Jareth shoved me aside in a burst of panic.
My heel scraped the edge of the rooftop...one more step and I would’ve toppled straight off the Alpha Keep.
But he didn’t spare me even a glance.
All his attention snapped toward Lucienne sprawled on the stone floor. He crouched beside her, checking for injuries with frantic hands. Then his gaze cut back to me...feral, enraged.
Before I could speak, he stormed across the rooftop and struck me. The slap echoed like a whip-crack beneath the moonlight.
I stood there frozen, cheek burning, heart going numb.
Jareth suddenly stiffened, as if my expression startled him. He stared at his own hand, as though only now realizing what he had done. A flicker of guilt passed through his eyes, lips parting as if to explain...
But Lucienne’s sharp cry broke the moment.
In an instant, all remorse drained from his face, replaced by cold, ruthless fury.
He whirled back toward me.
“Eirene,” he growled, voice edged with Alpha command. “Why would you harm Lucienne again? Sometimes I truly regret choosing you as my Luna! Pray to the Moon you haven’t caused her real harm. If anything happens to her or the pup, I swear you’ll answer for it!”
With that, he rushed back to her side, leaving me rooted where I stood, stunned into stillness.
***
Hours later, I forced myself out of the Moon Healers’ Hall. My limbs felt heavy, my chest tight.
But as soon as I reached the entrance, Jareth’s warriors stepped forward, blocking my path. Without a word, they grabbed my arms and dragged me back inside.
They shoved me into Lucienne’s recovery chamber. She lay in bed, looking pale and fragile beneath the soft glow of moon-crystal lanterns.
Jareth’s glare was icy enough to freeze the air.
“How dare you try to leave?” he snarled. “Do you even understand what you’ve done? You almost cost a life!”
He didn’t bother seeking truth...his judgment was already set.
“Apologize to Lucienne,” he ordered, voice like iron. “If you refuse, you’ll regret challenging me.”
His hostility pressed down like a physical weight. My nails dug into my palms as I held his stare.
Looking at Lucienne’s smug expression, barely hidden beneath her feigned frailty, something inside me hardened.
“I didn’t attack her,” I said, voice sharp and steady. “This is her staging. If you doubt me, check the moon-warded surveillance crystals.”
I lifted my chin. “I won’t apologize. If anything, you’re the ones who should.”
My words sliced through the room.
Jareth actually flinched, as if it had never occurred to him that I could look at him with such hatred.
For a heartbeat, pain flickered in his eyes.
Sensing the shift, Lucienne quickly changed her act. She tugged softly on his sleeve, voice trembling.
“Jareth… let it be. I’ll stay away from both of you. As long as the child is safe… I don’t care if I have to watch you from afar.”
His brows knitted, confusion and frustration crossing his features. Then he faced me again.
“Eirene, I don’t know what madness has consumed you, but you will apologize.”
A cold smile touched my lips.
“I won’t. But I will end our bond. Lucienne would prefer that, wouldn’t she?”
Her eyes gleamed...for a split second. Then she quickly masked it, swiping away the tiny smile.
And then...with shocking intensity...she slammed her fist into her own stomach.
“Lucienne!” Jareth lunged to grab her wrists, horrified.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“She won’t stop until she destroys my pup! If she wants the pup dead so badly… then I’ll end this myself!”
She began hitting herself again, viciously.
Jareth’s face twisted with anguish. He pulled her close, shaking with rage and desperation.
“Don’t do this… I’ll protect you,” he whispered fiercely. “I won’t let anything happen to the pup. I’ll keep you safe...no matter what.” His voice broke. “Eirene will pay for every last threat. She won’t come near you again.”
I turned away.
I didn’t want to hear the words meant for her.
I took one last glance at them...Lucienne clinging desperately, Jareth holding her as if she were his whole world...and walked toward the door.
But before I could leave, Jareth stepped into my path. His presence loomed, dark and storm-like, blocking every escape.
