Two days passed in blur when I returned to the Blood Moon estate, the world felt foreign…too beautiful and clean for someone whose soul was dipped in tar and simmering with rage.
I knocked on the study door.
"Come in" my mother-in-law said, her tone slightly dismissive.
I pushed the door open and saw her writing a proposal-
[PROPOSAL FOR CO-WIVES]
Primary Luna: Victoria Hale (child bearing)
Secondary wife: Lianna Rose (children born will be illegitimate)
I stared at those lines for a long time.
Strangely, I didn’t cry.
Only a hollow space opened in my chest….so I had already been erased from their future so strategically.
“Illegitimate.”
I suddenly remembered an evening years ago in the healer’s ward.
Zyan stood inside the room, holding a practice newborn doll in his arms.
His movements were stiff, overly careful.
When I caught him, he laughed like a child who had been discovered doing something embarrassing and pulled me into his arms.
“I have to learn Lianna” he said. “When our baby is born, I can’t afford to be clumsy.”
Back then, I truly believed him, believed that he would love our children even more than me.
Only now did I realize..the future had always existed.
It simply didn’t include me.
"Lianna Rose, I heard you disappeared for days, I had told Zyan not to mate with a lowly girl. One day she is serving him, another day warming the bed of another man."
Her insult landed like ash on a corpse.
"Shut up. "
Her pen slipped as stared at me in shock.
"Y-You dare speak to me like this! I-I will have Zyan skin you alive! "
My bloodshot eyes looked at her emotionless.
"Years ago, you gave me an offer-Name my price and leave Zyan forever. Today I am here to take that deal. I want all the northern territories to be named after my child. "
She inhaled sharply. "You greedy orphan-"
"I am not here to negotiate. "I held her gaze without flinching. "I am here to end this farce. Sign the agreement and me or the child will have no ties to Zyan or the Blood Moon Pack. "
"…Fine"she said tightly. "But Zyan must never know you are leaving.”
She searched my face for fear and yet didn’t find any.
"Let's do it this way. " I leaned closer. "Seven days. That’s all you have. After everything is done, I will leave Zyan completely."
Zyan will never know that I will take our daughter and disappear from his life forever.
I ignored my mother-in-law's astonished expression and turned to leave.
The walk to my marital home felt endless.
The lights were on bright and deliberate, announcing that Zyan was back from his ‘important rescue operation’.
For a moment, I stood at the door, searching for the warmth that used to rush through me when the house glowed like this.
Nothing came.
As soon as I turned the knob, a burst of confetti exploded in my face like a cruel joke.
"Surprise Lianna! "Zyan stood at the far end, smiling softly, like a man certain of forgiveness.
Candles flickered everywhere. The house glowed with careful celebration.
And on the table were Blue irises, Victoria’s favourite flowers, those that developed severe rashes even if I touched them once.
Earlier, this would have destroyed me.
Now I barely registered it.
"Lianna" Zyan said, walking toward me. "Where have you been all this time? Just because I cancelled the wedding, you disappear and leave me worried sick?"
As soon as his fingers grazed my hand I almost lost my mind.
In a small corner of the pack he had arranged for a dilapidated church asking me to decorate it myself for our wedding. His words- 'too much luxury doesn't suits you Lianna, the simpler… the better. '
I cooked, decorated and waited till midnight only for him to message me at last-
'This time the rescue operation of wounded wolves is too difficult, my life is in danger. If I live, let's marry next week Lianna.'
After that I crawled through the pack's most dangerous parts and plucked the moonflower from the cliff just to save him.
And my reward?
Humiliation
"Worried sick? "I forcefully smiled, my heart burning like embers. "I thought you stood me up at our wedding because Victoria called at the last moment."
Pin drop silence extended as Zyan’s eyes flashed with an undecipherable cold emotion and his arms tightened around me.
"Lianna, she was attacked by rogues. What was I supposed to do? Ignore her because you wanted a white dress and flowers?"
"She was the one attacked? "I whispered, barely audible.
"She is your sister and yet you are so heartless…Why can’t you learn from Victoria huh? " he pressed, frustrated. "She was worried about you even while she was injured. She kept asking if you were alright but the first thing you do is complain. "
Then came another blow.
"This is why your father is tired, Lianna. He asked me what happened to the daughter he raised. Why she keeps pushing everyone away.
No matter how much I spoil you, the pack will always be above your petty tantrums so don’t ruin my mood. "
I wanted to scream, his hypocrisy making my body tremble.
