Chapter 3

He looked at me with cold eyes. “You’re faking illness, pretending to leave, all just to get my attention, aren’t you?”

“If your father and brother could see you now, resorting to such desperate measures to win favor, they’d rise from their graves in shame.”

It was true. After Lawson became Alpha, I had done everything in my power to win back his affection. But now, all I wanted was to push him away with every ounce of strength I had.

However, a discarded mate, weakened by illness, was no match for an Alpha in the throes of anger. Lawson had already pinned me down, and I was ready to resign myself to the inevitable.

That’s when Kyson stumbled in, his voice frantic as he reported that Armani had been feeling unwell since morning. The same Kyson who usually spoke with arrogance now sounded like a saving grace to my ears.

Lawson, who had been consumed by rage and desire, rolled off me in an instant. He didn’t even bother to fasten his shirt properly before rushing to Armani’s quarters.

As soon as he left, a messenger hawk arrived, carrying news that would change everything. The bird had flown over mountains and rivers to bring me the promise of freedom. The letter was brief, but it outlined the time and place where I would be rescued from this suffocating packhouse.

I clutched the thin piece of paper as if it held the key to my future happiness and freedom.

Armani’s “illness” was nothing but a ploy. She was so thoroughly protected by Lawson that every healer and midwife was on standby. Claiming discomfort early in the morning was just her way of luring Lawson away after he had been spending too much time in my quarters.

Lawson, who had emerged victorious from the brutal power struggle to become Alpha, could see through Armani’s schemes. But because his heart belonged solely to her, he found her antics endearing.

Lawson wanted to hold Armani’s mark ceremony before she gave birth, and he had the audacity to assign the task to me.

“You know, Lawson,” he said, “in this pack, it’s just Armani and you. So, you’re the most suitable person to oversee her mark ceremony.”

I wasn’t sure if Lawson was simply arrogant or completely out of his mind. Asking the former Luna to organize the ceremony for the new Luna?

When I remained calm, even gazing at the messenger hawk resting on the porch, Lawson thought I had lost my mind from the shock. He almost reconsidered his request but remembered he had already promised Armani. The mark ceremony was also their mate ceremony.

Armani insisted I lead the ceremony, a clear message to the pack that the position of Luna had changed hands.

Seeing my quick agreement, Lawson felt a flicker of guilt. He never spoke softly to me, but he promised that in this lifetime, it would only be me and Armani.

“Even if there’s no love between us,” he said, “there’s still the bond of mates. As long as you take good care of Armani and her pup, I won’t let you or your family suffer.”

“Rest well,” he added before hurrying out of the room, perhaps embarrassed by his own absurd request.

For the next few days, Lawson didn’t visit, and I was content with the peace. But the packhouse buzzed with gossip about how Lawson had pardoned rogues and broken pack traditions for Armani’s sake. The child in her womb wasn’t even born yet, but Lawson was already talking about naming it the future Alpha.

A young omega whispered, “The Alpha dotes on his heir so much that even the mother benefits.”

Another scoffed, “It’s not just about the pup. The Alpha has gone to such lengths—praying at the sacred grove, pardoning rogues—because the pup’s mother is his true mate.”

“What about the one in the eastern quarters? Didn’t she once carry his pup too? But look at her now—stripped of her title, cast aside.”