Aurelia POV
The word "life" hung in the warm, herb-scented air of the suite, heavy and suffocating. The blood drained from my face, leaving my skin as cold as ice. Panic seized my throat, choking the breath out of me.
"She isn't pregnant, Grandmother," Graves interrupted, his voice a low, dismissive rumble that vibrated with absolute certainty. He didn't even look at me.
Cecelia’s wise eyes hardened, the warm grandmotherly facade vanishing to reveal the formidable former Luna. "A Fated Mate bond is the Goddess's greatest gift for procreation. Three years, Graves. Explain to your Pack why the Lycan line remains silent."
The words were a sharp blade slicing through the room's tension. Graves’s jaw clenched, his dark eyes flashing with suppressed irritation at having his authority questioned. "We have been focused on expanding the Pack's corporate holdings. The WorldLink Group requires my full attention, and Aurelia is my assistant."
"An assistant?" Cecelia let out a bitter, mocking laugh that made Graves stiffen. "I arranged for her to be by your side so she could shine as your Luna, not be treated as your servant! A Luna's place is at the heart of the Pack, commanding respect, not filing your paperwork!"
The silence that followed was deafening. Graves’s Alpha aura flared, dark and oppressive, clashing with the Elder’s unyielding presence. I stood frozen between them, my hands trembling as I desperately guarded the secret growing in my womb. If Graves found out now, before I could execute the Rejection, he would never let me go.
"I will see to it," Graves finally ground out, the words clipped and cold.
"We will communicate better, Elder Cecelia," I murmured, forcing a weak, reassuring smile to defuse the ticking time bomb. "Please don't worry about us."
Minutes later, we stepped out of the suite into the long, polished corridor of the Sanatorium. The air around Graves was thick with the scent of impending storm and rich leather, suffocating in its intensity. I could feel the raw, suppressed rage radiating from his massive frame.
Instinctively, I took a deliberate step away from him, putting distance between our bodies so I wouldn't trigger another outburst.
Graves stopped dead in his tracks. He turned his head, his deep, glacial eyes locking onto the empty space between us. A flicker of primal pain crossed his features—his Inner Wolf stung and offended by its mate's physical withdrawal. But the vulnerability vanished in a microsecond, replaced by a dark, furious scowl. He saw my fear not as self-preservation, but as a calculated act of defiance.
He didn't say a word. He just turned and kept walking, the chasm between us widening with every step.
The silent, suffocating tension followed us all the way back to the Alpha's Estate. When we finally reached the second floor, we stood before the heavy, moon-carved double doors of the Luna's Chambers.
Knowing what I planned to do, and terrified of his volatile mood, I couldn't share a bed with him tonight. I turned my body, intending to walk down the hall toward the guest wing.
I didn't even make it one step before I hit a wall of solid muscle.
Graves blocked my path, his chest rising and falling with heavy, angry breaths. "Where do you think you're going?"
"To the guest room," I whispered, keeping my eyes on the floor. "I think it's best if we—"
"Trying to create more drama for my grandmother to witness, little wolf?" he sneered, his voice dripping with venom. He stepped into my space, his overwhelming Alpha aura pinning me in place. "Running to her so she can fight your battles? Is that your strategy now?"
"No! I just—"
He grabbed my arm, his grip a brutal, inescapable vise. The electric jolt of our mate-bond sparked against my skin, a cruel contrast to the ice in his eyes.
"*Stay put,*" he commanded, the Alpha's Command vibrating through my bones, forcing my muscles to lock in absolute submission. "If you cause my grandmother one ounce of worry with your pathetic little games, I will make sure your home Pack pays the price. Do you understand me?"
Tears of frustration and terror pricked my eyes, but I couldn't move. I could only watch as he reached past me, shoving the heavy doors of the bedroom open. He stepped aside, his dark eyes silently ordering me inside.
