†Noca's Pov†
I paced to and fro in my room, anticipation gnawing at my nerves as I waited for reports. It had been three days since my Alpha wolf ceremony. I was supposed to be happy. I was supposed to feel at peace because my wolf had shocked everyone by finding a fated mate for me—without needing me to choose one for myself. But no. I wasn't at peace. I wasn't happy. I was restless. Distraught. And my mind was unraveling.
The person he had chosen for me was a nobody. A complete enemy of my Pack's. I had even wanted to reject him, but the demonic boy had fainted before I could. And the elders had stopped me from continuing.
Who would obey me when I didn't even obey the moon goddess? That was the question they kept hammering at me, again and again. That was why I had made up my mind that I would make the boy leave instead.
No, I wouldn't pay him to go. That would only bind him tighter to me as the bond won't be severed. No, I would mistreat him as I had intended to do to his sister. And when he finally grows tired of my ruthlessness, when my tyranny drives him to despair, he would be forced to leave on his own. He would be forced to strip himself of his wolf, because I would never reject him. And I would never accept his rejection, even if he ever dared voice it.
A knock landed on my door. A servant stepped in, bowing her head.
"The Alpha's Nivara has awakened," she whispered.
My fingers balled into fists at the name she dared speak. She spun on her heels and fled before my fury could strike her down. I could have killed her where she stood and she knew it but leaving without permission was also punishable. Even if I didn't recognize her face again, even if I were to kill all of the hundreds of servants assigned to my quarters this week to find her, I would because disobedience like this required punishment.
Still, I forced my rage down, burying it under a sharp edge of control. This was Elder Cedric's fault. If only he hadn't called the boy my Nivara before everyone. If only he hadn't given him a name that made him important and worthy of respect in their eyes.
And yes… it was the boy's fault too. His fault. All of it.
I stormed toward the room where my foster mother had taken him. As Luna Regent, she was responsible for everything regarding the installation of my mate as Luna. She had seized the boy from the crowd the moment she realized my wolf's mistake, removing him before the eyes of all.
I pushed the door open to meet his gaze. He had risen, staring at me as I stepped into the room. I had instructed the servants outside not to announce my entrance; I didn't want him to know how long I had been waiting, nor that I had overheard him accusing my servants of attempting to poison him.
My eyes flicked to the tray of food before him. It was a lavish spread, far beyond what a prisoner like him was ever meant to taste, not even in all the days he was supposed to spend here before dying. And what? He had the audacity to accuse the royal kitchen of trying to poison him? How inflated he must have thought himself.
"I believe the feast you set before our prisoner has elevated his sense of worth before my pack," I snapped, directing my fury at him even though I spoke to my mother.
He said nothing. He only met my gaze, unflinching. That silence ignited something deeper in me. He always trembled before me, like a scared little cat. Tsk. The mate bond must have convinced him he was needed, that he held power. Only if he knew what I had in store for him…
"Noca, he—" my foster mother began.
I raised my hand mid-air, cutting her off.
"The servant who served this food will taste every single item. And if no poison is discovered, I will have you hanged on a pole in front of my parents' graves," I threatened, and I meant it. In my plan to make him leave, killing him wasn't entirely off the table. I wouldn't mind it. I even prefer it to him walking away with his body intact.
"And if the food is poisoned, I will beat you into a pup until you die at my hands," he suddenly snapped back, defiance lacing his voice.
My fury surged. Rage, pure and scorching, consumed me. I trembled with it, seething at just hearing those words.
"Noca… Nuel. No… He—" my foster mother tried to intervene again, but I silenced her with a sharp look.
"Very well then," I said, accepting his challenge, my voice steady despite the storm inside me.
"If you fail to strike me, I will still have you hanged. Though I highly doubt this undeserving feast contains poison," I added, my gaze snapping to the servant who stood by the door. From all indications, she had served the food.
On my command, she walked toward the bed, taking a spoon from the tray, her every movement trembling under the weight of my presence.
From her courage, I was certain the food wasn't poisoned and that he was only trying to raise a false alarm.
Waking up with my mark on his neck must have made him feel special but I wasn't going to let him savor even a shred of that feeling. Not yet. Not while I had plans for him.
And his eyes… those eyes, burning with fire as he stole glances at me while the girl tasted each plate of food… it only fueled my fury further. Why wasn't he cowering? Why wasn't he trembling before me like he should?
"I'm done, Alpha," the servant announced. I noticed she had indeed eaten from every plate on the tray.
My foster mother began to approach, likely intending to talk me down from my threat. I stopped her with a sharp gesture before she could come any closer.
"Send for my Beta," I ordered one of her servants outside.
Nuel and I watched the girl for a few more seconds, the morning light creeping into the room.
"I believe we had an agreement, Alpha Nuel," I began, deliberately calling him by his title, relishing the look of anticipation in his eyes. He should know what awaited him. The girl hadn't slumped. She hadn't shown any sign of poisoning.
"She should eat from the food with the spoon I intended to use. I don't have time for her to taste everything. One spoon from any plate is enough."
I bit my lip, simmering with frustration.
"What is this nonsense? She's already eaten and nothing happened! Why drag this on when we've already agreed on the punishment?!" I snapped, but he said nothing in response.
Grunting, I turned to the servant, demanding she follow his instruction but she was frozen in place, trembling, which only heightened my annoyance.
"You've already eaten from all the plates! Use the spoon he was about to eat with!" I snarled, but she didn't move.
Two of her fellow servants walked in and held her down as she struggled to free herself.
I braced myself for Nuel's attack. I had already carved a way out even if this happened. And I was certain he wouldn't land a single punch or blow on me. I was from the North and even if he hailed from a pack outside the West, it wouldn't matter because he still wouldn't succeed. The North has secrets.
As the servant was forced to swallow the food from the spoon, she slumped. In that instant, Nuel sprang up from the bed, his fist clenched, aimed straight for me.
I ducked and dodged. He fell to the floor and I couldn't resist mocking him as he lay there.
But in the next second… I don't know how it happened or what force had moved us, I found myself on the floor with him on top of me, raining punches upon punches on my face.
I coughed up blood. My mouth was metallic with the taste. My body felt frozen, unable to move but that didn't stop him. His second hand bound mine, rendering me incapable of defending myself or retaliating.
Pain seared through me, consciousness slipping like sand through my fingers. And then, suddenly, voices rang out. The strikes stopped. Relief washed over me as my Beta arrived with a group of warriors, pulling him off and dragging him away.