That night, Vladimir came home reeking of moon wine. He pinned me down, his Alpha strength overwhelming me as he claimed me without marking me or using protection. The next morning, he tossed a handful of wolfsbane-laced pills onto the bed.
"A lowly omega like you has no right to carry my heir. Even if an accident happened, I would tear the pup from your womb myself."
Well, his cruel wish had been granted.
He had forced me to give my blood to heal his mistress, and that sacrifice had killed my unborn pup. Now, he was lighting the ceremonial fires across the kingdom to celebrate Stella's pregnancy.
I cried in silence. Once the healing herbs finished dripping into my veins, I signed the release scroll and went back to the den.
I walked to the backyard and stood beneath the wisteria tree. Its purple flowers were glowing with moon magic. I sat there for hours, lost in the scent of the petals.
By dusk, Vladimir arrived with Stella at his side. He stopped when he saw me.
Stella's eyes glimmered as she said sweetly. "Alpha, this tree holds so much lunar energy. We should cut it down to carve a protection amulet for our pup. But ... I heard Luna Abigail planted this tree herself."
She looked at me with a fake smile. "You wouldn't mind, would you, Abigail?"
This tree was the last scrap of peace in our bond. My foster father had planted it for his mate as a symbol of their eternal pack bond. Four winters ago, I moved it here from my old territory, digging the earth until my hands bled.
Vladimir had told me that a tree that had been moved from its home would die. So, I used that moment to make a plea. "If I can make it bloom in your soil, will you try to love me?"
He was silent for a long time before answering. "I will think about it."
That was the only hope he had ever given me. Since then, I have protected that tree more than my own life.
Once, his eighteenth chosen woman plucked a single bloom, and I fought her like a wolf defending its last ground. Anyone who dared suggest destroying it would have faced my fury.
But now, facing Stella's provocation, I smiled faintly. "Go ahead. Cut it if you want."
Vladimir squinted, looking annoyed by my lack of spirit. As I tried to walk away, he blocked my path.
"You planted it," he said coldly. "So you cut it. I do not want you bringing this up later and blaming Stella for it."
He wanted me to destroy my own sanctuary. Though I had expected this, my heart still trembled.
A guard handed me a heavy silver saw, and my hands shook as I forced the metal into the thick wood.
My private den, my mother’s memory, my lost pup, and even my faith in him. Everything I had loved had become nothing more than a toy for Stella.
Vladimir looked at her with indulgence. "Choose the piece you favor. I will have it shaped into a charm for you."
Stella carefully selected a slender branch no thicker than a finger.
After that, Vladimir turned to the guards. "Burn the rest. Throw the ashes in the waste pit."
Ashes. That was all my devotion was worth. I dropped the saw and walked to my room like a ghost.
That night, Darius sent me a message through the crystal communicator. [A month is too long. I have crossed the border already. I will come to take you away in three days.]
I looked out at the scarred, empty garden and sent my reply back to him. [Okay.]
Three days. That was all the time I needed to leave this pack forever.
