sycophants. The smug arrogance he usually wore was absent, replaced by a tense, sour expression.

"Look who it is," Jaxon chuckled, though his voice lacked its usual confidence as his eyes darted around, as if expecting Alieus to materialize from the trees. "The future Luna herself. Tell us, Lucy, did the Alpha's uncle give you a comfortable ride home last night? He seemed very concerned about your safety."

"Shut up, Jaxon," Nyxen snapped, his jaw clenching so hard I heard the bone click.

"Come on, Nyxen, we're just stating the obvious," one of the other fighters chimed in, smirk widening. "Alieus doesn't even remember the names of the high-ranking elders, yet he knew exactly who Lucy was. He practically threatened to dismember you for her. Are you sure your uncle isn't trying to claim what's yours?"

"I said, shut up!" Nyxen roared. The power of his Alpha-blood rippled through the air, forcing his friends to instantly drop their heads, their smiles vanishing.

Nyxen turned his furious, dark gaze onto me. He took a heavy step forward, invading my space, his chest heaving with a mixture of wounded pride and possessive rage.

"What the hell is going on between you and my uncle, Lucy?" he demanded, his voice dropping to a harsh, venomous whisper. "Why is he playing your knight in shining armor? You think you're clever, trying to use him to make me jealous?"

I looked at him, completely unmoved by the storm brewing in his eyes. "I don't need to use anyone, Nyxen. Your uncle simply possesses something you severely lack: basic manners."

My calm response only fanned the flames. Nyxen grabbed my upper arm, his grip tightening into a bruising hold.

"Listen to me carefully," he hissed, his face inches from mine, his scent turning sharp and aggressive. "You are my destined mate. You belong to me, and you will represent this pack as my Luna. If you think you can use my family name to humiliate me, you are dead wrong. I will not accept a she-wolf who is fooling around with other men—especially not under my own roof. If I catch you so much as looking at Alieus again, I will reject you so fast the entire pack will watch you crawl away in shame. Do you understand me?"

I looked down at his hand on my arm, then looked back up into his enraged eyes. A cold, sharp smile touched my lips—a smile that visibly caught him off guard.

"Then I suggest you start drafting the words for your rejection, Nyxen," I said softly, my voice laced with a terrifying calm. "Because you are vastly underestimating how little I care about what you accept.”