Chapter 4

The moment I stepped out of the carriage, I ran straight into Raymond and Grace on the long corridor leading toward the central altar.

The two of them were dressed in matching ceremonial attire, clearly on their way to attend their mating ceremony.

The smile on Grace's face froze completely the instant she saw me. Raymond's footsteps also came to a sudden halt.

The air fell dead silent for a fraction of a second.

His gaze landed on me, a flicker of sheer amazement flashing deep within his eyes as he stared, unable to look away for a long time.

The white gown wrapped tightly around my slender frame, my veil cascading downward. Originally, this was supposed to be his ideal mate.

In the next second, Raymond clenched his hands into tight fists, forcefully suppressing the thought.

Grace was the first to snap back to reality. She stared fixedly at the ceremonial mating gown I wore, her voice screeching into a sharp pitch.

"Chloe, what is the meaning of this? Today is Raymond's and my mating ceremony! Appearing dressed like this, are you trying to crash it?"

The passing guests stopped in their tracks one after another, their gazes locking onto me.

"Good heavens... Raymond is bonding with Grace today. What is Chloe doing here in a ceremonial mating gown? Is she acting as a maid of honor?"

"Maid of honor? You think too highly of her. She's just a discarded ex."

"Shh, keep your voice down. I heard she has a terrible temper. Don't let her come over and hit you..."

Raymond's brow furrowed deeper and deeper, the look he directed at me filled with immense disappointment.

"Chloe, let it go," he said.

I froze slightly. "What?"

"I have already chosen Grace. Appearing here dressed like this is nothing more than a desperate attempt to make me soften my heart. But I will not change my mind. Furthermore, I will never let Grace suffer any grievances just because of your tantrum."

I nearly laughed out loud. It turned out that even now, he still thought this way.

Seeing my silence, Raymond assumed he had guessed correctly, his expression softening slightly.

"You have been with me for so many years, so I understand you, Chloe. You cannot survive without me.

"But it is impossible for you to stay by my side either. I promised Grace that she would be my only Luna in this lifetime. Unless..."

He paused. Grace immediately finished the sentence for him, her smile projecting immense sweetness.

"Unless Miss Chloe is willing to become my slave. That way, you can still remain in the Black Rock Pack and catch an occasional glimpse of Raymond to satisfy your yearnings over the years. What do you think? I am being merciful enough to you, aren't I?"

Slave.

In this day and age, only wolves from defeated rival packs were ever captured and enslaved. Once turned into a slave, it meant a complete loss of freedom and rights. Even the wolf spirit within would be completely sealed away.

I furrowed my brows and cut them off.

"My presence here has nothing to do with Raymond. And I have no intention of becoming a slave."

Raymond acted as though he had just heard a hilarious joke, tilting his chin upward.

"Stop being stubborn, Chloe. Everyone knows your possessive reputation. Aside from me, absolutely no one would ever want you."

Looking at Raymond, I felt nothing but a profound sense of estrangement.

The wolf from my past life who had ripped the bond-severing scroll to shreds and made an enemy of the entire pack just for me was actually spouting these exact words to me now.

Grace's eyes darted around, and she suddenly looked at me with an expression of feigned concern.

"Raymond, something just occurred to me," she murmured. "Didn't Miss Chloe just claim she is unwilling to be my slave?"

"But what if she is merely saying that, while actually planning to cause chaos during our ceremony?" She bit her lower lip gently. "How about we seal her wolf spirit right now? That way, everyone can have peace of mind."

A collective shift in expression rippled through the surrounding crowd at those words.

The wolf spirit seal was a severe punishment strictly reserved for wolves who committed heinous crimes. Once the seal was applied, the werewolf's inner strength would be forcefully suppressed. The process was agonizingly painful, and some prisoners of war had literally been tortured to death during the sealing.

Raymond frowned, appearing slightly hesitant. Grace immediately wrapped her arms around his bicep.

"Raymond, today is our big day. I just want to prevent any trouble before it happens." As she spoke, she cast another timid glance at me, acting as though I were a dangerous, unstable threat ready to snap and hurt someone at any moment.

The surrounding murmurs grew louder.

"True, Chloe used to be so incredibly possessive. What if she really starts a riot?"

"Sealing a wolf spirit only hurts for a little while. It's much better than letting something terrible actually happen."

"I heard she was originally just an orphan girl picked up by the Alpha of the Gray Valley Pack. Her bloodline is low and worthless. Isn't a slave the perfect fit for her?"

Raymond fell silent for a brief moment. He looked at me, seemingly waiting for me to beg for mercy.

But I did not.

"Fine," he said, shifting his gaze away, his voice turning icy cold. "It's best to let her face reality."

My heart sank instantly. "Are you serious?"

He avoided my eyes, his voice remaining detached. "It is merely a temporary seal. It will naturally be lifted once the ceremony concludes. Chloe, I do not want any accidents to disrupt my mating ceremony with Grace today."

Grace smiled, taking an object from her handmaid. It was a silver spike as thick as a thumb, its surface carved with intricate sealing runes, the tip gleaming with a chilling light.

Silver had a natural burning effect on werewolves. Even merely bringing it close to the skin would scorch a severe, blackened scar.

"Hold her down!" Grace commanded.

Two warriors stepped forward immediately. Each grabbed one of my shoulders, forcing me down onto my knees.

My knees crashed heavily against the ground, my pure white mating gown instantly covered in dust. Low gasps echoed from the crowd, but not a single wolf stepped forward to intervene.

Grace walked up to me with the silver spike, her voice dropping to a whisper meant only for the two of us.

"Chloe, did you think I was blind? You are the one Raymond truly wants. But it doesn't matter. Once your wolf is sealed away, you will be nothing but a useless cripple. What can a useless cripple possibly contest against me?"

I let out a cold scoff. "You're only fit to compete against cripples."

"Shut up!" She raised her hand and delivered a vicious slap across my face. "You still dare to talk back? Today, I am going to make you realize exactly what kind of trash you are!"

The force of the slap sent me sprawling onto the ground. My left ear rang loudly, and half of my face went completely numb.

She straightened her spine, forcing the silver spike hard against my collarbone.

Through the thin fabric of my gown, the searing heat of the silver pierced my skin, feeling as though a brand of fire was being burned directly into my bones.

I clamped my jaws shut tightly, refusing to make a single sound, though my consciousness gradually began to blur.

Just as Grace smiled and raised the silver spike high, about to thrust it directly into my abdomen—

"Stop! Who dares to lay a hand on my Luna?" a voice roared authoritatively, commanding an immediate halt.

I turned my head back, my eyes widening in sheer shock.