LIANDREN'S POV

"I... I don't know what you're talking about. Rowan, I would never cheat on you," I stuttered through heavy breaths.

"Then explain to me why I just saw a photo of you curled up with a man. Who is he—your lover? Was I not satisfying you enough, huh?" he yelled, and I felt my heart shatter.

I couldn't believe this was all happening in one day. It was no mere coincidence that things unfolded like this.

I pressed my lips together as I tried to touch the side of his hand, but he pulled back with disgust, as if the mere sight of me would sting his eyes.

I was nothing but an Omega, a servant in the Blood Howl estate before the mate bond enacted and Rowan's father forced him to take me as his mate to strengthen the bloodline.

Rowan, on the other hand, hated the mate bond because he didn’t like being shackled to a weakling like me. And yet, seeing the current situation now, I wished to go back to those times when all he did was ignore me.

"Liandren, dear..." Melody rushed over to hold my hand, her eyes softened, tears brimming. "I'm so sorry, but I can no longer keep this secret—especially now that things have turned out this way."

I yanked my hand away from her grip with such force that she stumbled back, crashing into Rowan before bursting into tears.

"Melody Green, I should have known. You’ve always been a snake! Why did you set me up?" I yelled.

Melody clutched onto Rowan's arm. "Ro, Liandren forced me to keep things a secret, but I can't let her manipulate you any longer. Liandren had a one-night stand that night we couldn’t find her in her room."

I staggered back as a pang of headache blasted through my skull—last month.

I remembered—on my birthday, Rowan had promised he was going to show, but he never did. The next morning, I woke up not in the estate, but in a hotel. But I was alone... right?

The sharp pain cut through me as I clutched the side of my head, the realization crashing down on me.

The last person I drank with was Melody, who had been consoling me about Rowan’s absence.

"You..." I stared at her, filled with dread. "You drugged me, didn’t you? Why?"

"Shut up! Don’t try to change the subject. You’re evil. Rowan and the entire Blood Howl pack have been deceived by you for too long," Melody snapped.

I shook my head in disbelief, my gaze turning to Rowan. He flinched, staring into my eyes. "Do you believe her? I'm an Omega. Melody is a Beta. How could I possibly threaten her?"

Rowan's eyes flickered with doubt… but rage swallowed it instantly.

His jaw hardened as he stared deep into my eyes, his nostrils flaring. "There’s only one way to find out if you’ve been faithful or not," he growled.

For a split second, I saw something else beneath the fury—hurt.

A man terrified that the one person he was bound to had betrayed him.

My lips parted, but Rowan clamped his hand over mine, yanking me toward him as he dragged me off.

The fight drained from my body as I followed him, clueless about our destination. Chains clinked through the hallway as the maids whispered, watching us move.

"She’s pregnant!" the healer mumbled softly, her hands glowing with faint moonlight as her palms moved over my belly after a few minutes of examination.

I was panting hard as I caught a glimpse of Rowan. His head was tilted down, looking at what the healer was doing.

I should be scared, but I couldn’t help but feel anxious. What if something had happened that night on my birthday—with that stranger?

Rowan had previously wanted me dead. At this point, he could easily slash my throat, cut me into a thousand pieces.

"But... there’s something wrong with the babies," the healer murmured, tilting her head to the side.

My heart sank into my stomach as I swallowed hard, my hands trembling as I tucked them into my skirt. "What... what do you mean?"

"The cases are rare, but you are indeed pregnant with twins. But they are not of the same father. One has the energy of the Alpha... while the other..."

The healer shook her head, her gaze downcast. "It doesn’t belong to the Alpha."

My breath clung to my throat as I covered my mouth with my hand, tears filling my eyes. "No... that’s not possible," I whimpered.

“Cases like this happen once every century… and they always end in tragedy. I'm sorry Luna." The healer said softly.

I felt the world tilt under my feet.

Rowan grabbed me again, shaking me hard as I jerked in the air, lifeless. "Tell me! Who is he? The bastard you let put his seed inside what's mine!"

"I don’t know... I swear!"

Rowan chuckled, but it was bitter, with no trace of amusement. "Liandren, you are something—sleeping around, whoring yourself..."

I couldn’t take it anymore.

Whack!

My palm lurched across his face, and the air went still. "How many times do I have to explain? I didn’t do it. This is a big misunderstanding!"

Rowan scoffed, his hand moving to caress his cheek as his eyes narrowed at me. "Take a look at yourself in the mirror. I married you despite that hideous birthmark on your face. Even though you were an Omega, I mated with you."

Rowan yanked me forward, his fingers digging into my wrist.

The maids pressed their backs to the wall, eyes wide, whispering behind trembling hands.

"And this is how you repay me?"

He was right. I was ugly, weak, powerless. But still, he chose me—and that was why I did everything I could to make him happy. And yet, he couldn’t even give me a drop of trust.

"If you hate me so much, then go ahead and do it." I took his hand, feeling it brush against mine for a split second as adrenaline surged through my body.

I placed his hand over my neck and inched closer. "All it takes is a snap of your claws, and I’ll be dead. Go ahead and end me."

His wolf let out a brutal growl and his eyes glimmered with fiery red.

My gaze pierced into his, holding him in place. But then he pulled hard, his fingers raking into my hair, forcing me closer—just a few inches, and I could feel the heat of his lips.

"You think after what you did I’ll let you go? Never. You’ll suffer in this hell until you deliver my child. And then... I’ll put you out of your misery."

He tossed me aside and straightened his back, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“I’ll find that bastard — whoever he is and tear him apart,” Rowan growled.

“No one makes a fool of me. No one.”