Chapter 2

"Monica, you're the one in the wrong here, not me. I'll say this one last time. Take your werewolves and get out of my house. Now."

Before I could finish, she raised her hand and slapped me several times across the face.

"You little bitch! Still got a mouth on you, don't you?"

I dodged her blows, gritting my teeth as I forced myself not to fight back.

It wasn't that I didn't want to lay a hand on her. The problem was that she had an entire squad of werewolf warriors behind her, and everyone gathered outside was on her side.

I was already injured. If I fought back now, I'd be the only one getting hurt.

I managed to break free from the werewolf warriors restraining me and was just about to grab Monica's hand when a tremendous force suddenly struck me from behind.

I was sent flying backward and slammed hard into the cabinet beside the door. My vision went black, and it felt as though my bones were about to shatter.

A furious growl rang out beside my ears.

"Let's see who dares lay a hand on her!"

Clutching my arm, I gritted my teeth and forced myself back to my feet.

The ones who had just shoved me aside were a group of werewolf warriors. They were escorting a handsome male werewolf who strode into the room.

He walked straight toward Monica, his voice low and full of concern.

"What happened? I heard someone was giving you trouble. Who the hell has the nerve to bully you?"

He stood nearly six feet three, dressed in an immaculate suit, with a handsome, chiseled face. There was no denying he was good-looking.

Monica turned around and shot me a provocative look.

Edward followed her gaze. His expression was cold and distant, with a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.

Suppressing my anger, I tried to explain.

"You're Edward, aren't you? I'm Sophia, the future Luna your father arranged for you. I was the one who called you earlier. Monica..."

"Shut up."

He frowned and raised a hand to cut me off, his tone impatient.

"I couldn't care less about what happened."

"And I don't care who you are. Now get on your knees and apologize to Monica. Immediately."

For a moment, I was speechless. Then I let out an incredulous laugh.

His father had been the one practically begging for this marriage. Officially, I was supposed to become Edward's future Luna.

And now, without even bothering to find out what had happened, he was ordering me to get on my knees and apologize?

"Edward, I know we don't have much of a relationship yet. But I'm the future Luna of the Silvermoon Pack. The least you could do is show me some basic respect, don't you think?"

"Besides, she's the one in the wrong, not me. You haven't even bothered to hear what happened, yet you're ordering me to kneel. What gives you the right?"

"What gives me the right?" He raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with contempt and arrogance.

"The fact that you wouldn't leave me alone and insisted on marrying me."

"If my father hadn't told me that marrying you was the only way I'd become Alpha, I'd find the thought of even looking at you disgusting. A healer like you, someone who crawled out of some poor backwater, makes me sick just to look at."

He shot me a disgusted glance, his gaze settling on the mud stains covering my clothes.

"Don't think that just because we're engaged, you can mistreat the people I care about. If you ever upset Monica again, I have a hundred ways to drive you out of the Silvermoon Pack."

I was utterly speechless.

"Edward, for the last time, I'm not the one desperately trying to marry you—"

"Anyone can talk tough," Monica interrupted, wearing a smug smile. "Let's see if you're still so confident when Edward actually refuses to marry you. I bet you'll be crying and begging him to take you back."

"You should be thanking the Moon Goddess for even having the chance to become Luna."

Watching the two of them trade insults and smug looks, as if they were doing me some great favor, I let out a cold laugh.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Do you really consider yourself some kind of prize? Do you think every female werewolf in the entire werewolf world is desperate to become your mate?"

The werewolves gathered outside immediately erupted into an uproar.

"Has she lost her mind? That's Edward! The Alpha of the most powerful pack around, the Silvermoon Pack!"

"Stop pretending! Who wouldn't want to marry Alpha Edward? She's already been given a wedding mansion, and the mating ceremony has been arranged. So what if the decorations are a little creepy? Can't she just put up with it?"

"Exactly! What's wrong with letting Monica vent a little?"

Listening to their ridiculous comments, I could only shake my head at the absurdity of it all.

The Silvermoon Pack might be powerful now, but so what?

The pack was located near a swamp, where the poisonous miasma made its werewolves especially susceptible to illness.

For years, the Silvermoon Pack had relied on the health potions developed by our Healing Center to keep its werewolves healthy and maintain its territory.

The Alpha King had long been displeased with the Silvermoon Pack's arrogance. The only reason he'd tolerated the Healing Center supplying them with exclusive batches of the potions was because I was born into the Silvermoon Pack.

However, I'd already made an agreement with the Alpha King. In five years, the health potions would be made available to every werewolf pack. By then, the Silvermoon Pack would lose the advantage it currently enjoyed.

That was precisely why the former Alpha had been visiting the Royal City day after day, begging the Alpha King to give the Silvermoon Pack more time and extend its exclusive access to the potions for a few more years.

He knew I was currently the strongest healer at the Healing Center and the one who had developed the health potions. So he practically camped outside the Healing Center, pleading with me to consider his son as my mate.

When I refused to be swayed, he turned to my mother instead.

My mother was touched by his sincerity, and that was how this marriage was arranged.

In truth, this marriage had originally been beneficial to both sides.

If I returned to the Silvermoon Pack, I'd not only be able to address its werewolves' health problems more thoroughly, but it would also be a major boost to my own career.

That was why the higher-ups were still keeping an eye on the situation, considering whether to give the Silvermoon Pack a few more years.

But judging by what I'd seen today, the marriage the former Alpha had fought so hard to secure was probably about to be ruined by his own son.

These thoughts flashed through my mind in an instant. But to Edward and Monica, my silence only looked like a guilty conscience.

Edward spoke impatiently.

"I'm giving you one last chance. Get on your knees and apologize to Monica. Otherwise, the mating ceremony is off."

I lifted my head and looked at them. Then, in a calm, clear voice, I gave him my answer.

"Fine. Then cancel the mating ceremony. I don't need you."