(Carissa)

The servants left me after helping me get dressed. I looked at the food they had laid out on the table. I filled my plate and began to eat. I didn't want to cry over the passing of a man who didn't care about me.

I was his fated partner, Luna of his flock, but he gave his heart to another woman. Ethan didn't appreciate the time and devotion I had given him during our four years together. How could he be so cruel?

I didn't know what had happened to my pack because no one had given me any news. I reached out to them via mind link, but no one answered. I sent messages regularly. Unfortunately, they didn't reply.

I thought my people had scattered. I didn't expect them to be waiting to select a new leader. Who would be the new Alpha and Luna of the Blood River Pack? I knew of several candidates, but none of them were born Alphas. Ethan had younger siblings and cousins. Maybe one of them won the battle for the title of Alpha.

"It's time to start the ceremony." A servant came to see me in the room.

As night fell, Duncan hadn't returned. I didn't leave his chamber because he told me not to go out. The woman who came was the servant who used to deliver his message to me. So, I believed the king sent her.

"What about His Majesty?" I asked.

"Sleeping with the king doesn't give you the right to know what he's doing," she quipped.

"The king asked me not to leave the room," I explained.

"Come with me if you want to see your husband's funeral," she said sarcastically.

I stood up and smoothed my skirt. I was wearing a luxurious black dress, complete with a beautiful fur coat. As autumn approached, the night air felt chillier. But we were in the middle of the forest, which made the air even colder.

The woman walked towards the ground floor. A car was waiting in the front yard of the palace. The maid got into the car in front, while a soldier opened the car door in the middle for me.

The vehicles drove into the forest. I got out of the car near the path. The servant walked ahead, so I followed her. Several residents were gathered around something. They made room for me when the woman ahead of me announced my arrival.

I was shocked to see Ethan lying on a pile of wood. They were cleaning the blood and dirt from his face and body. I approached to see his handsome face one last time. He was wearing clean clothes and smelled nice.

I would miss his deep, lively brown eyes so much. His light brown hair made me jealous because he looked even more handsome with dark hair. My light hair color often made people say we weren't a good match, but I didn't care.

Unfortunately, he ended our relationship near the end of his life. I didn't understand why he called me a traitor. I was only trying to survive. I wasn't wrong to give my body to the king. I did it all to stay alive and for his safety.

I didn't forget my partner and my friends. I never stopped looking for a way to escape from the king's captivity. If I had known Ethan was in such bad shape, I would have freed him and left the cursed place.

"The moon has risen. It's time to begin the ceremony," a middle-aged man on a stage announced.

The people around me stopped talking. They turned their gaze to the elder. A woman approached him and handed him a container. The man accepted it and raised it high, then returned it to the woman.

The priest descended the stairs and walked towards me. She gave me a container filled with liquid. I accepted it and poured it with a broken heart onto my mate's body. After returning the stainless cup, I received a torch from a man.

I took a deep breath. No one from Blood River attended the ceremony. Why hadn't Duncan invited them? Did Ethan's status as a prisoner mean that the members of his pack weren't entitled to witness his passing into the afterlife?

"Alpha Ethan of the Blood River Pack will return to the embrace of the Moon Goddess. May he be reborn as a good man and live a long life. All praise to the Moon Goddess!" the elder exclaimed.

"All praise to the Moon Goddess!" everyone repeated.

I burned the wood with the torch. The fire consumed the wood quickly and burned Ethan's body. I stepped back and returned the torch to the man. Even though the fire was raging, I could see my partner behind the flames.

It was probably for the best. We had been in captivity for three months. Ethan gave up because he was suffering in prison. A leader with such high self-esteem would not easily give up unless there was no other way. Fate brought us together. Fate also separated us forever.

People began to leave the forest because the ceremony was over. I wanted to stay there longer, but the woman with me urged me to return. I turned to look at the ashes one last time.

"Ugh!" All the women escorting me stopped and placed their hands on their left chests.

"It can't be," the woman on my right murmured.

"Our queen!!" they cried out in unison.

They knelt on the ground, shocking me. They placed both hands on the ground to support their heads. All the servants roared while shouting the queen's name and begging her not to leave.

I widened my eyes. What!? The queen died?? Even though I wasn't a resident of the capital, I was part of the Moon Night Kingdom. I swore allegiance to the kingdom and the Lycan King. Why didn't I sense her death?

I let them grieve. The pain of loss would consume them physically and emotionally for several hours, because the one who had died was our supreme leader. That sight gave me an idea. An opportunity like that would never occur twice!

