Chapter 4

For the next two days, I didn't see Cedric again.

He seemed completely immersed in the world of that rogue wolf, Chloe.

Rumors flew through the pack.

"Did you hear? Selena's jewelry design exhibition was canceled, and she didn't even make a sound."

"Only a matter of time. Before, she'd even fight the elders. Now the Alpha's got her completely under control. I heard the Alpha personally asked for the venue. He's been teaching that rogue wolf the Moon Goddess prayers every day. When would he have time for her?"

I ignored it all.

Every day I was busy coordinating asset transfer details with David, busy processing the departure documents to leave the Northern Territory.

David worked fast.

In my personal account lay a sum large enough for me to start over anywhere.

On the afternoon of the marking ceremony.

I'd just received my travel documents when the housekeeper called.

"Miss Selena, please come back. Something's happened!"

The housekeeper's voice was almost in tears.

My heart tightened. I drove back to the villa immediately.

The moment I pushed open the courtyard gate, I saw the living room in chaos.

Cushions from the sofa were scattered on the floor. The vase on the coffee table was shattered into glass shards.

And Chloe was standing in the center of the living room, holding a wolf-fang pendant with its leather cord torn, sobbing.

Cedric stood beside her, brow furrowed, face dark.

My eyes landed on the broken wolf fang. My brain went blank with a roar.

It was the only keepsake my mother—the strongest female warrior the Northern Territory had ever known—left me before she died in battle.

Even when I was bleeding out in the fighting ring, I had never been willing to take it off.

"Who did this?"

My voice was cold as ice. I strode over and snatched the broken half of the wolf fang from Chloe's hand.

The tip was shattered. It could never be restored.

Chloe trembled and shrank into Cedric's arms.

"Luna, I'm sorry..."

She was crying so hard she couldn't breathe.

"I... I just wanted to help you clean your bedroom. I didn't know that box wasn't closed properly. When I picked it up, it fell..."

"Clean my bedroom?"

I stared at her, terrifying killing intent churning in my eyes.

"When did my bedroom become yours to clean? Who gave you permission to enter my room!"

I raised my hand and slapped her without thinking.

SMACK!

A sharp crack.

But the slap didn't land on Chloe's face.

Cedric caught my wrist at the last second.

His grip was powerful, squeezing my wrist bone until it ached.

"Selena, are you insane! I told you to put away your wildness and behave. Is this how you behave?"

Cedric shoved me away.

I staggered and fell onto the sofa. The half wolf fang dug deep into my palm.

"She was just trying to help you organize your things. She accidentally broke a worthless wolf fang. Is that worth reverting to your old ways and hitting someone?"

Cedric shielded Chloe behind him, looking down at me with nothing but disgust.

The last memory my mother left me, and in his mouth, it became a worthless wolf fang.

"Accidentally?"

My eyes were red. I laughed coldly.

"My jewelry box has a combination lock. How did she accidentally open it?"

Chloe immediately explained. "It... it was the Alpha who told me the code. He said I could look at anything I wanted..."

I snapped my head toward Cedric.

The numbers of the code were the day we met.

He had casually opened our privacy to another she-wolf.

"So what if I did?"

Cedric was uncomfortable under my stare but still stubborn.

"Chloe has never seen nice things. I let her broaden her horizons. What's wrong with that? It's just a wolf fang. Tomorrow I'll have the hunting team get ten better ones to compensate you!"

"That was my mother's! Cedric, what right do you have to trample on my bottom line like this!"

I suddenly lost control and screamed, tears finally bursting out.

Cedric froze.

He seemed not to have expected me to break down like this.

In the past, no matter how big the conflict, I would bare my claws and fight. Even bruised and bleeding, I would never shed a single tear.

But I had never lost control and cried in front of him like this.

A flicker of panic crossed his eyes. He was about to step forward.

Then Chloe suddenly clutched her chest, her face going white as she collapsed.

"Chloe!"

Cedric immediately bent down and caught her, his expression changing drastically.

"Alpha... my head is spinning... my chest hurts..."

Chloe leaned weakly against him, barely breathing.

"The doctor said that during her time wandering outside, she developed severe PTSD. She can't handle stress."

Cedric whipped his head around and glared at me viciously.

"Selena, if anything happens to Chloe, I will never forgive you!"

He scooped Chloe up in his arms and strode toward the door.

At the doorway, he stopped and threw back a sentence without looking back.

"When Chloe is fine, you must rein in that temper and kneel before the Moon Goddess altar to apologize to her."

"Otherwise, tonight's marking ceremony is off."

The door slammed shut.

The living room returned to dead silence.

I sat on the carpet, looking at the bloodstained wolf fang in my palm, tears falling silently.

He once said his Luna didn't bow to anyone.

Now he was telling me to kneel and apologize to a rogue wolf.

This was the mate I had protected for three years.

I slowly got up from the floor, walked to the bathroom, and washed the blood from my hands with cold water over and over.

Looking at the pale, hollow-eyed woman in the mirror.

I suddenly found it utterly ridiculous.

I took out my phone and dialed David's number.

"David, change the ticket."

My voice was calm, without a ripple.

"Book the earliest flight tonight. To London."

I didn't pack any clothes. I didn't take any of the expensive jewelry Cedric had given me.

I only took the travel documents and the broken half of the wolf fang.

The moment I walked out of the villa's front door.

The moon was rising, bit by bit.

Tonight was supposed to be my marking ceremony.

I looked back at this cage that had tried to break my fangs.

Goodbye, Cedric.