When Kieran carried Cecelia out of the mansion, I was still slumped on the floor with blood trickling down my neck from the back of my head. I watched his retreating figure, so urgent and panicked. Yet, he never looked back once.

Suddenly, I remembered how he used to be just as anxious about me.

Back then, I had just arrived in the Northern Pack territory and was working as an apprentice at an herbal medicine shop, studying plant remedies while earning my keep.

The first time Kieran saw me, I was being harassed by some street thugs, and he stepped in to save me. During the fight, his arm was slashed by a silver blade, and the silver poison quickly spread through his bloodstream.

Fortunately, I had learned about herbs that could neutralize silver toxicity, so I stayed awake for three days and nights caring for him until the poison was completely purged.

After that, Kieran began appearing outside the shop more frequently.

I was working late one night when he walked in and handed me a black credit card. He said, "Come with me. You don't need to work this hard anymore."

I was stunned for a moment before pushing the card back to him. "No, thank you, sir. I work hard for my living, and I don't find it burdensome."

He stared at me quietly for a long time, then handed me a business card instead. "My name is Kieran Wolfe, and I'll be back tomorrow."

Sure enough, he returned the next day in a black Maybach. Seeing that I was busy, he waved his hand and bought out our entire stock of herbs just to have dinner with me.

Over the next three months, Kieran did many outrageous things to pursue me.

When I refused his roses, he had fresh bouquets flown in daily to fill the entire shop.

When I refused to ride in his luxury car, he walked with me through the muddy, filthy streets of the poor district to see me home.

When I said we were not from the same world, he crouched beside my dirt-covered herb boxes, personally helping me clear dead leaves and debris.

He stood in that shop for three whole months. Every time I refused him, he would come back a second time, a third time, a fourth time, and so on.

It was not that I never felt my heart flutter, but I was too aware of the gap between us. I could not and did not dare let myself fall for him.

However, that changed when he shielded me from acid thrown by a rival business, leaving a horrific scar across his back.

Even as he was drenched in cold sweat from the pain, he smiled at me and said, "Elise, now that I'm scarred, you'll have to take responsibility for me."

I tenderly touched that wounded flesh as my tears fell onto his burning skin.

After I agreed to be with him, he spoiled me beyond reason.

When I cut my finger while gathering herbs, he called his private healer in the middle of the night. When I casually mentioned liking a certain cupcake, he bought the entire bakery for me. When I had period cramps, he would stay up all night rubbing my stomach.

Once, I tripped and scraped my knee slightly. He was so heartbroken that his eyes turned red as he carried me to the hospital, his hands shaking the entire way.

I laughed through my tears, telling him I was a healer myself, so why were we always going to the hospital?

However, Kieran argued, saying, "Healers can't heal themselves. It looks like a surface wound, but who knows if there's a bacterial infection or bone damage?"

He even insisted on getting a CT scan and having the best healers treat me.

I looked down at the pool of blood beneath me and suddenly laughed, and the sound was bleak.

Later, I took a cab to the hospital, alone. The healer saw how severe my injury was and immediately began stitching and bandaging the wound. By the time they finished treating me, I had lost so much blood that I was dizzy and could barely stand.

I had just stumbled out of the examination room when someone grabbed my wrist roughly.

"Elise! Cecelia almost miscarried. Yet you still wouldn't stop? You followed us to the hospital to cause more trouble?"

Kieran's voice was tight with rage. His brow was furrowed deeply, and his eyes held a bone-chilling coldness. He still carried Cecelia's suffocating perfume scent on his clothes.

"I came to the hospital, but not for her." I pointed to my freshly bandaged forehead. "I was injured too, and I couldn't treat it myself."

Kieran's expression froze. He finally noticed the strong scent of blood on me, masked by antiseptic, and the thick gauze still seeping red.

"Kieran, you said that once she delivered the pup, you'd take me away," I said, looking at him as my nose began to sting. "But now, do you even see me anymore?"

Kieran's frown deepened as he reached out tenderly to touch my wound. "What happened here?"

"You pushed me," I said calmly, dodging his touch. "I hit the bookshelf. To you, it was just a casual shove, wasn't it?"

