Chapter 4

James’s eyes flushed crimson with fury.

He slammed his fist against the steering wheel, snarling:

"Emily Carter, are you threatening me?"

"You spent years sucking up to my parents like an obedient lapdog, scheming to get knocked up with my pup—and now you're telling me you don't want to be Luna?"

"So the mate ceremony got delayed! Can't we just hold another one later? I already gave you my name, while Lily has nothing! How much longer are you going to drag this out?!"

He always accused me of using dirty tricks to get pregnant.

He conveniently forgot that he was the one who got drunk, pulled me into bed, and slurred that if I wanted security, I needed to give him an heir.

One reckless night was all it took.

And then he regretted it.

He leaned on the horn, the sharp blare echoing into the night. In the past, this was the point where I would break down, crying and begging for his forgiveness.

Desperately begging him to stop being angry.

Now, it just felt exhausting.

James drove with his jaw clenched, waiting for the apology that never came, sneaking baffled glances at me.

I just leaned my head against the cool window, eyes closed.

"Emmy."

James called out awkwardly. I ignored him completely.

Just as we neared the restaurant, his phone rang. Lily’s name lit up the dashboard screen.

Her sweet, trembling voice filtered through:

"Jamie, the power went out at my place. I'm so scared all by myself… I feel like eyes are watching me in the dark. Am I going to die…?"

I was sick of this routine.

Anyone with a working brain could tell Lily was faking, but James was blind enough to fall for it every single time.

Before he could speak, I said, "Pull over. Go to her."

James slammed the brakes, staring at me in confusion.

"You're not jealous? You're not going to beg me to stay?"

I let out a cold smirk.

Whenever James rushed off to see Lily in the past, I would throw a fit.

And James would call me filthy-minded, small, and pathetic.

He would tell me to learn from Lily, to be gentle and kind like her.

I grabbed my purse and reached for the door handle. As I swung it open, James caught my wrist in a vice grip.

"Emmy, I'll just check in on her and come right back…"

"Wait for me at home. I promise you, the Luna title will only ever be yours…"

I cut him off. "Alpha, you'd better hurry. That poor girl needs her hero, and she called you first. Don't keep her waiting."

His grip tightened. "Stop being jealous—"

I yanked my arm free and smiled coldly. "I'm not jealous."

I shut the door, hailed another cab, and headed straight back to the hotel. After eating dinner, I fell into a deep sleep.

Hours later, my phone jarred me awake. James’s hesitant voice came through: "Emmy, Lily really can't be left alone right now. Eat dinner without me, don't wait up."

I yawned. "Already ate."

James choked on his words, his tone turning instantly defensive.

"Did you do that on purpose?"

I scoffed, hung up, and went right back to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up to over a dozen missed calls and a threatening text from him.

*[Emily Carter, you want to play games with me? Fine. Just don't come crying when you regret it!]*

I didn't care what he meant.

Until I walked into the pack council hall and found Lily sitting at my desk, handling high-level pack affairs while my own authority was stripped and handed over to her.

Then I understood.

Lily strutted around the office, flaunting her new status. I treated her like a circus clown.

James came by every afternoon to take her out to fancy lunches, showering her with gifts.

Whenever his gaze landed on me, it was dripping with venom and resentment.

Childish idiot.

The media scandal continued to escalate online, and the pack’s public relations team remained dead silent.

Two days later, James cornered me in the hallway.

"You're coming with me to the Pack Assembly next Monday to clear Lily's name."

"You're going to tell the media that Lily was never the other woman."

"You'll tell them that you were the one who got between us years ago, and that you forced me to marry you by getting pregnant."