CHAPTER 3

I raised my gaze towards Logan, his eyes brimming solemnly. He was thinking. I always knew that the look on his face means that he’s deep in thought. 

“What do we do?” Beta Vincent asked. His gaze shifted between the two of us. Logan stood up from the bed and turned towards his Beta. “Who is she, really?” He muttered unknowingly.

Goosebumps rose in my skin at the power I didn’t know she had. She was an Alpha’s daughter, afterall.

It seems to me that the Goddess is doing her best to pair the two of them together. I instantly shake the thought out of my head. 

“But—” we both turned to Beta Vincent, a contemplating look on his face. “We’re going to fight back, right?” His eyes searched mine, looking for certainty. I looked away.

“Everyone—all the warriors in Dark Moon Pack are willing to fight for us! We can’t just let them trample everyone down with this simple threat.” Vincent added, justifying his words. 

I stared at him, patriotism in his eyes. “Vincent . . .” I mumble, my heart warming at his words. 

“We’re all willing to fight for you here, Morana.” his lips curved slightly. I looked away before everything could get emotional.

These guys, really. 

As much as this was a heart-wrenching suggestion, a fight is nowhere near an option. Casualties could break out — the entire pack would suffer, considering everyone is being wedded and are already having kids. Those families are the utmost priority.

“Vincent, it’s just—we can’t have anymore people dying when this could be prevented.” I mumble, looking up at Logan as I emphasized the word ‘prevented’.

Yes, it could be stopped — this potential war would end if Logan rejects that woman. 

My mind wandered back to the kiss that had happened yesterday and how Logan looked like he was close to having her right there and doubts instantly brewed inside of me.

Is he really capable of rejecting her when he looks as though a simple kiss from her will never be enough to satisfy himself?

“You’re thinking too much again.” I look down at my hand which Logan held. The warmth it carried instantly pushed all the worrying thoughts at the back of my head.

He smiled at me, his teal eyes carried assurance in them.

“Beta Vincent—” He turned towards his second-in-command, still standing at the door. His stern voice then commanded, “Go and tell them this will never be up for discussion. I will talk to the elders about this tomorrow morning.” 

Vincent left with a nod and the room was once again covered in silence. We stared at each other and the three years we’ve shared flashed right back into his eyes, as though I was seeing it again in retrospect.

I can’t lose all of that.

“Morana, whatever it is you’re thinking—it will never, ever happen. I’ll reject her and kick her out of this pack. Out of your sight — out of everyone’s sight.” He tucked a stray hair covering my face. 

I don’t even know what I should think about this situation, it’s like battling with the world itself . . . for things I greedily want. For the love I could never have.

I squeezed his hand in mine as though it would be the last time I’d ever do it. 

“That woman is your mate, Logan. Your real mate, destined to you by the Moon Goddess.” I mumbled, looking away as hopeless tears slid down my eyes. I instantly wipe them away. 

I was never this pathetic over another girl, I tell myself that. However something in me was chanting that we all know she’s not just another girl. She will never be just another girl.

“Morana, it’s you I want. It will always be you.” He whispered, his teal eyes penetrating through all the thoughts I’m having as he pulled my face towards his and landed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

I close my eyes in my husband’s embrace as I let the tears fall down together with the worry and anxiety it once carried. 

He’s right, perhaps this fight was still defeatable afterall. Perhaps if I battled with the world itself, then I’d be battling it with him. Because for me, it would always be him as well.

Always.

“Ah!” I instantly sat up from the bed as an excruciating pain woke me up to sleep. I thrashed around as I tried to get a hold of myself. “Ah! Fuck . . .” I tried to catch my breath as it was slowly leaving its residence in my lungs. 

I grip the bed post as the pain striked another wave. The pain was demanding to be felt. Like a hot boiling water was poured right into my chest and through my heart.

My head was pounding hard and my eardrums seemed to have numbed all its ability to hear anything but that familiar hospital monitor’s flatline.

“Logan!” I yelled, my throat burning as I searched for the only person that could give me any sense of comfort, but he was nowhere to be found.

I clawed onto my nightgown, trying to rip it off my chest. “Ha . . ” My breath was ragged as I grip the sheet now soaked from my sweat. 

Please, whatever this is, make it stop.

“Agh! Please, Logan!” Tears brimmed down my face as another wave of pain rushed. This time, it was as though I was getting burned. 

What is this?

I try to remember what I ate at George’s wedding. The shrimp soup, the wine, the flowers I smelled yet nothing came to mind. 

All until my mind drifted back to the last moments I had before falling asleep. I was in the hands of Logan. 

“Morana, a mate’s touch is comfort. But a mate’s touch to another is suffering. Do not ever forget that.” 

My eyes widened at the realization from what my aunt once said to me. 

Ha, of course! Who was I kidding? I believed everything he said last night and here he was, with the exact girl he told me not to worry about.

I closed my eyes, waiting for a pain so much worse than earlier. I lay down on the bed, grunts coming out of my lips. The moment I’d feel that specific burn, the burn where it may tell me if he had finally fallen to the lust their matebond was pulling, I knew it would be the end of the both of us.

