Betrayed and Saved by Love

Chapter Two: Liliana: Ben

Liliana’s POV

Ben Cartwright. 6'3, built like a god, and mine.

At 18 years old, with short, dirty blond hair and piercing brown eyes, he carries a presence that turns heads wherever he goes. Though he grew up in the Silver Moon Pack, raised by his aunt, Evelyn Graves, there has always been an air of mystery surrounding his lineage. Evelyn never took a mate, never had children of her own, yet she raised Ben as if he were her own son.

Ben is already strong, already radiating an alpha presence of his own. His wolf, Spike, is a massive, ashy-grey beast, fierce and powerful, the embodiment of the strength that runs through his blood.

He is everything I have ever wanted.

Every night, I pray to the Moon Goddess that when my 18th birthday arrives next month, fate will bind us together—not just in love, but in destiny.

Three years ago, we took a chance on something real, something lasting. And not once have I regretted it.

He is kind, protective, and unwaveringly loyal—a perfect balance of dominance and tenderness. He respects my dreams of becoming a lawyer for our kind and humans alike, just as I support his desire to manage the Pack’s finances while training as a warrior.

We have already mapped out our future together.

The same university, the same life goals, the same home. A future built with love, trust, and ambition.

I imagine two kids—one boy, one girl. But Ben? He dreams of at least four.

“Hah!” I laughed when he first told me. "Fine, but you're carrying the last two."

But no matter what happens—whether fate intertwines our souls or not—we have already chosen each other.

Fate will not dictate our love. We will.

After a long morning of classes, Ben and I made our way to the cafeteria, the scent of fresh food weaving through the air—baked bread, seared meat, melting cheese, and hints of herbs that clung to the warm atmosphere.

Our friends were already there, waiting for us.

Amy, the queen of the cheerleaders, a tall blonde with hazel eyes and enough charisma to make any guy—or girl—fall for her.

Lincoln, her twin brother, a tech genius who could hack into a government server but spent most of his time fixing the school’s WiFi.

Paige, a tiny redhead with bright blue eyes and freckles, obsessed with biology and chemistry, dreaming of a Nobel Prize in Science.

Jay, the quarterback, tanned with jet-black hair and deep blue eyes, set on making it to the NFL draft.

“Hey girls,” I said, glancing at the menu. “What do you want today? Caesar salad? Steak and mashed potatoes? Lasagna?”

Paige beamed. “Lasagna for me!”

Amy hesitated. “Ugh, I don’t know.”

“Go sit,” Ben murmured against my ear, his breath warm as he hugged me from behind, pressing a soft kiss to my neck. “I’ll grab your food.”

I smiled. “Burger steak and mashed potatoes, please.”

“You got it, babe.”

Lincoln and Jay grinned, already heading for the food line.

“I got yours, Amy,” Lincoln said as she tossed him a sweet "thank you" with a wink.

Jay turned to Paige. “What about you?”

Paige’s cheeks turned pink as she tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. “Uh… just a small portion of lasagna.”

Jay smirked. “Coming right up.”

Paige swallowed hard, shifting in her seat. Yep. That girl had it bad.

As we sat down, I pulled out my phone, scrolling through my messages. Nothing from Zoé or Uncle Liam.

My baby cousin, 14 years old, is a spitting image of her mother, Aunty Esther, with auburn hair and my uncle’s sharp blue eyes. She and Uncle Liam had traveled to France—her mother’s homeland—for the anniversary of her death.

I sighed. I felt for her. Zoé had been a baby when the Crescent Moon Pack fell. The only memories she had of her mother were from photos, stories, and the aching love in my uncle’s voice when he spoke about his mate.

I wished I could do more for her.

"Hey, ho! Earth to Lini!" I blinked up to see Amy waving a hand in my face. "What?"

"You okay?" she asked, frowning. "You’ve been staring at your phone for, like, five minutes."

"Yeah… Just checking if Zoé or Uncle Liam texted," I admitted, shoving my phone away. "Nothing yet."

Amy softened. "Give her time, Lini. She’ll call when she’s ready."

"And don’t ‘Hey, ho’ me," I grumbled. "And stop calling me Lini!"

Amy grinned. "No can do. You know that name stuck the second Harry called you that as a kid."

I groaned, but she wasn’t wrong.

The guys arrived just as Harry walked into the cafeteria, his tall frame moving sluggishly like he hadn’t fully woken up yet.

“Harry!” I waved. “Come grab some food and join us.”

He nodded, grabbing a tray along with his best friend, Scott Lodge—the 15-year-old son of our Delta, Nate Lodge.

They took their seats, offering quiet "Heys" as we dug into our food.

Scott sighed. "Busy morning."

"Same," Jay muttered, taking a long sip of his drink.

We all ate, talking here and there, the comfort of routine settling in. After lunch, we started making plans for the weekend—maybe a picnic at the creek.

That’s when I felt it. Ben’s hand, slowly sliding onto my thigh.

His touch was warm, teasing, firm, massaging circles before inching higher—just enough to test my boundaries.

I shot him a look that said try me, and I’ll punish you with no kisses for a whole day.

His smirk faltered just a little, and with a quiet sigh, he relented, his fingers moving away with a squeeze of silent promise.

Yeah. That’s what I thought.

The school bell rang, signaling the start of our next classes.

"Harry," I called, gathering my things, "Ben and I will be waiting in the parking lot after school. Don’t be late. Scott, you can come with us if you want."

Scott smiled. "Thanks, Liliana. I’ll be there with Harry on time."

With that, we parted ways, Ben’s hand slipping easily into mine as we walked down the hallway.

That’s when it happened.

Some random girl—tall, platinum blonde, way too much perfume—strutted right past me, eyes locked on Ben.

And then, with the boldness of an i***t, she purred, "Hey, handsome. When you get bored of that, come find me."

My jaw clenched. Ben didn’t even flinch.

He turned to her, bored as hell, and said, "Sorry, I’m not interested in some bitchy, desperate w***e when I already have the most amazing girlfriend a guy could dream of. SCRAM."

She flushed deep red, embarrassment and anger warring in her face before she stormed off, throwing me a dirty glare.

My friends snickered, but I just smiled. Told you. Best boyfriend ever.