The taste of him still lingered faintly on my tongue when Lucretius finally carried me back onto his lap, his arm caging me, my face resting on his chest as if I belonged nowhere else. My cheeks were flaring and my lips swollen after that. His praise from earlier softly echoed on my head like a broken record. 

He said nothing right now, expecting him at least to taunt me further, but he only rested his chin on my head, his thumb tracing circles along my hip.

With the steady rhythm of the carriage, it helped me to focus on my thoughts. My body trembled with exhaustion and the aftermath of humiliation.

This experience was both satisfying and humiliating for me at the same time. Yet, my wolf and I didn't feel disgusted by it. It felt... right.

It felt right because we finally found a man who knew how to appreciate us. It was worth the risk of selling my soul to him. I might be hesitant to his suggestions he wanted me to do, but in the end, I gained new experience, and I had his power and influence to bring down my enemies.

I would provide what his sexual needs in exchange of that, I gained his power. Basically, I had more advantage than he was, even though it would be exchanged my dignity.

Before I knew it, my eyes were drifting to sleep. I could faintly hear his heartbeat under my ear. 

And for the second time, I allowed myself to sink into his warmth, remembering the first time where I clung to him on the night Redmund rejected our mate bond. My heart felt at ease when it was him, wondering if he did the same thing to the other women he had bedded with.

I didn't know how long I slept like that, but his gentle voice stirred me awake.

"We've arrived, my little soldier."

My lashes fluttered when I felt his lips planting close to my temple, and the first thing I saw was the glint of mischief in his eyes. His arms loosened, but his hold on me didn't vanish entirely. Only then did I register the stillness of the carriage and the soft creak of the wheels halting. Outside the window, the golden sign of The Gilded Stitch swung gently in the morning breeze.

I blinked before frowning at him as my stomach churned when I heard the coachman's footsteps approaching the door.

I turned at him and tried to get off from his lap. "You do not want us to be seen...!" I whispered in a hush tone, but he didn't budge.

But as bastard as he was, Lucretius only tightened his arm around my waist, pinning me back against his chest. He placed his chin arrogantly on my shoulder, his lips curving into a lopsided smirk.

His reaction made me panic.

He hadn't made a formal announcement to everyone that we were both engaged. Why was he tormenting me like this?! 

Primarily, what we were doing was a secret relationship, but I must say that if I was going to compare of having a secret relationship between Redmund and Lucretius, I'd say Lucretius was the worst.

If Redmund was careful about us not getting caught, Lucretius' actions was otherwise.

Did he want us to be the talk in the camp once we got caught here? It would ruin his plans for his birthday party!

"Lucretius!" I hissed, pressing my palms against his chest in a futile attempt to free myself. Please, Moon Goddess! Let this man free me! "Let me go before—"

The door swung open.

My heart plummeted.

The coachman stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock at the sight of his commander reclining casually, with me settled comfortably on his lap.

I felt like I was about to pass out as I felt my cheeks burning in crimson, my lips bitten and swollen. This was over... We got caught! I didn't want to be seen like this!

This wasn't the announcement I was looking forward to!

Heat flooded my cheeks so fast that I wanted to be buried six feet below the ground when I glared at Lucretius. "S-See? I told you!" I said before covering my face to hide the frustration I was feeling right now.

This son of a bitch... I never thought that I would experience another humiliating experience on the same day!

It felt like this was much worse than Redmund's humiliation he had earlier!

Lucretius chuckled at my reaction. He leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of my ear, earning me a stifled gasp. "Relax, my little soldier," he whispered, his hand reaching for my hands, uncovering my face. His drop-dead gorgeous face had an amused expression. "He knows exactly who you are. You are my future wife... and the Luna of the Golden Eclipse Pack."

My heart stopped as I looked at him in disbelief. Was he serious? That coachman knew me?

As if Lucretius read my thoughts, he gestured his hand to the coachman. "This is Dawson, one of the elite pack warriors in my pack and working in my unit."

The coachman named Dawson inclined his head, his hand on his chest. "At your service, Luna."

I held my breath, chills running down my spine. I hadn't married Lucretius and hadn't performed the Luna ceremony, yet I was already branded as if the true Luna in his pack. This actually rendered me speechless, allowing me to gather my thoughts.

"Does... Does this mean that everyone in your pack knows?" I asked, curiosity filled me. "Wouldn't that ruin the surprise you are planning for your birthday party?"

Here I thought that I wanted to see Redmund's reaction once he learned that I would be his future aunt-in-law. A disappointed look smeared on my face.

Lucretius grinned. "Fret not. Only my elite pack warriors know." He took my hand and brought it to his lips, making my breath hitch. "Soon, everyone will know. Just be patient, my little soldier."

I opened my mouth to protest that he made me sound like I was being impatient. But no words were coming out.

When Lucretius noticed my silence, that was the cue for him to dismount from the carriage. In one effortless motion, he stood and stepped down, but what made my eyes widen was that he carried me in his arms as if I were weightless.

