••• Victoria's POV •••

Even though I knew of Alpha Damien and his pack's strength, I was still anxious for him.

I wondered what he would want for me. Would it be something I was able to give? What if he asked for something exorbitant like giving up former my pack?

No, he should know what had happened to me when he reached here, and he wouldn't ask me something like Elijah.

I would talk about it with him and my end of the deal would be to ask for his help to reclaim it, as well as to escape from here.

I sighed and leaned heavily against the cold wall of the dungeon. I knew I was selfish in asking for his help, since we had only met once, but he was literally the only one who could help me now.

But would it work, though? Would he want to help me as it wouldn't be an easy task to do.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of footsteps again and scrambled to my feet, holding onto the wall due to still being weak from not having eaten or drank anything. If it was Elijah revisiting me, there was no way I would give him the satisfaction of seeing me weak again.

It was already bad enough for him to see and talk to me with shamelessness. His towering above me and looking down at me with disdain would be another level of disgrace for me.

Unfortunately for me, the moment that werewolf's scent hit my nostrils, I knew it wasn't Elijah but someone worse for me, at least for this moment, and my heart soured even more.

The soft swishing sound of fabric and the clicking sounds of high heels made me sure it was her, and when she finally rounded the corner of the dungeon's hallway, I finally saw Evelyn, much to my dismay.

She was wearing a flowy dress and for the first time, I saw her baby bump. It made me feel sick. I guessed I didn't pay much attention before.

I truly didn't know why she would be visiting me, but I knew she would probably just want to show off to me and demean me.

Letting go of the wall behind me, I gathered my strength to stand on my weakened legs. Just like I wouldn't show my weakness to Elijah, I much prefer for her to see that she didn't really have any effects on me anymore.

I folded my hand across my chest and glared at her with all the pretense of being strong in the face of my enemy.

"What do you want?" I sneered as I looked at her standing on the other side of the bars. "Didn't your lover tell everyone not to visit me? Can't believe you actually have the audacity to already go against your Alpha's words."

She looked at me and scrunched her nose before taking a tissue and covering her nose with it. "Look at how the so-called Luna has fallen," she said, not even bothering to reply to my accusations.

"How do you feel after being used by your husband?" Her smug look made me want to tear her limbs apart and a growl escaped my lips.

She laughed again. "Still think you are the Luna of the pack, huh?"

"As long as Elijah hasn't rejected or divorced me, I'm still his mate, and that means I'm still the Luna of the pack," I tried to intimidate her with the facts, but instead of feeling threatened, she laughed so hard until tears ran down her cheeks.

"What's so funny?" I glared at her.

"Oh, Victoria," she wiped her tears away. "No wonder you are easily manipulated. Do you really think the pack members or even Elijah thinks you are their Luna?"

My fists clenched tightly. "Everyone from other packs, now I am the Luna of the Goldclaw Pride Pack."

"Not for long," she smirked.

"What do you mean?" I asked through greeted teeth. "As I said, they know how the Goldclaw Pride Pack became even more powerful and it was because of all the resources I had provided him with. Without me, this pack wouldn't be as influential as it is now."

"And that was how foolish you were." Evelyn chuckled. "You think I'm shameless for being Elijah's mistress? But what about you? Every pack member was disgusted by what a simp you were to Elijah. You kept chasing after him even though he never wanted you."

Her words hit my sore spot because they were all true and my body started shaking. If Lya was still with me, I was sure I would have shifted and attacked this shameless mistress.

"So," she smirked again. "How does it feel when everything you've ever worked for to gain his love and the pack members' respect went down the drain?"

I bit my lip so hard to the point I could taste the coppery taste of blood as I stared dagger at her.

"Nothing to say?" she taunted.

Yeah, I didn't feel like talking to her anymore. I just wished for her to leave me alone. I knew no matter what I said right now, she would just attack me back. What was the point?

"Well, it's good that you know your place now," she said as she looked at her well-manicured nails. I hated how she looked so good while I, the supposedly Luna of the pack, must have looked like a homeless person with how I hadn't bathed, eaten or drank for many days. This was so degrading.

"But let me tell you something," her smile turned vicious. "All of your works, everything you've done for Elijah and his pack, your perfume empire. Everything will eventually be mine."

Finally, I couldn't control myself anymore, and I ran toward the dungeon's bars, grabbed them, and yelled at her, "How dare you! That's my family's blood and sweat and something they passed down to me!"

"Awww. Do you finally feel like a clown now?" She then had the audacity to lightly slap my cheek. "It's too late now, though. Elijah promised it to me."

••• Victoria's POV •••

Elijah had promised to give everything to her? That was just too much!

I turned my head, ready to bite her hand, but she withdrew before I could do it.