Kieran's pupils contracted as he recalled the force he had used in his moment of rage. For a human, it could have been fatal.

He pulled me into his arms guiltily. "Elise, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just afraid something would happen to Cecelia. She's carrying the pack's future. If anything went wrong, the Elders' Council would never forgive us, and our departure would be delayed again..."

I let him hold me while staring blankly at the sterile white ceiling. I had heard these excuses too many times before.

"I understand," I said, pushing him away. "Go take care of her."

I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist again. "Elise, no matter what, you have to believe that I only love you. Everything I do is to help us escape this prison as quickly as possible."

He touched my bandage gently and said, "I'll have Brad drive you home, and don't let the wound get wet."

Brad Pennyworth was his butler.

Kieran released my hand and, as he walked away, said, "When I get home, I'll bring you your favorite cranberry cupcakes."

With that, he headed toward the VIP room at the end of the corridor, where Cecelia was being cared for by the pack's finest healers.

I stood there watching him disappear into the distance. Suddenly, I laughed, and tears began streaming down my face.

"I don't believe you anymore..." I whispered to the empty air and to my own dying heart. "Kieran, I will never believe any of your promises ever again."

Kieran was gone for three days straight. During those three days, Cecelia sent me taunting videos every single day.

In the clips, Kieran was gently coaxing Tyra with toys while Cecelia leaned intimately against his shoulder, smiling sweetly as she watched the father-daughter interaction.

I endured the heartache and watched every video she sent. There were clips of him keeping watch by Cecelia's hospital bed deep into the night, feeding her soup, and holding Tyra with nothing but adoration in his eyes.

Each video felt like a needle piercing my heart.

The pain kept coming until suddenly, I realized I could not feel it anymore. Perhaps my heart had already died the moment I was locked in that freezer.

I was about to block Cecelia's number when my phone buzzed again. It was a photo of my mom's crystal bracelet being toyed with in Cecelia's hands.

[Want your mother's keepsake? Then come get it.]

I shot to my feet so fast that my vision went black from the lingering blood loss. Yet, I did not care.

I grabbed my coat and rushed out.

In the hospital room, Cecelia was holding Tyra and humming a lullaby softly. "Daddy loves you the most, doesn't he? Daddy's Alpha power will be passed down to you someday..."

She looked up when she saw me, her smile deepening. She said, "You came? Did you know that during my stay here, Kieran hasn't even gone on his territory patrols? He's been right here, using his pheromones to comfort me and our future heir."

She deliberately emphasized the word heir.

My nails dug deep into my palms as I asked coldly, "Where's the bracelet?"

Cecelia leisurely picked up the antique crystal bracelet from the bedside table and dangled it from her fingertips. "You mean this?"

She flashed a cruel smile and said, "Here's the deal. With your human body, bow to me, Kieran's future Luna, and I'll consider giving it back."

I trembled with rage. "Don't go too far."

Cecelia's eyes were full of disdain, her arrogance on full display. "So what if I do? Elise, you're nothing but a fragile, short-lived human, while I possess the purest Alpha bloodline! What right do you have to compete with me for Kieran's affection? Bowing to me is an honor!"

She pretended to loosen her grip. "I'll count to three... If you don't get on your knees, I'll drop it. One, two..."

I bit my lip so hard I nearly drew blood. My knees felt like they were filled with lead, but they finally crashed heavily onto the cold floor as I bowed down with my forehead touching the ground.

Cecelia burst out laughing. "Look at you! You really do look like a pathetic dog."

She raised her hand, and I reached out to catch it. However, she released her fingers just half a step away from me.

The crystal bracelet shattered on the floor, breaking into several pieces.

Cecelia covered her grin with a look of mock surprise. "Oh, my! How careless of you! You couldn't even catch it."

I trembled and had just lunged forward to gather the pieces when Cecelia suddenly screamed and fell backward against the wall.

At that moment, the door was violently pushed open. Kieran and Lucian stood in the doorway with grim expressions, followed by several other elders.

"What are you doing?!" Lucian demanded sternly, his voice carrying Alpha authority that made me feel suffocated.

