I woke up in a cell. They locked me up despite my condition. It didn’t matter that I was barely breathing. They all believed that I tried to kill Stella, so they treated me like a criminal.

I heard the guards talking about how rattled Stella was as she spoke about what happened. But I knew she was probably out there spouting lies. It also sounded like everyone already knew that Stella was Andro’s mate, so they all thought of that as my motive to kill her.

“It wasn’t even Stella’s fault she was bonded to Andro,” one of the guards said as they passed by. “But isn’t it surprising that Andro decided to throw his fiance into prison?”

“Not really. Even if they’ve been inseparable since childhood, you can’t fight off a mate bond,” the other one said. “I heard Andro hasn’t left Stella’s side.”

It was unfair. I hadn’t done anything wrong. While Stella was being cared for by Andro, I was suffocating in this cold cell. Everything inside was worn down, and the thin blanket couldn’t offer warmth. I felt like I was dying, and I’d be all alone.

How could they do this to me? Where were my parents? Not even a healer was sent to aid me. The pain in my chest started to worsen again. I grasped the blanket and peered around. There was no one to seek help from.

Am I gonna die here? Would my heart suddenly fail after all the distress?

“You look pathetic,” someone suddenly said.

I slowly moved my head to look at the door. It was someone I least expected to come.

“It suits you,” Alpha Desmond said, his voice laced with venom.

Alpha Desmond had always been stern and cold. But after his mate died, he’d been less forgiving–so much less. He’d look at everyone with disdain and irritation. Every time our eyes met, those things grew in intensity. It was as if he held a grudge against me.

“Alpha,” I muttered, my voice hoarse. I wanted to ask for help, but would this ruthless man really offer such a thing?

He looked at me with disgust, anger, and something I couldn’t quite figure out. He took another step forward, his huge frame blocking the light.

“You deserve this.” He hovered over my head as I lay motionless on the bed. “After you die. I’ll send your parents to you next. Then my brother.”

My eyes widened at what he said. Desmond knew about what my parents did! The reason why his gazes were sharper and colder whenever they met mine. Did he think I was a part of it?

“I… didn’t k-know,” I uttered. “I’m sorry,” I said as my voice broke into sobs.

I had witnessed the day he found his mate’s lifeless body. Desmond didn’t shed a tear, but he carried her with an expression that could only belong to a broken man. It turned him into a monster–we turned him into this heartless monster.

“I–I’m so sorry,” I repeated. I felt like I knew his pain, like I owned it too.

“Don’t lie to me,” he growled.

The tears were blurring my vision. I couldn’t see Desmond's face, but I felt his hand against my cheek. It wasn’t cruel… It was unexpectedly gentle, and then, something snapped.

The pain was temporarily gone. The tears no longer blocked my view, and I could clearly see him. Desmond’s eyes were wide, as were mine when I felt the mate bond snap into place.

The relief from pain didn’t last long, and it came back like a torrent that drowned all else. Every time I breathed, it would hurt so bad that I was almost glad to slip into oblivion. Even so, I felt his arms clutching me close, carrying my limp body.

“Don’t die.”

I wanted to open my eyes, but my eyelids were too heavy. Everything was. I didn’t have enough energy or mental capacity to process what had formed between us. I also didn’t think it mattered because I was dying–or so it felt like. I had been left too long in that cold cell, who knew? Maybe my heart’s condition had worsened during that time.

“You will not die. Not until I allow you,” Desmond’s voice echoed in my ears. “Not when you’ve placed this cursed bond on me."

How was it even possible that a mate bond would form between us? The moon Goddess rarely offered second chances, and in this case, it appeared like she was playing with us. How could she match me with someone my parents had wronged?

I awoke in a soft mattress this time after passing out in Desmond’s arms. I took a look around and realized that I was in his room. I knew from the insignias around the room.

A healer was also present. She held my hand and said, “This isn’t an illness. It’s poison. Something has been poisoning your heart slowly.”

“What?” I muttered. My heart had been a problem for five years now, I couldn’t even shift because of it. All I knew was the healers couldn’t figure out what was wrong, so they couldn’t fix it. “H-how do you know that? Why didn’t the other healers know that?”

“I’m not like the others,” she said. “I’m the healer in the Alpha’s manor. Of course, I’d be different. I’ve seen this case before. Someone had been poisoning you in small doses. It doesn’t kill you right away, but it weakens your heart until it fails.”

“You mean… This burden I carried for five years. The reason why I couldn’t shift! It was all orchestrated by someone?” I asked, grabbing her arm. I couldn’t think of anyone who had been poisoning me for the last five years.

