My Mate Chose My Best Friend, So His Uncle Claimed Me novel Chapter 41

Chapter 41: An Outsider

As soon as we finished breakfast today, Lucretius offered to take me on a stroll around the Golden Eclipse Pack so I could get familiar with it as the Luna of the pack.

He showed me the facilities first, such as the training grounds, where his pack warriors trained in the wide expanse of fields. I watched as their movement was calculated and disciplined.

It was way more impressive than what I could remember back in my pack.

“This is why the Golden Eclipse Pack stands unmatched in the north,” he said. His hands were shoved to the back of his trousers as we walked. “Our warriors are trained not just in strength but in strategy. They don’t act without purpose.”

I nodded silently, watching the pack warriors bow as he passed. His presence alone commanded obedience.

Which made me wonder… which of them were considered his elite ones? The one I remember, he told me that he knew I would be marrying their Alpha.

He led me next to the trading hall. It was a large marble structure where merchants hustled, handling goods stamped with the Golden Eclipse Pack insignia.

“We trade directly with the Northern merchants and the royal council,” Lucretius continued. “We control the silver mines, the medicinal herb trade, and several routes under royal protection.‘

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I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. There was no arrogance in his tone. Only certainty.

I wouldn’t even doubt his words, knowing how well off and dangerous his pack was.

“So that’s why your pack is one of the wealthiest in the kingdom,” I murmured.

And a dangerous one, I wanted to add.

His lips formed a lopsided smile. “Wealth is just another form of power, Euphyllia. And power, when used correctly, commands fear more effectively than claws or fangs.”

His words were deeply etched in my heart. It reminded me of the bank account he bestowed on me last night.

I could have the same power as him. It was just that I needed to use it correctly and mustn’t go directly to treason.

Since he granted me power, did this mean that I also have the right to order his elite pack warriors whenever I wish? In that way, I could abruptly end my revenge against Redmund. But ending him by taking his life wasn’t a great satisfaction.

Lucretius took me further. He brought me to the artisans‘ quarter, the pack library, and even the infirmary where healers trained under the pack’s own scholars. Every corner we passed screamed luxury that I was certain my pack members in the Starry Shadows Pack would certainly envy.

When we reached the high balcony overlooking the whole pack, I found myself breathless. The sun hit the distant rooftops of the pack’s main town, turning them to gold.

It was as if it was engraved straight out of the painting.

For a moment, it was easy to forget that I had sold my soul to this man.

I turned to him upon remembering something, brushing a loose stand of hair behind my ear. “Lucretius,” I called, almost

hesitant.

He looked at me, his expression unreadable. “What is it?”

“I was wondering…” I paused, hesitated again. I was unsure how he’d take it. “Is Alpha Derrick of the Starry Shadows Pack invited to our second wedding?”

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A flicker of interest crossed his handsome face. “Your Alpha?”

I nodded, lowering my gaze. “He doesn’t know about our… marriage yet. And now we are holding another one. A grandiose,” I emphasized. “And I fear it might cause unnecessary tension between our packs if he finds out the wrong way.”

Lucretius‘ brow arched. “Concerned about his reaction?”

“I’m concerned about what it could mean,” I admitted, clarifying it. “The Starry Shadows Pack is still loyal to me, or rather, to the person I used to be.”

My eyes were glued to the distant rooftops again. Alpha Derrick had no idea that I sold everything to this man just to seek vengeance against my former mate and former best friend.

I wonder if he would be disappointed in me that I resorted to this action. But if there was a case that he would ask if I would regret this, I would tell him that I chose this path.

Because every lifetime, I was being battered by betrayal and rejection. I always met a miserable fate before being reincarnated again.

Funny that fate had been trying to help me to redo my unhappy situation until this timeline, that I had finally taken a step to break the chains of crestfallen lives.

And I would eternally be grateful that Lucretius was the anomaly in this timeline, which I never experienced in my past lives.

I fixated my gaze on Lucretius when he was quiet for a long moment. His fingers were tracing the balcony railing before he spoke, “If he is invited, it will not be an accident. I want him to see you as mine.”

I caught my breath. “You–”

He stepped closer, making me gulp when he was towering over me. “You worry about appearances, Euphyllia. I worry about control.” He raised his hand to brush his knuckles on my cheek, sending shivers down my spine. “Let your Alpha see the truth with his own eyes. That you are no longer his pack member.”

