Chasing the rejected Luna

Chapter four

In the quiet of her assigned room, Isabella sat on the edge of the plush bed, awaiting Gonzalo.

Part of her had found him attractive at first glance, his refined jaw, the sharp authority in his posture and a dangerous, dark urge flickered inside her to break a man like him, to see what made him tick. But more than that, she needed answers. She had seen the forbidden venom on his claws. If that poison spread, it would slaughter wolves across the pack. If uncovering his secret was the only purpose left to her life, so be it.

A sudden, light knock echoed before a maid slipped into the room.

"Lord Gonzalo has ordered that you be given a bath, thoroughly waxed, and brought directly to his chambers," the maid said, keeping her eyes glued to the floor. "I can bathe myself," Isabella said, standing up. "Please," the maid pleaded, her voice trembling as she looked up with wide, terrified eyes. "If it is not done properly, he will punish me."

Seeing the raw fear etched into the girl's face, Isabella swallowed her pride and reluctantly agreed. The maid prepared a deep, steaming tub infused with soft lavender-scented soap. She scrubbed Isabella’s skin raw, waxed every single hair from her legs and arms until her skin was pristine and smooth, and rubbed sweet oils over her body. Finally, she draped a thin, loose silk robe around Isabella before leading her down the quiet, dimly lit hallway to Gonzalo’s private chambers.

Isabella’s chest tightened. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she stood before the heavy oak door. She was nervous, truly not knowing what to expect. She pushed open the door and stepped into the cold, dark room. The heavy curtains were drawn, blocking out the moonlight. Isabella reached toward the wall, attempting to switch on the small bedside lamp to cut through the gloom, but before her fingers touched the switch, a tall figure stepped out from the shadows and clicked it on himself.

Isabella flinched back, startled, but as the dim yellow light illuminated Gonzalo’s face, she forced herself to relax. "Hmm, guess who we have here?"

Gonzalo breathed, a low, slow smile spreading across his sharp features. He gestured casually toward the large four-poster bed behind him. Isabella held her ground, crossing her arms over her thin robe. "Hold on. I just need to understand a few things. Do you take it rough, or—"

Before she could finish her sentence, a hard, blinding slap landed flush across her face. The violent blow cracked through the quiet room, snapping her head to the side. Her vision blurred, and the sharp taste of copper filled her mouth. Every instinct screamed at her to strike back, but she mentally forced her body to remain still. She knew he possessed the venom. Fighting back here meant not only her immediate death, but her father's as well.

"Who says you can speak, you worthless Slut?" Gonzalo growled silently. His voice was hoarse, his eyes bloodshot and bulging with unhinged malice. "Now get on the bed and spread that p***y apart like the w***e you are."

Any trace of attractiveness he had possessed vanished instantly. With her cheek stinging and eyes watering, Isabella struggled to move toward the bed, but in a fraction of a second, Gonzalo lunged. She was suddenly in the air. Gonzalo slammed her onto the mattress, his heavy hand clamping down tightly around her throat. Isabella’s legs flayed wildly as she scrambled back into the corner of the bed, her breath catching as she tried to recover, her lip bleeding onto the silk sheets.

"Wait... wait, please," she stammered, her voice raspy. She had expected him to be cruel, but not this unhinged. The realization struck her like a cold blade: he had caused his own wife's death. A sudden, cold surge of survival instincts kicked in, choking back her panic. She needed to stay alive. To stay alive, she needed to cooperate.

"Aww, I guess you're not so eager to be a w***e now, are you?" Gonzalo taunted. He reached out and roughly grabbed her left breast where it had slipped free from the robe, squeezing hard enough to leave bruises before harshly pressing his thumb against her n****e. He dragged her by her chest into the center of the bed, his hand moving back up to lock around her neck in an almost deadly grip.

"If you do not cooperate, you get killed," he hissed, settling his weight heavily between her bare legs. A dark, twisted smirk curled across his lips as he leaned down to her ear. "Even if I wanted to just have my way, I still want you to enjoy it. To enjoy it so much that you cannot leave me... because you're a naughty slut, and every naughty slut needs a good d**k to stay in place."

Meanwhile, across the pack grounds at the Royal Estate, Rodrigo sat at his dark mahogany desk, staring at the border garrison reports without absorbing a single word. The image of the silhouette in Gonzalo’s window haunted him. The pull he had felt in the courtyard hadn't faded; if anything, it had grown into a persistent, clawing irritation beneath his skin. His wolf was restless, pacing the edges of his mind, refusing to settle.

A soft knock echoed at the door before his beta, Marcus, stepped inside holding a stack of event schedules.

"The preparations for the seasonal autumn gathering are nearly complete, Alpha," Marcus said, laying the papers on the desk. "The council expects it to be a quiet formal affair." Rodrigo leaned back, a faint, razor-thin smirk touching his lips as a sudden thought took root. "Change the protocol," Rodrigo commanded smoothly, his voice laced with quiet amusement.

"Send an immediate decree to all pack officials, council members, and high-ranking lords. Attendance is mandatory, and every official is explicitly required to bring along their partners and consorts." Marcus blinked, caught slightly off guard.

"Every official? Lord Gonzalo as well? His wife passed only yesterday—"

"Especially Gonzalo," Rodrigo cut in coldly. "He claimed he acquired a new mistress to bear his heir. Let us see how proudly he displays her."

Marcus bowed his head. "It will be done, Alpha."

As Marcus left the office, closing the heavy doors behind him, Rodrigo picked up his pen and returned to his work. A dark, dangerous anticipation settled over him. He knew exactly what he was doing, using his authority to force Gonzalo’s hand and bring the mysterious woman out into the light.

He continued reviewing his ledgers, perfectly composed on the outside, while deep within his chest, his wolf waited for the night to fall.