Chapter 2
The day I was discharged from the hospital happened to be my birthday. Alpha Graham came to pick me up himself and threw a grand birthday celebration for me at the Silver Moon Pack’s headquarters.
The banquet hall was elegant and majestic, adorned with symbols of the pack’s strength and unity. He stayed by my side the entire time, pinning the pack’s highest honor medal on my chest. The weight of the medal felt heavier than any physical burden, pressing down on my heart with the weight of unspoken pain.
Was he doing this out of guilt, or did he think that by showering me with public affection, I would forget the scars he had inflicted?
Midway through the evening, the air grew too thick to breathe. I excused myself to the restroom, my steps unsteady. Just as I turned the corner in the hallway, I was stopped by Ivey Bennett, the rogue who had haunted my every waking moment.
“Well, if it isn’t the Luna of the hour,” she sneered, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed and her lips curled into a mocking smile. Her scent—sharp and bitter—clashed with the floral notes of the pack’s ceremonial oils, making my stomach churn.
I didn’t want to engage with her and turned to leave, but she quickly blocked my path, her movements swift and predatory.
“Alpha Graham threw you this party and pinned that prestigious medal on you. Must feel great, huh? But remember when you tried to have me banished? Didn’t he make you sign that apology to get me off the hook?”
Her words pierced my already fragile heart like a dull, poisoned blade. My face paled, and I just wanted to escape.
But she wouldn’t relent, grabbing my arm with a vice-like grip, her nails digging painfully into my skin. Her strength, unnatural for a rogue, sent a shiver of fear down my spine.
“Don’t think you can just brush me off! Since you don’t appreciate what’s good for you, I’ll make sure you remember!”
As soon as she finished speaking, two burly Delta warriors emerged from the shadows, their presence imposing and their eyes cold. Without a word, they dragged me into a secluded room, their hands like iron shackles.
I struggled in terror, but my strength was nothing compared to theirs. Ivey’s eyes flashed with malice and triumph. “Elianna, since Alpha Graham seems to care for you, I’ll make sure you’re ruined. Let’s see if he still wants you after this!”
A repulsive man approached the bed with a lecherous grin, his scent rank and nauseating. I fought desperately, but a tide of despair threatened to drown me. Ivey even pulled out her phone, ready to record everything.
Just as the man’s hand was about to touch me, the door flew open with a deafening crash.
Alpha Graham burst in, his aura radiating fury and dominance. His eyes fell on me, trapped and disheveled, and his rage burned hotter than a wildfire. In a single, swift motion, he knocked the man unconscious, his growl echoing through the room like a thunderclap.
“Elianna!” he rushed over, freeing me from my restraints, his arms wrapping around my trembling body. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. You’re safe.”
Fear and grief burst forth as I collapsed into tears in his arms. He lifted me carefully, his jacket shielding me from the world, and carried me out of the room.
As we passed Ivey, he paused, his gaze icy and unyielding. “Ivey Bennett! I’ve overlooked your antics because of our past, but you dare cross this line?”
“If anything had happened to Elianna today, I would have made you pay with your life.”
Ivey recoiled, her bravado faltering under his alpha tone. Then, with a shriek of desperation, she sprinted to the open floor-to-ceiling window and, before anyone could react, jumped without hesitation.
“Ivey—!” Alpha Graham’s face went pale, and instinctively he let go of me, dashing to the window like a bolt of lightning.
I was tossed aside onto the cold, hard floor, a sharp pain shooting through my ankle. Struggling, I crawled to the window, only to see Alpha Graham frantically running downstairs, cradling the bloodied Ivey in his arms. He sped off in a pack vehicle, the engine roaring into the distance, without a single glance back at me.
I collapsed onto the cold floor, staring at the direction the car disappeared, my heart encased in endless cold and silence.
Finally, I limped back alone to the so-called “home.”
Before I could even catch my breath, Alpha Graham returned. He stormed in, his presence suffocating, and grabbed my wrist with such force it felt as if my bones would shatter. “Ivey’s kidneys are damaged; she urgently needs a transplant, and yours is the only match in the city!”
“No! I won’t donate! Alpha Graham, you’re insane! Why should I save her?”
I screamed, trying to wrench free from him, tears streaming down my face. But he clung to my arm desperately, his eyes pleading and obsessed. “Elianna! Please, I’m begging you! Ivey jumped because of what I said. I can’t watch her die! She’s still so young! Donating a kidney won’t affect you much. I’ll find the best healers for your recovery, and I’ll repay you tenfold, okay?”
“No! I refuse! Even if it kills me, I won’t donate!”
I protested hysterically, but against his overwhelming strength, it was all in vain.
He dragged me into the pack’s healing chamber, forcing me onto the surgical table. The scent of antiseptic filled the air, mingling with the metallic tang of my fear.
“Alpha Graham! I hate you! I hate you!!” My screams turned into my last conscious thought as the anesthesia took hold.
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