Chapter 3

Lyra's POV

"WHAT?" I couldn't believe my ears.

He actually wanted me to kneel?

Two bear guards pressed down on my shoulders, forcing me onto the rough ground. Fire shot through my knees, but I held myself rigid, refusing to give in.

"Marcus! Have you lost your fucking MIND?" I roared in fury. "You dare make me kneel?"

Seraphina watched the scene unfold, her green snake eyes practically glowing with excitement. "YES! That's it! Show this stupid bitch what happens when you mess with us!"

She walked up to me, looking down like I was trash.

"Now say 'I'm a piece of garbage who doesn't deserve a designer dress'!" Seraphina raised her jewel-encrusted stiletto. "Or I'll break your fucking legs!"

My legs? No, that was my entire warrior career! As a speed warrior, my legs were everything!

"Don't you fucking DARE!"

"Wouldn't I?" Seraphina grinned like a psycho, aiming her heel at my right leg. "Watch closely, bitch!"

She stomped down hard.

Agony exploded through my body. I couldn't help but scream. That fucking cunt!

"Well? You gonna say it?" She twisted her heel, grinding it in. "Say 'I'm a piece of trash'!"

The crowd murmured around us:

"Holy shit! She's going for her legs—that warrior's done for!"

"That's brutal! It's against clan law!"

"But it's the snake-bear alliance. Who's gonna stop them?"

The pain nearly drove me insane. I gritted my teeth, trying to hold on, but Seraphina twisted her heel viciously again.

"AHHH!" Tears streamed down my face from the agony.

As a wolf warrior, my legs were everything! If they were ruined, I'd never fight again!

"Stop... STOP!" I finally couldn't take it anymore, my voice shaking. "Marcus, because of our history, make her stop!"

Marcus raised an eyebrow and snorted. "Now you're begging me?"

"I... I'll give up the dress!" I gasped through the pain. "Please, make her stop!"

But Seraphina didn't stop—she smiled even more viciously. "NOW you want mercy? Too fucking late!"

She ground her heel into my leg, and I heard something crack.

"Damn it!" I cried out desperately. "I already said I'd give up the dress!"

"Giving up the dress is enough?" Seraphina screamed like a maniac. "You hit me! You humiliated me! You think saying sorry fixes this? FUCK THAT!"

Marcus stood watching coldly, showing no intention of stopping this, like he was enjoying some twisted show.

"Marcus, please..." I looked up at him. "What we used to have—"

"Lyra, you chose this path." Marcus cut me off. "That's ancient history. I'm not that broke nobody from six years ago anymore."

Hearing our exchange, Seraphina's eyes got even more vicious, her snake tail lashing the ground in fury.

"Marcus, since this bitch won't learn, I'll make her completely humiliated!"

She suddenly grabbed my collar. "I'm gonna rip your clothes off and show everyone what you really are!"

"NO!" I struggled desperately.

"Scum like you need to learn where you belong!" Seraphina started tearing at my clothes. "In front of us, you're NOTHING!"

Just then, the communication crystal at my waist suddenly started flashing.

Seraphina paused, glaring at me maliciously. "Someone coming to rescue you? Let's see who it is!"

She grabbed my crystal and looked at the caller ID with a cold laugh. "Kael? Who's this other loser nobody?"

She activated the call. "Hello?"

"Lyra? I'm almost there—" A deep, magnetic voice came through the crystal.

Hearing Kael's voice, hope surged in my chest. I used every ounce of strength to scream: "Kael! Help me! I'm at the bridal boutique! Someone's hurting me! Come save me!"

"SHUT UP!" Seraphina snapped angrily. "Stop that screaming!"

Kael's voice on the other end instantly turned dangerous. "Who is this? Why do you have Lyra's crystal?"

"I'm Seraphina! Daughter of Darius, the serpent clan leader!" She bragged smugly into the crystal. "Your precious Lyra is kneeling in front of me right now!"

"Call whatever backup you want—it won't help!" Her voice got more arrogant. "In Elgard City, nobody dares cross the snake-bear alliance!"

Silence on the other end for a few seconds, then Kael's voice came back, colder than ice: "Good. I'll remember you, Seraphina."

"Remember me? So what?" Seraphina laughed maniacally. "What are you gonna do about it? Some random asshole!"

"I'm on my way." Kael's voice was terrifyingly calm. "Hold on, Lyra."

"Quit with the tough guy act!" Seraphina angrily cut the connection, then smashed the crystal on the ground.

It shattered into countless pieces.

"Now nobody can save you!" Seraphina crouched down, staring at me with pure malice. "Enjoy that despair!"

Looking at the broken crystal, I felt weirdly calm instead of despairing.

Kael had heard my cry for help. He said he was coming. I believed him.

"You're all fucked," I whispered weakly.

"Still talking tough?" Seraphina got even angrier and slapped me hard. "BITCH!"

Time dragged by. Seraphina's torture continued—my leg was badly swollen, and my clothes were torn in several places.

More and more people gathered to watch. Some recorded with crystal orbs, others just gossiped.

"Look, the snake princess is teaching someone a lesson!"

"That warrior's screwed—crossed the snake-bear alliance!"

"The bear trade lord himself showed up—she's dead meat!"

Just when I thought I couldn't hold on anymore, a thunderous wolf howl echoed from the distance.

AWOOOOOO—!

The sound was majestic and ancient, carrying the authority of a king, making the entire building tremble.

"That sound... it can't be..." someone whispered in fear.

"A wolf clan Alpha? Impossible, why would someone like that be here..."

Before they could finish, the boutique wall suddenly EXPLODED inward!

A massive black-maned war wolf burst into the hall—three times the size of a normal wolf, golden eyes burning with rage!

When he saw my broken state on the ground, the giant wolf let out a roar that shook heaven and earth:

"WHICH ONE OF YOU FUCKS TOUCHED MY WOMAN!"