Chapter 3

I pushed open the heavy wooden door.

Crystal chandeliers hung overhead, a full North American gray wolf pelt carpeted the floor, and the air carried the scent of cedar—luxurious yet solemn.

Caleb's eyes went wide. "Fuck... how many land shares is that oil painting on the wall worth?"

Lila's eyes filled with greed. "Just one silver ornament would be enough to buy us half a small pack!"

Caleb laughed lewdly: "Once this bitch serves Alpha Alaric well, maybe he'll reward us with some hunting grounds to play with!"

I leaned against the door, expressionless.

My gaze swept over the giant oil painting on the center wall.

The woman in it stood in a cedar forest, her eyes gentle—my mother.

On the black ebony table beside it sat a family photo.

The little girl in the picture rode on her father's shoulders, smiling brilliantly.

Seeing me stare at the painting, Rowan frowned and warned coldly:

"Keep your inappropriate thoughts to yourself. Your type only gets through this door because you somewhat resemble Luna Lilwen."

When I showed no reaction to his mockery, he lost patience and grabbed my wrist,

his eyes brazenly scanning the thin nightgown I wore.

"If Alpha Alaric weren't such a clean freak, I'd teach you the rules right now myself."

I smiled mockingly: "Is this how Sunridge Pack manages its subordinates? Looks like you really should be exiled to the northern border."

Rowan exploded with rage and raised his hand to strike.

Just then, a sharp female voice rang out from behind: "Stop!"

A woman in a red dress walked in on high heels, her makeup immaculate, her aura haughty.

It was Serena, Sunridge Pack's Beta. She'd made advances to Alaric multiple times, only to be coldly rejected, but she never gave up.

Her gaze landed on my face, instantly filling with the poison of jealousy.

"That face..." She walked over and gripped my chin with her fingertips, so hard it felt like she wanted to crush my bones.

"A lowly plaything dares to have a face similar to Luna Lilwen's? Kneel!"

I yanked her hand away, my eyes cold as ice:

"Take your filthy hands off me. What makes you think you can make me kneel? Before you touch me, you'd better think carefully whether Alaric will throw you to the wild wolves in the forest."

Serena laughed in fury, her face twisting. "Courting death!"

She swung her hand to slap me hard.

I jerked my head aside. Her slap met air and she stumbled awkwardly.

"Who do you think you are?!" Serena shrieked hysterically.

I smiled faintly. "What if I told you I'm the one person Alaric wants most in this life but can't have? Would you believe me?"

After all, he'd sent countless people to find me these past three years, and I never appeared once. So technically, I was indeed unattainable.

As my words fell, the room went dead silent.

Serena froze for a moment, then her malice exploded completely:

"Let's see—after I carve up your face, how you'll keep up this act! Hold her down!"

Caleb immediately lunged forward, pinning me to the cold floor.

"Beta Serena, please calm down! This bitch just doesn't know her place! She's got cheap bones—do whatever you want with her. Even if you cripple her, it's on me!"

Lila quickly followed, stomping hard on my hand pressed against the floor.

The pain shot through my fingers straight to my heart. Cold sweat instantly soaked my back.

Serena smiled coldly as she picked up a silver letter opener from the table, slowly crouching down and using the cold blade to lift my chin.

"'Unattainable'—you're just relying on that face to seduce."

The blade's edge slid along my skin, bringing the tremor of death.

A drop of crimson blood slid slowly down the silver blade and splattered on the gray wolf pelt carpet.

"If I carve the word 'whore' into your face, do you think Alpha Alaric will even look at you?"

Serena raised the letter opener high, about to stab down viciously.

As extreme danger closed in, I jerked my head back and screamed that name with all my strength:

"Alaric Voss! Get out here! If anything happens to me, you'll never see me again for the rest of your life!"

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