Chapter 2

Victoria's POV

"Adrian… what the hell is going on here?" My voice came out as a broken whisper.

For a moment, Adrian looked surprised to see me standing in the doorway. But that surprise quickly disappeared, and instead of looking ashamed, he casually stood up from Vanessa's bed and adjusted his clothes. He stared at me for a moment, his expression unreadable, before letting out a sigh.

"I suppose there's no point hiding it anymore."

You would think a man caught cheating on his mate would at least have the decency to apologize, right? Well, not Adrian. He looked at me as though I was the one who had done something wrong.

"What does it look like, Victoria?" he asked coldly.

Tears of anger spilled down my cheeks. "Adrian… I'm your mate."

"And so fucking what?" He let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "Look at yourself, Victoria. You're nothing but a maid. Do you seriously expect me to marry someone like you?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "But you promised me!" I cried. "You said you would claim me tonight! You told me you loved me!"

"And you believed me?" He scoffed. "My father expects me to marry a woman of high status. If I marry you, I could lose my position as the future Beta. But with Vanessa, I get everything. Power, respect, and a place in the Alpha's family."

I felt as though someone had plunged a knife straight into my chest. For six months, I had loved this man with everything I had. I had believed every promise he made, defended him whenever my wolf questioned why he insisted on keeping our relationship a secret, and patiently waited for the day he would finally acknowledge me.

And now he was telling me that everything had been a lie?

"Adrian, how could you?" I sobbed.

Vanessa laughed from where she sat on the bed. "Oh, stop crying, Victoria. Did you seriously think a handsome man like Adrian would marry a pathetic maid like you?"

I turned toward her, and something inside me snapped. Have you ever been hurt so badly that the pain suddenly turns into anger? That was exactly how I felt.

Vanessa had taken almost everything from me since we were children. Our father's love, my rightful position as his daughter, and every little bit of happiness I had ever tried to find. And now she had taken my mate, too.

Before I could stop myself, I marched toward her and slapped her across the face. The sound echoed through the bedroom.

"You evil bitch!" I screamed. "Wasn't everything you've taken from me enough? Did you have to take my mate too?"

Vanessa gasped, holding her reddened cheek. "How dare you touch me, you filthy maid!"

But before she could retaliate, Adrian's hand flew toward my face.

SLAP!

The force of his blow sent me stumbling backward until I fell hard onto the marble floor. For a moment, I couldn't even breathe. My cheek burned terribly, and a sharp pain spread through my head.

I slowly looked up at him. Adrian. My Adrian. The same man who had held me in his arms yesterday and promised that he would never allow anyone to hurt me. And now he had slapped me because of Vanessa.

"Don't you ever touch her again!" he growled, stepping protectively in front of her.

I stared at him through my tears. "Adrian…"

"Enough!" he snapped. "I'm tired of pretending that I want you."

He straightened his shoulders, his expression becoming completely cold. "I, Adrian, future Beta of the Blood Moon Pack, reject you, Victoria Timothy, as my fated mate!"

The moment those words left his mouth, an unbearable pain tore through my chest. I screamed, clutching my heart as the bond between us began to break. Inside my head, my wolf let out a painful howl.

If you've never experienced a mate rejection, count yourself lucky. Because I swear, nothing could have prepared me for that kind of pain. It felt as though someone was tearing my soul apart with their bare hands. My entire body trembled as tears poured down my cheeks.

Vanessa looked down at me, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. "Accept the rejection, Victoria. Stop embarrassing yourself."

I slowly raised my head and looked at Adrian. He stood there with his arms crossed, watching me suffer without showing the slightest bit of regret.

Was this really the man I had wanted to spend the rest of my life with? The man I had dreamed of marrying?

No. I didn't want him anymore. Why would I want a coward who was willing to throw away a sacred mate bond just because he wanted power and status?

Taking a painful breath, I forced myself to speak. "I, Victoria Timothy… accept your rejection."

The moment those words left my lips, the bond snapped completely. A terrible pain shot through my entire body, making me scream again.

Adrian staggered backward, clutching his chest as the pain struck him too. His face turned pale, and for the first time that evening, I saw something resembling fear in his eyes.

Vanessa immediately rushed to his side. "Adrian! Are you alright?"

I almost laughed. Of course. Even now, she only cared about him.

With trembling hands, I pushed myself off the floor. My legs were weak, and my chest still ached terribly, but I refused to remain there any longer.

Without saying another word, I turned toward the door.

"And don't forget to clean up the mess you made outside!" Vanessa shouted after me.

I ignored her. For once in my life, I didn't care what punishment awaited me. I just wanted to get away from them.

By the time I reached the servants' bathroom, tears were streaming uncontrollably down my face. I gripped the edge of the sink and stared at my reflection. My left cheek was swollen from Adrian's slap, and my eyes were red from crying.

Today was supposed to be my happiest day. My twenty-second birthday. The day my mate would finally claim me. Instead, he had rejected me for my own half-sister.

And the worst part? I had spent six months believing that he genuinely loved me. How stupid could I have been?

I splashed cold water onto my face, desperately trying to calm myself. But the pain in my chest refused to disappear. My wolf had gone completely silent. For the first time since I discovered my mate bond, I felt terribly empty.

"Victoria!"

