Chapter 2

Aurelia POV

"What are you doing standing in the rain?"

His voice sliced through the torrential downpour, sharp and devoid of the warmth he had just showered upon Davina. I stood frozen on the driveway, my soaked dress clinging to my shivering frame.

Graves's jaw was clenched tight. I could feel the suffocating weight of his Alpha aura-a potent, dizzying blend of impending storm and rich leather-crushing the air out of my lungs. His Inner Wolf was pacing, agitated and restless. I knew it was because his Lycan blood could sense his mate's profound agony, but Graves, blinded by his own arrogance, clearly misinterpreted the primal itch as irritation at my disobedience.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Because I was wolfless, I couldn't use the Pack's Mind-Link to explain the shattered pieces of my heart, nor could I scream that I had seen him with his first love.

"Stop acting like a fool and get inside," he commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.

He didn't offer his jacket. He didn't reach out to touch me. His indifference twisted in my chest like a silver dagger, carving out the last pathetic remnants of my hope. I lowered my head and walked past him into the freezing, cavernous estate.

Twenty minutes later, I emerged from the steaming shower, wrapped tightly in a thick robe. The hot water had done nothing to thaw the ice in my veins. As I stepped into the Luna's chambers, I halted.

Graves was standing by the massive four-poster bed, holding a ceramic bowl that emitted a pungent, bitter steam.

"Drink this," he ordered, stepping toward me. "Elder Cecelia just mind-linked me. We are visiting the Pack's healing center tomorrow morning. I will not have you falling ill and embarrassing me in front of my grandmother."

I stared at the dark, sludgy liquid. It was a specialized Pack Doctor's brew, potent enough to shock a werewolf's immune system into overdrive. For a wolfless human, it was harsh. For the tiny, fragile life newly blooming in my womb, it could be lethal.

"No," I said, taking a step back, my hands instinctively moving to shield my flat stomach. "I don't need it."

Graves's eyes darkened, a dangerous rumble vibrating in his chest. To him, my refusal wasn't fear; it was a direct challenge to his Alpha authority. He didn't know about the baby. He only saw a defiant, useless wife.

"I wasn't asking, Aurelia."

Before I could run, he closed the distance between us. He lifted the bowl, took a large mouthful of the scalding brew, and dropped the ceramic onto the carpet. His large hand gripped my jaw, tilting my head back as his mouth crashed down on mine.

I whimpered, struggling against his iron grip, but he forced my lips part, pushing the bitter liquid down my throat. The moment our lips locked, the undeniable, electric *Spark* of Fated Mates exploded between us. It was a sensation that usually made my toes curl, but right now, it only brought a wave of sickening humiliation. I was forced to swallow the poison that could hurt my pup.

The taste of the herbs mixed with his intoxicating scent. The kiss, meant to be a punishment, suddenly shifted. The Spark ignited the ancient Lycan blood in his veins. His grip on my jaw softened, his other hand tangling in my damp hair as a possessive growl tore from his throat.

He shoved me backward. I hit the mattress, the cold silk sheets sending a shock up my spine. Graves loomed over me, his eyes entirely black as his Inner Wolf took control. He reached up, violently loosening his tie, ready to claim what the Moon Goddess had given him.

Panic and a fierce, maternal instinct surged through my veins. I couldn't let him touch me. I couldn't let this lie continue.

I planted both hands on his solid chest and shoved him with every ounce of strength I possessed.

"Stop!" I gasped, scrambling backward against the headboard. I looked straight into his pitch-black eyes, my voice trembling but crystal clear. "I want to perform the Rejection."

The word *Rejection* hit the room like a blast of liquid nitrogen.

Graves froze. The lust in his eyes shattered, instantly replaced by a storm of disbelief and towering rage. A wolfless weakling, a woman who supposedly needed his protection to survive, was daring to sever the most sacred bond in our world.

He slowly straightened up, the dangerous predator replaced by a cold, calculating businessman. He let out a dark, mocking chuckle that made my blood run cold.

"Is that what this is?" he sneered, stepping closer until his knees hit the edge of the bed. "More territory for your failing Pack? More gold? Name your price for not going through with this farce."

The insult burned, but it only solidified my resolve. He truly didn't know me at all.

"I want nothing from you," I said, lifting my chin. "Only my freedom."

Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. Graves stared at me, his eyes narrowing as if he were looking at a stranger. He didn't yell. He didn't command.

I gripped the edges of my robe, my heart pounding against my ribs as I asked the one question that had been haunting me all night.

"Why? Don't you want to reject me, Alpha?"