Page 46 of The Possessive Alpha’s Reborn Luna

"I-I'm fine..." I finally found my voice again. "Cedric, you're injured."

My voice sounded hoarse. Almost instinctively, I reached out to examine his wound. His shoulder had been torn open by the black bear, and blood kept pouring out, flowing down his strong chest and gathering along the lines of his abs. There was so much blood that my heart ached.

Cedric seemed completely unconcerned about how serious his own injury was. He carefully examined me from head to toe, his hands brushing over my arms and waist, making sure there were no wounds anywhere. Only after confirming that I was truly unharmed did he finally let out a sigh of relief. His entire body seemed to relax as if he had suddenly lost all his strength.

But the next second, his expression turned cold. "What were you doing coming here?" His voice was filled with anger. "Don't you know how dangerous the edge of the hunting grounds is? Those beasts were specially prepared for the competition! If I hadn't arrived in time, do you know you could have died here?"

His words were filled with reprimand, but I could clearly feel the concern hidden beneath them. That concern made my chest tighten. I tried desperately to ignore those emotions, especially because Cedric's blood was flowing more and more. My mind could no longer think clearly.

I immediately grabbed his hand and said anxiously, "Your injury is serious. I'll take you to find a healer right away..."

A sharp horn suddenly sounded, cutting me off. It was the signal that the competition had ended. Immediately afterward, the Grand Elder's voice echoed throughout the entire arena.

"The Hunting Contest has ended! The winner is—Prince Adrian!"

My body instantly froze. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Prince Adrian won? No. In my previous life, Cedric was clearly the winner.

I suddenly turned to look at Cedric. His face showed no expression at all. He simply stared at me emotionlessly, but there were emotions surging in his eyes that I couldn't understand.

"You lost," I murmured, my voice trembling slightly. "You lost the competition because..." Because he had rushed over to save me, and that was why he lost.

Cedric still said nothing. He pulled his hand free from mine, pressed it against his bleeding shoulder, and turned to walk toward the center of the arena.

I stood there frozen, my heart pounding wildly. He had just protected me without hesitation. That concern, that panic, that fear... I had seen it all clearly. If he truly didn't care about me, if his heart truly belonged only to Victoria, why would he risk losing the competition just to save me? Could it be... could it be that he actually cared about me?

But I immediately rejected that thought. No. Don't deceive yourself again, Alice. In your previous life, you were the same. You held onto every moment when he seemed to care, convincing yourself that he loved you. But what happened in the end? He still chose Victoria. He still abandoned you and your child in the flames.

I took a deep breath, suppressing the emotions surging inside me, and followed him toward the center of the arena.

When we arrived at the square, everyone's eyes immediately fell on me. Those gazes contained curiosity, ridicule, contempt, and even malicious delight.

"Cedric!" Victoria practically rushed toward him. Her face was filled with worry and concern. "You're injured? Oh my God, you're bleeding so much! Quick, let the healer take a look!"

She reached out, wanting to touch Cedric's wound, but he moved away from her. Then Victoria's gaze shifted toward me. Her emerald eyes burned with anger and hatred.

"Alice, what exactly did you do? How did Cedric end up with such a serious injury?" Every word she spoke was filled with accusation.

I met her gaze and let out a cold laugh. "Victoria, what position do you think you have to accuse me?"

Victoria's face instantly turned pale. Her lips moved slightly, but for a long moment, she couldn't say a single word.

"Quite a spectacle." A voice filled with amusement suddenly rang out.

I turned around and saw a tall man standing in the center of the square. He was dressed in a black hunting outfit, his short blond hair gleaming beneath the sunlight, and a playful smile curved across his handsome face.

It was Prince Adrian. He was exactly as the rumors described him. However, in my previous life, I had never met him. So many things had changed in this life.

"King Cedric." He tilted his head slightly as he looked at Cedric, the smile at the corner of his lips deepening. "When you were chasing the final prey, you were clearly about to win, yet you suddenly rushed toward the edge of the hunting grounds..."

His gaze slowly shifted toward me. A strange light flickered in his amber eyes, something I couldn't understand. "Was it for this beautiful lady?"

"That's none of your concern," Cedric replied coldly. "Get out of the way."

He strode toward the healer who had rushed over.

"Prince Adrian, what an impressive display of skill!" The Grand Elder, who served as the judge, raised his voice. "Now, as the winner, you may invite one lady present here to be your dance partner tonight."

The entire arena fell silent. Everyone waited expectantly.