Betrayed by My Mate, Claimed by the Alpha King: Read Chapters 1-5

POV Aria Valen

I had just returned home with a rush of excitement. In my hands was the birthday cake I had ordered a week ago from my favorite bakery. I could hardly wait for Lucian to come home so we could celebrate my birthday together.

My phone kept vibrating. I thought it was Lucian. But when I checked, there were several videos—each fairly long—sent to me from an unknown number. Without any suspicion, I pressed play.

The screen revealed the image of an ancient forest bathed in tonight’s full moonlight. Silver lanterns and undying blue torches hung everywhere. A restless unease rose within me. It all looked like the decoration of a sacred wedding. Surrounding the area were banquet tables made of old wood, decorated with lunar crystals and white wildflowers.

And sure enough, before long, a massive stone altar appeared at the center of a glowing runic circle—the place where mate-bonding ceremonies were held. There, I saw Lucian Draegor and Selina Dwain standing hand in hand, surrounded by their friends.

My eyes froze on the woman’s gown: a long silver dress embroidered with ancient runes, its trailing hem like the tail of a wolf, crowned with a lunar diadem upon her head. I knew those runes too well.

The pair exchanged a blood vow before the Moon Goddess, witnessed by family and colleagues, promising to spend their lives together.

My whole body shook violently. I tried to deny it, even as my eyes clearly caught sight of him—Lucian!

He wore a black suit adorned with white wolf fur at the shoulders. Lucian’s face was lit with joy. The ceremony began with the howl of the pack to summon Luna’s blessing, ending with Lucian’s claiming bite on Selina’s neck. The runes on the altar flared blue, Luna’s recognition of their bond.

Everyone in the video rejoiced. Everyone… except me.

Because Lucian was my boyfriend! The man I loved with all my heart, my soul, my honor, my very body.

Today was my birthday. We had promised to celebrate it intimately, just the two of us. He had told me he had a special gift prepared for me tonight. But instead, he was marrying another woman?

Lucian Draegor was the only son of the Draegor family, the Alpha who led the Crimson Pack from victory to victory. He hadn’t inherited the title of Alpha—it was earned through blood and sheer determination. He sacrificed much, including paralysis and near death at the hands of his father’s illegitimate son. Lucian had clawed his way to leadership, proving his worth step by step.

Four years ago, Lucian had been left paralyzed after a brutal battle with another Alpha. The cold-hearted Crimson Pack abandoned him, deeming him useless as an Alpha. And Selina, his girlfriend, left the country. She deserted Lucian, seeing no value in him anymore, and married another Alpha.

I had seen Lucian powerless, nearly slain by his father’s bastard son. He was dying—bleeding, broken, suffering.

On that freezing night, it was me who saved Lucian from the ambush, which nearly losing my life and my family heirloom in the process. For years, I cared for him in secret and sacrificed everything—until he finally regained the ability to walk. I did all for him just because he helped me once and I was fall in love with him at the first.

On the day he regained the Alpha position of his pack, he kissed me, promised to treat me well for the rest of our lives. Promised never to disappoint me. I believed him. Completely.

Just last week, I had finished sewing my wedding dress with my own hands, carefully embroidering runes into every stitch. Three exhausting months of planning and preparation.

And now, in the palm of my hand, on this phone screen, I was watching my hopes shatter. I saw my wedding dress—on Selina. The diamond ring Lucian had ordered for me—slipped onto Selina’s finger.

Through blurred vision clouded with unshed tears, I even spotted the pendant around Selina’s neck. My parents’ heirloom—the one Iost four years ago when I was seeking healer for Lucian.

Lucian had told me he found it, that he would give it to me for my birthday. Today. Yet now, how could it be around Selina’s neck?

My fingers clutched the edge of my phone, teeth chattering violently. In front of me sat the cake I had prepared for tonight’s birthday celebration.

Suddenly I realized—loving someone like Lucian was meaningless. Bastard! He secretly married his ex behind my back. Did he really think I would never find out?

