Chapter 2
I loved Lucas, so I believed in him. I even took pride in our relationship, proud that our love was so pure, untouched by lust.
Every time I wanted to get closer to him, craving intimacy, yearning for the bond of our mate connection, he would always gently push me away, offering the same soft excuse: “Emily, our love is sacred. Don’t tarnish it.”
Looking back now, all the signs were there -so obvious I almost hate myself for not noticing. Every time he looked at Sophia, his eyes would light up. Each time she visited, he always dressed with extra care. There were countless times when I walked into a room and found them alone, quickly separating as if they were two guilty
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teenagers.
I cried, my tears soaking the pillow, my heart hollowed out, like it had been scooped clean. That night, I hastily wrote up the Mate bond termination agreement. Then, finally, I fell into a painful, fragmented sleep.
The next morning, I was woken by a soft voice.
Lucas stood at the side of the bed, wearing an apron and holding a plate of my favorite fruit pizza. “Darling, breakfast is ready,” he said cheerfully. “Come on, enjoy your breakfast.”
He bent down and kissed my forehead. I instinctively pulled away.
He paused, a bit surprised, but then smiled even more gently–as if he hadn’t dragged
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me out into the snow just a few hours ago, humiliating me in front of everyone.
“What’s wrong? Didn’t sleep well?” He reached for my face.
I pulled back again.
The hickeys on his neck stung me; I could hardly stand to look at them.
He noticed me staring at them and awkwardly scratched his neck. “Maybe I got bitten by some bugs last night… strange, right? How did you sleep?”
I didn’t answer.
Outside the door, a few of the maids exchanged glances. Their eyes flicked toward me–some with pity, others barely able to hide their sneers.
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I turned to head for the bathroom, but nearly bumped into Sophia.
“Good morning, Emily!” she said sweetly. “Hope you don’t mind me joining for breakfast”
She casually tugged at her collar, exposing more skin. Her chest and collarbone were covered in visible hickeys. “Hmm… weird. There shouldn’t be bugs this time of year, right?” She leaned forward slightly, her voice carrying a hint of challenge. “Lucas and I both got bitten. Guess you’re okay, huh?”
Her gaze swept over my exposed neck, and her lips curled into a smug smile.
I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. The pain almost numbed me, but I didn’t move.
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“Move,” I said softly.
She giggled and stepped aside, but just as I passed, she leaned in close, whispering in my ear, “Did you hear how intense it was between Lucas and me last night? Poor thing–you’ve never had it that good.”
Suddenly, everything clicked. Lucas locked the study door every night, as if guarding treasure. And Sophia must have deliberately left it open–she wanted me to hear, to know.
The smug look in her eyes, the victorious expression on her face–everything inside me collapsed. Without thinking, I raised my hand and slapped her hard. Sophia staggered back, clutching her face, her eyes wide with shock, tears quickly welling up.
“Emily, if you didn’t want me to join for
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breakfast, you could’ve just told me,” Sophia’s voice trembled, a mix of hurt and innocence. “You didn’t have to hit me…”
She turned and hurried off, her steps frantic and unsteady–right into Lucas at the end of the hall.
He instinctively reached out to catch her, wrapping his arms around her as she buried her face in his chest. When he saw the red mark on her face, his expression changed immediately–that was the imprint of my
hand.
He gently cupped her face, treating her like delicate porcelain, his eyes full of concern, full of the kind of protection he’d never shown me.
Then, he turned toward me, his eyes flashing with anger. “Emily! What the hell is wrong
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with you? Why did you hit Sophia? Are you crazy?”
Sophia provoked me. She wanted this. She started it.
Before I could speak, Sophia beat me to it -her voice soft, laced with guilt. “Alpha Lucas… it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have disturbed you and Luna. She’s angry, and it’s understandable. Please don’t be mad at her, please…”
And just like that, he looked at me with disgust, like I was the monster tearing everything apart. “Apologize to her,” he ordered, his voice sharp as glass.
I stared directly into his eyes and coldly replied, “She deserved it.”
That was the breaking point. His face
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darkened instantly, and his anger erupted. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed my hair and yanked me toward the stairs.
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