Page 45 of The Possessive Alpha’s Reborn Luna

"What's going on?" Father frowned.

"Nothing." Victoria bit her lip, tears pooling. "I said something wrong and upset my sister."

"Alice!" Mother snapped. "Your sister cares about you, and this is how you treat her? Apologize to Victoria immediately!"

A noblewoman chimed in, "Some people can't get the King's affection, so they take it out on others."

"Look at that birthmark. Absolutely revolting."

"How is an ugly thing like that our Queen?"

Whispers slithered from all directions like poisonous snakes. I took a deep breath, nails cutting into my palms. Don't react. Don't let these trash get to you. I stood, gathered my skirts, and walked away from the stands.

"Your Majesty!" Amy called after me. "The contest isn't over!"

"No point watching anymore." I didn't look back. "Amy, don't follow. I need to be alone."

I walked faster.

I needed quiet. Needed to escape those grating voices. I kept going until the mockery faded. Until I reached a relatively peaceful clearing in the woods.

Far enough from the stands, but I could still hear distant beast roars from the forest. I leaned against a tree, closed my eyes, and breathed.

Suddenly—an ear-splitting roar. A wave of rancid stench.

My eyes snapped open. A massive black bear charged straight at me through the trees. Its eyes burned red. Saliva dripped from its jaws. Clearly rabid. One of the Hunt beasts—somehow it had gotten out here!

I bolted. But the heavy skirts slowed me down. The bear was faster than I'd imagined. Its massive paws shook the ground. That nauseating stench closed in.

I gritted my teeth and ran. Just had to reach the patrol guards. Then I'd be safe. Branches tore at my skin, leaving fine bloody scratches. Sharp stinging pain covered my limbs, but it was nothing compared to the terror of death at my back.

My voluminous skirt caught on branches. I yanked hard. Fabric ripped with a sharp tear. My speed faltered for half a beat.

That single second of delay—hot, fetid wind slammed into my back. The bear's roar deafened me. Heavy panting right behind me. Any second now it would tear through my spine.

Death's shadow swallowed me. One thought consumed me—I couldn't die here. Not before I had my baby. Not before I escaped and changed my fate!

My bones cracked. I tried to shift, to fight this bear. But in that moment, a louder wolf howl sounded behind me. Fury wrapped in that cry.

Cedric's voice!

Chapter Eleven

Alice

A massive shadow suddenly surged forward from behind me, blocking the space between me and the black bear. The giant wolf's fur was as black as ink, and its body was more than twice the size of an ordinary wolf. Its dark blue eyes shimmered with a cold, icy light beneath the sunlight.

A familiar scent enveloped me in that very moment. Cedric stood between me and the black bear.

At that instant, my heartbeat nearly stopped.

Cedric slammed into the black bear with all his strength, knocking it to the ground. But at the same time, the bear's sharp claws tore into Cedric's shoulder, instantly staining his black fur with blood. A painful roar escaped his throat. The black bear seized the opportunity to struggle back onto its feet and fight back, but Cedric immediately noticed its movement. The two of them rolled across the ground several times, crashing into trees and creating deafening sounds.

The moment they finally stopped, Cedric clamped his jaws down hard on the black bear's throat. The sound of bones breaking echoed through the forest. The black bear struggled violently, but only for a brief moment before its body went limp. Cedric released his bite. Blood dripped from his chin, and a horrifying wound stretched across his shoulder, the torn flesh exposed as blood continued to pour out.

Then Cedric quickly shifted back into his human form and rushed toward me. He grabbed my shoulders anxiously and asked, "Alice! Are you hurt?" I stared at him blankly, and the emotions I had buried deep inside for so long suddenly surged to the surface. He actually... got hurt trying to save me?

"Alice! Answer me! Are you hurt?" Cedric's voice became even more desperate, and even the hands gripping my shoulders were trembling. That genuine panic, that genuine concern, made my heart tremble violently.