'The servants are in a weakened state. That means the guards are grieving too,' Quinn said.

'Right. It's the perfect chance to escape!' I stepped back and turned around.

Seeing no soldiers near me, I ran toward the border wall. Whatever the servants gave me, I was grateful to them. I didn't feel the pain of the queen's death. Though Ethan's death pained me, my strength had fully recovered.

My wolf urged me to shift, but I refused Quinn's suggestion. I'd need clothes while in the forest. I couldn't return to my pack in wolf form. Seeing the wall ahead of me, my heart raced.

'Finally, we can go home!' my wolf exclaimed.

I sprinted, fixing my gaze on the top of that high wall, but something strong and fast slammed hard into my right side. I was pushed to the left and fell into the grass. Before I could stand, a man was on top of me, pressing down on my neck.

"Damn it! Let me go!" I struggled fiercely.

Clyde chuckled. "Duncan's suspicions were right. You were going to try to escape tonight."

I gave up because his strength was greater than mine. "How come the queen's death didn't weaken you?"

"The queen's death didn't weaken you either," the Delta replied. He stepped back and stood up. "Come on, it's time to go back to the palace." The man held out his hand.

Hearing footsteps near me, I knew my chance to escape was gone. Servants and soldiers surrounded me. I took Clyde's outstretched hand and stood up. After fixing my hair and clothes, I followed them.

Clyde walked beside me, making sure I couldn't escape. B*stard. Just one step and I would be out of that hellish place. I clenched my fists, stopping the tears from streaming down my face.

The atmosphere in the palace was tense because everyone was grieving. The door guards, who were usually cold and alert, were in pain, and their eyes were watering. I knew how it felt because I had lost several people in my pack due to illness and war.

Seeing us continue to climb the stairs, I stopped. "Why are you taking me to the king's chamber?" I asked in confusion.

"It is the king's order," the woman beside me said.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The king couldn't have asked them to take me to his quarters. He couldn't ask me to serve him on the day of my husband and his wife's deaths. Duncan had been cruel to Ethan and my companions, but he wasn't a heartless man.

"Your Majesty, I am escorting Carissa Moss," the servant in front of me said.

"Only she may enter," Duncan replied.

My heart was pounding. My whole body was shaking. I knew the king had asked me not to leave the room earlier. I thought he had said that so we could go together to the cremation ceremony. If I went in, I would have to serve him in bed.

I couldn't do that, but going against him would be the same as destroying the rest of my flock. I couldn't face his powerful guards. Resisting him would be like starting our relationship from scratch.

"Why are you just standing there? The king is waiting." The woman beside me pushed my body.

I forced myself to step forward. After I passed through the door, the two guards closed it. I clenched my fists, feeling helpless and frustrated. I was the Luna of Blood River Pack, not a prostitute.

I took a deep breath, and something caught my sense of smell. The fragrant aroma, the lime that made my mouth water. It wasn't the king's perfume. Wait a minute. I knew that scent. My heart was pounding, and my breath was racing.

I searched for the source of the fragrance and met the king's gaze near the window. Duncan strolled toward me; his eyes fixed on me with admiration. The scent grew sharper as we drew closer. No. That couldn't be.

(Duncan)

Davina cut off communication with me. I couldn't talk to her wolf either. I remained calm among my warriors, even though I was furious. A queen should not act rashly.

The Gamma had checked the cameras near the queen's room and every corner she had passed. All the cameras were off between three and five in the morning. Those were vulnerable hours. The officers on duty were tired and sleepy.

"Have you swept the forest?" I asked.

"My people report that they are still searching," Lennox replied.

"The queen is far away. Expand the search to places that can be reached by car in two or three hours. Give me the names of areas where our people own houses or villas. I will call her family to ask about her whereabouts," I ordered.

"Okay," he said obediently.

I called her parents, siblings, and relatives, but no one had spoken to Davina in the last few days. I leaned back in my chair and thought hard. If no one knew where she was, who was helping her?

All of her loyal servants had cut off communication. I couldn't use my authority because we were too far apart. Their wolves were too weak to hear my call. I couldn't believe Davina would recklessly leave me.

Wait. That woman rejected me as her mate. She wouldn't have done that if she weren't in a desperate situation. Even though Davina didn't like our marriage, she enjoyed her role as Queen of the Moon Night Kingdom.

"Duncan," someone called from the doorway.

I looked up and saw Wallace walking toward me. "It's good you're here. I need your help finding some information."