My parents might not be the best, but they still saw me as their daughter. It couldn’t be Andro, right? He truly did love me–at least before Stella came into the picture. There was no reason for him to do that. Stella–perhaps, but she had only been with us for a year. Who could it be?

“C-can you fix it?” I asked. “What can we do?”

“The Alpha can help. He knows how to fix it,” she flatly said.

Alpha Desmond would know how to help me? Even though we were mates, he hated me for what my parents did to his first mate. How could he possibly agree to help me? If anything, he might reject me and I wouldn’t be able to survive it with this heart.

“I don’t think Alpha Desmond would help me,” I replied, looking away.

“Why won’t he? I know his reputation’s bad, but he decided to take you as his luna. I’m sure he’d want you at your best.”

“He what?” I asked, my confusion written all over my face.

“Ah, right. You don’t know yet. It hasn't been officially declared. Only the people in the Alpha's manor knows. We were asked to treat you as if you're already Luna," she explained. It meant my parents and Andro didn't know yet. I wonder how they'd react to that.

“Why would he,” I muttered under my breath. It didn’t make sense. I thought he wanted me dead along with my parents and Andro?

I had a feeling that I was just a pawn in his game–a pawn he stole from his enemies. That would be the only reason why he’d want me to be his Luna.

Unfortunately for them, I was done playing the role of a pawn.

Desmond stepped into the room, making the healer scurry out. His aura was still as menacing as his features, but it didn’t intimidate me anymore. I guess that was one of the bond’s effects, craving his presence despite how dangerous it was.

His piercing cold gaze was fixated on me. I knew that if I asked him so casually about helping me find a solution for my heart, he would refuse.

“I didn’t think you’d save me,” I said while avoiding his gaze. 

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t save you, I didn’t care if you died.” Desmond’s face was unreadable, his voice devoid of emotions. They said you’d share emotions and thoughts with your mate, but Desmond was good at keeping to himself. 

“All I did was chain you to me, so don’t act all grateful now. You’re an important variable in the plans against me, and I only want to throw my enemies off. Make yourself useful, your life is in my hands now,” he continued. 

I wondered how much of what he said was true as I recalled him holding me close, caressing my face ever so gently while I was on the brink of death.

I understood why he was cruel, especially to me. But it didn’t mean I’d be willing to be his puppet for the rest of my life. I want to leave them all behind and start somewhere else, but to do that I must fix this damned heart. It must be strong enough to reject him, and I had to do it before he marked me. Because once I was marked and the bond was sealed, we wouldn’t survive without each other anymore. 

“Just so you know, I meant what I said in that cell. I didn’t know about their plans until recently. I found out the same day I got thrown into that prison,” I said to ease my guilt and maybe earn his trust a little. 

“You don’t know the schemes that form in your own home? Are you that pathetic?” he sneered. “Right, you’re their spoiled and delicate daughter. You live in your little bubble–oblivious about the things that matter.”

What he said struck a nerve. My father never included me in serious discussions, saying my only purpose was to marry into power. Anger and hurt flashed in my eyes, but he stared me down like he didn’t care. 

“You might be right about me being oblivious, but it wasn’t my choice! Do you think I wanted to be kept in the dark and manipulated?” I asked, keeping my voice steady despite the tears that burned my eyes. “All my life, everything I do has been dictated by my father. I followed Andro around because I trusted him more than myself. But now they’re not here to tell me what to do… but I’m still not free. Do you think I wanted to live that way?”

It was my first time lashing out at someone. The mate bond tugged on my emotions, guiding them toward him. I knew he felt them when he paused, reading my expression. 

“I haven’t even marked you yet and you’re already throwing your useless emotions at me,” he said, jaw clenching. “You’re weak. I’ve seen kids with better control than you.”

“I’m sorry if I’m not an expert at this whole mate bond thing. If you protected your first mate better, maybe you wouldn't have to deal with a novice like me!” 

Desmond’s eyebrows collided, clearly riled up at my remark. I was too pissed at him to take back what I said. I knew it was a topic I shouldn’t have touched, but he started it.

“What did you say?” Desmond motioned to grab me, but a commotion outside the room stole our attention. 

Someone frantically knocked on the door, informing us that Andro had barged into the Alpha manor. When Desmond dashed out, I quickly got up to follow him. I struggled to keep up with his pace because my body had not fully recovered.

I arrived in the living room a little later and saw Andro grabbing Desmond’s collar. 

“Why did you take her here!” Andro asked, his voice demanding and furious. “Where is my fiancée?!”