The cool night air hit Lily’s face as Lucas and Liam dragged her back to the city square. She was already boiling, her mind filled with anger and frustration.

The town square was full, all eyes turning as the twins brought her into the center.

A loud gasp rose from the crowd, and whispers went through the pack as people recognized her.

“Isn’t that Lily? What’s happening?” someone murmured.

“She tried to run, didn’t she?” another voice said, obviously with hate.

“Traitor,” someone added, and soon enough, the crowd’s murmur turned into a loud series of sneers and insults.

Lily clenched her jaw, refusing to let their words wound her.

They had called her every name possible over the years; what was one more insult?

She kept her gaze ahead, narrowing her eyes as she spotted Alpha Dean, Lucas and Liam’s father, standing at the front of the gathering.

He held his head high, a look of both anger and disappointment plastered into his face as he looked at her.

“She tried to cross the boundary,” Lucas reported to his father, gripping Lily’s arm even tighter as if he could prevent her from even thinking about escaping again.

“Typical,” Alpha Dean scoffed, shaking his head. “You are part of this pack, yet you attempt to abandon your duty, to disrespect the very bond the Moon Goddess has granted you.”

The crowd gasped, shock and hate flooding their faces.

“Traitor!”

“Ungrateful!”

“A disgrace to the pack!”

But Lily didn’t care. She lifted her chin and, with fire blazing in her eyes, yelled,

“I don’t care what any of you think of me! And I definitely don’t care what the Moon Goddess decided. I will never accept being mated to them. Never!”

The crowd fell silent, stunned by her words.

Lucas and Liam stared at her, taken aback, while Alpha Dean’s eyes narrowed, his expression darkening. He took a step forward, his gaze fixed and intimidating.

“Silence, Lily,” he commanded, his voice a low growl that sent shivers through the crowd.

But Lily wasn’t afraid. Not anymore.

Her heart beat loudly with anger, but her voice remained steady.

“No. I’m done with being silent, with all of you thinking you can decide my life for me. I am not your property, and I won’t be the mate of anyone who has treated me like I’m nothing!”

Alpha Dean’s eyes flashed with rage.

In an instant, he raised his hand and slapped her across the face. The slap rang out in the square, sharp and harsh, leaving a stinging pain on her cheek.

Lily stumbled, her hand flying to her face, eyes wide with shock. The crowd gasped, an uncomfortable silence falling over them as they looked between Lily and their Alpha.

Alpha Dean glared down at her.

“You will respect your place, Lily,” he said coldly. “And you will obey.”

Lily’s vision blurred with tears, not from the pain but from the overwhelming anger and humiliation.

She clenched her fists, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

“Take her to her new room in the mansion,” Alpha Dean ordered the guards. “She needs time to reconsider her position.”

The guards seized her arms and pulled her away from the square, past the whispers and the accusing glares of the pack members.

Once they reached the mansion, the guards led her to a room on the top floor.

They pushed her inside, and she heard the lock click behind her. She looked around, realizing she was alone in a large, well-furnished room.

She rushed to the door and twisted the handle, but it didn’t budge.

“Locked,” she muttered under her breath.

They expected her to just stay put, like some prisoner awaiting judgment.

Her mind raced as she thought about what they’d just done to her, as if she was nothing more than a pawn in their twisted game. But she wasn’t going to stay locked up like this. Not when she had the smallest chance of getting out.

She put her hand inside her hair, pulling out a small hairpin she’d hid there earlier.

It took only a few seconds to work it into the lock, her hands quick and practiced. With a quiet click, the door swung open.

Lily stepped into the dimly lit hallway, her heart pounding as she moved silently along the corridor.

The mansion was mostly quiet, though she could hear distant voices somewhere downstairs.

She pressed herself against the wall, inching forward, keeping her ears open for any sound.

As she rounded the corner, she heard voices coming from a room nearby.

She froze, recognizing the deep tones—Lucas and Liam, their voices low but filled with frustration. She moved closer, listening intently.

“This is ridiculous,” Liam was saying, his tone seething with anger. “Why should we be forced to accept someone like her?”

“We don’t have a choice,” Lucas replied, though his voice held an edge of resentment. “Father insists. The Moon Goddess made her our mate, and he says we can’t go against it.”

Liam scoffed.

“I don’t care what Father says. I don’t want anything to do with her. She’s a disgrace to the pack.”

Lucas was silent for a moment, and Lily could almost feel his reluctance.

“Father won’t let us out of this,” he muttered finally. “He’ll make us bind to her no matter what.”

Hearing their words was like a slap to Lily’s face.

She had no idea they were as repulsed by the bond as she was, but it didn’t make her feel any better. In fact, it made her resolve even stronger. She would never be bound to anyone who saw her as a burden, who saw her as something to be tolerated out of duty.

Lily turned to slip back down the hallway, her anger and determination fueling her as she considered her next move.

But just as she turned, she froze, her heart seizing in her chest.

A tall figure stood at the other end of the hallway, watching her with cold, piercing eyes.

It was Graham, the Alpha twins’ Beta, a man known for his loyalty to the Alpha family and his merciless ways of enforcing pack rules.

His stare was as intense as it was unforgiving, and there was an air of authority about him that made her uneasy.

