chapter 2

Sophia's POV:

I jolted awake from the nightmare, the remnants of the dream clinging to my consciousness like cobwebs.

But something was different this time. The room around me wasn't the guest room I'd been relegated to at the Starlight Pack mansion. Moonlight streamed through tall, familiar windows, illuminating rich tapestries and golden accents.

I was home. I was back in the Lycan's palace.

I sat up, my amber eyes adjusting to the darkness, my breathing still ragged. The silk sheets beneath me felt so luxurious I'd almost forgotten the sensation.

How foolish I had been.

The memories crashed over me like a relentless tide. I hid my true identity and married Lucas, the alpha of the Starlight Pack, all because I naively believed love could conquer everything. But I learned that when you're not someone's fated mate, love becomes a one-sided war.

I still remembered the exact moment Lucas first saw Aria——Lucas’s fated mate. Through our mind link, I felt his shock, his instant and overwhelming attraction to that petite blonde with her innocent facade. That day, our bond trembled, and I knew with devastating certainty that my time as his Luna was numbered.

Aria. Even thinking her name made my wolf spirit snarl with rage. That platinum-haired manipulator had perfected the art of playing the helpless victim.

"Sophia, Stop dwelling on this matter." he'd said once, his voice devoid of any warmth. "As my Luna, maintaining pack harmony is your duty."

Harmony. What a bitter joke.

I continue to recall the aftermath of the unforgettable nightmare that I went through.

When Lucas gently freed me from the silver chains and wrapped his jacket around my trembling body, I thought my nightmare was finally over. His embrace was so warm, so familiar, that I almost forgot about the cold distance he'd shown me these past months. In that moment, I foolishly believed that maybe, after surviving this ordeal, he would finally realize how important I was to him.

But reality is always cruel.

When the kidnapper trembled as he confessed Aria's name, I saw the shock flash across Lucas's eyes. For that instant, hope ignited in my heart—he was finally going to see that woman for who she truly was! But I was wrong. I was wrong again.

Returning to the place I once thought of as home, seeing Aria sitting in the living room, chatting and laughing with Lucas's mother and sister, my heart felt like someone was squeezing it with an iron fist. When they saw my disheveled state, there was no concern in their eyes, no anger—only satisfaction and contempt.

When I looked Aria straight in the eye and spoke the truth, her innocent act made me sick to my stomach. But what completely shattered me was her words: "I'm carrying Lucas's pup"—those words were like a blade stabbing straight through my heart.

Mother-in-law Elena's words pushed me even deeper into despair: "This matter ends here. Aria is Lucas's fated mate, and now she's pregnant. Nothing can happen to her." She actually demanded that I endure this humiliation to protect Aria! Isabelle's words—"Just a worthless Omega, and the assault wasn't even completed, was it? Is it really necessary to keep harping on this?"—tore at my dignity like a venomous snake.

But the most painful, the most heartbreaking part, was Lucas's silence.

When I looked at him through my tears, begging him to seek justice for me, he said those gentle yet powerless words: "I know you've been wronged." When he softly called my name, that last flicker of hope in my heart trembled like a candle flame. I thought he was finally going to choose me...

"Don't pursue this anymore. I'll make it up to you." Those cold words fell from his lips.

In that moment, I finally understood—in his heart, I would never be more important than that scheming woman. Even though she nearly destroyed me, even though she tried to have me raped, in his eyes, I was still just a dispensable Omega.

The heavy oak door opened Interrupting my painful memories and my father's imposing figure filled the doorframe.

He crossed the room in three strides and sat on the edge of my bed, his massive frame somehow gentle. "Sophia, you finally chose to reclaim yourself."

"I couldn't bear it anymore, Father." My voice cracked despite my efforts to stay strong. "I thought... I thought if I loved him enough, if I proved myself worthy enough..."

"It was never about you needing to prove anything." His hand cupped my face with unexpected tenderness. "You are Sophia, daughter of the Lycan, princess of our kingdom. You diminished yourself for a man who couldn't see your worth."

Before I could respond, another familiar figure appeared in the doorway. Ryder leaned against the frame, his silver-gray eyes burning with protective fury.

"About time you came to your senses, little sister." He pushed off the doorframe and came over, settling on my other side. His large hand found mine, squeezing gently. "Nobody treats my sister like that, Alpha or not."

I felt tears sting my eyes—not from sadness this time, but from the overwhelming warmth of being truly loved and cherished. "I was so stupid."

"You followed your heart," Ryder said, his voice softening. "That's not stupid, that's courage. But now it's time to follow your strength."

Father's eyes brightened with something that looked like anticipation. "Speaking of which, tomorrow is your birthday."

My birthday. In all the chaos of the past weeks, I'd almost forgotten.

"Twenty-three," Ryder said thoughtfully, a hint of his old playfulness returning to his voice. "It's time to formally announce your position in the kingdom."