Benedetta
After recovering from the traumatic attack by the Rogues from the north, I walked through the corridors of the pack hospital. My steps halted when I heard a familiar voice.
“Increase the Wolfsbane dosage to weaken her wolf’s strength. This is a direct order from your Alpha.” The voice was commanding and left no room for argument. “I want Luna completely stripped of her powers after this, Dr. Morris.”
Curiosity piqued, I stepped closer. Through the crack in the door, I saw Arlott gently brushing Bianca Jackson’s hair, the new omega recently recruited into our pack. I’d been observing her since her arrival. Bianca possessed everything I lacked: youth, extraordinary beauty, and a cunning nature capable of manipulating even the sharpest of wolves.
“Make sure to monitor the health of the mother and the baby she’s carrying,” Arlott continued. “Report every development directly to me.”
I froze, my blood running cold. Never had I imagined that Arlott-my mate, the Alpha of the Ambersky Pride Pack, the man who had sworn to love and protect me, could betray me so cruelly.
“Listen, Bianca,” Arlott’s deep baritone voice was clear and unfeeling. “My plan is nearly complete. Once Luna Benedetta loses her wolf abilities, you will take her place at my side. Together, we’ll have a child who will inherit this pack, and Ambersky Pride will rise to become the strongest in this realm.”
My heart sank, shattered into pieces that could never be mended. My eyes widened in disbelief, but my body remained frozen.
“Are you sure Luna won’t suspect anything, Alpha Arlott?” Bianca’s voice was soft and sweet, dripping with faux innocence.
Arlott chuckled lightly, relishing the brilliance of his deception. “She trusts me too much. She’s just a fragile Luna. This is all for the future of the pack; she’ll understand, whether she likes it or not.”
Dazed and heartbroken, I wandered aimlessly through the hospital garden, the weight of his words pressing heavily on my chest. When I finally returned to my room, I found Arlott pacing by the stretcher. His expression shifted the moment he noticed me.
“Oh, thank to the Moon Goddess. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. You even blocked our mind-link connection.”
“I felt suffocated in here,” I replied, my voice calm despite the storm within me. “So I went to the garden to get some fresh air.”
He smiled, feigning sweetness and concern. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to confront him. I had seen him with Bianca, heard their plans. How could he act as if nothing had happened?
As Luna, descended from a noble lineage of former Alphas, I had always been considered an asset to the pack. But now, the truth lay bare; I was nothing more than a pawn in Arlott’s grand scheme.
I struggled to breathe, my chest tightening painfully. How could the man I believed to be my fated mate speak such vile words? Wasn’t the bond between mates sacred? Wasn’t love supposed to be more than cold calculations and ruthless plans?
The days that followed blurred into a haze of confusion and bitterness. They transferred me back to the packhouse under the guise of comfort and care. The omegas assigned to tend to me spoke endlessly of Arlott’s virtues.
“Alpha Arlott is the perfect man,” Emily, one of the omegas, gushed while tidying my room. “He ordered the best medicines for you, Luna. He even stayed up all night when you were injured. It’s clear how much he loves you.”
Her companion, Anne, nodded enthusiastically as she replaced the empty IV bag beside me. “He even scolded a new omega for bringing the wrong flowers. He remembered you dislike tulips, Luna. Isn’t that proof of how thoughtful he is?”
I forced a faint smile, swallowing the bitterness brewing in my chest. They didn’t know the truth. They only saw the mask Arlott wore; the perfect Alpha, the devoted mate. The love they spoke of was nothing but a carefully crafted illusion.
That night, Arlott entered my room with the same warm smile that once comforted me. Now, it made my skin crawl.
“Luna Benedetta, my love,” he greeted softly, his tone dripping with false affection.
Behind him, Dr. Tripp Morris, the Ambersky Pride pack doctor, stood silently at the side of my bed. He followed Arlott’s orders without question. In his hands, he held a syringe and a small vial filled with thick, purple liquid.
“Dr. Morris will administer an injection to help you recover more quickly,” Arlott said, turning to the doctor with an approving nod.
As the syringe hovered just inches from my skin, instinct took over. Summoning every ounce of strength I had left, I pulled my hand away. But Arlott’s grip was swift and unrelenting. He held me firmly, his strength far beyond my own in my weakened state.
“This is the same injection as before,” I whispered, my voice trembling with fear and desperation. “After receiving it, I couldn’t feel my senses. Please, don’t do this to me, Alpha Arlott.”
Arlott sighed, his tone patronizing, as if placating a stubborn child. “Benedetta, you need to trust me. This will speed up your recovery. If you want to become the mother of our heir, you must regain your strength.”
His words cut deeper than any blade ever could. He knew how much I longed for a child, how fervently I had prayed to bear a strong heir for Ambersky Pride. Now, he wielded that longing like a cruel weapon.
“No! Please, I’m begging you, Alpha!” A sudden surge of defiance burst within me. I grabbed the syringe and hurled it across the room, where it clattered against the wall.
Arlott’s expression darkened. The warmth he feigned disappeared, replaced by a cold fury that flickered in his eyes. But it was fleeting. In the blink of an eye, he masked his anger with unnerving composure.
“Luna Benedetta…” he said evenly, his voice steady and chilling. “I only want what’s best for you. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
A wave of helplessness washed over me as he unleashed his Alpha Command, his voice carrying the full weight of his authority. My body froze, betraying me entirely. The lingering effects of the Wolfsbane only made it worse.
Before I could muster a response, the world around me blurred and dissolved into darkness.
