Chapter 3
Even though Francisco and I quickly confirmed our mate bond with a marking ceremony, his parents barred me from entering their den, claiming I wasn’t worthy of their attention. They didn’t even acknowledge Francisco’s infidelity as a problem. Mikael, the former Alpha, glared at me with contempt, while Kamari, the former Luna, rolled her eyes and lobbed insults in my direction.
“Look at how your standards have slipped,” Kamari chastised Francisco, her tone sharp and condescending. “We found you Arielle—a she-wolf from a respectable family, and everyone thought your bond was solid for over a year—and you left her for this… this siren!”
I chuckled to myself. The she-wolf they picked for Francisco was someone they could easily manipulate. Arielle, with no powerful lineage to back her, was easy prey for them. They knew what kind of male their son was. When Arielle pleaded for their help, Mikael and Kamari merely advised Francisco, “Be careful where you strike her; don’t leave visible marks. It wouldn’t look good if the pack found out.”
These hypocrites were far from innocent bystanders; they were complicit. Francisco boasted that even if he stirred up trouble, his parents would have his back. And they did. Even during the council hearings, they sent ominous messages to the victims: “If you don’t accept the settlement, we won’t spare you. We’ll ruin your entire family.”
Under Mikael and Kamari’s false concern, I portrayed a demure and obedient demeanor. Francisco quickly defended us, “Mother, Father, Leila and I are genuinely fated. I’ve visited her family; her parents are ordinary pack members, but Leila is their only daughter. She’s exceptional and has lived in other territories, with more progressive views; she doesn’t mind that I’ve been marked before.”
Mikael’s eyes showed a hint of calculation, while Kamari couldn’t hide her disdain, letting out a contemptuous snort. “She looks suitable enough; at least she won’t embarrass you. But there won’t be a public mating ceremony. Marking her with no ceremony isn’t being modern; it’s being reckless.”
With loving, tearful eyes, I looked at Francisco, “I understand my entrance wasn’t dazzling. I just love you so much. Maybe we should heed Mother’s advice and not have a ceremony to avoid ridicule.”
Francisco’s expression shifted, his Alpha aura flaring slightly. “Who would dare ridicule me? We’re going to have an extravagant ceremony. Arielle’s was low-key because we’d just moved out—no, because Mother and Father orchestrated it. But I want a grand ceremony. I’ve been marked before, but for Leila, it’s her first bond; she shouldn’t have to compromise. Besides, she’s pregnant…”
Of course, I needed a ceremony, to legitimize my place and ensure the entire pack knew I was his Luna. Hearing that, Mikael and Kamari’s faces shifted. Mikael, always looking down his nose at me, glanced at my belly. The real reason they wanted Francisco to mark quickly was because he hadn’t sired a pup yet.
Arielle once confided in me that in the early stages of her pregnancy, Francisco beat her so severely that she bled profusely, only realizing then that she had miscarried. Kamari eyed my stomach with a sideways glance, her voice dripping with thinly veiled disdain, “Then have it quickly, before the bump shows.”
I clenched my fists, scorning them internally. Did the Roberts bloodline truly deserve to continue? My wolf stirred faintly in the back of my mind, a low growl of agreement. The Roberts family’s cruelty and entitlement were a stain on the pack, and I would make sure they paid for their sins—every last one of them.
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