Kira POV:

He was a king on a throne, and I was his lowly subject. His command was another humiliation.

I didn't move.

I didn't want to obey him anymore. I didn't want to be a doll he could position and discard at will.

Dorian's patience seemed to run out. He pushed the door open, his tall frame unfolding from the car with an oppressive aura.

He loomed over me, his shadow swallowing me whole. "Kira, I don't want to say it a second time."

I gritted my teeth and meeting his gaze. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't your mistress be waiting for you?It seems like she really relies on you. "

"You want to clarify this, and I'm giving you the opportunity to do so."His tone left no room for argument."To a place where we can make things clear."

In the end, I pulled the door open and got in. I knew I couldn't defy him. Not yet.

The car moved smoothly through the night, the silence inside as heavy as a shroud. I watched the streetlights streak past the window, feeling like I was being driven to my own execution.

He didn't take me to our "home." He didn't take me to his apartment. He parked by the side of a secluded, moonlit lake.

He killed the engine but didn't get out. The space inside the car felt small and suffocating. His scent of cedar filled the air, an unwelcome reminder of our bond, a cruel taunt of his coldness.

As I was about to explain what had just happened, he interrupted me.

He turned his head, his deep-set eyes dark in the dim light. "Kira, we need to talk about our... arrangement."

A cold laugh bubbled in my chest. We had an arrangement to talk about?It seems he wasn't actually interested in my explanation; he was probably more concerned with eliminating my existence.

He took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lighting one. The red glow of the flame illuminated his handsome face for a second, the smoke blurring his expression.

"I don't want you causing any more trouble for Cora," he said. His first words were still for her.

"I didn't cause her trouble! It was an accident!" I raised my voice, my emotions spiraling out of control.

"Whether it was an accident doesn't matter," he said, flicking ash from the tip of his cigarette. His tone was flat, almost cruel. "What matters is that we need to solve the problem between us."

My heart sank. I knew it was coming.

"I, Dorian Carlisle," he looked at me, his words slow and deliberate, like a cold, solemn ritual, "am requesting to perform 'The Rejection' with you, Kira Sterling."

My mind went blank. A buzzing sound filled my ears.

Even though I had imagined this moment a thousand times, hearing the words from his own mouth felt like my soul was being torn in two.

I could feel my inner wolf howling, raging against the betrayal of her mate.

"The Rejection requires the consent of both parties to be complete." I heard my own voice, trembling but firm. "And I, Kira Sterling, do not accept your rejection."

Dorian seemed taken aback. He probably hadn't expected me to refuse so directly. He crushed the cigarette in the ashtray, his brow furrowed.

"This has nothing to do with Cora," he said, his tone stiff. "We were never right for each other from the start."

"Not right?" I laughed, a bitter, tear-filled sound. "You didn't say that when you performed The Marking. You didn't say that when the Moon Goddess bound us together."

"That was a mistake," he replied coldly.

"It's because of her, isn't it?" I stared at him. "You rushed back from your trip abroad to be with your lover, and now you're in a hurry to get rid of me, the inconvenient Luna?"

He was silent. He didn't admit it, but he didn't deny it either. His silence was the most hurtful answer of all.

A bone-deep chill washed over me. He hadn't come back for Pack business. Not for our anniversary. He came back to discard me.

I looked at his handsome, cold face, and a crazy thought formed in my mind. The more you want to get rid of me, the more I will make sure you can't.

"Dorian, I'll say it again," I said, each word spoken with all the strength I could muster. "I will not accept. As long as I don't agree, I am the one and only Luna of the Nightfall Pack. You can forget about putting that woman in my place."

A flash of anger crossed his eyes, and something else... something I couldn't read. He started the car again, the roar of the engine like a beast's snarl.

The roar of the engine echoed in the small space. Dorian's hands gripped the steering wheel, the veins on the back of them standing out, a clear sign of his fury.

He wrenched the wheel, the car making a sharp U-turn and speeding back towards the city.

The sudden acceleration threw me against the door. I grabbed the handle to steady myself.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, my voice trembling with the car's movement.