14| Selfish Desires

CEDAR BLAKE 

I searched for him all day, walking through the pack lands and near the waterfall, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. But it felt like he was deliberately avoiding me.

And honestly, I deserved that.

I had thrown myself at him. What was I thinking, asking if I could kiss him? Since when did I become so bold with men? That was my very first kiss, and I acted like… like a desperate woman.

Now, thinking back on what happened, I found my fingers brushing against my lips, the same lips he had devoured. His scent still lingered in my nose, and I kept daydreaming, craving more. But his last words made it clear there would be no next time.

What if Dominus had seen us like that?

Thank the goddess for the chef who had dozed off while cooking dinner. The oil from the chicken legs he was frying caught fire and set off the alarm. Things could’ve gone much worse, but even that chaos was better than the danger I would’ve faced if someone had seen us, especially Dominus.

“Can you both please step back and give me some space? I just need some fresh air. I'm not going to run away,” I said sharply, irritated.

How am I supposed to enjoy the view like I used to, with them standing so close behind me, breathing down my neck?

“I’m sorry, but we swore an oath to protect you. If anything happens, Dominus won’t spare us,” one of the guards said, stepping back slightly while the other stood firm.

“How thoughtful of him,” I muttered with a shake of my head. “Forget it, let’s just go back. There’s no point.”

Even if I do see Deklan, would I really have the courage to talk to him?

On my way back to the estate, the two guards followed closely behind. We stopped when I noticed a crowd gathered around the tall gates of Oakwood's trial hall. 

Curious, I stepped closer. I pushed through the pack members who didn't recognize me at first, ignoring the guards’ attempts to stop me. They quietly made a path, letting me through to witness the scene.

Three ocean tombs, metal cages containing men, were chained to an old truck. The gates were just opening for the vehicle to leave, dragging the cages behind it.

“What’s going on here?” I asked a young woman beside me who was silently crying. I doubted she would answer.

“The Alpha gave his final verdict this morning,” she replied quietly. “They’re being cast into the Black Sea. No one’s allowed to speak their names again. Their families aren’t even allowed to mourn them. It’s the harshest punishment for anyone found guilty of treason in Oakwood ever since Dominus became the Alpha King.”

“What did they do? Were they properly interrogated before their execution?” I asked, struggling to understand what crime deserved something so cruel.

“They were caught trading veil shades and smuggling wolf rice across the border,” she said. Then she looked at me, and surprise filled her face. “You’re his Luna!” she gasped, backing into the crowd.

“She’s the cursed Luna who brought injustice to our land! She should die!” a man shouted, shifting into his wolf form.

“Kill the Luna!”

More joined in, shifting into wolves and charging straight at me.

I froze in fear, completely overwhelmed. My wolf was fighting to take control, but I couldn’t shift. My body wouldn’t move, I could only stand there, helpless, waiting to be torn apart.

“Protect the Luna! Protect the Luna!” one of the guards shouted. Both guards shifted into their wolf forms, howling as they stood in front of me.

The first wolf broke past them and lunged directly at me. I instinctively raised my arms to shield my face, screaming as everything suddenly went dark.

The ground beneath me shook violently like an earthquake, and a loud ringing filled my ears. I collapsed to my knees and slipped into unconsciousness.

I didn’t know what happened after that, or how I ended up back at Dominus’s estate. But when I woke up, I was in my bed. The pack healer, Kayla, stood beside me, speaking, but I could barely hear her. Everything sounded muffled, like my ears were blocked.

I tried to sit up. “What’s going on?” I asked, my voice faint and distant, even to me.

A sharp sting in my left hand made me realize I was connected to an IV.

Kayla leaned closer with a small penlight, motioning for me to open my eyes so she could examine them. Slowly, I began to hear her voice more clearly, first echoing, then buzzing, and finally normal.

“Blink for me, Cedar,” she said gently, shining the light in my eyes. One hand steadied my face.

“What happened to me?” I blinked as instructed, then relaxed back onto the bed.

My head felt light. Tears welled up in my eyes as she put the penlight away.

“You’ll be fine,” she pointed out. “But you need to rest for at least seventy-two hours. No physical activity or use of your powers. You can remove the IV tubes once the mana infusion finishes.”

“But I feel fine,” I protested, even though the execution scene replayed vividly in my mind. “I don’t remember everything. Maybe someone hit me?”

“I’ll check on you tomorrow,” she said, packing up her things. “Like I said earlier, try to rest and don’t use your powers.” Then she left the room.

A moment later, Dominus entered, as if he’d been waiting for her to leave. He paused at the door, staring at me like I’d grown horns.

“Prepare yourself. There will be a blood-binding ritual in two days,” he said coldly, his eyes never leaving mine.

Despite my aching head and overall weakness, I laughed bitterly. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

“Blood-binding ritual? That wasn’t part of our deal. You’re breaking the contract again, Dominus! Isn’t it enough that I’m living like a prisoner…no, like a piece of seized property! You really want to go this far? Is that heart of yours made of rock?” I snapped, rising from the bed and yanking out the IV tubes from my hand.

I don’t need a damn mana infusion to get better! I won’t lie around here while he plans to drain my blood for whatever selfish ritual he’s cooked up.

“Don’t you think you’re the one breaking the contract?” he said with a smug smile, tilting his head.

“What?” My voice trembled. No. He couldn’t mean what I think he means…