Running a fever of 102 degrees, Marcellus Ross, the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, insisted I brave the rain to get him some antacids. The storm outside was relentless, but his Alpha tone brooked no argument. So, I went, drenched to the bone, only to find him laughing with his pack members when I returned.

"See, I told you she'd come with just one call," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "Pay up, everyone—a hundred bucks each."

Octavia Holmes, his Beta and childhood friend, smirked at me, her golden eyes glinting with malice. "Lilia Dean really is like a loyal puppy, isn't she? Why not give us a bark while you're at it?"

The room erupted in laughter, the sound echoing with humiliation. My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of protest, but I silenced her. I couldn’t afford to show weakness in front of them. Unable to bear it, I pushed the door open and left.

"Treat her like this, aren't you afraid she'll get mad and leave you?" someone asked, their voice tinged with mock concern.

"She's nothing but damaged goods," Marcellus replied, his tone cold and dismissive. "Who else would want an Omega like her besides me? Just wait, within minutes, she'll come back apologizing."

But this time, he miscalculated.

I turned and walked away, alone, toward the pack hospital where I had an abortion. This man, I realized, was no longer fit to be the father of my child. My wolf whimpered in the back of my mind, her pain mirroring my own.

Before entering the surgical room, the pack Healer, Naomi, asked if any family had come with me. I thought of Marcellus, of the bond we once shared, and the bitter reality of what it had become.

A sharp pain rippled through my chest as I lowered my eyes and replied, "They're all gone."

Naomi gave me a sympathetic look as I was wheeled into the operating room.

It rained the whole day and night, yet there wasn't a single message on my phone. I took a cab from the hospital back to the pack house, and even the few steps from the street to the door seemed to drain every ounce of strength I had, kept going only by sheer will.

Through the door, I heard laughter—a man's and a woman's.

When I opened the door, the laughter stopped, and both turned to look at me.

Marcellus lounged on the couch, casually caressing Octavia's belly. When he saw me, his face hardened, and he hurled the glass in his hand at me, anger dripping from his words.

"Lilia Dean, you actually came back! It was just a joke between me and Octavia, and you're throwing a fit over something so trivial?"

"I didn't even hold it against you for having a past, and now you're pulling this runaway act?"

Touching my face, cut by the shattered glass, I remained expressionless. Those vulnerabilities I showed him—the very things he used to exploit.

He once held me, shaking, promising with teary eyes, "From now on, I'll protect you."

And yet, here was the man who hurt me most.

Seeing my silence as acquiescence, Marcellus ordered, "Octavia and I haven't eaten. Go make us two plates of ravioli—one without onions." He liked onions, so the one without was for Octavia.

I glanced at Octavia, wrapped in my newly bought towel, barely covering her.

Arrogantly, she latched onto his arm and approached me, condescension in her voice, "Lilia, I've been staying here and don't have clothes to change into, so I'm borrowing your towel. You don't mind, right?"

She was wearing my favorite perfume as well.

I turned to Marcellus and calmly asked, "Aren't you going to explain?"

The coldness on Marcellus's face sharpened. "Enough already! You're sulking over petty issues at the worst time! Octavia hasn't eaten, and you're worrying over trifles?"

Ignoring his mate who had been missing for a day and a night, he was only concerned about the woman in the towel.

Before, his words would have infuriated me. But now, they felt utterly hollow.

I pushed Octavia aside and went straight to my room.

The towel slipped from her, falling to the ground as my fingers snagged it.

Octavia screamed, clutching herself in panic, "Marcellus!"

I ignored it all, not even glancing back as hurried footsteps and angry shouts followed, "Lilia Dean! Have you lost your mind?"

I didn't turn back, nor did I notice the conflict in Marcellus's expression.

With the towel already on the floor, I expected the night to be anything but peaceful.

Yet, surprisingly, after I finished showering, Marcellus brought a band-aid into the room.

His warm hand brushed against my bruised cheek, and I flinched, the pain sharp and raw. He sighed, his guilt palpable, but it did nothing to ease the ache in my chest. "It's my fault for being careless," he murmured, his voice low and tinged with remorse.

"And you," he continued, his tone shifting to one of frustration, "why did you take it so seriously when I was just joking with friends? If you could let things slide, last night wouldn’t have ended so badly."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. His words felt hollow, like he was scolding a misbehaving pet rather than speaking to his mate. He leaned in closer, his breath hot against my ear, whispering, "Don’t be mad. I care about you too much to see you upset. Please, just hear me out."

But I couldn’t. The weight of his betrayal pressed down on me, suffocating. My wolf stirred in the back of my mind, a low growl of resentment echoing through my thoughts. I opened my eyes and met his gaze, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. "Do you care that someone else has violated me?"

His expression froze, the warmth in his eyes turning to ice. He recoiled as if I’d struck him, his discomfort written all over his face. "Lilia," he started, his voice strained, but before he could say more, his phone rang.

The room fell silent, the tension thick enough to cut. I could hear Octavia’s panicked voice through the receiver, sharp and desperate. "Alpha, I was trying to buy a gift for Lilia to apologize, but I think a man is following me! What should I do? I’m so scared—" Her voice cut off abruptly, replaced by a scream.

Marcellus’s face darkened, his concern for her immediate. He pulled me off the bed, his grip rough and unyielding, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through my abdomen. I winced, but he didn’t seem to notice. Grinding his teeth, he glared at me, his Alpha aura radiating with a force that made my knees buckle. "Lilia Dean! How can you be so heartless? If something happens to Octavia because of you, I will never forgive you! Move!"

He dragged me to the car, my body trembling with a cold sweat as the pain in my stomach intensified. But he was oblivious, his focus entirely on Octavia. Ten minutes later, we found her by the side of the road, crying softly with blood seeping from her foot.

Marcellus didn’t hesitate. He scooped her up, cradling her like she was the most precious thing in the world, and rushed into the hospital elevator. All the while, he berated me through gritted teeth, "You better hope Octavia’s alright!"

The elevator ascended, but it suddenly jolted to a stop, the lights flickering out. Darkness engulfed us, and I froze, my fear of the dark surging to the surface. Since the attack in that alleyway, I’d been terrified of the dark, and Marcellus knew that. For years, he’d never left me alone in the dark. But now, he was too preoccupied with Octavia to notice my trembling.

I crouched against the wall, my body shaking uncontrollably. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I instinctively called his name, my voice choked with fear. "Marcellus…"

But in the darkness, Octavia’s whimpers drowned out my voice completely. "I’m so scared, Alpha. Hold me tight, don’t let go…"

Marcellus comforted her, his voice soft and reassuring, forgetting entirely about me. Perhaps he had already forgotten.

I said nothing more, burying my head in my arms and letting the darkness swallow me whole. It wasn’t clear how much time passed, but when the lights flickered back on and the elevator resumed its movement, I stumbled out, gasping for air like someone who’d narrowly escaped drowning.

While Octavia was being examined, I tried to rest, but Marcellus stormed over and pulled me back to her bedside. Pointing at her, he demanded, "Apologize!"

I shook off his hand, my own trembling with rage, and slapped him across the face. Tears welled in my eyes as I shouted, "Disgusting! Marcellus, you’re so despicable!"

He stood there, stunned, his Alpha aura faltering for the first time. But his silence only deepened the chasm between us, a chasm I knew could never be bridged.