Chapter 4

Thea's POV

The next day, Ryder came storming back, clutching my moonstone pendant. He yanked me up from beside my packed bags, gripping so hard that it felt like he wanted to crush my bones.

"Thea, what's the meaning of this? You sold the pendant I made for you? This was our token of love! Have you lost your mind?"

I had put the pendant up for sale at the trading market the night before. Since I was leaving soon, I needed travel money.

Given his temperament, I'd expected it would take him at least three days to notice. It seemed I was wrong.

Looking at Ryder's furious expression, I couldn't help laughing. He had the audacity to say the pendant was a token of love? What love? Whose love?

"Ryder, do you think it's fun to treat me like a fool?"

Pain flashed across his face, and his pupils contracted. But he didn't get angry. Instead, like every time we'd argued before, he softened his tone. "You already made a scene yesterday. Haven't you calmed down yet?

"I admit I was wrong for lying to you. But we've been together for five years! You saved my life beneath the Silver Moon. How could I ever truly betray you?"

I didn't want to hear any of his lies. I didn't even want to spend another second with him.

But he followed me from behind and suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist. "Thea, Vera is the daughter of the former Alpha. After her father died in battle, he entrusted the entire pack to me.

"I admit I wasn't strong enough… I did try to cut ties with her. But she suffers from severe separation anxiety. Every time I mentioned leaving, she threatened to take her own life. I couldn't let anything happen to her."

He buried his face in my hair, sounding aggrieved. "Thea, I never wanted to leave you. You and Vera are both good she-wolves. I care about you both. I don't want to hurt either of you. Just pretend none of this happened, and we can keep living the way we always have. I'll always be good to you, okay?"

Listening to Ryder's self-righteous speech only made me sick.

Seeing that I didn't respond, he actually thought I had softened. He brushed his lips intimately against my ear as he whispered, "I know you've always wanted to carry my pup, Thea…"

Before he could finish, there was a sudden, loud crash. Zane had kicked the front door open.

I didn't even have the chance to speak when Talia rushed over and slapped me across the face. "Thea Thornton! What have you done with Vera's pup?"

My mind went blank. What pup?

The next moment, Vera stumbled inside and dropped to her knees before me. "Thea, I'm begging you. Please give me my pup back! I'll dissolve my mate bond with Ryder if you want. Just please don't hurt my pup…"

The warmth instantly vanished from Ryder's face. "What did you say? The pup is missing?"

Talia's eyes were red with fury. "Vera took the pup to the Moon Goddess Temple for a blessing ritual. The moment the ceremony ended, the pup disappeared! Who else would kidnap a one-month-old pup besides Thea?"

At those words, Ryder's expression changed. Crimson streaks spread through his golden eyes. He lunged at me, grabbed my neck, and slammed me against the wall.

"You had someone take the pup? Thea, are you insane?"

His fingers tightened like steel. It felt like my neck was about to snap.

I desperately clawed at his hand, leaving bloody scratches across his skin. "I didn't do it… I'm a healer. Why would I ever hurt a pup?"

Vera collapsed to the floor, sobbing. "Thea, please. If anything happens to my pup, I don't know how I'll live…"

Ryder threw me aside. His eyes had turned completely red. "Give the pup back!"

"I told you, it wasn't me. Why won't any of you believe me?"

"Who else could it be?"

Zane stood nearby, the face that resembled mine utterly cold. "If you won't tell the truth, I'll have no choice but to send you before the elders."

Talia was even angrier. She grabbed my hair and dragged me toward the basement. Standing at the entrance, she looked at me with a cold expression.

"Thea, I was wrong about you. Vera's pup is only a month old. How could you do something like this? I'm giving you one last chance. Are you going to confess or not?"

She knew I was afraid of the dark. She knew exactly how to break me.

But I didn't do it. How could I confess to something I never did?

"Thea, you brought this on yourself!"

When I still refused to answer, Talia slammed the stone door shut. The light slowly vanished, and darkness poured in from all directions.

In an instant, memories flooded back to me. When I was a child, a rival pack had kidnapped me and locked me in a pitch-black dungeon for three entire months.

A broken sob escaped my throat. I frantically pounded on the stone door, scratching desperately at the cracks with my nails, trying to pry it open. Then, a violent cramp tore through my stomach. Warm liquid ran down my thighs as the sharp scent of blood filled the confinement chamber.

Through the thick stone door, I vaguely heard a guard shouting outside, "The pup has been found! Everyone, return to the altar immediately!"

Then came the sound of hurried footsteps.

No one remembered I was still locked in the basement. No one cared about me. And as I sat there in a daze, I felt something slipping away from my body. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

…

Third-Person POV

Several hours later, they returned carrying the pup. Only then did they remember to open the basement.

What they found was a floor covered in dried, dark red blood, and a medical report. On top of it was a memory crystal containing a recorded image.

The apology cake Ryder had brought slipped from his hands and smashed onto the floor.