Ever since I had become a suspect six months ago, my movements had been restricted to the mansion. Everywhere I went, I felt those watchful eyes. The constant suspicion was far more suffocating than the old Alpha's disapproval.
"Serenity, we need to talk."
Alfred delivered his opening line, and I already knew what was coming—another lecture about my "failures."
"Tell me, how long have you been Elias's Luna?"
"A year and a half," I answered.
"Yes, a year and a half. Almost two years." Alfred's voice held no warmth. "Do you know what that means, Serenity?"
"I do."
"No, you don't!" He slammed his palm on the desk, Alpha dominance crashing over me like a wave. The pressure nearly crushed my sanity. The nausea I'd barely suppressed surged back, and my head buzzed.
"If you did, why is your belly still empty? The only reason this pack tolerates a lowly Omega in the Luna position is because you're the easiest path to producing Elias's heir. If you can't even do that simple task, you would have been cast out after the hunter attack!"
Slap.
Alfred's words struck like a blow to my face. My cheeks burned. My nails dug into my palms, nearly drawing blood. But outwardly, I kept my head down and said nothing.
I knew what he was talking about.
Six months ago, the Vernal pack had been attacked by hunters. Someone suspected there was a traitor among us, and I had become the prime suspect—an outsider, an Omega, yet with enough status to access classified intelligence. Every detail pointed straight at me.
Since then, I had learned that defending myself was useless. No one would believe me.
Even Elias. I had thought he believed me, which was why he had insisted on an investigation instead of letting the others exile me immediately. But his first order was to confine me like a prisoner, forbidding me from leaving the mansion. And I never got a verdict. The investigation just… stopped.
"Face reality, Serenity. Think carefully about what's kept you living in comfort all this time." Alfred was still talking, each word tearing at what little self-respect I had left. "If you can't conceive an heir soon, you'll be thrown out of this mansion and banished from the pack!"
He wasn't joking.
But to me, it just felt ironic. Everyone desperately wanted me to carry Elias's child, yet I couldn't tell them the truth. Forget children—Elias hadn't even given me a permanent mark. We still weren't truly mated.
An unmarked Omega was like a flower planted in barren soil, starved of nutrients. How could I possibly bear fruit?
So I sat there like a lifeless statue, my thoughts drifting to the past.
I remembered the first time I met Elias. I had just turned eighteen, and my father had brought me to the Spring Gathering.
Honestly, I hated those kinds of events. My siblings never missed a chance to remind me how out of place I was at such elegant affairs. They poured wine over my hair and dress, mocking me for showing up in last year's gown.
They threw me into the garden fountain. Water rushed into my nose and mouth, bubbling up in clear streams.
So many people gathered around the fountain, laughing. I struggled to climb out, and their hands shoved me back under. I floated in the water, looking up, my lungs empty of air, no more bubbles to release. Just as I was on the verge of giving up, a man's tall shadow appeared on the surface above.
"Get out of my way!"
He knocked aside the wolves blocking the fountain's edge with a few punches. Strong arms plunged into the water and hauled me out with a splash. Countless droplets soaked his clothes, ruining his expensive tailored suit. But he didn't even flinch.
When his hands touched me, when our eyes met, I couldn't focus on my siblings anymore. I could only drink in the sight of him—his dark brown hair, his perfect physique, and those emerald eyes deep enough to drown in all over again.
Novella howled frantically inside me. Every cell screamed the same word—mate, mate, mate!
How ecstatic I was in that moment. I thought finding my fated mate meant I could finally escape the Keller pack. The Moon Goddess had finally shown me mercy. I would have a mate who truly loved me with all his heart.
After all, Elias himself had told me, "Don't let anyone else dictate how you live your life. You have every right to decide what you do." So I had every right to pursue the one I truly wanted.