“What the hell are you doing here, Lily?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Her throat tightened, but she held her ground, meeting his gaze with defiance.

She knew she couldn’t afford to look weak in front of him, even if her heart was pounding in her chest.

Lily froze as Graham’s cold stare bore down on her. Her heart raced, and her palms began to sweat, but she forced herself to stay calm.

She has seen him around in school and she knew exactly how ruthless he was whenever he suspected someone of going against his masters.

“Graham,” she said, forcing a small, nervous smile. “I... I just got a bit lost. This place is so huge, you know? I was just trying to find my way back to my room.”

Graham raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. He obviously did not believe anything she had to say.

“Lost?” he repeated, his voice sharp with disbelief. “You expect me to believe that?”

Lily’s heart sank. His eyes were too keen, too piercing, as if he could see straight through her.

She swallowed sliver, choosing to stick fiercely to her story.

“Yes, lost,” she insisted, trying to keep her voice steady. “It’s not like I’ve spent much time in the mansion, this is actually my first time since I was a child. It’s easy to take a wrong turn. I mean, you should know that.”

"Why would I? I've never gotten lost here. I have lived here all my life" He replied.

Graham’s lips twisted into a smirk, and he took a step closer, his tall height making her feel small and cornered.

“You’re lying, Lily,” he said coldly. “And we both know it.”

Panic built up in her chest.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Lily said defensively. "I really did get lost."

She tried to back away, but Graham moved quickly, grabbing her arm in an iron grip.

His hand tightened around her wrist, and she winced as pain shot through her arm.

“Let go of me,” she whispered, trying to pull her arm free. But Graham’s grip only tightened.

“Let’s go,” he said, his voice a growl as he began dragging her back down the hall.

“You’re hurting me!” she cried, but he ignored her, his grip unyielding as he pulled her along.

Lily tried to wriggle free, but Graham’s hold was too strong. It felt like her bones were being crushed under his grip, and she bit her lip, holding back a cry of pain.

As they reached the stairway leading back up to the rooms, they suddenly heard a gasp.

Lily looked up to see her mother standing at the top of the stairs, her eyes wide with shock.

“Graham!” her mother exclaimed, rushing over. “What are you doing to my daughter?”

Relief flooded through Lily. She had been afraid her mother wouldn’t be around to see this, but now, maybe, she’d finally step in.

“Mom!” Lily cried, hoping her mother would take her side.

Graham’s grip loosened slightly, and he looked at her mother with respect, nodding.

“Caught her sneaking around the mansion, Ms. Johnson,” he said, his tone stern but respectful. “She was out of her room.”

Her mother frowned, her eyes moving between Graham and Lily.

For a moment, Lily dared to hope her mother would tell him to let her go, to finally protect her. But instead, her mother’s expression turned thoughtful.

“Thank you, Graham,” her mother said coolly. “I’ll take it from here.”

Graham released her, and Lily stumbled slightly, rubbing her bruised wrist as she looked at her mother in confusion.

Her mother grabbed her arm, not nearly as tightly as Graham had but firm enough to guide her back to her room.

Lily’s heart was still racing as they reached her room. The door closed behind them, and her mother turned to her, her expression unreadable.

“Mom, I have to get out of here,” Lily whispered, the words spilling out before she could stop herself.

She felt desperate, trapped, and the only way she could see forward was to escape this place and all the expectations tied to it.

Her mother’s gaze hardened.

“Lily, you are not leaving. Not now, not ever.”

Lily blinked, stunned at her mother's words.

“But, Mom, I can’t stay here! They want to bind me to those twins! They’ve done nothing but torment me, and now everyone expects me to just—”

Her mother held up a hand, cutting her off.

“Do you know what an honor it is to be chosen as Luna?” she asked, her tone sharp. “Do you know what wealth, power, and respect it brings? You’ll be set for life, Lily. And so will I.”

Lily’s heart sank as she realized the truth behind her mother’s words.

It wasn’t about her happiness or her safety. It was about what her mother could gain from her forced bond with Lucas and Liam.

The world seemed to shake as her mother’s words echoed in her mind.

“You want me to go through with this... for you?” Lily whispered, a mix of betrayal and heartbreak tightening her throat.

Her mother crossed her arms, her eyes cold.

“I want you to understand what an opportunity this is, for both of us. Being the Luna isn’t something you just throw away. Do you know how many girls would kill to be in your position?”

“I don’t want it!” Lily’s voice was barely a whisper, but it was filled with all the anger and pain she had been holding back for so long. “I don’t care about power or wealth. I just want to be free.”

Her mother’s expression darkened, and she took a step closer.

“You will not throw away this chance, Lily. I won’t let you ruin everything I’ve prayed for.”

“Prayed for?” Lily’s voice cracked as she fought back tears. “I didn’t ask for this! I didn’t ask to be forced into a life I hate, with people who hate me.”

Her mother’s hand immediately grabbed her arm tightly.

“Listen to me,” she hissed, her voice low and threatening. “If you try to escape again, I will make sure you regret it for the rest of your miserable life.”

Lily’s mouth went dry, her heart pounding as she looked into her mother’s cold, unyielding eyes.

This was no longer the mother she remembered. The warmth, the kindness—gone, replaced by greed and ambition.