It was nearly dawn when Lucian finally returned home. He found me sitting at the dining table, eyes swollen red. He could clearly see I hadn’t slept all night.

“Why didn’t you go to bed?”

That was all Lucian said when he saw me. No apology, not even the promised gift.

I ignored his question and spoke calmly, still staring at the melted candles and cake.

“Lucian, let’s end our bond. Tell Selina to return my parents’ heirloom she took—immediately.” I was certain Lucian understood what I meant.

“So, you’ve already seen the news about my wedding to Selina, and you’re feeling jealous, Aria?”

That was the moment I looked at Lucian with extraordinary anger and hatred for the first time.

His voice softened toward me. “Don’t be mad. I didn’t forget your birthday. I brought you your gift. Our bond can’t be broken. You’re my mate, darling.”

He placed a slim wine-red velvet jewelry box before me. Inside lay a stunning pink diamond necklace—far more expensive than my parents’ pendant. But it wasn’t what I wanted.

When I stayed silent, Lucian took the necklace, intending to place it around my neck.

I screamed louder than I ever thought possible. “I don’t want this necklace, bastard! I only want my parents’ heirloom back.”

I slapped the necklace from his hand, shouting stubbornly: “That pendant was left to me by my parents. How could you give it to Selina? I just want what’s mine!”

I was raging—completely losing control.

Lucian’s patience snapped as well. His perfectly sculpted face turned cold, hard as if carved from ice. His eyes bore into me with suffocating pressure.

“Selina loves that pendant,” Lucian hissed. “She’s in terrible pain. Tell me… how much longer do you think she’ll even live to wear it? Why would you fight with a dying woman over something like this? Aria… when did you become so selfish and heartless?”

Lucian’s words lashed me like blades. “You’re selfish, Aria! Cold-blooded. Would you fight a dying woman for a pendant?”

Selina… dying? What? My stomach turned. How could this man be so foolish, deceived by the very woman who once betrayed him? Even if she were dying—who was the selfish one here?

That pendant was special. There was a secret inside it I could never reveal to anyone—not even Lucian. Should I expose it now, so he’d finally understand how much it meant to me?

With fists clenched to contain my fury, I looked into Lucian’s eyes with unshakable resolve. I couldn’t stay silent anymore. My mouth opened—

“Lucian… the pendant—”

But his phone rang loudly, cutting me off. He didn’t look at me again as he answered.

“Selina, what’s wrong, darling?” Lucian’s voice trembled with panic. He immediately left me before I could even speak.

I kept staring at Lucian’s fading back as he walked away, thinking he might only be gone for a while. Then reality slapped me hard across the face.

At that moment, I grabbed my phone and called my foster mother, Margot Marlowe.

“Aria, you little brat! Even if you’ve been cast out, I still raised you—you owe me, and you must…”

She immediately screamed sharply at me. Her voice echoed through the phone, cold and distant—just like the world I had left behind four years ago with the Lunaris Pack.

I was still sitting frozen in the dining room. Hearing Margot’s voice brought back that familiar unease, but I forced myself to stay composed. Ever since the traumatic event four years ago, I knew I would never feel safe again around my foster family.

“I agree to marry that mad and cursed Alpha, Darian Veyrion, in place of your daughter.”

POV Aria Valen

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

It seemed my answer shocked my step-mother. She hissed in disbelief. “What did you just say?”

I could understand her surprise. Everyone around knew how madly I was in love with Lucian Draegor, the Alpha of the Crimson Pack.

Before this, I had always refused my foster mother’s demand, all because of Lucian.

I loved him so deeply that I was willing to give up my life, my future, my dignity—everything—for him.

Clearly, my foster mother didn’t expect me to actually agree to marry a stranger infamous as the cruelest man in Moonveil Valley—a mad Alpha said to suffer from a deadly disease, which made him hide from the world. They called him the cursed Alpha.

Though everyone knew he was the heir to the strongest and largest pack in the region, he was still cursed. No woman wanted to be his mate. And no one truly knew what he looked like.

With a flat, cold tone, I repeated my words to make sure she understood. “I called to tell you I’ll do it, Mother. I’ll marry that mad and cursed man, Darian Veyrion.”

