The Wolf God's Unwanted Luna

Vivian’s POV

I didn’t bother answering that directly. Instead, I looked him straight in the eye and asked, "Now you tell me: why did you almost kill my father and then toss me away like I meant nothing? I am your mate godamit!! And why the hell did you think it was okay to mess with my memories? What type of game are you playing, WOLF GOD Zaliver?"

The raw demand in my voice made him still. For a heartbeat, the tension between us was a living, breathing thing.

"I wasn’t actually going to kill him," he said tightly, his voice rough with restraint. "I would never hurt you like that."

I let out a bitter laugh. "But you’d erase my memories and ship me off without a word, right?"

He clenched his jaw, but didn’t deny it. I could feel my temper pushing toward the surface like a boiling tide. My fingers twitched with the urge to claw something apart.

"It was never about hurting you," he said, his posture stiff against the headboard. "But if it came down to that or keeping you safe, then yeah. I’d choose safety. Every single time."

I threw my hands up, frustrated beyond belief. "There you go again! You always decide what’s best for me without even asking me. This isn’t a one-wolf pack; we’re supposed to face things together. You don’t get to choose for me, Zaliver. That was my decision to make."

I stomped forward, jabbing a finger into his bare chest with every word. "Not. Yours."

His eyes turned pitch black, swirling with restrained anger or maybe something darker. His nostrils flared, and for a second, the air between us thickened with his suffocating power. I realized just how close we were and instantly stepped back. I wasn’t going to let his heat, his scent, or his nearness cloud my thoughts again. No contact. Not yet.

He let out a slow, heavy breath, his voice softer now, almost... haunted. "There was a leak. Someone from the pack got information about you out. It happened the day I was getting ready to meet your parents. Albericus told me. Someone betrayed us for revenge."

My blood ran cold. "What kind of information?" I asked, my voice sharp. "Who did it? And who did they tell?"

He looked past me, his jaw clenched tight enough to snap. "The girl who tripped you in the training field: her. Her mate found her body before I could explain anything. He was furious. Swore revenge. He didn’t get much from our systems, but just knowing you were my mate was enough. It put a massive target on your back."

I stared at him, trying to piece it all together as my heart pounded wildly against my ribs. "So... someone knew I was your mate and started hunting me down?"

He nodded, his eyes searching mine. "Yes. We didn’t know who the enemy was or how far they’d go. The safest option was to get you as far from me as possible. The island had already been attacked once. Sending you back to your pack meant hiding you in plain sight. No one would suspect anything. But I knew you wouldn’t leave willingly. That’s why I... erased your memories. I thought if you hated me, you’d stay away. You’d be safe."

His voice faltered toward the end. For a moment, he didn’t look like the fearsome, untouchable Lupus Deus. He just looked like a man caught between love and fear, trying to fix something he’d broken with his own hands.

I couldn’t speak. My throat felt thick with too many overlapping emotions. I looked down, letting my dark hair shield my face like a curtain. I needed a second, just one moment to breathe through the whirlwind he’d just unleashed.

The girl Zaliver had killed in the clearing... her mate had wanted revenge. And to get it, he told someone that I was the Lupus Deus’ mate. That revelation hit like a physical punch to the gut, but not for the reasons I expected.

Zaliver hadn’t been manipulating me. He’d been trying to protect me the only way he knew how.

My insecure side, the part of me I hated but couldn’t completely silence, sighed in quiet relief. But that didn’t mean he was off the hook. Just because his intentions were noble didn’t mean his actions were justified. And if I let him get away with it now, what would stop him from doing it all over again?

Lifting my chin, I met his intense gaze and pressed my lips into a firm, uncompromising line. His brows lifted slightly, as if he expected me to melt at his feet and sob, "Thank you, my hero!" Yeah. No chance in hell.

"That still doesn’t excuse the crap you pulled," I said coldly.

His eyes darkened and his mouth opened, probably to yell or argue, but I cut him off immediately.

"Shut up."

To my absolute surprise, he did. His mouth clamped shut, though the dark fury didn’t leave his gaze.

"Now, I’m going to teach your ancient ass.." He growled, a low, rumbling warning, but I didn’t flinch an inch. " a lesson in something you’ve clearly missed in all your centuries of existence: relationships. Real relationships. They’re about partnership. Equal footing. And you? You’ve been stomping all over mine."

I stepped closer, folding my arms tightly over my chest.

"And I’m not done with you yet. I still owe you for the forced knockouts, waking up to find someone on me, and let’s not forget being chained up like some criminal. Payback’s a process, Zaliver."

Slowly, he started to grin. That smug, breathtakingly irritating curve of his lips made my blood boil all over again.

"You know I can break out of these chains anytime I want, right?" he said, his voice dripping with cockiness like he’d just cracked some secret code.

I smiled right back at him, every bit as smug.

I was clearly enjoying this game.

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