Chapter 6 Can you honestly say you don't have any feelings for Viya

Viya's POV

Within an hour, two stern-looking gamma warriors arrived from the Pack House along with Mr. Thompson, the main house's butler.

After paying their respects to me, they turned their attention to Miranda.

"Mrs. Miranda, Luna Beth requires your presence at the main house for instruction," one of them stated in a tone that brooked no argument.

"What kind of instruction?" Miranda asked nervously.

"The traditional kind," the other replied. "According to Pack rules, anyone who damages a Pack Elder's valuable possessions must kneel in the courtyard for three hours as a sign of respect and repentance."

Miranda's face turned ghostly pale. "This is absurd! I am the Alpha's-" she caught herself just in time, remembering she wasn't anyone's mate yet, "I am Alex's widow!"

"Rules apply equally to everyone, Mrs. Miranda," the gamma warrior stated coolly.

"Thompson..." I began to speak, but Thompson knowingly intercepted my words.

"Luna, please don't try to intercede on her behalf. You've already been through enough with the Alpha Alexander's funeral. Please take care of your health."

I remained silent, though that hadn't been my intention at all. I'd merely wanted to ask about Luna Beth's health, as I needed to find a suitable time to discuss my divorce with her.

The Wilde Pack might be under Lucius's management, but family matters had always been decided at the main house.

No matter how much Miranda protested, she would have to kneel in that courtyard.

In the freezing cold.

She deserved every minute of it.

I didn't spare her another glance as I prepared to go back upstairs.

Martha looked troubled. "Luna, what about the tea set?"

"Leave it. Someone will come to collect it soon for restoration, then it will be returned when fixed," I answered simply.

Of course, I wouldn't tell anyone that the set in the house was merely a replica.

The genuine set was safely stored in my office at the clinic.

Completely intact.

After all, it had been Grandmother Beth's gift to me, with the wish that I would think of her whenever I used it. Naturally, keeping it at my office made more sense.

---

Lucius's POV

The news that Miranda had been forced to kneel in the courtyard ignited my alpha instincts.

Within twenty minutes, I arrived at the main house.

The moment I stepped out of the car, the cold air hit my face, my black cashmere coat falling straight against my frame.I moved straight toward Miranda.

Then I saw her.

Still on her knees in the courtyard.

Something in me snapped tight.

I broke into a run.

I closed the distance in a few strides, bent down, and pulled her into my arms without a word.She was freezing, the cold seeping through the thin fabric against my hands.

My wolf Ray stirred, restless beneath my skin, but I held it back.

No matter what she had done, she was still mine to deal with.

I turned and carried her away from the pack house, not sparing anyone a single look.

---

Once inside, I placed Miranda gently on the sofa and began applying ointment to her reddened knees, unable to hide the concern in my eyes.

"What were you thinking?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. "When grandmother gives an order, you don't just blindly obey without consulting me first."

"What choice did I have?" Miranda's voice trembled as she clutched at my sleeve, her eyes red-rimmed and filled with tears. "Lucius, when are you finally going to get that divorce? She's terrifying..."

I frowned slightly. "You mean Viya?"

"Yes." Miranda bit her lower lip, her voice dropping to a whisper. "She deliberately tricked me into breaking that tea set. She set me up, Lucius."

"That's impossible," I denied immediately. My hands paused in their ministrations as I defended my mate-my legal wife. "Viya has the gentlest disposition in this entire pack. She wouldn't play such games."

"Besides," I continued firmly, directing my words specifically at Miranda, "Grandmother cherishes her more than anyone. Viya wouldn't use Luna Beth's possessions for petty tricks."

Miranda stared at me in disbelief. "Are you saying I'm lying about this? That I'm making it all up?"

"Lucius!" Her voice rose sharply. "You've changed so much!"

Her accusation stirred a flash of anger in me, but when faced with her disappointed eyes, I forced myself to remain calm. "Miranda, I haven't changed at all. Not from the beginning."

Miranda fixed her gaze on me, her eyes narrowing. "Can you honestly say you don't have any feelings for Viya? That you've never touched her? Not even once?"

