The Luna Who Defied Her Fated Mate’s Cruelty

Desperation clawed at my throat as I blurted out, "It's true. I'll send you my medical report!"

Beckham was silent, and through the phone, I heard Ruby sigh regretfully. Her voice, soft and gentle, carried the weight of someone who knew exactly how to manipulate a situation.

"Let it go, Beck," she said, her tone dripping with false concern. "Since Kiana's so worried, you should go back and be with her. I can manage on my own."

His tone softened instantly, as it always did when Ruby spoke. "Don't say that. We promised to accompany you on this trip. We can't just leave you behind."

When he turned his attention back to me, his voice was cold and disapproving, the kind of tone that made my wolf whimper in the back of my mind. "I sent you a gift. Just focus on your work." He paused, then added, "We're worn out here. Don't call unless absolutely necessary." The call ended abruptly, leaving me clutching the phone like a lifeline.

Ruby's message popped up on WhatsApp before I could even process his words: "If you're smart, stop bothering Beck. We have a history you can't even imagine!" Before I could respond, she deleted the message, leaving me staring at the blank screen.

Later, I checked her Instagram and saw she had posted a picture, cuddling up to Beckham with a bashful smile and flushed cheeks. "Beck says he's going to buy me a giant Winnie the Pooh bear. I'm too old for this, isn't it ridiculous?" His sparkling smile pierced my heart. At that moment, I realized he was truly slipping away from me.

I quit my job and checked myself into the hospital alone. The sterile walls and the hum of machines did nothing to ease the fear gnawing at me. The pre-operative test results were unsettling, and the chill that ran through me had nothing to do with the temperature of the room.

I couldn't eat dinner. Clutching my report, I called Beckham again. It took him a while to answer, and when he did, his voice was distant, as if I were an afterthought. With a trembling voice, I said, "Beck, I'm really scared. Could you talk to me for a bit?"

He responded with a half-hearted "Hmm," and I heard Ruby's laughter getting closer.

"Beck, why are you sitting down again? You promised to push me on the swing," she teased, her voice light and playful. She acted surprised upon seeing his call. "Is it Kiana on the phone? Am I interrupting?"

"No, Kiana said she's scared," he replied, his tone softening again, but not for me. For her.

Ruby hesitated, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Do you think my sister is using her illness to ask for money?"

"My friends back home said they've seen her shopping at high-end stores. She might have burned through the money by now." Beckham's tone suddenly became stern, the kind of voice that made me feel like a pup being scolded by her Alpha. "So that's what you meant. No wonder you keep saying you're sick."

"Kiana, I know you weren't spoiled by your adoptive parents, but their money isn't limitless. You can't just spend recklessly. That's it, I'm going to tell them to temporarily cut off your card. You need to reflect on this."

The call ended abruptly. When I tried calling back, his phone was off. My parents were unreachable too.

My heart started pounding painfully, the mate bond screaming its agony through every part of me. The patient next to me urgently called a doctor, barely stabilizing my condition.

The next day, unexpectedly, Beckham called.

For a fleeting moment, I thought he might have realized his mistake and was calling to apologize.

But when the video connected, I saw Ruby beside him, holding her phone.

"Sis, it's been ages! Did you receive the gift we sent you?" Her enthusiasm was unusual, and I fought my heart pain to borrow Neriah's phone to check her account.

Sure enough, she was livestreaming!

In the comments, seeing the hospital background, someone asked if I was sick.

With a sigh, Ruby said, "Don't blame my sister. If I hadn't replaced her parents, she wouldn't pretend to be sick for attention."

Beckham frowned, his Alpha aura radiating through the screen. "Why bring that up again? It was a mix-up at birth, not your fault."

Laughs echoed in the comments, and Ruby stuck out her tongue playfully.

I bit my lip and showed him my medical report. "Beck, I have a heart condition. I need a transplant surgery, or else I'll..."

"Here we go again."

Suddenly, my mom's impatient voice cut through. I froze.

I'd kept my illness a secret from both my real parents and adoptive parents, not wanting them to worry. Never imagined they knew all along and even thought I was pretending!

Beckham sighed, his Alpha tone cutting through me like a knife. "You're wasting your energy on these stories instead of focusing on your work. I heard you quit your job. Does being an Alvarez's daughter mean you don't need to work?"

Tears streamed down my face as I stared at the increasingly unfamiliar face on my phone, my voice cracking.

"Beckham, do you truly not believe me?"

His silence was answer enough.