Once she was certain my answer was serious, my foster mother finally breathed in relief—before yelling again.

“One month from now, the Veyrion family will register your marriage with their eldest son!”

“Mother, you raised me after taking me from the orphanage, caring for me for sixteen years. Now I’ll take your daughter’s place and marry into the Veyrion family. That should be enough to repay my debts to the Marlowes, shouldn’t it? From now on, we owe each other nothing. I’ll no longer be tied to you in any way.”

My foster mother went silent, stunned. Perhaps she had never imagined I would respond so boldly after years of quietly enduring all their mistreatment. They had once adopted and cared for me after losing their youngest daughter sixteen years ago.

But somehow, that lost daughter returned one day, and their view of me instantly changed. They saw me as someone who had stolen their daughter’s place. From then on, they tormented and belittled me whenever they could. I became like an unwanted shadow—without a voice, without a right to exist among them.

I tried to sit calmly at the cold dining table. I had made up my mind to leave Lucian’s pack house today. I was no longer his girlfriend, and I had no reason to stay here any longer. With my heart in shambles and my body barely holding up, I forced myself to keep moving forward.

The second day, I spent the entire day packing everything I owned. I sold whatever I could and threw away the rest. I even contacted the largest resale company in the area while Lucian was away at work. Their staff came right to the door and hauled away everything that needed to go.

I didn’t transfer a single cent of the money from the sales to Lucian. I kept it all for myself. That money was mine—earned through my own hard work.

In one month, I would marry Darian Veyrion—the mad and cursed Alpha whose life was shrouded in mystery, a man whose face I had never even seen. Then Lucian could stop worrying about me clinging to him and go live happily with Selina, his oh-so-perfect ex-girlfriend.

That night, I destroyed the only keepsake I had never let go of—a photo of me and Lucian. A photo we had taken by force, since Lucian had always hated pictures. At the same time, I wrote my resignation letter from the Crimson Pack—the pack I had served and lived in for years with Lucian.

For four years, Lucian and I had been together, enduring pain, loss, and struggle until we finally stood back on our feet. But then Selina reappeared—bringing lies about a deadly illness and claiming she only had six months to live. Her return shattered everything, tore us apart, and ironically, she chose to marry Lucian on the exact day of my birthday.

The next day, I submitted my resignation letter to the main pack headquarters, officially declaring that I was leaving the Crimson Pack. Unfortunately, Lucian wasn’t there. I had wanted to see his reaction in person. I wasn’t the weak woman who once depended on him anymore.

Instead, I met Luther Kaine—the Beta and Lucian’s loyal, ambitious bodyguard.

“Lucian just left with Miss Selina,” he said.

“I don’t want to hear any of that!” I snapped. “Just tell him I’m never coming back!”

“Aria, can’t you reconsider? I’m sure Lucian only loves you!”

I looked at Luther coldly. He was the only one who truly understood what my relationship with Lucian had been like. He was a good Beta.

“But he chose his ex over me. Lucian really doesn’t need me anymore,” I said flatly.

I didn’t regret my decision to leave the pack. While I was on my way to an inn outside the territory, Lucian sent me a short message:

“Come to Flora Club.”

Flora Club—the place where Lucian always took his friends to drink and party. I had already severed my bond with him and had no intention of going. I was about to ignore the message when another followed:

“If you still want your parents’ keepsake, then come see me within thirty minutes!”

My fingers tightened around the phone, my teeth grinding. I desperately wanted that pendant back. There was no hesitation left.

I rushed to Flora Club immediately.

POV Aria Valen

I arrived at the club in a rush. Inside the private room, I saw Selina and several of Lucian’s close friends already there. When I opened the door, the first thing I saw was Lucian sitting in the middle of a dark red leather sofa, while Selina curled beside him like a snake coiling around its prey.

That woman lifted her chin arrogantly, dazzling and radiant as always. Lucian, meanwhile, sat protectively by her side. Every movement he made was filled with gentleness and care.