The Beta's eyes widened when he heard the name I mentioned. He didn't ask why I wanted to know about that man. My friend darted out of my office before saying why he had come. That wasn't like him.

'Why did you come?' I asked via mind link.

'I heard the news about Davina's disappearance. I wanted to cheer you up, but helping you find that man is far more important,' Wallace answered.

'Thank you,' I said.

'Save your thanks, because I haven't found anything yet,' he replied. 'Well, don't bother me. I'll let you know the results.'

'Let me know as soon as possible. I'll check the roads they might have taken,' I instructed.

'Okay,' the Beta agreed.

'Wallace, keep an eye on Carissa. She might try to escape now that I'm not in the capital,' I ordered.

'Don't worry. There's always a warrior watching her every move,' Wallace said.

I left the palace with several warriors. We used three cars. The tracker was in front to show us the way. Security cameras were only inside the capital walls. We didn't install cameras outside my territory.

Fortunately, it wasn't raining, so the tracks of the car they were using were visible. My man knew the type of tires the queen's car had. He could tell which direction they had taken and which they hadn't. It was noon, but we hadn't found them.

'Duncan, your suspicions are correct,' Wallace said via mind link.

'What do you mean?' I asked.

'Mateo has just lost his wife. He left his pack a few days ago. His children are under the care of their grandparents. His name is on the list for a flight to our state. The man has no acquaintances here. That means...' the Beta reported.

'Mateo went to see Davina,' I concluded.

Damn it! I knew something was suspicious about Davina's behavior yesterday morning. After embarrassing me, she rejected me without hesitation. I didn't expect her to do all that, only to return to her useless ex.

That man was only a Gamma, the head of the royal guard in his kingdom. I was far better than he was in every way. How dare Davina betray me and leave the empire that needed their queen for an ex!

I had a sudden, unbearable pain in my chest. I clenched my fists and pressed my lips together to hold back the pain. Davina, you b*tch! I knew she did it to get back at me for last night's incident.

I let that man live because I believed my wife's promise to be faithful to me. I wouldn't waste my time. That man had to die! I slept with another woman because Davina begged me to. But that woman slept with her ex because she wanted to.

'Your Majesty, we found the queen!' the head of security reported through the mind link.

'Give me the address,' I ordered.

I gave the address to the driver of the lead car. Even though they drove fast, it took us an hour to reach our destination. It was the most painful and longest hour of my life. I had to endure the pain of my wife making love to another man.

My wolf rebelled, craving blood, but I controlled him. Rex tried to take charge. Seeing that he couldn't think calmly, I locked him away deep in my subconscious. I understood his disappointment, but we were the king who had to act justly.

"We're here, Your Majesty," the driver reported.

I saw the villa in front of me. The two-story hut belonged to one of our kind from the farthest pack. We built places like that for wolf couples in heat. That way, other male wolves wouldn't be disturbed by the female wolf's mating call.

An hour of nonstop intercourse was an unforgivable crime. I left in a hurry. Therefore, I did not bring any painkillers. But I would repay Davina with unbearable pain.

"Your Majesty, we tried to come as quickly as possible." A medic approached me. He gave me a pill.

I took it and swallowed it. The pain did not subside. The medicine needed time to take effect. I accepted a bottle of water from him and drank it. "Thank you," I said. "Be prepared to help the queen if she is injured."

"Yes, Your Majesty," he said obediently.

My men waited for my orders. They stood by their respective cars. I had no plan other than to take Davina home. I calmed myself to help the medicine work faster.

After my pain subsided, I approached the hut. I asked the tracking group to stay where they were. I only signaled to three warriors to follow me. They were enough to subdue the queen's guards if they refused to submit to me.

Thankfully, I didn't have to do that. The six guards immediately knelt when they saw me coming. They prostrated themselves with their heads touching the ground. I didn't punish them because they were only following orders.

Davina knew I had arrived, but she didn't stop hurting me. I opened the door and saw her on top of a man. The two of them were enjoying their intercourse, not caring that I was watching them from the doorway.

"I'm Duncan Bayhill," I said.

"What? No!" Davina exclaimed.

"King of the Moon Night Kingdom, accept your rejection, Davina Haylor, as my mate," I declared.

"B*stard!" the woman cursed.

Davina fell onto her ex-boyfriend's body. She groaned in pain, placing her hand on her chest. Her face flushed red, showing how unbearable the pain was. But I wasn't satisfied until I saw blood.