CHAPTER FIVE

Talia’s POV

“Oh…Jason, help our pup,” Viki said before passing out.

“I’ll ask you again. What the hell did you do?” Jason snarled.

The full weight of his Alpha aura crashed into me like a wave. My knees buckled, but I forced myself to stand tall. Submission clawed at me, demanding I bow, but I refused.

“I didn’t touch her!” I said quickly. “She just dropped to the ground. I don’t know what happened!”

He didn’t look at me. His entire focus locked on Viki lying there on the ground, still gripping her belly.

“Viki!” Jason cooed, dropping to his knees beside her. “Viki, wake up.”

I felt a pang in my heart. I could still feel his anger pressing against me, but the moment she didn’t respond, fear replaced anger.

“Get the healer,” Jason ordered one of the warriors that had rushed in behind him. “Now.”

I stood there, frozen in place, every instinct in my body screamed that I should defend myself. It wouldn’t matter right now, not when the mother of his unborn pup was unconscious on the floor and I was the only one standing.

‘She planned this,’ my wolf snarled. ‘She baited us. We should have left as soon as we saw her.’

Jason snarled, “If something happens to this pup, I swear to the Goddess, Talia, I will end you.”

“I didn’t do anything,” I said, my voice quieter now. “You know I wouldn’t hurt a pup.”

Jason turned his head, eyes burning with anger. “You expect me to believe she would risk her own pup just to make you look bad?”

“Yes,” I snapped. “Use your nose, Jason. My scent isn’t on her!”

Jason stood slowly. “When she wakes, you will apologize.” He turned to a warrior and said, “Take her back to her room. She will remain there until Viki awakes.”

He turned a deaf ear to whatever I said.

When Viki finally awoke in the infirmary later that night, I was brought before her. My wrists were still sore from the warrior’s grip. I stood silently at the edge of the room, flanked by warriors, as she blinked dramatically at the ceiling and moaned like she was waking from a coma.

“Oh… Luna Talia…” she yelped, her voice trembling. “Please… don’t hurt my pup…”

My jaw clenched as I resisted the urge to call her a liar.

“She lunged at me. Said she’d never let a bastard take her place. I… I was terrified…”

Jason stood beside her bed, his arms crossed. I prayed, just once, that he would question her. That he would stop pretending this made sense when everything told him that she was lying.

“Is there any proof?” he asked. “Anyone who saw it?”

I exhaled in relief until Viki turned her head and gave a wounded little sigh.

“Clara saw it.”

My breath caught.

“No,” I said immediately. “No, Clara wasn’t even in the kitchen with us.”

The door opened, and my mousy little maid stepped inside, her scent reeking of fear. Her hands were wringing her apron, her head bowed low.

“I… I did,” Clara whispered. “I saw it. Luna Talia was upset, and she… she lunged. She didn’t touch her on purpose, but it was… it was threatening and...”

My stomach dropped. How could she lie like that? After all that we had been through, she was turning back on me too.

“Clara,” I said, barely recognizing my own voice. “Look at me in the eyes and speak the truth.”

Clara couldn’t. Her gaze stayed glued to the floor. I flexed my Luna aura and growled, “Speak the damned truth now!”

Jason sneered. “You’re shameless, Talia. How could you bully your own maid into lying for you?”

“She IS lying. Someone threatened her to do this. She wasn’t even-”

“Enough! Take her to the dungeon,” Jason snapped.

“No!” I growled, my wolf rising to the surface. “You can’t…”

Two warriors grabbed me. I thrashed, snapping my fangs, my claws slicing them, surprising them with my strength. My wolf snarled, ready to take control to defend me.

“I am your Luna!” I shouted. “You would drag your Luna over the lies of a shameless slut??”

Jason growled, “You stopped being Luna the moment you endangered my heir!”

Then Viki sat up slightly, her hand raised daintily like she was some benevolent queen.

“Wait,” she said. “I don’t want her punished. Not if she’s willing to apologize and serve me until the pup is born.”

I choked on my breath. Of course this is what she wanted. She wanted to break me, destroy me, and this was the last step.

Viki’s eyes gleamed with triumph. “I understand this is difficult for you, Talia, and I know you lost control of your wolf, but I have to set an example for the pack as Luna that things like this can’t be allowed.”

Jason then looked at me. “It’s a generous offer. You should take it.”

He didn’t correct her for calling herself Luna.

I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cry.

“A generous offer,” I repeated, my voice low, “That is what you think, Jason?”

“Yes, it is more than you deserve.”

My wolf whimpered in shame. ‘We are nothing to him now. Nothing.’

I stood tall, forcing back the tears. “I would rather be exiled than grovel at the feet of a liar.”

Jason’s gaze was ice. “Just stop it. I’m giving you one final chance, Talia. Apologize or I’m throwing you into the dungeon.”

I bowed my head and he smirked, “Good girl.”

I looked up, my gaze bore into his as I said, “I, Talia Carson, reject you, Jason Dalton as my mate and as my Alpha.”

Viki gasped and Jason stiffened, but I turned around and walked out. I didn’t want to see his reaction. I didn’t care.

My legs trembled, but I didn’t fall until I reached the guest suite. I closed and locked the door.

I dropped to my knees and finally allowed the tears to fall.

‘He doesn’t deserve us. This pack doesn’t deserve us. Let us leave this place to the unworthy,’ my wolf urged.

I opened the mind link that I hadn’t used for years.

‘Solon…’

There was a pause, only a few seconds before his voice came steady and calm.

‘Talia, where are you?’ 

‘Brother, I want to go home...’ I whimpered.