Raven’s Pov
“I’ll return in two days to claim what’s rightfully mine as the Luna. I’ll do whatever you demand of me,” I said, clutching the enchanted talisman-phone tightly.
I hesitated for a moment, then let out a tired breath and ended the call.
“Get out of our den, wicked she-wolf!”
The harsh voices of the twins, Ian and Rylan, snapped me out of my thoughts. They were standing in the kitchen doorway, eyes blazing with wolf-gold fury.
I exhaled softly. “Happy birthday, my sons. Make your wish.”
I held out the cake I’d spent hours preparing, infused with a little protective magic for good measure.
Ian stepped forward, baring his teeth. “I wish for you to vanish from our home!”
Before I could react, he hurled the cake straight into my face. I yelped, staggering back as laughter echoed from the twins.
Rylan lunged, blocking my path with his leg. I tripped, and the pan of sizzling oil I’d used earlier spilled over my left arm, searing my skin.
A sharp scream tore from my throat. The twins loomed over me, grinning.
“This is only the beginning. Leave now, or next time, you’ll regret surviving,” they warned in unison.
The housemaid rushed in, eyes wide at the sight of me on the floor, smeared with cake and clutching my burnt arm.
“What have you done, boys?” she gasped.
“They deserved it,” Ian said with a shrug. “She’s a witch. She killed our mother.”
The twins stomped off, leaving me trembling. The maid knelt beside me, gently helping me to my feet.
“I don’t know why you put up with them, Raven,” she murmured.
I managed a faint, weary smile as she guided me to my room.
“This salve will ease the burns. Thankfully, it’s not too deep. Apply it daily, and the scars will fade,” she explained, handing me a small jar.
“Thank you,” I muttered.
After she left, I washed the cake from my face, staring at my reddened eyes and split lips in the mirror. I dabbed the ointment over my arm, wincing.
“What a fool I’ve been,” I whispered.
Eleven years ago, I was meant to marry Alaric Caldwin, but a tragic accident on our wedding day changed everything.
While I fought for my life, my best friend Ariel stepped in to marry him, protecting his family and their honor.
When I awoke, I discovered Alaric was now wed. Though he felt guilt when he learned I hadn’t run from the wedding, I told him to divorce Ariel and marry me. He refused.
“Don’t be harsh, Raven,” Alaric said. “Ariel acted for our reputation. How would it look if I divorced her immediately?”
“What about me?” I pressed.
“One year,” he promised. “One year, and then I’ll divorce her and take you as my mate.”
But before that year passed, a strange request came.
“Raven, Ariel wants a child before she leaves. Her dying grandparents have wished for grandchildren,” Alaric told me.
I frowned. “Why involve me? She won’t even stay.”
“Just help her, Raven. She’s your friend, and she’s always been kind to you,” he insisted.
I didn’t understand at first, but Alaric explained, “Ariel cannot bear children. She wants you to carry them, so when she leaves, they’ll be yours to raise.”
I hesitated, but his words persuaded me.
“Don’t worry. Once Ariel leaves, we’ll marry—and the children will be ours,” he promised.
I agreed. I carried the twins for Ariel and Alaric. But before I could deliver them safely, Ariel died in a tragic accident.
I gave birth to twin boys, and Alaric, devastated by Ariel’s death, begged me to raise them.
Two years later, Alaric still hadn’t married me. When I asked, he refused, citing appearances.
“How would it look? People will say I’m celebrating my wife’s death,” he said.
“But I’m your mate, Alaric. I was meant to be with you,” I said.
“None of that matters now. Focus on the pups, Raven. Marriage will come later,” he replied.
So I dedicated myself to raising the twins. But no matter how much I gave, my sons despised me. They treated Morgana, their nanny, as their true mother and blamed me for Ariel’s death.
Eleven years I poured my heart into raising them, enduring insults and cruelty.
But today, I had reached my limit. I would no longer wait for them to love me.
Today, I decided to leave.
