Chapter 3
The moment Andrew’s name left the doctor’s lips, the air in the room turned frigid.
Gabriel’s jaw tightened.
His gaze flickered to my pale face, and he forced a reassuring smile. “Don’t overthink it. I’ll go get Andrew now.”
Before I could respond, the door swung shut behind him.
I stared blankly out the window, my fingers curling into the hospital sheets.
What’s the point?
Andrew was probably with Elsa right now, holding her, comforting her—choosing her all over again.
I swallowed hard, pushing the bitter thought aside.
But minutes later, Gabriel returned.
And he brought Andrew with him.
Along with Elsa.
The room suddenly felt cramped, suffocating.
Andrew’s presence alone was enough to drain the warmth from the space. But the fact that he brought her?
It was like he wanted to shove the knife in deeper.
His icy blue eyes swept over me, irritation flickering in their depths.
“Are you done causing a scene?”
I blinked. “What?”
Andrew crossed his arms, his impatience clear. “Elsa was shaken up from the attack, and now you’re dragging me here? Right now?”
My throat tightened. I hadn’t even asked for him.
“No, Andrew!” Gabriel interjected quickly. “Elisabeth didn’t—I asked you to come.”
Andrew scoffed. “Gabriel, I didn’t take you for someone who jumps to conclusions. If it weren’t for you and her making a spectacle, I wouldn’t be here.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. A spectacle?
Something inside me cracked.
A bitter smile curled my lips. “Andrew, is that really how you see me?”
He tilted his head slightly, a cold smirk playing at his lips. “Isn’t it?”
His next words sliced straight through me.
“Last time Elsa got hurt, wasn’t it because you insisted on getting that fruit from the cliff?”
The memory slammed into me like a tidal wave.
Half a year ago.
Andrew’s birthday was approaching, and I wanted to surprise him with the rare silver moonfruit. As an omega, I couldn’t shift, couldn’t climb—but Elsa had offered to help.
She made it to the top with ease, fingers curling around the fruit.
But when Andrew arrived, she let go.
She fell.
And just like that, I became the villain.
A cruel laugh yanked me back to the present.
Andrew’s voice dripped with mockery. “How does it feel to be caught red-handed?”
I didn’t answer.
I didn’t need to.
Because when I turned to Elsa, she was already looking at me with smug satisfaction.
She stepped closer to Andrew, pressing a delicate hand to his arm. “Let it go, Andrew. Elisabeth didn’t mean to…”
Her voice was soft, sickeningly sweet.
Then, she turned to me with feigned sympathy.
“Elisabeth, tomorrow is the mating ceremony. Don’t be stubborn and say you don’t want to be Andrew’s mate.”
My stomach churned.
Enough.
I took a slow, steady breath, meeting Andrew’s gaze head-on.
“I’m not being stubborn, Andrew.”
His brow furrowed slightly.
I let the words settle in the air before finishing, “Tomorrow, at the ceremony—I won’t be your mate.”
A pin-drop silence filled the room.
Elsa’s smile faltered.
Gabriel’s eyes widened.
Andrew’s expression darkened, his jaw tightened as he stepped forward.
“Do you know what you’re saying?”
His voice was low, laced with a warning.
I nodded.
Breaking the mate bond—rejecting the Moon Goddess’s will—came with a price.
Pain.
Loss.
Possibly death.
But what if I survived?
What if I could finally be free?
Because I couldn’t keep living like this.
I couldn’t keep chasing a man who would never choose me.
Andrew stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, he let out a cold laugh.
“Elisabeth, you’d better not regret this.”
