Chapter 4

••• Victoria’s POV ••• Hearing his words, I should feel happy that I could finally escape this hellhole, but I didn't. “I’m sorry, Felix, but I couldn’t let you and Alison do that,” I refused his plan. Alison's pack was ranking in 10 and they were no match for the GoldClaw Pride Pack. I didn't want to cause them unnecessary trouble. “But Luna-” “I do not want you and Alison to be entangled with my problem,” I cut him off. “Elijah is cruel. I can’t drag you and Alison down with me. Who knew what he would do to the two of you if he found out you helped me escape? I thank you and Alison, but I can’t take the risk.” Before Felix could reply, I heard footsteps coming toward the dungeon, so I forcefully closed our mindlink. To my surprise, it was Elijah who came to see me, the last person I thought would visit me. He approached me and used gloves to free me from my shackles so his hand wouldn’t touch the silver, which would weaken him too if he touched them. Once my hands were free from the shackles, I slid to the dirty ground, but I didn’t care since my knees were already too weak to help me stand. Elijah looked down at me; the disgust in his eyes was apparent. “Have you learned your lesson?” I wanted to shout at and curse at him, but my throat was too dry to say anything. So, instead, I just looked at him, not even able to glare because of how weak I was. He bent down and pinched my chin hard until I winced, and he chuckled, seeing my pain. “I came here because I have a proposition for you,” he started saying. I tried to free my chin from his grasp, too disgusted to see him by now, but his grip just got stronger. He wanted me to see him while he was talking to me. “So, here is my proposition: if you could accept Evelyn’s presence, I will let you stay at my side, and you can keep being the Luna of the Goldclaw Pride Pack. I will keep bringing you to functions and meetings and make sure you look good as a Luna with gifts I usually give you.” While he was talking, as if the proposition he offered me was a great thing for me, his expression remained cold. Now, I had no more doubt that I was so blind to have fallen in love with him and, as everyone said, kept clinging to him. If I thought he was cruel before, now I realized his shamelessness knew no bounds and shocked me even more. He dared to ask me to accept him having a mistress and their child, who would be the Alpha of the Goldclaw Pride Pack in the future, while I became what? A Luna that was just a tool for him to maintain his reputation? A Luna that he needed to solve the pack problems? Just how low was I in his eyes and heart? “Come on, Victoria, you know this is the best for you. “I know you love me so much and want to keep staying by my side. With this, you can get what you want.” “Furthermore, I know you can’t survive without me,” he kept looking down at me and then had the audacity to threaten me, “No one would accept you since you have nothing now, and if you leave, the rogues will surely kill you.” Suddenly, I felt such rage inside me. I had helped him so much, and this was how he thanked me? “I’d rather be killed by the rogues than live with a pile of shit like you and Evelyn,” I spat at him, not even censoring my declaration of how much I hated him so much right now. Elijah released my chin, pushing my head away, and I felt the back banging against the wall behind me. “You will regret saying those words to me once I really banished you and you got killed by the rogues,” he snarled and turned away, leaving me alone again in my cell. “You won't, don't forget the perfume company still needs me!” I said as I glared at him angrily. “Very well, from now on you will be reflecting in the dungeon until you hand over the formula for your new product or you know I will kill your former beta,” Elijah said with a sneer and left. I heaved a breath of relief. Even though I was still imprisoned, at least I wasn’t shackled anymore, and it felt good to finally stand up against my jerk of a mate. After he left, I sat down and suddenly heard Lya’s voice echoing in my mind. “Victoria, you have to escape. Don’t let them treat you like this. You deserve better. Please,” she urged me. Joy surged through me until I nearly cried. My wolf finally appeared again! I knew the Moon Goddess would not be so cruel to me, especially after making me go through this torturous situation alone. “Lya, you are back!” I cried out. “You don’t know how lonely I’ve been without you!” I waited for her reply, but none came, and I knew she had gone into a deep slumber again. I hugged my knees and cried. Lya had disappeared again, leaving me alone in the darkness once more. But then I remembered her words. Although in her weakened state, Lya still tried to force herself to talk to me. I knew it must have been hard for her, but she still tried. Remembering Lya’s overcoming her weakness to say those things to me, I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand and clenched my fists, and I felt a new strength course through my body. Although I was the one who asked my warriors to serve Elijah’s pack at first, I knew he must have said something to them, so they betrayed me. “They have taken my pack away from me and also Ilya. I won’t let them get away with it,” I swore to myself through gritted teeth. “For Lya, I must survive and make those who made her disappear into a deep slumber pay.” Fortunately, when Elijah threw me into the dungeon, he didn’t check my pockets. I had my phone and wallet with me. With my newfound strength, I pulled out my thin wallet and shifted through some business cards I had kept inside it until I found a yellowed card I needed. I caressed the card and, looking at it, brought back memories of before I married Elijah. Five years ago, when I attended my best friend Alison’s birthday party - the same Alison who was Evelyn’s cousin - I gave her a one-of-a-kind perfume that I had concocted especially for her. Alison was a she-wolf whose dream was to be a female Alpha. So, I created a bottle of perfume for her that could mask a werewolf’s scent because I thought it would help her to avoid being forcefully marked by other Alphas. I remembered she was so happy with my gift that she hugged me tightly and thanked me profusely for it. But during some playful chaos, the perfume accidentally spilled on me, and I became a scentless she-wolf for that night. Maybe it was fate, or perhaps it was just the Moon Goddess playing a prank on me, but that night, I met Alpha Damien Verlice, the Alpha of the Infernal Shadows Pack. The Infernal Shadows Pack was a powerful pack, and although I was already in love with Elijah at that time, I still had eyes that could appreciate handsome men, and Alpha Damien turned out to be one of the most attractive men I had ever laid my eyes on. His dark hair and eyes that seemed to be able to suck your soul, and the features of his face - straight nose, chiseled jawline, and not to mention his height and muscular body that could not even be hidden by his bespoke three-piece suit. He was also charming and carefree. No she-wolves would be able to turn down his advances. Once, he had set out his sight on a she-wolf, and that she-wolf would not be able to escape from his charm. I was no exception, although we all knew he was known as a playboy. And that night, I didn’t know why he set his eyes on me. He approached me, and we chatted. One thing led to another, and we ended up sleeping together. At first, I did feel a bit guilty since I wanted to give my virginity to Elijah, but I knew Elijah wasn’t a virgin anymore as well, so my guilt lessened. And to be honest, Alpha Damien was a great lover. Although it was my first time, I enjoyed our time immensely. The following day, before he left, he gave me his business card. “Give me a call if you need any help or want a repeat.” He winked at me, and those were his last words to me before he was gone. I took my phone and dialed the number on the yellowed business card. I just hoped he still hadn’t changed his number and still remembered me because this was my only hope. He was my only hope right now, as the Infernal Shadows Pack and Alpha Damien Verlice were more powerful than the GoldClaw Pride Pack and Elijah.