I had always prided myself on my honesty with Miranda. Yet faced with this particular question, the words wouldn't come easily.

Because of the mate bond, I had wavered.

Ray snarled inside me, displeased at my hesitation. *Tell her the truth.*

I lowered my eyes. "I have never touched her."

My chest tightened with guilt as I spoke the words. Not just for the lie itself, but for what I had done to Viya's wolf.

The drugs I had administered to weaken her bond with her wolf-all to avoid the pull of our fated connection-weighed heavily on my conscience.

Then I heard a soft sound and looked up. Viya stood there, one hand supporting her lower back, the other holding a gift box. The expression on her face told me she'd heard everything.

A smile tugged at her lips as she approached us. "Lucius, Luna Beth wants to know if you'll attend the Blackwood Pack dinner tomorrow night."

After her parents' deaths, Viya was cast into an orphanage for rogue wolves, where she endured three long years.

Then the Blackwood Pack found her-Alpha Caesar brought her home and vowed to raise her under his protection until she came of age.

To the outside world, Viya was practically a member of the Blackwood Pack. Even after she married me, business dealings between our packs had continued without interruption.

Hearing her request, I immediately agreed. "Of course. I'll come pick you up tomorrow evening and we'll go together."

"Alright."

Viya lowered her gaze to the gift box in her hand, then glanced at Miranda sitting beside me. With characteristic tact, she said nothing more and turned to leave.

Something made me want to stop her. "Viya,what's in the box?"

She turned back, giving the package a little shake. "A gift."

"A gift? Does one of your friends have a birthday today?"

"It's our wedding anniversary gift. I was planning to give it to you."

The realization hit me like a physical blow. Three years. We had been married for three years today.

*You pathetic excuse for an Alpha,* Ray sneered. *You forget what's important while chasing what you can't have.*

"Viya, I'm sorry..." The words felt hollow even as they left my mouth.

"It's fine," she replied with her usual transparency, her clear eyes meeting mine steadily as she handed me the box. Her voice was soft and gentle as always. "You're busy with work. It's normal to forget."

She continued with a small smile, "Besides, your birthday is in two weeks. Consider it an early birthday present."

"Happy early birthday, Lucius!" she added cheerfully.

I accepted the gift box, feeling something sharp and quick slice through my heart. It wasn't exactly painful, but it made breathing difficult.

The butterfly bow on the gift box was tied with meticulous care. It was obvious how much thought she'd put into this gift, how long she must have spent preparing it.

And here I was, a complete bastard, harboring selfish secrets I couldn't bring myself to confess.

Before I could respond, Viya had already reached the entryway, slipping into an apricot-colored wool coat and wrapping a scarf around her neck. Her delicate oval face was mostly hidden, with only her clear brown eyes visible.

And then she was gone.

But something about her gait wasn't right. She was walking differently.

*She's hurting,* Ray growled. *Our mate is in pain, and you do nothing.*

I was about to call after her when Miranda let out a sharp hiss of pain beside me. "Ouch, that hurts!"

My attention immediately snapped back to her as I helped her sit down again. "Is your knee bothering you badly? I should take you to the hospital."

"I don't want to go," Miranda said, pressing her lips together as she glanced at the box in my hands. She muttered, "You claim you don't have feelings for her, yet you treat her gift like it's something precious."

I frowned. "Miranda, I've already failed her enough."

Miranda's eyes widened as tears spilled down her cheeks. "What about me? Lucius, what are you thinking? Are you just going to let her bully me?"

"I've told you, Viya isn't that kind of person."

"Enough! Lucius, don't you realize every word you speak is in her defense?"

With those words, Miranda rose from the sofa, crying prettily as she headed upstairs.

I stood frozen for a moment before exhaling slowly.

I didn't know what I was thinking anymore.

I just couldn't bear to hear anyone speak ill of Viya-not a single word.

Ray paced restlessly within me. *She's our mate,* it reminded me. *The bond exists whether you acknowledge it or not. And you're letting her walk away injured.*

My fingers traced the delicate bow on the package, and I couldn't help wondering if I was making the biggest mistake of my life.