My jaw dropped at his words. That sounded cruel, but he had a point.

His gaze softened as he reached for my chin, coercing me to look up to him. “Besides,” he added, “If the Alpha of the Starry Shadows values his position, he’ll know better than to challenge me over what’s already bound to my soul.”

I wanted to respond, but there was a lump in my throat.

ཧ་ང་འོཆ་མ པ

He sounded so possessive that it was enough to stir my wolf. I quietly castigated her and reminded her that he wasn’t our mate… and that I sold my soul–even her to him.

But my wolf seemed not to mind it. In fact, she looked at Lucretius as our savior for our broken hearts.

She was telling me that Lucretius was way more gentlemanly than our mate. He respected our bodies more than Redmund, who almost forced himself on me.

As soon as Lucretius excused himself to attend to a brief meeting with his Gamma, I decided to wander a little further around the

pack and stopped by on the playground. Seeing the pack of children looking so happy as they ran and chased each other had emphasized to me that Lucretius was such a good Alpha for his pack.

I clasped my hands together, wondering if I would be a good Luna for his pack members. It never really occurred to me that one day I would become someone’s Luna in a pack. All I dreamed of was to be a tactical keeper and be a Gamma of the Starry Shadows Pack, but it looked like the Moon Goddess had a different plan for me.

And it was a heavy responsibility that I didn’t think I would be able to handle.

“I’m just a false Luna…” I murmured as I quietly stepped back and walked back to the manor as the truth sank in.

Lucretius still deserved a true Luna. I was just a temporary replacement before his mate arrived in his life.

Chapter 41 An Outsider

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Just by thinking about it, if he really asked me for a divorce, I would agree with it. And with the bank account he bestowed on me, I would definitely make good use of it. I could live my life lavishly or keep it invested somewhere else.

I must prepare for my exit plan once Lucretius decides to discard me…

I arrived in the garden, where I hadn’t yet explored since arriving. It was breathtaking. The flowers were in full bloom, and I could smell the sweet floral scent of lilacs and moon lilies. There was even a gazebo here, and my gaze fixed on the fountain at

the center.

For a brief moment, peace washed over me. It was so serene that I felt like I could be able to finally breathe from the tension I had been feeling these days.

Until I heard a familiar baritone voice behind me.

“I didn’t think you’d have the audacity to show your face here.”

That voice… which I used to love for a year. That infuriating tone, sounding like he was the superior when he was just a sore

loser.

I slowly turned around. A few meters away, Redmund stood, his arms crossed over his chest, eyes glinting with hostility.

I almost coughed out a huff. His expression and actions constantly reminded me of how he insisted on performing the mating ritual without any regard for my wishes.

Just by looking at him, I would like to punch that annoying face of his.

“Redmund,” I greeted him calmly, though my wolf inside me growled in disdain. She’d rather have Lucretius teasing and annoying us rather than seeing our former mate. “I could say the same to you.” I tinted my voice with sweetness. “I didn’t think you’d have the audacity to walk freely around my husband’s estate.”

As soon as his jaw clenched, a brush of satisfaction tickled me inside.

Oh, I loved seeing that reaction from him. It made me want him to explode with anger.

“Your husband?” he muttered, scoffing.

“Shouldn’t you be preparing for your wedding? Why are you here?” I added, ignoring the disbelief in his tone.

His eye twitched. “You shouldn’t be walking around this side of the mansion. It’s not meant for outsiders.”

I raised a brow, drawing out a small, humorless smile tugging at my lips. “Outsider?” I parroted softly. “Last time I checked, I’m married to your uncle—the Alpha of the Golden Eclipse himself.” I even caressed my chin, humming as if pretending that I was thinking before returning my gaze to him. “That makes me part of this family, does it not? Or do you have a different definition of belonging, my dear nephew–in–law?”

His expression darkened at what I just called him. He took a step closer, his footsteps screaming with danger and anger, while I

remained still when he was in front of me.

“You don’t belong here, Euphyllia. You might be wearing the family heirloom ring, bear our family name,

but you’ll never be one of us. You’re only here because my uncle pities you.”

Pity.

The word almost made me laugh. Such a strong word to describe what Lucretius felt.

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