A sharp sting burned behind my eyes, but I had come here for a reason. So, I swallowed the bitterness and stepped inside.

Before I could speak or stretch out my hand to ask for my parents’ keepsake pendant, Lucian cut me off.

“Apologize to Selina,” he said coldly.

He slammed his glass down in front of me. The sound made me flinch and step back.

“How dare you send someone to chase after Selina just to steal that pendant? If Adam hadn’t happened to pass by and save her, she would have been mauled by those wild beasts!”

Adam was one of their friends. I had no idea what Lucian was talking about. Then, his friends chimed in, shouting their anger at me.

“Hey, you’re being too much! We get that you’re jealous of Selina, but you can’t just send people to attack her!”

“Apologize to Selina right now! Maybe if she forgives you, we’ll consider forgiving you too.”

I was disgusted by their attitude. All these years with Lucian, I had tried to fit in with his circle, but none of them had ever treated me with respect. Not once had they called me politely or shown me even a sliver of courtesy.

I used to think they were just blunt and arrogant, but now, watching them fawn over Selina, I finally understood. They knew Lucian had never truly cared about me. That made me unworthy of respect. Meanwhile, Selina—who had betrayed Lucian four years ago—was still adored and exalted by them.

“Aria, apologize to Selina!” Lucian’s cold voice snapped in my ear.

I didn’t move. I certainly wasn’t going to admit to something I hadn’t done.

“I didn’t send anyone to hurt Selina!” I shot back.

Lucian interrupted me again, accusing me of lying. I almost laughed out loud.

“So if Selina says something, it’s the truth. But if it’s me, then it’s a lie?”

Even if he loved Selina more now, after four years together, shouldn’t he at least know what kind of person I am? Shouldn’t he trust me—just a little?

I straightened my back and lifted my chin, meeting his gaze head-on.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. So I will never apologize to Selina. I hate being falsely accused.”

Lucian’s patience finally snapped. He pulled out the pendant and raised it like a weapon.

“Apologize to Selina right now—or you’ll never see this again!”

My eyes locked onto the pendant. It was a family heirloom, a legacy of the pack. The keystone—one of a kind. Just looking at it brought back the memory of my parents… and the heavy responsibility I once carried.

I’d lost it four years ago while saving Lucian’s life. Even if he no longer loved me, even if his heart belonged entirely to Selina, he shouldn’t have done this to me.

“Lucian, don’t be so hard on Aria,” Selina said, glancing at me with a victorious look before pretending to mediate. “I don’t care about the past. How about Aria just drinks a glass of wine? Let’s call it even.”

Lucian frowned slightly. He should’ve been the one who knew best that I couldn’t drink. To get money treating Lucian in the past four years, I’ve been drinking and socializing everywhere. My stomach had bled once because of alcohol. The doctor had strictly forbidden me from touching it ever again. But Lucian, unable to resist Selina’s fragile act, simply nodded.

That bastard.

I kept reminding myself—this man wasn’t worth my tears. Once, he had held me in his arms, full of guilt, promising to be stronger, to protect me, to never let me suffer again. But now, for Selina’s sake, he was the one making me suffer.

“I’ll drink.”

I didn’t bother to explain. Explaining to someone who doesn’t believe you is pointless. I just wanted my pendant back and to leave.

I looked at the row of liquor bottles on the table and gave a bitter smile.

“If I drink them all, will you give it back?”

Lucian’s eyes darkened like a storm-covered sky. His voice turned glacial.

“Drink.”

I took a deep breath. So that’s what he wanted—drink it all, and only then would I get the pendant. I grabbed a bottle and took a swig. The burning liquid scorched my throat, as if my tongue, throat, even my heart were set ablaze.

Is this what it feels like to love the wrong person?

Like being flayed alive, then turned to ash.

Then I have to stop loving Lucian. I have to leave.

“Enough!”

Maybe Lucian couldn’t bear to watch me anymore—my flushed face, my staggering body, my trembling hand reaching for another bottle. He snatched it away and smashed it onto the floor.

“Take your pendant and leave!”

