2: You Sold Me?

DAISY'S POV

My hands trembled as I yanked open the dresser drawers and began packing my clothes into a worn leather bag. I didn't really give much thought to where I was going to go. All I knew was I had to get as far away from this nightmare as possible. My breaths came out in short gasps, and my chest tightened with every passing moment.

I made up my mind that I couldn't stay here anymore. Not in this pack. Not where every corner held memories of Dexter and me. Even this dresser was giving me flashbacks of what we had. I couldn't count how many nights he made love to me against the mirror. Every piece of furniture and every room in this packhouse reminded me of us.

But there had never really been an us, had there?

The reality of what happened last night crashed over me like a fallen tree. Dexter had chosen someone else to be his Luna in front of the entire pack. Without a second of hesitation, he had cast me aside and humiliated me, stripping me of the possibility of ever becoming his Luna.

I couldn't bear it. All that I had worked for was gone in the blink of an eye. Just like that. Dust in the wind. I didn't just deserve to be this pack's Luna. I had earned it.

I squeezed my eyes shut, gripping the fabric in my hands until my knuckles turned white. The pain was unbearable and suffocating, but I refused to let it consume me.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I had been so blind to think Dexter would have marked me. I grabbed more clothes, not bothering to fold them. My movements were frantic, desperate, as if running from this place would somehow erase the betrayal burned into my soul. My mind still couldn't come up with an answer to where I would go, but it didn't matter. I would gladly become a rogue and live like a nomad, than stay here another day.

A loud knock on my door made me freeze.

"Daisy..."

I recognized that voice immediately.

"It's Kendra. Open the door," the voice pleaded from outside.

I swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the dresser to steady myself. What the heck did she want?

"Go away," I mouthed, my voice hoarse from all the crying I did last night.

"Daisy, open the door."

"No." I rolled my eyes. "I know why you are here. I'm packing my stuff as we speak." I figured she was here to tell me to vacate the Luna's quarters.

"Come on. Let me in. Please." Kendra, the same woman who had mocked me in front of the entire pack, as though I were some sort of trash, was here begging me to let her in.

The entire scene seemed so absurd.

"Kendra, you already got the man, and I said I am getting ready to leave. What more could you possibly want from me?" I struggled to speak, trying so hard to fight back the ocean of tears that had welled up in my eyes.

I inhaled deeply, pressing my forehead against the cool wood of the dresser. My heart hammered against my ribs as a mix of anger and pain churned inside me. I ignored her banging. I was just glad the door was locked so she couldn't come inside and get the satisfaction of seeing me like this.

With trembling fingers, I continued to pack my bag when I heard the doorknob twisting open.

My eyes were quick to catch Kendra standing in the door frame with the keys in her hands. Of course, Dexter had given her the spare keys. Her eyes flickered over me, smirking at my dishevelled hair, my tear-streaked cheeks, and the half-packed bag on my bed. If she pitied me, she didn't bother to show it. All I saw was satisfaction in her expression.

"I can't wait to remodel this place," she sighed, stepping inside as if she already owned the place.

I watched her warily with my arms crossed over my chest.

"Say what you came to say and then leave. I don't have time for pettiness right now."

Kendra turned to face me. A slow smirk appeared on her lips. "I came to give you some news."

My brows furrowed. "News?"

She let out a light laugh, placing a hand over her stomach. I noticed the way her fingers lingered there possessively, almost as if she were cradling something. It took me a moment, but realization hit me like a bolt of lightning to the chest.

"I'm a month pregnant with Dexter's pup," she announced.

My eyes got blurry. I had to grip the dresser behind me to stay upright as the nausea caused my stomach to twist into knots.

"A month pregnant?" The words felt foreign on my tongue, like it didn't belong in my reality. "But you've only been here two weeks."

"True," she drawled, stepping closer. "You think Dexter came to the Swallowtail vampire clan for a war?" she scoffed. "I was their top blood whore. Dexter came to beg for some financial help when his wolf identified me as his mate. When the vampire leader refused to release me to him, Dexter left and returned weeks later to fight for my freedom."

I shook my head in disbelief. Telling me this was like rubbing salt into my wound. "So he slept with you the moment he met you?"

"The same night, exactly four and a half weeks ago." Kendra tilted her head, watching my reaction with cruel amusement. "You know, I actually feel bad for you." She sighed dramatically, then grinned. "Dexter told me how much you wanted to have his child. But it's a pity you had all those failed fertility treatments. Oh well, it is what it is...," she shrugged. "It looks like I am the one meant to give him all the pups his heart desires."

I felt something snap inside me. I couldn't believe Dexter shared all our fertility struggles with this woman, who seemed like she wasn't a day over eighteen or nineteen. "Is this why you came here?" My voice was scratchy, but steady. "To rub your pregnancy in my face?"

