Chapter 5
He didn't even raise a hand. He merely cast a dismissive, icy glance at Eric.
Crack!
Unable to withstand the apocalyptic pressure a second longer, Eric's knees slammed into the hard marble floor, instantly spiderwebbing the stone beneath him.
Cough!
A mouthful of blood spewed from Eric's lips. He curled in on himself in agony, lacking the strength to even lift his head.
Only in this agonizing moment did the truth finally sink in. That mating mark on my collarbone was no fake.
The man standing before him was the true mate who had claimed my soul.
Eric forced his head up, his voice trembling uncontrollably as he recognized the face.
"Lu... Lucian?! The Mad Wolf King of the North..."
Who on the continent hadn't heard of Lucian's terrifying reputation?
He was an absolute tyrant. A man who had single-handedly slaughtered three ancient packs that dared to rebel against him.
Eric couldn't fathom why this legendary, cold-blooded god of death would cherish the very woman he had discarded like trash.
Without sparing another glance at the pathetic mess on the floor, Lucian walked straight toward me.
The moment his eyes met mine, the bloodthirsty hostility in his crimson gaze melted away, replaced by an intoxicating devotion.
He dropped to one knee, took my hand, and pressed a reverent kiss to my knuckles.
"Apologies, my Queen. I'm late. The northern patrols held me up."
The hall was dead silent, save for Eric's ragged gasps.
Lucian slowly stood up and pulled me into his broad, warm embrace.
His long fingers gently brushed my collar aside, his thumb tracing the dark red mating mark with intense possessiveness.
"Listen closely, trash."
Lucian looked down at Eric, his eyes as cold as if he were staring at a corpse.
"Selena is my fated Queen, bound to me under the witness of the Moon Goddess."
"The treasure you blindly threw away is now entirely mine."
"Whether you've suddenly seen the light or you're dying of regret, it has absolutely nothing to do with her anymore. If you ever dare harbor another delusional thought about her, if you even breathe in her direction and dirty her eyes, I will grind your Sunfire Pack—and your bones—into dust."
Eric's mental defenses completely shattered.
All his remorse, his fantasies, his desperate obsession—they were all mocking his ignorance in the cruelest way possible.
He thought banishing Lily would reset the clock. But broken things can never be put back together.
"Liam," I said coldly, tired of this farce.
"Throw him out of Dark Moon territory. If anyone resists, kill them on the spot."
"Yes, My Queen!"
The fierce Dark Moon guards immediately surged forward, dragging Eric and his men out like dead dogs.
As he was hauled past the splintered remains of the doors, Eric strained his neck to look back. His eyes clung to me, filled with entirely broken, devastating regret.
"Selena... I really know I was wrong..."
His words were swallowed by the howling blizzard.