Chapter 7

Viya's POV

The snow had been falling in lazy wisps for two days straight.

I spent my morning at the Natural Healing Clinic where I work as one of the resident wolf doctors, specializing in herbal remedies and traditional medicine. My afternoon was unexpectedly filled with visiting practitioners from Europe who had specifically requested to learn energy realignment techniques from my senior, Julian.

But Julian had urgent business to attend to, so he'd handed the responsibility over to me at the last minute.

"They came all the way from London to learn wolf-energy balancing for packs with blocked lunar connections," Julian had explained hurriedly. "Your techniques are better than mine anyway, Viya."

By five in the evening, I'd finally finished demonstrating how carefully placed silver needles could help restore balance between a werewolf's human side and their inner wolf spirit. The placement had to be precise - too close to the spine and you could trigger an unwanted shift; too far and the blocked energy would remain stagnant.

My last patient—a beta with dormant shifting abilities—had left feeling hopeful for the first time in years. "I felt my wolf stir," he'd whispered in awe. I didn't have the heart to tell him how I envied even that small connection.

I rushed home to change clothes and apply some light makeup. I've been blessed with clear skin and bright eyes; a little enhancement is all I need to turn heads.

Not that I cared much about turning heads these days. There was only one wolf whose attention I had once craved, and he had made it abundantly clear where his interests lay.

As I descended the stairs, I noticed something strange—the house was unusually quiet. Miranda and Lucius's absence was actually a relief. The constant tension whenever we occupied the same space was exhausting.

"Viya."

I had just slipped into my knee-high boots when Miranda's voice, laced with false sweetness, came from behind me. "Who do you think he'll choose? You or me?"

I paused momentarily, then smiled. "I'm not sure I understand what you're asking, Miranda."

"As a widowed sister-in-law, are you really trying to steal my husband?"

"Viya!" she shrieked when I didn't rise to her bait.

I calmly pulled on my cashmere cloak, offering her a polite smile. "I should go. Lucius is waiting for me."

Miranda followed my gaze through the floor-to-ceiling windows where Lucius's car was indeed parked in the driveway. Her face contorted with rage. The scent of her anger—sweet roses turned sour—filled the air between us.

I slipped into the car beside Lucius. "Have you been waiting long?"

"I just got here," he replied, squeezing my hand lightly.

His eyes dropped to my exposed legs beneath my dress hem, his brow furrowing. "Why are you dressed so lightly? It's freezing outside."

I curved my lips into a smile. "I'll either be in the car or at the main house. Both have heating."

"What will you do if you catch a cold?" Lucius asked, disapproval evident in his tone.

"Then I'll take medicine."

Winter colds were simple enough to treat—one dose of my herbal remedies would knock out most symptoms. I'd had plenty of practice over the past three years.

I couldn't exactly count on Lucius to take care of me, could I? I couldn't count on anyone. That was a lesson I'd learned thoroughly during my marriage.

Lucius frowned at my cavalier attitude. "You make it sound like I don't care about you as a husband at all."

I blinked, momentarily surprised by his words. "Did you open the anniversary gift I gave you yesterday?"

"Not yet," he answered, his voice neutral. "Isn't it a birthday present? I'm saving it to open on my birthday."

"I see."

Well, that worked too. It gave me plenty of time to prepare for what came after.

We didn't have much in common to discuss, so the rest of the ride passed in silence. I gazed out the window at the city lights blurring through the snow, aware of Lucius occasionally glancing at me.

I knew what he saw—a gentle, harmless Omega. A convenient Luna who didn't demand what was rightfully hers—his bond, his mark, his attention.

Lucius opened his mouth as if to start a conversation when his phone rang.

"Sir, Miss Miranda has gone to the arranged meeting with the potential mate," the voice on the other end reported, loud enough for my enhanced hearing to catch every word.

The atmosphere in the car immediately thickened. I could feel Lucius struggling to contain his anger, his knuckles whitening as he gripped his phone. The scent of his distress—rich leather turned acrid—filled the confined space. He rarely lost his composure, but Miranda had always been his weakness.

"Send me the location," he commanded, his voice glacial.

After hanging up, he turned to me with a carefully composed expression, though his words brooked no argument. "Viya, something urgent has come up. I can't accompany you to the family dinner tonight."

What urgent matter indeed.

I had no desire to expose the obvious. It would only make things more humiliating for both of us.

"I understand," I said, keeping my eyes lowered. "Thompson, could you pull over, please?"

As the car came to a gentle stop, Lucius made no move to exit. I looked at him questioningly. "Lucius, you should go. We can't park here for long."

"Right," he said, seeming momentarily confused by my calm acceptance. My lack of protest left him without words.

He finally stepped out of the car, and I watched him walk away, my heart aching despite my best efforts to remain detached.

The Blackwood family's monthly dinner was nothing like the warm gatherings of other packs. There would be just five people, counting Lucius. The atmosphere was always suffocatingly quiet, more like a funeral than a family meal.

As I entered the Blackwood mansion, the house steward, Bartell, led me toward the dining room.

"Luna Viya, Luna Margaret has been waiting for you. She's been looking forward to your visit all day," he informed me.

"I see." I nodded, unconsciously tightening my hands as anxiety pooled in my stomach.

In the dining room, Luna Margaret Blackwood occupied the main seat, with her eldest daughter and second daughter seated to her left. I entered and greeted them in turn.

"Grandmother, Aunt Lily, Aunt Mary."

The aunts acknowledged me with disinterested nods, but Luna Margaret's eyes darted past me, her brow furrowing deeply when she saw no one else. "Where is Lucius?"

I answered truthfully, "He had an urgent matter come up. He left."

The next second, a teacup came flying at me along with a thunderous shout.

"GO KNEEL OUTSIDE!"

For three years, whenever Lucius failed to accompany me to these dinners, I could count on receiving this kind of "family discipline." I wasn't surprised anymore.

What Lucius didn't realize was that every time he ran off to prove his devotion to Miranda, he was pushing me closer to the edge.

The Blackwood pack had no use for a "defective" Luna who couldn't even hold her mate's interest.

Since childhood, I'd suspected Luna Margaret might be a reincarnation of some medieval torturer.

Lucius's grandmother, Luna Beth would have simply ordered Miranda to kneel in the courtyard if she'd displeased her.

But Luna Margaret insisted I kneel on a path covered with small, sharp stones.

In this weather, kneeling initially wasn't too bad. The snow provided some cushioning, though the cold quickly seeped into my bones. But as time passed and my body heat melted the snow, only the jagged stones remained beneath my knees.

By the time I was finally allowed to stand, my legs were already numb—stiff, unsteady, no longer fully my own.

That was when the servants stepped forward with the punishment ruler.

The real pain began—The rod came down hard against my knees—again and again—skin splitting, flesh exposed.

Every step I took sent sharp pain through my body as I left the Blackwood mansion.

Bartell had already sent Lucius's driver Smith away.

The Blackwood mansion was situated on a mountain road, surrounded by beautiful wilderness.

I had managed to order a rideshare at an inflated price, but due to the late hour and snowfall, the driver would only wait for me at the bottom of the mountain.

Each step down the path was excruciating. Despite the freezing temperatures, pain caused sweat to break out across my back.

In the distance, a black stretch Bentley moved slowly along the slippery road, its headlights cutting through the falling snow.

That familiar license plate made my heart stop. Alpha Caesar was back.