"What a beast," she snarled at me and punched me through the gap between the bars. I wasn't expecting it, and the punch sent me tumbling backward, and I lost my footing, making me land on my butt.

Evelyn looked at me with disdain as she shook her hand. "What a weakling," she mocked. "You deserved it. Anyway, this place reeked so much, it would taint my scent."

"Anyway, I'm done with you. I'm just here to put you in your place."

Goddess, I hated how she acted like she was the Luna of the pack already.

"Actually, my main point in coming here is to tell you that Alpha Damien Verlice of the Infernal Shadows Pack is coming to visit our pack, and we are going to hold a reception banquet to welcome him," she informed me, and my heart skipped a beat. "And guess what? Elijah will be bringing me in place of you."

She threw me another smug look before turning around and leaving me alone again in the cold dungeon.

Her smug look didn't hurt me as much as her words. I shouldn't expect anything from Elijah anymore. However, it still hurt me to think he would still banish me, his Luna, his lawfully wedded wife, in a dungeon while he paraded his mistress with no shame whatsoever or thought about my feelings.

A single tear escaped my eyes. How could he be so cruel?

I rubbed the dried blood that had trickled from my nose due to Evelyn's punch. Luckily, although Lya was still in a deep slumber, I still didn't lose any of my werewolf powers, and my wound had started healing, except for the burns on my wrists that were caused by the silver cuffs.

I lay on the cold dungeon ground and curled my body into a fetal position, letting more tears fall from my eyes. I couldn't believe this would happen to me - A once beloved daughter of the Alpha of one of the strongest packs and heiress to a renowned perfume company was betrayed and imprisoned by someone I loved.

But since Alpha Damien was coming, it meant I still had hopes to be freed from this dungeon and the shameless duo of my husband and his mistress.

The next day, my Beta, Felix, sneaked into the dungeon and brought me loaves of bread and bottles of water, and I devoured them like it was the best meal I had ever eaten.

Hey, don't judge me. I had been denied food and drink, and it was only natural for me to act like that.

"Felix, do you know how many of the Palemane Claws Pack members have turned their loyalty from me to Elijah and his pack?" I asked him once I finished all the food and drinks he brought me. "I know some of them have turned their backs against me. They helped to drag me here without showing any remorse."

"Luna, I assure you many of our pack members still support you," he replied with a respectful tone.

I breathed a sigh of relief, but then I remembered how many of my pack members had told me they were being excluded by Elijah except for those he deemed advantageous for him and his pack, but I was too blinded by my love for Elijah to see it.

My back slumped against the wall, and my lips curled into a bitter smile.

"Felix, do you think everything that has happened for the past few days was my fault?" I stared straight into my Beta's eyes. "Evelyn told me I was the shameless one since I kept chasing after Elijah, knowing he might never love me."

Felix was very loyal to me, and although he was my Beta, he was never afraid to speak his mind, so I expected him to always be honest with me.

Not breaking eye contact, he sighed, "Love can do that to a person. You've done so much for him and his pack, but he was ungrateful. And he still dares to take on a mistress. Maybe this could be a lesson for you, Luna."

"Yeah." I whispered with my eyes closed. Maybe the Moon Goddess was giving me a lesson not to give my heart to anyone again easily but to love myself and to focus more on my pack, its members, and my business empire.

I opened my eyes and looked at my Beta again. "I regret everything, but everything will end soon."

Felix's brows furrowed, and he asked with concern, "What do you mean by that, Luna? You are not going to do something foolish, aren't you?"

For the first time since I was imprisoned, I chuckled. "No." I shook my head. "You will know about it soon."

I couldn't actually tell him until Alpha Damien came since I still didn't know what he wanted from me.

"I heard Alpha Damien Verlice of the Infernal Shadows Pack is coming soon?"

He nodded in response.

"Please bring him to meet me when he arrives," I commanded.

A flash of confusion and apprehension crossed his brown eyes, but I assured him that Alpha Damien wouldn't do anything terrible to me.

"Alright, Luna, I trust you," he said before his eyes glossed over, and I knew someone must have summoned him through the mindlink.

"Go," I ordered him. "Don't let them know you visited me. And remember, do your best to bring Alpha Damien here."

He nodded and excused himself.

With my stomach full, I felt stronger and couldn't wait to meet Alpha Damien.

Elijah might think he now had power over my pack members, but after knowing Felix's words, I was sure he didn't realize that our combined pack's strength was still in my grasp.

••• Damien's POV •••

I was standing in front of the glass wall-to-ceiling window of my office when I heard the door open and click close behind me. "Has everything been arranged?" I asked without turning back.

"Yes, Alpha," my Beta, Noah, replied from behind me. "We are set to go to the Goldclaw Pride Pack today. They told me they'll prepare a welcoming banquet for you."