Cecelia threw herself into Kieran's arms, crying. "Kieran! My stomach hurts so much... Oh, and check Tyra quickly! I just saw Elise pinching and hitting her..."

Kieran frantically picked up the pup to examine her, lifting her clothes to reveal tender skin covered in purple bruises from pinching.

I stared in disbelief. "I didn't! I never even touched her!"

I shook my head desperately as Lucian glared at me with venom in his eyes. Suddenly, a blow heavy with werewolf strength struck me across the face. My vision went black, my ears rang, and blood dripped from the corner of my mouth.

"You vile woman!" Lucian's voice sounded like an echo. "You dare harm a pregnant she-wolf and an innocent pup!"

Another Elder said coldly, "The last punishment was too lenient. Guards, drag her to the punishment chamber and give her 20 lashes!"

Kieran clenched his fists tightly and stepped forward. "Elders!"

"You still want to protect her?!" Lucian interrupted harshly. "She harmed your own bloodline! Even if you plan to run away with her, it doesn't change that this pup carries your blood!"

I trembled, instinctively looking toward Kieran.

He still stood there with his knuckles white from clenching. He looked at me with such struggle, such pain in his eyes. Yet, under Lucian's unyielding stare, it slowly shifted into hopeless calm.

Kieran slowly turned his face away, silently accepting the punishment. I stared blankly at his averted face, feeling my heart being torn apart.

Then, unexpectedly, the corners of my mouth slowly curved upward as I began to laugh.

I laughed at myself for being so foolish as to actually believe he would take me away.

I laughed at my stupidity for thinking those vows could outweigh a pureblooded heir.

I laughed at my naivety for still hoping he would choose me at the crucial moment.

...

In the punishment chamber, wolf guards pinned me down, forcing me to kneel on the stone slab in the center.

The first lash came down, and my vision went black.

In a daze, I remembered when I had broken up with Kieran on the day he decided to rebel against his family to be with me. That night it poured rain, and he stood outside my window, letting the storm drench him until he burned with a high fever.

When I went to see him, he was delirious with fever. Yet, he still grabbed my hand and said, "Elise, remember... Even if it means fighting the whole world, I want only you as my mate."

The second lash fell, and I bit through my lip, the metallic taste spreading through my mouth. I remembered how he had flown halfway across the country overnight just because I had accidentally transmitted a hint of fear through our mind-link in the middle of the night.

The third and fourth lashes quickly came after. Each strike felt like it was tearing my soul apart, hurting more than the wounds splitting open on my back.

At the 15th lash, I seemed to hear his gentle voice from years ago when I was injured. "How did you get hurt again? Let me lick it... It won't hurt for much longer..."

By the 19th lash, my consciousness was fading, and my ears were buzzing. I thought I heard someone calling my name, but I could not tell if it was real or a hallucination.

Finally, the last lash struck, and I could not hold on anymore. My vision went black as I completely passed out.

Just before losing consciousness, I saw Kieran anxiously pulling me into his arms.

When I woke up again, I was lying face down on a bed. Even the slightest movement sent searing pain across my back.

"Elise!" Kieran immediately rushed over, his eyes bloodshot with exhaustion. "You're awake? Does it still hurt?"

I looked at his anxious expression and felt suddenly disoriented. In the past, when I had a common cold, he would stay by my bedside like this, never leaving my side. He would wrap me in his warm fur and lick my forehead with his slightly rough tongue to comfort me.

However, this time, it was not a fever.

I had been whipped by his pack with his silent consent, and he had watched coldly from beginning to end.

I silently pulled my hand away, unwilling to look at him.

Kieran stiffened for a moment before speaking again to explain. "Elise, it's not that I didn't want to stop them, but in that situation, the more I resisted, the harsher the Elders' punishment would have been. Elder Lucian even considered executing you! I had to protect your life first."

"So," I said with a hoarse voice, "you also believe I hurt your pup?"

Kieran's Adam's apple bobbed once. Ultimately, he chose silence.

This moment of silence was like a dull blade, brutally cutting through my last shred of hope.