This was the man who had once covered the bruises from my father with trembling hands.
The same man who held me the night my mother died, when my father brought his mistress and illegitimate daughter home before mom’s body was even cold.
And now he used my secrets to collude and stab a dagger in my back.
He stepped closer gently coaxing me, as if I were a child throwing a fit.
"Let's celebrate Lianna. "he murmured. "I know tonight means alot to you. First cut the cake and then we can go to the fireworks festival like every year-"
"What…are we celebrating? "I asked softly, the word slipping out before my mind could catch it.
Zyan froze.
He stared at me as if I had struck him.
"You don’t remember? "His voice faltered, disbelief flickering through the cracks.
"Lianna…tonight is our mating anniversary. "
The words landed wrong… heavy.
"You cried the last time I forgot." he added quietly. "You held onto my shirt and begged me not to make it meaningless. "
Silence stretched between us when a sharp echo of Zyan’s call tore through the atmosphere, his caller ID flashing for a second before he snatched it from the table.
[Baby rabbit]
My chest tightened as a boulder was pressed on it ruthlessly.
Years ago I had shyly taken his phone and entered my name as 'Love bear.' That day Zyan had returned from the packhouse and slapped the phone against the wall making it shatter into millions of pieces.
'Are you fucking stupid! Don't you know that I hate such childish nicknames! Don't you dare touch my things again!'
After that he threw all the couple items I gifted him straight into the thrash.
But with Victoria, he didn't mind it at all.
The difference between love and indifference was clear.
"Nothing important. I will come right now. " He muttered on the phone.
The candle on our anniversary cake fluttered and went out just like the last three years where I cooked him a lavish meal and waited the entire night only to wake up and chew the cold food alone.
"Lianna, I don’t think the childish fireworks festival you visit every time is too crucial right? "he added, already slipping on his coat. "There is some emergency regarding the southern trade deal so I need to leave immediately. You-"
"Alright." I agreed quietly.
It was at that moment, Zyan froze, he tried. "You don’t mind? "
"No"I said quietly, all my tears long dried before he entered the room.
Zyan studied my face, his eyes narrowing slightly like he was searching for the familiar cracks… the plea, the tremble, the question he was used to silencing.
"You understand…this is for the pack, right?" he added slowly.
"Don’t overthink. I will be back soon."
I used to think he ignored me because he was busy.
Now I know.
He simply didn’t think of me at all.
He brushed past me so fast the air stung my cheek. The table hit my side, sharp pain bursting through my abdomen and yet he didn’t stop, the silent gasp leaving my lips as I doubled over in searing pain.
I wanted to believe that he didn’t notice.
He did.
He just didn’t care.
My palm rubbed small circles on my belly. "Don’t worry, baby…I will take you to see the fireworks, from now on I will fulfill the responsibility of both mother and father."
***
The carnival lights blurred, and in the glow the unwelcoming memories rose-a past version of us…. two teenagers sharing candied fruit, Zyan brushing sugar from my lips as he whispered: ‘If you like it, I will buy you hundreds more Lia.’
Him tugging my hand through these very stalls when we were twelve, lifting me onto his shoulders so I could see the fireworks.
I stared at the places where our laughter once lived…and felt detached, like a stranger passing through.
"Look, sweetheart…your first festival-" My words were drowned by thousands of fireworks erupting all across before my smile froze.
The night sky shone with [HAPPY BIRTHDAY VICTORIA]
And on the ground I saw Alpha Zyan kneeling with a smile. In his hand was my mother’s diamond ring I thought I had lost forever.
I remembered how I panicked, sobbing into his chest, hating myself for losing my mother's blessing to me.
His past words still echoing in my ears- ‘Just a silly ring, I will buy you hundreds more Lianna, just don't cry.’
Now it glinted between his fingers as he held it up to Victoria-a birthday present amidst cheers.
This was his "emergency. "
So stupid Lianna. Three years, and you never noticed anything wrong.
So stupid, blindly believing that he was devoted to you.
So stupid! So stupid!
My palm drifted instinctively to my belly as Victoria stepped onto the ferries wheel, her lips locked with Zyan's.
"Sweetheart…let’s go. "I whispered, my stomach churning violently. "Mommy can’t breathe here. "
The fireworks kept bursting, bright enough to blind as I stepped back until the noise dulled into nothingness.
Seconds, minutes and hours passed until a sickly sweet voice called out knocking out the pastries in my hand onto the ground.
"Oh my, so you came alone sister? "
