Four Alphas Took My Moon Crown To My Adopted Sister Chapter 04
Gordon shook his head and let out a cold laugh beside me. “Stella, you only did this to make Cedric feel sorry for you. Stop dreaming. His heart belongs to Teresa, and no one else.”
I ignored his taunts and limped toward the end of the hallway.
Wind rushed in through the open windows.
I leaned against the cold wall. Sharp pangs shot through my left shoulder again and again, yet my thoughts remained sharp.
It was time to put an end to these foolish hopes.
…
It was one in the morning when I returned to the Silvermoon Pack house.
My father, Alpha Kevin, sat in the pitch-black study, tapping his pen steadily against the desktop.
“I know everything that happened tonight,” he set the pen down. “Cedric will never name you his Luna.”
I stood in the shadows and said nothing.
“Your grandfather will see the report tomorrow. You have three days to find a new mate.”
My voice came out hoarse. “I’ve already given up on Cedric completely. What more do you want from me?”
He lifted his head. His gaze held the ruthless edge only an Alpha who ruled this ancient pack could possess.
“Three days. Before your grandfather comes back, I expect to see you with a suitable mate.”
I knew exactly what he meant by suitable. It meant nothing short of exile.
He wanted me to choose a werewolf who posed no threat whatsoever to Silvermoon Pack’s entire asset management.
Or an Alpha who stood opposed to Cedric, or even a fallen noble werewolf from another territory.
If I obeyed, my grandfather would have no legitimate reason to hand the assets over to me.
Cedric held immense power across the Wastelands. No one dared claim me as their mate without his approval.
Cedric and the others had cast me aside long ago.
…
At six the next morning, I finished treatment for my injured shoulder at the pack medical center. I stepped outside and ran straight into the group I’d been avoiding.
Cedric helped Teresa down from a vehicle. A bandage covered her ankle.
She stumbled along, her brows drawn tight in pain.
Carl, Louis and Gordon followed closely behind her, all looking tense.
“Stella?” Teresa’s eyes welled up the moment she spotted me.
She stared at the sling across my chest. “What happened to you? Are you still upset about me taking your crown last night?”
Cedric looked up. His pupils narrowed when his eyes fell on my bandages.
Louis stood beside Teresa, his face dark with anger.
Gordon leaned against the nurses’ station, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
“It’s just a minor wound,” I turned to leave.
“Stella,” Teresa called out to me in a soft, sweet tone. “I heard Father has scheduled your mating ceremony for three days from now?”
The air in the hallway turned heavy and still.
Cedric’s expression clouded over instantly. “Three days from now?”
He strode over to stand right in front of me. “Stella, how far are you going to push this? I never agreed to any mating ceremony in three days.”
I stared down at the pale tiled floor and stayed silent.
It was barely five hours since our talk in the study.
Yet Teresa had gotten hold of the news and wasted no time bringing it up right in front of Cedric.
“Cedric, I…”
Tears streamed down Teresa’s cheeks nonstop. “If you truly mean to take Stella as your mate, I will be happy for you. It just all feels so sudden…”
A flash of wild irritation flickered across Cedric’s face.
He spoke to Carl. “Take Teresa inside to get checked. Make sure her wound doesn’t reopen.”
Carl nodded and escorted her into the exam room.
Gordon brushed past me and let out a mocking snort.
“You’re quite clever, aren’t you? You faked an injury last night, and now you’re spreading lies about a mating ceremony.”
Cedric stood before me and stared at the sling around my neck for several long seconds.
He never asked if I was in pain.
He spoke in a cold, flat voice. “Stella, these petty tricks to force me to bend to you are beneath you. Tell your father to retract the announcement.”
I lifted my gaze to meet the eyes of the werewolf I’d loved for three years.
The ache in my shoulder flared up even worse.
This injury had opened my eyes to where their true affections lay.
Teresa had a small scratch, yet four Alphas rushed to look after her.
I’d suffered a bone injury, and I’d had to come to the medical center alone in the dead of night.