Mrs. Agnes's sharp voice suddenly echoed from the doorway. I quickly straightened.

"Ma'am?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I was just—"

"I don't care!" she interrupted. "Her Majesty needs you in her room immediately. Do you think you're here to play around?"

I quickly wiped the remaining tears from my face. "I'm coming, ma'am."

"Then hurry!"

She turned and walked away. I took one last look at my reflection before leaving the bathroom. My cheek was still red, and my heart was completely broken. But what choice did I have? I was a maid, and maids weren't allowed to stop working simply because their lives had fallen apart.

I hurried toward the royal guest wing. When I reached the Queen's bedroom, I knocked gently.

"Your Majesty?"

No answer.

I waited a few seconds before knocking again. "Your Majesty, it's Victoria."

Still nothing.

I frowned. That was strange. Mrs. Agnes had specifically told me that the Queen needed me. Perhaps she had fallen asleep while waiting.

I slowly pushed the door open. "Your Majesty?"

The room was unusually quiet. I stepped inside, looking toward the couch where I had left her earlier, but she wasn't there.

Then I noticed someone standing near the enormous bed.

Vanessa.

I frowned in confusion. What the hell was she doing in the Queen's bedroom? The last time I had seen her, she was comforting Adrian after our mate bond broke. And as far as I knew, she had no reason to be here.

"Vanessa?" I called, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

She turned toward me, and for a brief moment, I noticed something strange about her expression. Her face was pale, and she seemed startled to see me.

But before I could ask another question, something on the marble floor caught my attention.

A dark red stain.

Blood?

My heart skipped a beat. I took another step forward, and that was when I saw her.

The Queen.

She was lying on the floor beside her enormous bed, her beautiful royal dress soaked in blood. There was so much blood beneath her that I almost couldn't believe what I was seeing.

For a moment, my mind went completely blank. What the hell was going on? I had left her perfectly fine just a short while ago. How could she possibly be lying here like this?

"Oh, Moon Goddess!" I gasped, rushing toward her and dropping to my knees.

"Your Majesty!" I called, gently shaking her shoulder. "Your Majesty, please wake up!"

Her face was terribly pale, and her eyes were closed. I placed my trembling hand against her cheek, desperately hoping she would open her eyes.

"Please, Your Majesty. Wake up," I whispered.

But she didn't respond.

My stomach twisted painfully as I looked down at the wound on her stomach. I didn't know who had done this to her or how it had happened, but I knew I couldn't just sit there and watch her die.

I pressed my trembling hands against the wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

"Vanessa, what happened to her?" I asked, looking over my shoulder. "Why is she bleeding? Please, go and get a healer!"

But Vanessa didn't move.

Instead, she stared at me for a moment before suddenly opening her mouth.

"HELP! THE QUEEN HAS BEEN MURDERED!" Vanessa screamed, rushing toward the bedroom door. "SOMEBODY COME QUICKLY!"

"Vanessa, what are you doing?" I asked, completely confused. "Go and get a healer!"

But instead of listening to me, she pointed directly at me.

"IT'S VICTORIA! SHE KILLED THE QUEEN!"

For a moment, I couldn't even understand what I had just heard.

What?

"Vanessa, what the hell are you saying?" I demanded, staring at her in disbelief.

"HELP!" she screamed again, tears suddenly streaming down her cheeks. "SHE HAS KILLED HER MAJESTY! SOMEBODY HELP!"

I stared at her, completely horrified.

Before I could say another word, hurried footsteps sounded outside the bedroom.

Then the door burst open.

"What the fuck is going on here?!"

I turned sharply.

Standing in the doorway was a tall, broad-shouldered man dressed in expensive black royal clothes. Several guards stood behind him, but his powerful presence alone made the entire room feel suffocating.

His eyes immediately landed on the Queen.

For a moment, he froze.

"Evelyn?"

His voice sounded strange, almost disbelieving. Then, without another word, he rushed toward us.

"Evelyn!"

He dropped to his knees beside her and gathered her lifeless body into his arms.

"Baby, open your eyes!" he pleaded, gently shaking her.

I stared at him, completely frozen.

The Alpha King.

This was the first time I had ever seen him.

And fuck, I had to admit, he was easily the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on. His sharp jawline, broad shoulders, and powerful presence made it impossible to mistake him for an ordinary Alpha.

But there was nothing attractive about the terrifying expression spreading across his face.

"Evelyn, please…" His voice broke as he shook her gently. "Don't do this to me."

The Queen didn't respond.

His breathing became heavier, and for a moment, I thought he was going to break down completely.

The Alpha King slowly raised his head, and my heart nearly stopped when I saw his eyes. They had turned completely black, burning with terrifying rage.

"What happened to my wife?"

I shook my head desperately. "Your Majesty, I don't know! I came in and found her like this! I was only trying to help her!"

His gaze dropped to my bloodstained hands, then to the blood covering my dress.

A terrifying growl escaped his throat.

Before I could explain anything else, he lunged toward me. His large hand wrapped around my throat, lifting me completely off the floor.

I screamed as he slammed me against the wall. His claws dug painfully into my neck, and the terrifying pressure of his Alpha aura made it almost impossible to breathe.

"YOU FUCKING KILLED MY WIFE!"