A welcoming banquet? I frowned and finally turned to face Noah. "What exactly did you tell them that they feel the need to welcome me with a banquet?"

After being my Beta for so long, Noah had also become my best friend. He shrugged and smirked, "Told them you want to have some business cooperation with their pack."

I could feel my wolf, Eros, roll his eyes in my head. "What a bunch of ass-lickers."

I couldn't help but chuckle. I agreed with Eros. Discussing business did not need a banquet. Guessed, he wanted to boast to his pack members how he could at least make a powerful pack such as mine to want to have business dealings with him.

"When is the banquet?" I asked Noah.

"Tonight," he replied, and I looked at my watch. There was still time as it was still afternoon, but it was best to go now so I could meet the she-wolf from five years ago.

I took my suit jacket from the back of my swiveling office chair and told Noah, "Let's go now. I'm sure they are ready to welcome us even before the banquet starts."

Noah's confusion did not escape me, and even though he was my best friend, I was still his Alpha. He still knew his place so he just nodded and followed me to my special parking lot.

The journey took longer than I had anticipated. Honestly, since I had never intended to have any business cooperation with the Goldclaw Pride Pack, I never really took note of where they were situated or how the pack looked.

I snorted when my car rolled into the pack. No wonder Elijah was excited when he heard the reason for me coming to his pack.

The Goldclaw Pack was in no form able to compete with mine. It was much smaller than my Infernal Shadows Pack, and the buildings and homes all looked less modern compared to the ones in my pack.

Noah drove us toward the pack's main house where apparently the banquet would take place, and once again, I snorted at how Elijah had tried to build it so it looked grand, but it actually was tacky. Maybe he tried to compensate for his pack's lack of strength by showing off his so-called wealth by designing the pack's main house with so many gold colors everywhere.

I looked outside and could see Alpha Elijah and a few other members of his pack - whom I supposed should be his Beta, Gamma, and a she-wolf by his side, his Luna.

Noah stepped out first before he rounded the car toward the back passenger seat where I was sitting and opened the car door for me.

I got out of the car and buttoned up my suit jacket. Alpha Elijah and his Luna approached me with huge grins, followed by his Beta and Gamma behind them.

"Look at their fake smiles," Eros scoffed in my mind, but my gaze was already zeroing in on the she-wolf with a noticeable baby bump.

I narrowed my gaze at her. I remembered this she-wolf. She was the one who had drugged me five years ago, and it wasn't difficult to know what her intention was. I sneered inwardly. So, she changed her prey to Alpha Elijah, huh?

"Alpha Damien, welcome to our pack," Elijah greeted me, still with that fake smile of his. He then gestured to the pregnant she-wolf and introduced her to me. "This is Evelyn Madden."

I frowned when I heard the name. From what I could remember, she wasn't the Luna of the Goldclaw Pride Pack.

"Noah, is the Luna of the Goldclaw Pride Pack named Evelyn Madden?" I mindlinked my Beta to make sure.

"No, Alpha," he mindlinked me back. "It should be Victoria Solace."

Just as I had expected. Judging from her pregnant state and how she was clinging to the Alpha, she must be his mistress.

But wait. Wasn't Victoria Solace the she-wolf from five years ago? She was the Luna of the Goldclaw Pride Pack now? Why would she need me to save her? No matter; I needed to deal with this Alpha and his mistress first.

"How could they be so shameless?" Eros growled in my mind and I agreed with him. This was simply so ridiculous and unacceptable. To parade his mistress as if she were his Luna was another degree of shamelessness.

Even though I was a playboy Alpha, I would never disrespect or humiliate my Luna like this, nor would I take a mistress. Yeah, yeah, I sounded like a hypocrite, but I was a loyal man. If I had really chosen a Luna, I would dedicate my attention to her and not look at other she-wolves again.

"That is if you have a Luna," Eros mumbled in my mind and I fought the urge to roll my eyes at him because his words were valid - I didn't have a Luna.yet. That was a fact, and that was also why I didn't want to have a Luna. I still preferred to have fun. And why the hell not? I was still a hot-blooded man, and with so many she-wolves available for me to fuck, why would I settle down for one? Wouldn't it be boring to fuck the same she-wolf every day? I would only take a Luna because those old fossils threatened to dethrone me.

I narrowed my eyes at Elijah and his mistress, and with my Alpha tone, I coldly asked Elijah, "You think you can welcome me with a mistress in your arms instead of your Luna, knowing that a mistress status is way lower than mine?"

Elijah must not have expected me to say those words as he looked startled, especially since I used my Alpha tone, and he should know how I found all this to be demeaning to me. As a weaker Alpha, my Alpha tone must have affected him as I saw him trembling slightly, and beads of sweat started forming on his forehead. I wondered how he was going to explain this situation to me.