Chapter 2

The man standing in front of me now was no longer the dying werewolf I once saved.

He was the Wolf King who ruled over everything.

And I was no longer a sheltered heiress, either.

After my parents died in an accident, our family company was seized by a rival corporation. Now, I was nothing more than a pitiful hanger-on, living at someone else's mercy.

The laughter, music, and dancing in the hall fell into dead silence at the king's anger.

The guests held their breath and turned their curious gazes toward me.

Bella dabbed at the corner of her eye where no tears existed.

"Selena, you've always been so proper. How could you end up pregnant without even knowing who the father is? You're not doing this just to get back at Cade for choosing me as his queen, are you? Did you really go find some random guy out of spite?"

That line poured fuel on the fire and instantly ignited Cade's hatred.

"Who's the man who touched you? Speak!"

Bella put on a show of gentle concern. "Your Majesty, there are too many people here. It's understandable if Selena doesn't want to say it out loud."

A flash of fury lit Cade's eyes as he asked the attendant behind him, "In this pack, what punishment does a woman deserve for betraying the Wolf King and carrying an illegitimate child?"

The attendant answered nervously, "Your Majesty, according to the rules, she should be thrown into the dungeon and starved for three days and nights."

I was shoved into a pitch-black room.

When the lock clicked shut, I suddenly realized something was wrong.

"What is this place? Let me out! You don't have the right to imprison me!"

A servant sneered from outside the door.

"This room was specially prepared for you by the Queen. Just stay put in there and behave."

The room was cold and damp.

I curled up, hugging myself into a tight ball.

A huge firework suddenly exploded in the sky.

It reminded me of the first time I took Cade to see fireworks. He had jumped in alarm, but still moved instinctively to shield me.

"Careful!"

Laughing, I peeked out from behind him. "It's just fireworks. There's no danger."

"Fire…works?"

"When humans have something worth celebrating, we set off fireworks," I explained patiently.

Boom! Another firework burst overhead.

It seemed Cade had remembered my words and brought fireworks back to the wolf pack.

Only this time, they were blooming for Bella.

In truth, Cade had once treated me sincerely.

On stormy nights, he would hold me gently in his arms, pat my back, and lull me to sleep.

When I fell from a swing, he would always catch me without fail.

He would kneel on one knee to help me put on my heels, and when my feet hurt too much to walk, he would carry me home on his back.

When I bathed, he would help lather soap without ever looking at me, his face bright red as he handed me a towel.

When did things start to change?

Probably from the moment I told Bella about the werewolf secret.

Bella was a child my parents adopted from an orphanage. We grew up together, as close as real sisters.

One time, Cade had exhausted me so badly that I couldn't even get out of bed.

I was worried no one would feed him his medicine, so I told Bella about the werewolf I had been hiding in my lab.

Bella showed intense interest in Cade. She kept asking me questions about him.

I had always treated her like a sister I could tell anything to. I even unbuttoned my collar and showed her the wolf bite mark on my shoulder.

"Look. This is what he left behind."

Bella froze, then slowly raised her hand and brushed the mark with her fingertips.

In her eyes, I saw a burning desire.

But I didn't think much of it.

I even ignored the way Cade had started pulling away from me.

I hired a jewelry designer to create a pair of matching necklaces.

I planned to remove the custom collar from Cade's neck and tell him, "I don't need a servant. I need a boyfriend."

But in the garden, I saw Cade confessing to Bella with deep emotion.

"Bella, if I regain my freedom one day, would you be willing to be mine?"

Bella nodded through tears.

Cade leaned in and kissed her lips.

Then, little by little, his mouth moved to her collarbone.

Finally, he paused over the wolf bite mark on her shoulder.

My eyes widened in disbelief.

Had they already…?

After that, I was depressed for a long time.

I couldn't understand why Cade would fall for Bella.

Until one day, I overheard their conversation.

"Cade, even though Selena only sees you as a research subject, don't worry. Before she hands you to my father's biotech company, I'll help you escape."

Cade let out a cold laugh.

"It's fine. I've already rallied my old subordinates. I'll return to the wolf pack soon. When that day comes, you're coming with me."

I stormed out in rage and slapped Bella hard across the face.

"How could you slander me like that?! When did I ever treat Cade as a research subject? Cade, listen to me. I'm actually…"

But he shoved me away and threw a stack of photos at my feet.

In the pictures were Cade's blood serum samples.

In truth, those samples were taken to develop medicine for him.

However, I had no way to defend myself.

I could only watch as Cade clenched Bella's hand and walked away in fury, his back turned to me.