Sophia's POV
I watched, heartbroken, as my mate kissed his ex-lover, Tiffany.
My mate, Albert, King of the Eastern Kingdom's werewolves. Everyone knew the Lycans ruled over the werewolf clans. He had the power to appoint or strip any Alpha of their rank. I bore his mark, he had claimed me the very first night we met.
That was the only reason I stood within the royal palace of the Eastern Kingdom. Despite being a lowly half-blood, Albert had marked me because of the mate bond between us.
But from the very first day I arrived at the palace, he shoved me away with cold indifference.
He told me, "I only need your power. This bond means nothing to me. I could never accept a filthy half-blood."
I was a hybrid… half witch, half wolf. In our history, witches had always been seen as evil, unwanted creatures. Even omegas without wolves held more status than witches did.
Despite many witches now serving as healers for wolf packs, discrimination against my kind had never truly disappeared.
During his heat cycles, Albert would summon me to his bedroom. Our nights together were passionate, and foolishly, I clung to the hope that things between us would eventually change.
But he had never forgotten Tiffany.
Pain gave way to rage. Albert would never respect me. I needed to let go of this stupid fantasy. No matter what, I had to leave this place.
I stormed toward them and shoved Albert aside.
"Reject me!" I shouted.
"If you want a new Luna, then do it properly—reject me first, you bastard!"
"Don't be insane," Albert growled, ice clouding his hardened features. "You have no idea how badly I want to. But every time I even think of rejecting you, it's as if a thousand knives stab my insides. I don't know what curse you damn half-blood put on our bond, but if you dare bring it up again!"
He towered towards me, a powerful Lycan, his massive frame making my knees buckle.
But that wasn’t true.
I didn’t cast any spells. Maybe because of my hybrid blood, our bond was unnaturally strong, so strong that if either of us broke it, we would both die.
But Albert always believed it was some trick of mine.
He couldn't see the pain I endured too.
Why was I still trapped in this hell?
"Stop pretending to be pitiful, Sophia," Albert sneered. "Now get out of my sight before I strangle you to death before morning."
He turned to leave, but Tiffany grabbed his arm.
She walked over to him, putting on a mask of false innocence.
"You misunderstood, Sophia," Tiffany said sweetly. "There was just something wrong and you shouldn't be harsh to him, Albert was only helping you.” She explained.
"Enough, Tiffany," Albert cut her off coldly. "She's not worth our time."
He turned back to me, his voice a blade.
"Let me make it perfectly clear to you, until you find a way to break our bond without killing us both, you are nothing but my sex slave. Nothing more. And trust me, I will never stop looking for a way to reject you."
With that, he grabbed Tiffany’s hand and left without a second glance.
I had just turned around when two palace guards blocked my path.
Albert and Tiffany stopped as well.
"Alpha Albert," one of the guards said, "Luna Sophia is accused of stealing the Moonstone, the artifact that safeguards the Eastern Kingdom's stability. We must take her in for questioning."
Perfect.
Betrayed by Albert, and now accused of theft.
Albert’s cold, pitiless gaze pierced through me like arrows.
"No, I didn’t!" I cried, looking at him in disbelief. "Albert, you have to believe me—I didn’t!"
His jaw tightened.
"Take her away," he ordered.
*****
The werewolf officers glared at me in disgust.
"Are you ready to confess, Sophia? Or should we continue where we left off?"
I struggled to sit up, meeting their hatred with my own glare.
"Call me Luna Queen," I snapped. "I haven’t been stripped of my title yet."
The guards laughed cruelly.
"Wake up, half-blood. No Luna Queen gets thrown into a cell without proof. Your precious Alpha Albert has already abandoned you. The entire royal court knows it, you're a stain on his bloodline."
I sank back to the floor, trembling.
"No! I demand to see Albert! I didn’t conspire with any witch to steal the Moonstone! I had no reason to!"
"You have, you are a witch's hybrid, and you and your kind have always wanted to do one thing, which is to destroy all werewolves." one guard barked, pulling out a flask.
I swallowed hard, tears streaming down my face. I recognized the scent immediately, silver water.
It was meant to prevent me from shifting.
He grabbed my jaw, forcing my mouth open with brutal fingers.
"This is your last chance. Confess!" he snarled.
"I told you the truth," I rasped. "I didn’t steal it!"
"Very well."
He poured the entire bottle of silver water down my throat.
I choked violently, agony searing through my chest.
Curling into myself, I clutched my burning stomach.
"Albert... help me," I whimpered.