And so I patiently wait.

I wait and wait,

until nothing came. 

Not just that it did not arrive, but the burn I was feeling earlier all ceased. I sat up on the bed before breathing in and out. 

The only pain left was the cramped up muscles I’m having due to all the weird movements I was in to cope up with the burning sensation.

I sighed and downed some water before slipping into my night robe. I rushed down the stairs, a few pack members that were already awake turned to me.

“Good morning, Lu—” I wasn’t calm enough to greet any of the Omegas today and I walked past them and out the double doors.

The air hitting my face instantly soothed my nerves. I sipped the peace into my entire body before that silent moment was broken down when Beta Vincent came running towards me.

I was about to walk away. His face reminded me of all the words I heard from Logan’s lips last night to which the Beta was present, it instantly made my stomach turn upside down.

“Wait, Luna Morana! I know what you felt and-and it’s not like that, please, hear me out! I need your help!” I halted and turned to him.

“Why don’t you give it a try, Vincent. Tell me how they did not just fucked and had almost burned me to death.” I muttered. I can hear the numbness in my voice. 

“I—” Beta Vincent inhaled a deep breath before his eyes turned to me, dead serious.

“The Alpha went to talk to the elders early in the morning with me. Alpha Logan told them that he would reject her and will never consider the ridiculous offer no matter how strong a war would break out.” he explained. 

My eyes widened at what he said. He agreed to go to war just so he could reject her?

“But the elders didn’t agree but rather suggested for the Alpha to simply mark her and make the two of you his wife. It was said that the Alpha of the girl’s father agreed to this and is willing to withdraw his threat of a war. ”

“What?!” I exclaimed. I rubbed my temples, trying to rethink what he said all over again. The two of us as Logan’s wife?

“The Alpha was instantly angered and reprimanded the elders until his mate arrived at the court, disrupting the meeting. The elders left the two of them together after Alpha Logan’s wolf lost his sanity.” He panted before his eyes drooped down. 

“This was why you felt that pain, Morana . . .” he muttered and restlessness grew in me. “Fuck.”  Was the last words that came out of my mouth before my feet moved on its own accord and ran to the courtroom with Vincent behind me.

Two of the pack warriors I did not recognize stood rigidly guarding the door. “Move!” I shouted, but none of them stepped aside. 

“I said move!” I kicked one towards where the sun doesn’t shine before throwing a punch to the other, knocking the two of them down.

I opened the door and there they were, or she was, standing naked in front of him as her scent lingered strongly in the air.

Logan was pressed on the corner of the wall keeping his hands to himself. Sweat beads down his forehead and it was clear he’s having a hard time trying to fight off his primal instinct from seeing his destined mate.

“Oh, come on, Logan, I am your mate! Stop fighting it!” I turn to the girl who’s standing in front of him butt naked. 

“Step away from me!” Logan loudly exclaimed but it had no effect on the girl who’s still pressing herself onto him. My eyes widened when she reached out to touch his hair. 

No, don’t do that!

Logan leaned towards her hand and that was when everything became black. My eyesight saw nothing but the naked girl, and I saw her burning, bloodied by my hands.

As though my body was moving on its own accord, I ran up to her, knocking her down the ground. The loud thud of her falling was all it took to bring me back to consciousness.

“Shit,” I look up at Logan who’s eyes were on his mate on the ground, an ominous aura seeping off of him.

He raised his gaze towards me, something rising in his eyes. 

“Fuck, step back, Morana.” Logan demanded, yet his body was moving towards me as though he had lost control. His eyes once more were shifting from its teal hue and into the dark maroon state.

Seeing those orbs was enough to wake the sleeping fear from yesterday, when he slapped me.

“Logan . . . Logan, wake up!” I stammered as my steps halted when the large meeting table was behind me. It didn’t take long before Logan’s wolf took full control of him, his eyes completely changing to blood.

There was no more Teal left.

The Logan I knew was nowhere to be found now.

“You . . .” He growled menacingly at me.

“You dare hurt my mate!” He screamed in my face. I close my eyes, avoiding the sight of my husband going completely insane for another woman.

“Alpha, it’s Morana. Your betrothed! She loves you!” I hear Vincent in the background, his voice trembling and yet is still trying to convince him.

The moment I felt his large hand on my neck, I knew Vincent’s plea was nowhere near effective. 

I held onto his hand as it gripped me tight, lifting me off from the ground. I opened my eyes and glanced down at him. His red eyes were looking, and there it was again, that very same look. The complete intent of hurting me. 

My feet were thrashing into the air but I didn’t dare fight it off. 

This isn’t Logan. This isn’t my husband. He would never do this to me and that’s what matters.

I look up as I feel his hand getting tighter. Tears slid down the corner of my eyes. “L-logan . . .” a soft whimper came out of my mouth. I could hear my wolf whine at the back of my mind, clawing for me.

His eyes seemed to have grown even red at me, calling his name.