Chapter 3

Nadia's POV

“Kaleb, if you know me at all, stop bringing up the past,” I cut him off, my voice leaving no room for argument.

A year ago, I was at the top of my game, a great healer helping the troubled wolves by providing them with energy-infused gemstones.

For Lucian, I chose to dull my claws and come to this frozen territory, only to be rewarded with a blade to the heart: Rejection.

Kaleb couldn't stand it. The pheromones rolling off him became erratic and cold—the long-simmering rage from one wolf to another.

I could smell the resentment in his soul and tried to calm him down. “Kaleb, I was never his true mate. Serving as his Luna for a year has drained every bit of my spiritual energy. And we can never resist the longing for our true mates. So, don't be mad.”

“You're right. And you should have left him long ago,” he replied, his voice was so low it was practically a whisper to the wind. “That way... I don't have to suppress my instincts for your sake anymore. I don't have to hesitate when I see you hurting.”

My sharp hearing caught the first half, but I couldn't grasp the hidden meaning. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” he said, quickly masking his scent and flashing a mocking grin. “I've just always hated that arrogant Alpha stinking up the place. Now, I finally don't have to bow to him because of you.”

I gave a bitter laugh. Kaleb and Lucian were natural-born enemies. Whenever their energy fields collided, the air turned thick with the smell of blood.

When we got back to the shop, Beta Malik's representative was waiting. Not only did he refuse to show any evidence, but he was also blustering about taking us to the High Council and demanding a massive payout.

No matter how Kaleb and I explained, he wouldn't budge.

Then, Kaleb snapped. His pupils dilated until his eyes were nothing but twin pits of darkness. His wolf was clawing at the surface, and the furniture in the room groaned under the sheer weight of his rage. He let out a gut-wrenching growl that made one tremble.

Finally, the man seemed to buckle under Kaleb's mounting pressure. Breaking into a cold sweat, he let something slip, “We just landed a partnership with the Silver Stone Pack. They're furious about this. Unless you can settle things with their boss, nobody's going to help you.”

The Silver Stone Pack. That was the Thorne family's power base—now under Lucian's absolute control.

No one knew that I was Luna of the Silver Stone Pack since the "The Soul-Forge Shop" was under the disguise of a jewelry shop, not to mention that I was nothing but a temporary "Luna".

I was backed into a corner.

Should I go to him? Beg an Alpha who was currently busy clearing a path for his "true mate"?

Not a chance.

Kaleb sensed my spiraling thoughts and rested a large, steady hand on my shoulder. “Don't worry. I'll handle it. No one's going to touch you on this turf, OK?”

I managed a weak smile. In this world of "survival of the fittest," the only way out was through Lucian.

But I was not his mate anymore; why would he use his Alpha authority for my "small" problems?

Exhausted, I asked Kaleb to drive me home. Well, technically, it was "Lucian's home" now.

On the way, I put my hand on my belly, lost in a daze of uncertainty. Could this pup survive without my mate bond with Lucian? And where's my future leading to?

When we arrived, the sunset was blood-red, casting a long shadow behind me. As I got out of the car, I warned Kaleb, “Wait until I've cleared my head before we do anything. Don't let the other pack spies catch wind of this.”

Kaleb smiled, a look of provocation in his eyes that I didn't quite understand. He glanced up at the second-floor balcony of the house and suddenly called me over.

“Nadia, come here, I need to tell you something.”

I leaned in toward the car window. He reached out and brushed his hand through my hair—a gesture that was gentle but felt odd. “Take care of yourself.”

I froze. His tone and movements were dangerously close to flirtatious. From a distance, it must have looked like we were inches away from a kiss.

And Lucian, standing on the balcony radiating cold, suffocating pressure, saw every bit of it.

I watched Kaleb's car disappear down the mountain road before taking a deep breath and heading inside.

The moment I stepped into the foyer, a tidal wave of Alpha aura hit me, nearly forcing me to my knees.

“Couldn't wait to see him, huh?” Lucian's voice drifted down the stairs. Every footstep felt like a hammer blow to my chest.

I looked up into his golden amber eyes and didn't flinch.

“It's only about work. Nothing else.”

“Hmm,” he let out a dangerous scoff and blurred in front of me, his Alpha scent completely enveloping me. “Nadia, before I make the announcement, you're still my mate in name. So, I expect you to keep your distance from other males and remember your place as Luna.”

His overwhelming possessiveness cut deep.

“Really?” I looked up at him with a mocking smirk, my eyes full of contempt.

“Lucian, did you consider my feelings every night you spent guarding Abbie? Or when you come home literally reeking of her pheromones?”

I stared at his frozen expression as I said each word loud and clear. “With or without the mate bond, I've never been too close to other men except for you. I bet you knew it. But maybe you should ask yourself if you've been fair to me as a mate?"