Chapter 4 Esmeralda's POV

I feel strong muscled arms wrap around me from behind, lifting me gently from the cold, hard floor. I blink through the pain and confusion, expecting to see those icy blue eyes that sent shivers downy spine, but instead, I am met with a pair of vivid green eyes.

Shock runs through me and I escape from his hold. I am sure I sensed him close.

The man holding me upright is not Alpha Sheldon. He's tall, with broad shoulders, and his touch, though firm, is surprisingly gentle. His dark hair falls slightly over his forehead, and there's a quiet strength in his expression, a sharp contrast to the cruelty I've come to expect in this place.

"Are you alright?" he asks softly, his voice calm yet filled with authority. "I've got you. Don't worry."

I nod, still dazed, my body trembling from the shock of the Luna's slap. "Thank you," I whisper, still feeling confused. Who is this man? And why would he risk helping me in front of the Luna?

I could still sense my mate close by and my eyes dart across the room, and I find him, Alpha Sheldon standing off to the side, watching. His icy gaze is colder than I remember, but there's something else in his expression. Something darker. He's not moved to intervene. Or is he being jealous?

I feel a strange tug in my chest as I let in the thought and study him. For the first time, I see him clearly. His sharp jawline, his muscular frame, the deadly aura in the way he carries himself. He's everything I should fear, and yet, despite myself, I find my eyes tracing the curve of his lips, the way his red hair falls against his forehead and how the light of the sun bounced off its sheen.

My breath catches, and for a moment, I'm lost in him, until a harsh voice snaps me out of it.

"How dare you!" Luna Karel's voice cuts through the room like a whip, venom dripping from every word. Her eyes narrow into slits as she glares at me, her anger renewed. "Is this what you do? You throw yourself at every man who dares to look at you?"

I tear my gaze away from Sheldon, my heart sinking as the Luna's words slice through me. I open my mouth to defend myself, but no words come. Instead, I stand there, shaking in the arms of the man who helped me.

Alpha Sheldon's cold voice cuts through the tense air like a blade. "Take her back to her room."

The man holding me shifts slightly and I turn to see him bowing to Sheldon.

"Come on," he murmurs gently, guiding me toward the door. As I'm led out of the room, I risk one last glance behind me and what I see makes my heart twist painfully in my chest.

Luna Karel is in his arms, her face buried against his chest as he gently strokes her hair. His expression, so cold and distant with me, is now soft, tender. He leans down and presses a kiss to her temple, murmuring something soothing into her ear.

I feel a sharp pang of jealousy mixed with anger. How could he be so cold to me, his fated mate, and yet so warm to her?

I force myself to look away, my throat tight with unshed tears, as the man beside me guides me toward the long, winding halls. The image of Alpha Sheldon cradling Luna Karel digs into my mind, a cruel reminder of my reality.

As we walk through the dimly lit corridors, the man who rescued me walks beside me in silence. His presence is calming, but the tension from the throne room still lingers in the pit of my stomach. I sneak a glance at him, trying to figure out who he is. He's tall, broad-shouldered, and his green eye were so different from Alpha Sheldon's cold blue, giving him an air of quiet strength.

After a few more steps, he finally breaks the silence. "I'm Lucian," he says softly. "The pack's Beta."

The Beta? That explains it all then, his presence in the Alpha's home, but it also raises more questions. Why did he help me? What was his role in all of this?

He seemed to have noticed the confusion in my eyes because he continues cautioun in his voice. "I'm sorry for what happened back there. The Luna... she can be... difficult. Especially with someone like you."

"Someone like me?" I whisper, my voice hoarse from everything that happened.

Lucian sighs, his expression becoming unreadable. "The Luna has been... unable to bear children for the Alpha. For years now. It's no secret in the pack, and it's a source of frustration for her. She sees you as a threat, as competition, even though..." He trails off, his eyes glancing at my bruised wrists.

Even though I'm just a breeder. He doesn't want to say the words, but they hang in the air between us, unspoken.

My chest clenches and unclenches at his explanation. Of course, she would hate me. I was here for the one thing she couldn't give him. My purpose was to provide the Alpha with heirs, something she had failed to do. But I hadn't asked for this. I didn't want to be in this position.

"I don't want to be a threat to her," I murmur, but my words feel empty.

Lucian glances at me with a mixture of sympathy and something else I can't place a finger on. "It doesn't matter what you want. To her, you already are."

We continue walking in silence, the weight of his words pressing down on me. I had thought things couldn't get worse.

I need to get out of this place.

I won't allow Sheldon use me the way he wants. If he doesn't reject me, them I would reject him and set myself free.

If I allow him to take me again, if I allow myself to get pregnant, I'll be tied to this place forever, tied to him. I have to find a way out of this. But for now, I won't allow him touch me.

The thought of it makes my heart beat quicken. Denying an Alpha his breeder is unheard of, a rebellion that could cost me dearly. But I can't let him control me, not like this.