Chapter 12: Twelve

SOLANA

Alpha Roman's expression didn't change. Mine did.

Because, suddenly, it hit me that I'd seen this man before. I knew that voice.

He took a step forward, his boots echoing against the marble. "Tell me, Alpha Roman," he began, his tone mocking, "what made you take a lowly maid as your Luna?"

A ripple of discomfort swept through the room. Someone gasped softly. Someone else snickered.

My lungs constricted.

But he wasn't done.

"Surely," he continued, "you knew she'd been defiled by other men before you, didn't you? Or perhaps that's what you liked about her. She's used goods, easy to break."

The words landed like knives against my skin.

Blood rushed in my ears. I couldn't breathe.

For a split second, everything around me vanished, and I was back in the Red Grove pack. Back in that dark room that reeked of smoke and sweat.

Elric's laughter echoed in my skull. "She doesn't mind, do you, pet? Let them have a taste."

And him... the man standing before me now...

He'd been there. I remembered his ring scraping against my arm as he touched me, the way he and the others had watched as I crumbled.

My vision blurred.

They were all looking at me now with disgusted eyes, curious eyes, and even judgmental eyes. I could hear their whispers.

Dirty.

Unworthy.

Defiled.

My stomach lurched. I thought I might vomit right there on the polished floor.

My fingers trembled as I took an unsteady step backward. I couldn't do this. I couldn't stand here and let them look at me like—

My alpha's hand suddenly closed around mine, and I froze. His grip wasn't gentle. But through it, I felt something I hadn't felt from him before. Protectiveness.

The man in white smirked wider, satisfied that he'd hit a nerve. "Are you going to pretend you didn't know what your little Luna used to—"

"Enough."

Alpha Roman's voice wasn't loud. But it thundered through the hall all the same. The air itself seemed to tighten.

Every Alpha in the room fell silent.

He took one step forward, still holding my hand, keeping me behind him.

Tears pricked my eyes. Was he...shielding me?

The air around him grew heavy, the unmistakable force of an Alpha's dominance flaring to life.

"Speak another word about my wife," he said slowly, his tone steely, "and you will lose that tongue you're so fond of wagging."

The man's smile faltered.

My husband's eyes were cold, but his thumb brushed the back of my hand gently.

It was a silent tether pulling me back from the abyss.

I blinked hard, a tear slipping down before I could stop it.

Alpha Roman didn't look at me. But the way he tightened his grip said enough.

He wasn't letting me run.

He wasn't letting anyone touch me. Not anymore.

The man in white straightened, trying to reclaim his confidence. "Struck a nerve, Alpha?" he sneered, his voice oozing mockery. "Or perhaps you're the one who likes—"

"Darius," my husband cut him off, his tone dripping with calm venom. "You've always had such a fascinating hobby of opening your mouth before engaging your brain. Tell me, does your Luna know what you do with the Omegas you keep locked in your cellar?"

Gasps rippled through the hall.

Darius's smirk faltered. "You—you're bluffing—"

Alpha Roman tilted his head slightly, the faintest ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "Bluffing?" He took a step forward, his grip on my hand tightening just enough to keep me anchored. "You really want to test that theory in front of witnesses?"

A murmur swept through the crowd.

"Because if I recall correctly, the last time the Stone Haven patrols crossed your town's borders, they found chains. Silver-lined. Small enough for wrists far more delicate than yours."

The man's face drained of color.

My husband's smile was cold and deadly. "Ah. There it is. The look of a man realizing he's cornered."

A few Alphas exchanged glances. I saw the disgust that began to bloom across their faces. This time, it wasn't for me.

"You speak of purity, Darius? You, who defiled girls who couldn't even shift yet? You, who pays your servants in bruises?"

Every word landed mercilessly.

"I suggest," my husband continued, "you think very carefully before you ever speak my Luna's name again. Or anyone's wife, daughter, or maid, for that matter."

The hall was deathly silent.

Even the music had stopped.

He let go of my hand just long enough to elegantly adjust the cuff of his black sleeve before saying, almost conversationally, "The next time you feel tempted to discuss another man's choices, try washing the blood off your own hands first."

Darius staggered back, his jaw clenched. Alphas shifted away from him, their expressions twisted in disgust.

Roman turned back to me. His eyes were no longer empty. There was a subtle sparkle in them.

"Shall we, Luna?"

My throat was too tight to speak, so I simply nodded.

And as we walked past the murmuring crowd with their heads bowing slightly as he led me forward, I realized something that sent a tremor down my spine.

Roman had just defended ME.

...

"We haven't met before. I'm Ciara, Alpha Roman's delta," a beautiful woman with a bob haircut said to me, holding out a hand to me. She was carrying an infant with her other hand.

The feast had kicked off, and the smell of food and drink had saturated the air. After Alpha Darius had been escorted out of the hall, Alpha Roman had left to speak with a group of men. Tara was by my side now, holding my hand.

I was feeling a little better. But the sight of the baby in Ciara's arms made my throat close up.

"You are really pretty," Ciara said, and I nodded, distracted by her baby's adorable brown eyes.

"Luna?" She said, and I looked back at her.

"Are you okay?" She asked, and I blinked.

Tara was staring at me with watery eyes.

"You're crying, Lana," she whispered, her voice cracking.

Quickly, I wiped the tears away, my chest tightening.

"It's nothing," I lied.

All I could think of in that moment was the blood on my thighs from when I'd miscarried.

"I...I just need air," I muttered and hurried away, out of the hall. I did not stop moving until I got to the garden.

Only then did I crouch by the roses, a sob ripping out of my throat.

My poor babies...

I never got to meet them because of my bad luck.

It was all my fault.

I'd told myself it was okay. I refused to let myself grieve because I didn't deserve it.

"Solana?" I froze at the sound of my husband's voice. I panicked, scared that seeing me in tears would piss him off. Quickly, I wiped my tears.

But it was too late. He was already standing there, watching me.

Slowly, I rose to my feet, my head hanging low.

Was he here to confront me about what Alpha Darius had said?

I waited with bated breath as he moved over to me. I kept my gaze on the ground, my eyes sore.

Suddenly, he draped his jacket over my shoulders, his rosy scent surrounding me.

I looked up at him, startled.

"Alpha..."

His face was blank. I swallowed hard as he reached for my face, brushing his thumbs over my cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" he asked.

I said nothing, biting my lower lip.

"I want to know, Solana. I want to understand," he whispered.

I searched his empty, mismatched eyes, my breathing quickening.

He wanted to understand?

"I do not understand emotions, Solana. I do not have any idea what you're feeling, but I want you to show me. I want to know why you're crying."

"I...am sad and in pain," I finally croaked.

His eyes widened slightly. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

What do I do with him?

How can he be so clueless?

Letting out a shaky breath, I reached for his hand and brought it to my chest. He exhaled sharply.

"It hurts, Alpha," I breathed. "In here."

His gaze softened.

"Does it hurt because I have been avoiding you?" He asked, and I stared at him, wide-eyed.

How can he be so blunt?

"Give me an answer, Solana," he urged.

I hesitated.

"Yes, it does."

Gently, he brushed a stray strand of hair away from my face. "We can't afford to get attached, flower," he rasped.

Flower? A nickname?

"But—"

"Why didn't you tell me, flower?" He cut me off, his face emotionless.

"Tell you what?" I croaked, my pulse drumming frantically.

"That your wolf is a Damaris?" He asked, and I froze, my blood running cold in my veins.