"P-Put me down! Please!" I demanded, my face was as bright as a tomato. "I can walk on my own! And I am not disabled..." And a few people were looking in our way, too! I wanted to add.

How I wished to die right now...

"As you wish." A chuckle escaped from his lips as he carefully lowered me to the ground, his hands deliberately slow as if reluctant to let me go. But when he did, he didn't release me entirely, which confused me. 

Then, moments later, his gloved fingers slid down until they intertwined with mine, his grip firm and claiming.

My chest tightened, not believing that this was happening to me right now. I was walking hand-in-hand with the man who had a casanova reputation in the royal military and would soon be my future husband.

It was too public... too intimate... which I only saw myself doing this with Redmund before, yet this man beside me was too bold. He looked completely unbothered, as if daring anyone to question his action.

I couldn't help gazing at his side profile. He looked so dashing, and any woman would be swept off their feet once they saw this man walking on the cobblestone pavement.

We took a few steps toward the tailor shop when a faint whisper reached my ears.

"Elixane..."

The word was so soft, so foreign, I wasn't certain if I had imagined it. My head snapped toward the direction from which it came, yet across the cobblestone street, just beyond the line of merchant stalls, the sight of the Temple of the Moon Goddess blessed me.

My eyes were glued to the beautiful establishment. I hadn't stepped into the main temple of the Moon Goddess; the only ones I could approach were the small temples nestled near the camp and in our pack. 

I eyed the temple's pale stone walls and the crescent emblem gleaming atop its archway, wondering how grandiose it looked inside.

Was it just me? Or was it calling to me?

"Elixane..."

The name echoed again in my mind, halting in my tracks. It sounded familiar yet very foreign indeed, something stirring deep within my chest. Staring at the temple, it felt as if it was indeed calling me.

But the name I heard... That wasn't my name, yet why did I snap my head as if it belonged to me?

"What's wrong?"

I snapped back and turned to Lucretius, his expression laced with concern. Hesitating, I returned my gaze to the temple, then to him.

My brows furrowed when I answered him, "Nothing... I thought someone called my name." Or was it really my name?

Lucretius creased his forehead, confusion written on his face as he lurched his eyes around and shook his head. "Mmm, I didn't hear anything."

I bit my lower lip, my gaze lingering on the temple again. I could hear the faint calling as if they were summoning me. I had never felt like this before, even from the time I was praying to the Moon Goddess to the small temples I had been in.

After a moment, I forced myself to look away, offering him a faint smile. "Must be my imagination..." I murmured, but the uneasiness didn't escape from me.

Could this be related to past lives I remember? Was I hearing something that was supposed to be related to me, and the answer would be in the main temple?

Lucretius's thumb caressed against the back of my hand, gently urging me forward. Without another word, he guided me the rest of the way until we crossed the threshold of The Gilded Stitch, the capital's most prestigious tailor shop exclusively for the aristocrats.

"My, my! Welcome, Lord Franciosa!" A cheerful voice rang out. A woman in her middle years approached, her hair pulled into a neat bun as she dressed in one of the most expensive fabric, measuring tape draped around her neck like a damning necklace. "You're finally here!" 

Lucretius nodded, his lips drawing out a wide smile. "Rosemarie," he said, acknowledging her. Then, he raised our hands together, gesturing his head towards me. "My beloved bride is with me."

Her eyes lit up when they landed on me, grasping my other hand. "Oh, my Moon Goddess! You must be Lady Euphyllia!" She shook my hand, not waiting for me to respond. Her merry attitude brought warmth to me. "I have heard about you, my lady! Come, come!"

With that, Rosemarie gently pulled me. Hesitant, I looked at Lucretius, my eyes were in disbelief as to what was happening. He just winked at me while following us.

"When Lord Franciosa told me that he is engaged, I cannot believe myself!" Rosemarie declared as she dragged me towards one of the parlor rooms. "I really thought that he would be eternally not going to be wed... until he mentioned you."

I smiled wryly, overwhelmed that she kept talking and didn't give me a chance to speak. But all in all, it didn't bother me. 

We were brought some drinks and snacks until a few attendants were left behind. Then, Rosemarie granted me a chemise and pulled me in a cubicle.

"Wear that so I can take your measure later." She wriggled her eyebrows and closed the curtains.

I stared at the chemise she handed me, heat prickling up my neck. Her wink told me she suspected far more than she should. Was it because of Lucretius' reputation? Or was it because we were too intimate when we stopped by the shop earlier?

As I looked the closed curtains, my heart raced, not from Rosemarie's enthusiasm, but from that whisper I heard earlier.

Elixane.

The name kept ringing in my head, that even though I wasn't looking at the temple, it felt like I was being called. I shook my head, trying to push it aside. 

Maybe Lucretius was right. Perhaps I was just imagining things.

But as I undressed my uniform and slipped into the chemise, I couldn't stop the shiver that crawled into my skin.

Why did that name feel like... mine?