Kendra clicked her tongue. "Oh, Daisy. Don't be so bitter. It's not my fault you couldn't give him what he wanted. You're a barren woman. Unworthy of being anyone's Luna, much less wife."

The air left my lungs. I struggled to breathe, my body trembled with the effort of holding myself together.

Kendra stepped back toward the door, her eyes gleaming with fulfilment. "I thought you deserved to hear it from me before the whole pack finds out. I mean, can you imagine how humiliating it would be for you to hear it secondhand?"

I forced myself to stand tall, to meet her gaze without faltering. "Are you done?"

Her smirk was crooked, as if she had expected me to break down, to beg. But when I didn't, she scoffed. "Yes. I've said what I needed to say. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a mate waiting for me."

She turned on her heel and headed towards the door.

"Fuck you, Kendra, I hate you...!" I yelled.

She was a few steps away from me when she let out a dramatic gasp as she fell and hit the floor, her long brown hair splaying around her head and shoulders. The moment I took a step toward her with concern, she twisted her expression into one of pure horror.

"You...!" she screeched, scrambling backward on her hands and butt, trying to get away from me. "You pushed me!"

I froze, my outstretched hand still in midair. "What?"

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she clutched her wrist, as if it were suddenly in pain. It was then my werewolf ears picked up on the feet scuffling our way.

"You saw it, right?" she wailed, turning her head toward the doorway. "She shoved me!"

I followed her gaze. My stomach dropped when I saw the pack's beta accompanied by another strange man standing in the hallway, their eyes wide as they took in the scene. Kendra had timed it perfectly, her little performance designed for an audience.

The pack's beta, Dustin, narrowed his eyes on me. "Did you really push her?"

"No!" I said quickly, shaking my head. "She tripped! I didn't touch her!"

Kendra let out a trembling breath, making a show of trying to stand but then wincing as if she were in terrible pain.

"I-I just came to talk," she whispered, her voice thick with fake emotion. "I didn't think she'd react like this when I told her I was pregnant."

The stranger frowned, but didn't look entirely convinced. "Are you sure? Maybe it was an accident."

Kendra sniffled, casting me a sideways glance, as if debating whether to show mercy. Then, with a dramatic sigh, she shook her head. "I don't want to cause trouble," she murmured. "But I think it's best if Alpha Dexter hears about this."

My blood ran cold.

If Dexter got involved, this would spiral into something far worse. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay calm. "Kendra, stop this. You know exactly what you're doing."

She gave me a vicious look, like I was some pathetic fool who had just sealed my own fate. "I'm only doing what's right," she said softly. With that, she turned to the men. "Can one of you help me up? I should probably go see the healer before my mate finds out what happened. He'll be furious."

"What the hell is going on here?" Dexter stormed into the room. His voice thundered, sending a shiver down my spine. "I came to see what was taking you all so long."

Kendra let out a small, pitiful whimper, lowering her head as if she were afraid to speak. The pack's beta and the stranger immediately stepped aside, making way for the Alpha.

"She pushed me, Dexy," Kendra murmured, her voice trembling. "I came to talk to her, but she got angry and shoved me to the ground after I told her about our pup."

I felt the blood drain from my face. "That's a lie!" I snapped. "She tripped on her own. I didn't touch her."

Dexter didn't even spare me a glance. His focus remained on Kendra, assessing her with concern. After a long pause, he exhaled sharply. "You're lucky she wasn't seriously injured," he muttered, then turned his attention to me with a glare so sharp it could cut through steel. "Daisy," he said, his tone carrying the weight of finality. "You've always been so hardworking and obedient, but lately, you've become useless and now violent," he fumed. "How can you be so cruel to fight with a pregnant woman?" He yelled at me, his eyes burning with fury.

My heart pounded in my chest. "That's not true! You know I wouldn't—"

"Silence." His voice was like a whip, and I bit back my next words. Dexter took a step closer, his towering frame casting a shadow over me. "I was sorry for you and was going to offer you a place to live and be our personal maid, but something else came up, and you might be worth something to me after all."

A chill ran down my spine. "What are you talking about?"

Dexter grinned wickedly.

"The pack has run into some debts lately," he started, then stole a glance at me. "After a few hours of negotiations, it has been determined you now belong to the Deathclaw pack. Their alpha paid a massive f*e for you, which can clear the pack's debts and leave a couple of millions in my pockets."

"I don't understand! Why me?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask. But since they are stronger than us, refusing their demands wouldn't be good for our pack. Look at it this way: you get a place to stay, and I get money to pay off my debts. It's a win-win situation," he uttered, as though he were discussing the weather.

The room spun. I struggled to process his words, to make sense of what he had just said.

"Wait! Are you saying you sold me?" I echoed in disbelief.