“Lucian…” As he moved to hand it to me, Selina reached out first and clung tightly to him.

“My stomach… it hurts… Lucian, am I going to die? It hurts so much…”

She knew how precious that pendant was to me. Of course she wouldn’t give it up easily. Selina even spat out a bit of blood to make it look more dramatic.

“Selina!” Lucian panicked, immediately scooping her into his arms.

“Hold on, Selina. I won’t let anything happen to you!”

“Lucian—!” I shouted, desperate to get the pendant back. I staggered forward, just as I was about to reach it—Selina kicked me in the face.

Pain exploded through me. The unexpected kick sent me crashing to the floor. My head slammed against the sharp edge of the table, tearing open my temple. Blood splattered across my face, blurring my vision.

Through the pounding in my skull, I faintly heard Lucian screaming my name. But at the same time, there was another heavy thud.

Selina had started her act again—she had suddenly collapsed. Lucian immediately turned in panic, rushing to her side. He ignored me completely.

Selina’s cries of pain pulled him back to his senses. Without even glancing my way, Lucian turned and carried her out in his arms. He couldn’t let her down. So he left me there—bleeding and broken—to rush Selina to the hospital.

The private room fell silent. My knees gave way, and my blurred eyes could no longer focus. I couldn’t tell if the pain I felt came from the gash on my temple—or the shattering of my heart.

“Why does it always have to be me?” I whispered hoarsely, my voice trembling with despair.

Through my fading vision, someone approached and spoke to me. His voice was deep, steady, and strangely familiar.

“You’re hurt—but it’s just a wound. You’re strong. Get up. You’re much stronger than this.”

My breath caught.

“Who - who are You?” I whispered, dazed.

POV Darian Veyrion

Flora Club.

A place of clamor, full of music and alcohol—my usual cheap escape. But tonight my head felt split in two. The pain came faster—though midnight hadn’t even struck. There was still one hour before the curse should appear.

The damn curse.

Since the incident four years ago, my nights had never been the same. I had won on the battlefield, but a witch from the opposing side gave me a gift worse than death. Every midnight, instead of transforming into a noble alpha wolf, I became a monster. Not wolf, not human—just an uncontrollable rage that could even kill my own kin.

That’s why I always locked myself in the pack’s basement, heavily guarded, waiting for dawn like a prisoner. Only my mother and my younger sibling knew this secret.

Unfortunately, the outside world is cruel. Enemies spread many false rumors. They said I was dying; some said I was mad; there were also rumors about my curse. I didn’t care about any of it. In truth, all those cheap gossips didn’t affect my power and leadership at all. I still controlled everything. I was still respected and feared by opponents.

And tonight, I just wanted to sit for a while, enjoy some alcohol, while in the next room my sibling and the pack elders discussed alliance matters and my mating ceremony.

I never expected that there would still be a she-wolf willing to marry me.

They say she’s the daughter of the Lunaris Pack — a small pack that once received my help. My parents had once asked them to marry their daughter to me in order to break my curse,

but they kept making excuses.

Now, I have no idea why they’ve suddenly agreed. I didn’t need to be present—just listen, just monitor from afar.

Suddenly, that feeling came. Like hot iron being driven straight into my chest. Pain. Shaking to the bone. Suddenly darkness.

That’s what I felt as my body collapsed into the chair. The world around faded. I knew this pattern. The curse was creeping faster, demanding control. But—why now? It wasn’t time yet.

The curse tried to drag me into an abyss: visions of blood, loud laughter, unnamed power. I felt something wanting to loosen the reins of control—and it was terrifying. Yet I held that voice back, pressing my hand to my chest as if pressing down a coal.

“Breathe. Breathe, Darian!” I yelled at myself.

I ripped my consciousness back with difficulty, as if my lungs had just been dragged from a sticky bog. The darkness had not disappeared, but this time I managed to tear a small gap in it.

My body trembled. I bent down—and nearly vomited at the sight of my skin. From wrist to neck, black runes writhed like living snakes, spreading fast. The curse’s magic rose more vicious than before.

