Chapter 2

My body was still in enemy territory.

I knew the pack's laws: no body, no funeral.

I knew how Aiden would see it. He wouldn't believe I was dead.

To him, I was just his scorned warrior, sulking in a corner. Not until my second-in-command, Liam, finally slammed my body bag on the council table would he know the truth.

It would take a few days for Liam to bring my body back in one piece.

Maybe, just before the full moon, Aiden would finally know I was dead.

What would his face look like? Shock? Sadness?

Or... relief?

After all, without me in the way, he could finally dote on his precious Gianna.

I followed him down the familiar hallway.

Portraits of past Alphas lined the walls, with his hanging at the very end.

I won him the eastern mines. That victory forced the Elders to finally recognize the bastard son.

"Alpha," his aide greeted him with a respectful bow. "Will you be escorting Lady Gianna to her room personally?"

"Of course," Aiden nodded. "She's been through a trauma. She deserves the best care."

I let out a cold, silent laugh.

Two weeks ago, the Elders had been furious about this rescue mission.

"The Red Fang Pack are our mortal enemies!" Elder Elias had slammed his fist on the table. "Sending warriors into their heartland is a suicide mission!"

"Gianna is the daughter of the Creek Valley Alpha," Aiden had countered calmly. "We can't just leave her to die."

"Then send a diplomat to negotiate!" another Elder had roared. "Why must we use force?"

Aiden's eyes had found mine across the room.

For a moment, I thought he was asking for my opinion.

"Rhea is our strongest warrior," he said. "She can get Gianna back."

I remember feeling a surge of pride at his trust in me.

How ridiculous.

He just needed a powerful tool to retrieve his prize.

The elevator stopped at the top floor.

The Alpha’s den took up the entire level.

Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed a breathtaking, glittering cityscape.

I'd never set foot in here.

My place was a stark cell in the sub-basement. A warrior's due.

Gianna looked around in awe.

"It's so beautiful..." she breathed.

Aiden walked to a wall and pressed a switch. Hidden lights glowed to life, illuminating an entire wall of professionally shot photographs.

All of them were of Gianna.

Dancing under the moon, smiling in a field of flowers, gazing into a stream... each one a work of art.

"You... you did all this for me?" Gianna covered her mouth, her eyes filling with tears.

"Do you like it?" Aiden asked softly.

"I... I'm so moved..."

They embraced.

My soul shuddered.

He had been preparing this for her all along.

And me? Ten years of fighting and dying for him, and we didn't have a single picture together.

"Gianna," Aiden said, taking her hand and dropping to one knee. "At the next full moon," he said, his voice low and intense. "Be my mate, Gianna."

"Aiden..." Tears streamed down Gianna's face. "Yes."

The news spread like wildfire, and the pack was ecstatic.

The Elders called an emergency meeting that night.

"This is against protocol!" Elder Elias slammed his fist on the table, his face red with fury. "General Rhea is still missing! She risked her life for that girl! To hold a mating ceremony now… it will break the morale of every warrior we have!"

"Her father is the Alpha of Creek Valley," Aiden said from the head of the table. His voice was ice. "The alliance benefits this pack."

Other elders started to protest, but Aiden rose to his feet. "My decision is final. No one will stand in my way."

The elders exchanged nervous glances. They knew exactly how ruthless the bastard Alpha could be.

"What about… Rhea?" one asked timidly. "She's been gone for over a day. Shouldn't we send a search party?"

"She's my warrior, not a pup," Aiden cut him off. "She's probably sulking in some tavern, waiting for me to apologize. It doesn't matter. She'll be back."

As he spoke, his hand instinctively pressed against his chest. A strange tightness seemed to squeeze his heart.

I knew that feeling. It was his suppressed Alpha blood, protesting a decision that went against his very soul.

But my own heart had already shattered.

After the meeting, Aiden returned to his study, exhausted.

He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes.

Then, almost unconsciously, he spoke.

"Rhea..."