With reddened eyes, I slowly said, "I'll ask you just one question: Kieran Wolfe, in the name of the moon and our mate bond, do you believe me?"

Kieran frowned, anger creeping into his voice. "Elise, there are bruises on Tyra, and Cecelia named you herself. There's a witness and evidence. How do you expect me to believe you?

"Didn't I tell you that everything would be fine once this was all over? Why did you have to provoke Cecelia?"

My tears suddenly started falling. I thought I would not feel pain anymore, but my chest still felt like it was being viciously torn apart. I hurriedly turned my head away, not wanting him to see me looking so pathetic and weak.

"Go," I whispered so quietly it was barely audible.

"Just wait a little longer, okay?" His voice softened as he tried to approach me again. "Soon, once Cecelia gives birth to this pup, we'll definitely be able to leave. I swear I'll take you to see the southern seas that never freeze."

We would go back to how things were?

I closed my eyes, my throat tightening. I knew well that we could never go back. After all, he had Cecelia now and two pups. For their sake, he had hurt me again and again, choosing others over me time after time.

I slowly turned over to face away from him, not wanting to say another word.

Kieran looked at me, his face twisted with pain. In the end, he only reached out to brush my hair, whispering, "Sleep. I'll stay here with you..."

Before he even finished, the door was violently pushed open, and a beta stood there frantically. "Alpha! Ms. Donati has been crying and calling for you! The healer says emotional fluctuations may hurt the pup..."

Kieran frowned. He glanced at my turned back and hesitated for a moment. Then, he stood up. "Elise, I..."

I let out a self-mocking laugh and murmured, "Go."

"Wait for me. I'll go check on them, then come right back to take care of you."

Watching his retreating figure, I smiled bitterly. 'You're a liar, Kieran. You won't be coming back.'

Sure enough, he never returned that night.

I was discharged the next day, and it was pouring rain outside. I packed my belongings and stood at the hospital entrance, watching Kieran's car slowly approach.

As soon as I opened the car door, I saw Cecelia holding Tyra in the passenger seat.

"Kieran..." Cecelia saw me and immediately shrank closer to him. "I...I haven't recovered from the shock yet..."

She covered her lower abdomen, her voice trembling. "She can hurt me if she wants, but she can't hurt Tyra. Can you...give me a little more time? Please don't make me ride in the same car with her for now."

I froze as I stared at the seat that used to belong to me.

Kieran was silent for a long time, then finally pushed his door open and handed me a large umbrella. "Elise, wait here for a while. I'll take Cecelia home first and come right back to pick you up."

With that, he closed the window, and the black car sped away. I stood there motionless, watching the car carrying the family of three disappear at the end of the road. I closed my eyes, feeling like there was a huge hole in my chest that could never be filled, with cold wind rushing through it.

I waited for a long time, until the rain grew heavier and the sky turned completely dark. Kieran had promised to come back for me, but he never did.

My phone had died, and I called out to him repeatedly through our mind link. Yet, there was only blocked silence on the other end.

Seeing the sky grow darker with no sign of the storm letting up, I had no choice but to open the heavy umbrella and walk home.

The fierce wind nearly snapped the umbrella frame as I stumbled forward. Suddenly, my foot slipped and I fell hard into a muddy puddle. The umbrella cracked with a sharp sound, and rain instantly soaked through my entire body.

By the time I finally made it home in my messy state, it was already deep into the night.

As I stood dripping wet in the entryway, I heard Cecelia's tearful voice coming from the living room.

Her voice was soft and trembling. "Kieran, I know you only have Elise in your heart... But this really is a special situation. M…my milk ducts are blocked, and it hurts so much, and Tyra keeps crying for milk."

She sobbed. "The usual methods don't work, and the healer said...perhaps the pup's father has to...help. Just think of it as for Tyra's sake, please help me. Don't worry. Elise will never know..."

I froze at the doorway, and it felt like all the blood in my body had run cold. In the living room, I could not see his expression, only his tense back.

After a long silence, I watched Kieran's left hand slowly rise, his fingertips parting Cecelia's clothing as his right hand slid over her pale skin. Then, right before my eyes, he lowered his head and pressed his lips against that softness.