The Luna He Betrayed, The Queen He Claimed

Chapter 4

Annelise's Pov

“Ack!!” A violent, agonizing gasp ripped through my throat as my eyes snapped open. I bolted upright, my lungs burning as if they were being inflated with fire. My hands clawed at the air, searching for the grip that had been crushing my windpipe, but there was nothing like that.

Panic surged, cold and jagged. I looked around the room, my vision swimming. It wasn't my bedroom. The walls were a soft, muted cream but it didn't do anything to remove the fear and anxiety I felt, if anything, it worsened it.

“L… Let me out of here! Let me out of here!” I scrambled forward, my body leaning towards the ground but an arm snaked around my waist, catching me.

"Shhh... breathe, little wolf. You’re safe." The voice was like velvet, it was low and grounding. Before I could spiral into a full-blown attack, a pair of large, warm hands settled on my shoulders. Immediately, a scent flooded my senses, it wasn't the typical forest or rain smell of common wolves. It was the deep, intoxicating aroma of old library parchment, sun-warmed amber, and the faint scent of expensive, aged sandalwood. It was the kind of scent that felt like it had existed for centuries, timeless and impossibly steady. As the man gently rubbed circles into my back, the frantic thudding of my heart began to slow. The suffocating weight on my chest lifted, replaced by the soothing heat radiating from his palms. I took deep breaths, trying to steady myself until I realised that I was actually being held.

I trembled, slowly turning my head to look at the man who was holding me.

And my breath promptly hitched. This man was drop-dead gorgeous, no, he was a masterpiece. His bone structure was a testament to "old money" and ancient lineage: a sharp, aristocratic jawline, a straight nose, and brows that were currently knitted in concern. His hair was the color of darkness, swept back from his forehead. His eyes were a piercing dark golden, framed by lashes so thick they cast shadows on his high cheekbones.

"Who... who are you?" I whispered, my voice cracked and raw.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, revealing two deep, symmetrical dimples that softened his otherwise cold, statuesque face. He didn't answer. Instead, he reached out, his thumb grazing my jawline where Kayden’s bruises should have been.

"Are you okay, Annelise?" he asked.

I nodded slowly, mesmerized by the intensity of his gaze. He stood up then, his towering height commanding the room. Despite the warmth of his scent, his expression returned to a mask of icy composure, radiating an aura of absolute power that made the air hum. I thought Kayden was the most handsome man in this world, but clearly, I was utterly wrong.

But wait… How does he know my name?

"She’s awake, Doctor," the man said, his voice echoing with authority.

An elderly man in a white coat stepped forward from the shadows of the room. "A miracle, truly," the doctor muttered, checking a monitor. "You were found at the border of the Northern Territories, Luna. You had collapsed in the snow, barely a heartbeat left in you. You were quite literally at death's door."

The border? What the hell was he talking about? Why would I be at the border? Why was I even here?

“Excuse me but… Where am I? Why am I here?” I questioned, confusion filling my tone.

The doctor blinked, then slowly responded to my question. “You were found at the border like I said, at death's door. You were brought here and we found out that you are sick with Lupine Necrosis.”

"The border… Lupine Necrosis…" I choked out, everything finally coming back to me. The tears immediately started to fall again, hot and bitter. "He killed me. That bastard really tried to kill me." I broke down, my face disappearing into my hands as I sobbed. This time, the doctor sat on the edge of the bed, patting my hand.

"It’s alright, child. You’re far from the Silver-Thorn Pack now."

"I was so blind!" I wailed, the words tumbling out through my grief. "Ten years! I gave him my life, my wolf, my wealth... and he was poisoning me the whole time. My mate... the man I called my husband... he spiked my tea just so he could replace me with his mistress. He told me my babies weren't mine. He strangled me until the world went black."

The doctor gasped, his eyes widening in horror. "Poisoned by a fated mate? That is a level of cruelty I have never encountered in all my years of medicine."

“f**k him? f**k him! I wish he would die! I wish I could kill him with my own hands!” I have my life to him, how could he betray me like this?! How?! I broke down, my sobs becoming louder and louder as time went by. After a few minutes of crying, and swollen eyes, I calmed down.

I rubbed at my eyes, my gaze flickering back to the handsome man standing by the window. He was watching me, his gray eyes darkening with a storm of unreadable emotion.

"Who saved me?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Who brought me here?"

The doctor gestured respectfully toward the very tall stranger. "He did. He was patrolling the neutral zone when he found you."

I looked at the man, my heart skipping a beat. "Thank you... but who are you? Why go to such lengths for a dying ‘Omega’?" I spat out the last word.

The doctor bowed his head slightly. "You are in the presence of Caspian Valerius, the Alpha King of the Great Northern Empire."

My jaw dropped as I stared stupidly. “The Alpha King?”

“Yes.”

“You must be joking right? There's absolutely no way that person would save me. I'm not even worth saving so why would he save me?” I babbled. This was a man whose name was whispered in hushed tones of fear and respect across the continent? There was no reason for us to even cross paths, talk more of him saving me? No, that just could never happen. But the more I stared at him, the more the description matched.

Golden eyes that only the bloodline of an Alpha King would have, he clearly had the presence. And not just that, on top of his left eyebrow was a red symbol, a symbol that clearly determines an Alpha King.

Fuck. He was the real thing.

But before I could even say something else, the man took a step toward the bed. The coldness in his face remained, but his eyes burned with a terrifying, possessive fire.

"The doctor is correct about my title, even if you don't believe it." Caspian said, his voice vibrating deep in my chest. He leaned down, his face inches from mine, that ancient, soothing scent of amber and sandalwood wrapping around me like a shield. "But he forgot one detail." He reached out, his fingers tracing the mark on my neck where the poison had tried to rot my skin.

"Kayden is not your mate, Annelise. He was a mistake of fate." Caspian’s voice turned into a low, predatory growl that made my wolf, the wolf I thought was dead, suddenly howl for the first time in years and before I even had the time to get shocked at that, he continued. "I am your true mate. And I have been looking for you for a very long time."