Damn. I didn’t have much time.

I staggered out of the VIP room, snatched a shabby hoodie hanging there—who knew whose—and pulled its hood over my head, covering my face half-smeared with disgusting marks. If anyone saw it, they would never forget that nightmare.

My steps faltered in the corridor. Then I stopped. There was something—a subtle, faint tug, but undeniable. What power was this?

I turned. Behind a half-open door came the sound of commotion. I pushed in. The private room was a mess. Bottles scattered on the floor, shards of broken glasses, a table thrown to the side. And there—

I saw her for the first time. The woman was arguing with a man. I didn’t know him, but something about her had drawn me this far. Blood flowed from her temple, her face pale, her eyes glazed from alcohol. But even like that… she slapped the man in front of her with her last strength.

The woman looked weak, wounded, yet she still stood.

My heart lurched. Who was this woman? Why did she seem to emit such a powerful magnetic field that dragged me closer?

I wanted to approach her, to touch her—but the curse in my body writhed. I didn’t want her or anyone here to see my face now. Not with black runes crawling like a rotten stain.

I buried my face deeper under the hood. I clenched both hands at my sides. My heart pounded loudly. The pull of the curse and the pull of the woman mixed in a way I couldn’t control or separate. If I stayed longer, I was afraid…

I turned, intending to leave. It would be safer. But a small shout from the woman made me return.

The man— that bastard she had slapped earlier—retaliated, his hand raised ready to strike the woman. I moved before my brain could think. I grabbed the bastard’s hand, twisted it, and threw him against the wall. His body hit hard, groaning.

The woman staggered. Her eyes closed, her body fell.

“I…” her voice was weak, then gone.

I caught her before she hit the floor. Warm. Fragile. And… faint.

The curse in my body howled, demanding release, but I suppressed it with all my soul. “Not now. Not in front of her!”

I wanted to batter that man until his bones broke. How could a man attack a weak, drunken woman? But seconds ticked by, the black runes spreading. I couldn’t wait.

Quickly, I carried this unconscious woman in my arms. Her weight was almost unnoticeable. She looked both fragile and stubborn at the same time.

I stepped out of the room, through the bustling corridor. People turned to look, but no one dared come closer. The leaking aura of the curse silenced them. In front of the club door, the taxi I had ordered was already waiting. I laid the woman carefully in the back seat, then climbed in after her.

“Hurry. Go,” I hissed to the driver. “Healing house!”

Taking her with my wolf body would certainly be easier and faster, but I didn’t want to attract more attention. Because I… wasn’t an alpha wolf anymore when this curse came. I was only a monster!

As the car sped off, I glanced in the rearview. Another car’s lights overtook us, tailing closely, chasing us.

“That bastard. He dares to follow. Who is this man? Is he the one who hurt this woman? Or is he someone sent by my enemy?”

POV Aria Valen

My head throbbed violently. Alcohol burned my stomach like fire, making me nauseous. Blood from the cut on my temple dripped down, blurring my vision. I staggered, nearly losing consciousness.

With what little strength I had left, I tried to stand. Lucian had left with Selina. I had to be strong and heal myself. Hasn’t it always been like that?

But my steps halted when I realized someone was still there—Adam.

Adam West, the sole alpha heir of the Bale Pack, one of the most influential elite packs in Moonveil Valley. He and Lucian had grown up like brothers, their bond very close.

For the past few years, Adam had been away. When Lucian was exiled from the Crimson Pack, they lost contact. Only six months ago, when Adam returned, did he learn what had happened. I don’t think he knows everything—or perhaps he’s been fed the wrong information.

“Aria, how dare you send rogue wolves to attack Anna? You deserve to die.”

I froze, realizing the wolf inside me had never truly left, then flinched at Adam’s voice.

Anna?

I frowned despite the pounding in my head. Clearly, he meant Selina. How funny… my childhood name used to be “Anna” too. Before I was adopted by the Marlowe family, my name was Arianna Valen. Only those I once loved—now long gone—and one friend who had been trapped with me in the ruins sixteen years ago ever called me that. But that friend never spoke a single word. I didn’t even know his name. The pocket watch he once gave me had been stolen long ago. There was no way we would ever meet again.

