Cynthia let out a soft, smug laugh as she traced her fingers over his chest. "And I get to be Luna—the title you naively thought would be yours."
A surge of fury burned through my veins, making my vision blur. My grip on the bars tightened. "You’re a coward!" I spat. "You betrayed me. You let an innocent woman die just to fuel your own ambitions!"
Before I could react, his hand shot between the bars, fingers locking around my throat like a vice. The world tilted as I gasped for air, his grip crushing my windpipe with terrifying ease.
"Watch your tone," he warned, his voice soft but laced with menace. He yanked me forward, bringing my face inches from his. "I am your Alpha now. Your life belongs to me."
I clawed at his wrist, nails sinking into his skin, but he didn’t even flinch. Darkness crept into my vision as my body fought for oxygen.
"You promised…" I wheezed, my strength failing. "You said… once you became Alpha… you’d let me go."
Abruptly, he released me, and I crumpled to the cold stone floor, coughing violently.
"Oh, I will," he murmured, pacing in slow, deliberate steps. "But your release won’t be freedom. It’ll be something far worse."
A chill ran through me. "What does that mean?" I forced out, dread curling around my heart.
"You’ll see tomorrow," he said casually, his lips curving into a smirk. "Consider it my final gift to you, my dear mate." He spat the last word as if it disgusted him.
Cynthia lingered at the cell door, tilting her head as she regarded me with amusement. "The saddest part?" she said mockingly. "You willingly took the fall. The perfect little martyr, right to the bitter end."
Their footsteps faded down the corridor, leaving me alone in the suffocating silence. My body curled against the cold, unforgiving ground, my chest heaving with silent sobs.
And that was when the truth finally settled in.
I hadn’t been cursed by the Moon Goddess.
I had been cursed by my own blind heart.
—------------
"Ariana James, you stand before this pack to face your judgment," the elder announced, his voice echoing through the clearing. "Tonight, the Moon Goddess herself will bear witness to your punishment."
The gathered wolves roared with outrage, their anger pressing down on me like a crushing weight.