Adam looked at my blood-streaked face with disgust. I knew he had never liked Lucian being close to me. Suddenly, anger flared in him. He grabbed a glass of liquor and threw it in my face.

“Touch Anna again, and I’ll make your life worse than death.”

I gasped, stunned. “I didn’t hurt Selina!”

The wound on my temple burned fiercely. The alcohol stung like acid, making my body tremble like a dry leaf in the wind. Yet my resolve did not waver. With the last of my strength, I stood and slapped Adam across the face as hard as I could.

“I’ll say it again—Selina’s words alone aren’t proof enough to condemn me!” I glared at him, anger blazing in my eyes. I raised my chin defiantly.

“If you’re so sure, call the sentinels. Without solid evidence, they can’t arrest me. And you—” I spat, “—you have no right to throw anything at me.”

“Aria!” Adam froze for almost half a minute before finding his voice again.

I knew he was the Alpha of Bale Pack. Everyone admired him. He thought I wouldn’t dare slap him?

I caught a murderous glint in his eyes. My eyelids trembled, realizing danger loomed, but I didn’t regret it. I met his gaze, sharp as a blade, refusing to back down.

“You attacked me first. That slap?” I hissed, unyielding. “You deserved it.”

Four years ago, it was Selina who abandoned Lucian when he was crippled and cast out from the pack. Only after that did I take him in. So how was I the one blamed now?

It didn’t matter anymore. Lucian and I were over. These people meant nothing to me. I only wanted my parents’ keepsake back.

Adam was so enraged he laughed in disgust. “Lucian really has no taste.”

He reached for another glass. I was scared, but I kept myself standing. He could kill me right now. Blood still dripped from my temple, and the pain in my stomach worsened. Yet I made sure my eyes still burned bright.

His voice was sharp. “Don’t ever go near Lucian again. Marrying Lucian is Anna’s final wish. If you interfere again, I’ll make you regret ever being born.”

I waited, certain Adam would smash the glass—maybe into my face? He raised his hand, and I instinctively shut my eyes.

Crash!

Alcohol, wounds, exhaustion—all of it piled together. My head felt heavy. Through the haze, I saw a man in a black hoodie burst in and strike Adam, throwing him against the wall.

“You…” I murmured before everything went dark.

*

When I opened my eyes, the smell of medicine and incense stung my nose. The Healing House?

It seemed there had just been an incident in the pack. The infirmary was full of patients tonight. A healer told me my stomach was injured again because of the alcohol, plus a torn temple wound. It had been stitched up.

“You must be careful. Keep this up and your body will collapse.”

I only nodded weakly. So… I ended up here because someone helped me? It couldn’t have been Adam—he despised me. Then who was that mysterious man?

My hands trembled as I forced myself to rise. Through the doorway of the infirmary, I caught a glimpse of a figure in a black hoodie leaving. I was sure it was the man from Flora Club. I only wanted to ask him one thing. Was he the one who saved me? Why?

I pulled the IV from my hand and rushed out, though my body and head still ached. I chased after him into the hospital courtyard. Snow had begun to fall. I froze, staring at the sky. It was so cold.

As I searched for any trace of the hooded man, through the veil of snow, I instead saw Lucian—carrying Selina in his arms like a scene straight out of a romance drama. My eyes stung. I turned away, ready to walk in the opposite direction—until I heard Selina’s coy voice.

“Lucian, the doctor said I’m getting better. You don’t have to carry me. Put me down, I can walk.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lucian replied gently, patient as ever. “The air’s too cold. Let me take you home.”

Selina wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, giggling softly. “Then from now on, you’re only allowed to carry me. If you carry another woman, I’ll get jealous!”

My chest tightened. I held back tears. Deep inside, that voice still echoed faintly. I couldn’t take it anymore. I was about to run—when someone suddenly grabbed my arm, and from the other side, a car sped toward me, its headlights blinding.

“Watch out!”