Author: Momo Chan

On the F1 racetrack, Grayson, the man who is my girlfriend could never have in her youth, cut my brake line. I was about to floor the accelerator when the brakes suddenly gave out completely. His arrogant laughter crackled through the intercom. “This idiot — just like I figured, he hasn’t noticed we’ve sabotaged the brakes!” My girlfriend, Natalie, laughed along from somewhere beside him. Rage tore through me. “Natalie! Weren’t you the one who inspected my car?! Someone could die out here!” Her voice drifted through the intercom, dripping with disdain. “Grayson has depression. He doesn’t get to feel what you feel behind the wheel — the speed, the rush. Cutting the brake line was the only way I could think of to cheer him up.” “Aren’t you supposed to be the God of the Track? Consider this a test of your skills. Don’t be so selfish — I know what I’m doing.” I knew then that no one was coming to save me. I had to save myself. With everything I had left, I slammed the emergency distress button on my waist. “Now — activate the emergency protocol!” When she heard me calling for help, Natalie’s voice curled with contempt. “Seriously? I’ve never seen you care this much about your own skin before. You’re the God of the Track — scared of a little brake failure? You’ve been through this before. Why are you being so dramatic now?” That last time the brakes failed, I’d nearly died saving her. Three months flat on my back in a hospital. I almost lost my career entirely. If I hadn’t had nerves of steel, I might never have gotten behind the wheel again. And she’d glossed over it like it was nothing — then weaponized it against me. Now she wanted to put me through the same nightmare. Worse, even. I ground my teeth together. “Natalie, do you have any idea what you’ve done? My life matters too. Last time, I nearly died for you! And we’re on a race circuit right now — if the brakes are gone, I’m dead!” She sounded angrier than I was. “You’re not dead yet, are you? Ethan, stop being so dramatic. Do you have to throw that rescue in my face every single time? For your information, if you hadn’t jumped in, Grayson would have saved me anyway.” “You think you’re so impressive? Then prove it. How could someone like you possibly let himself die?” She had no idea — back then, Grayson had been too busy running to save himself. If I hadn’t been there, she’d already be a corpse. Her words hit like a slap. The car lurched; I nearly lost control. There was no time to dwell on it. I stopped wasting breath on her and tried to reach my teammates — but no matter how many times I hit the intercom, Natalie’s voice was the only thing that came through. She noticed and spoke flatly. “I modified the system so they can’t reach you. You’ve got me. That’s enough.” Another blow. Ice flooded my chest. “You know this is a team race, right? No one survives this alone. Have you lost your mind? You’re using me as a lab rat? Natalie, as team captain, I’m ordering you — fix this now. No brakes, no backup — that’s a death sentence. Do you actually want me dead?” “Stop whining. I told you, I know what I’m doing. You’re only thinking about yourself. If you’ve got nothing useful to say, don’t say anything.” And then Natalie cut the line. I clenched my fist and forced my voice steady. I had no choice but to beg. “Natalie, you can see what’s happening to me right now. Please — alert the teammates behind me. Tell them to force my car to stop. I’m begging you.” Then Grayson’s voice came through from the other side. “Babe, don’t stop. Keep going. I’m actually starting to feel it — the thrill of racing. I wish it were even more intense.” Natalie’s voice instantly transformed — bright, breathless, sweeter than I’d ever heard it with me. “Really? You don’t want to die anymore? Oh, thank God. I’ll speed things up right now.” The moment she finished speaking, my car surged completely out of control, accelerating wildly, swerving and lurching — and then it rocketed straight toward the cliff edge.

With a split second to spare, years of experience took over and I wrenched the wheel straight. But I was drenched in cold sweat, my heart monitor screaming. One lapse in focus and I’d have gone over the edge. Then I found a problem far more critical — my right hand was broken. The fractured bone had torn through skin and muscle. Blood poured freely, and still the car thundered on. With my left hand trembling, I reached for the full-body safety system — and stopped cold. Every protective mechanism had been gutted and replaced with cosmetic features. My car had become the flashiest, most eye-catching vehicle on the track. In racing, that was a death wish. Grayson kept cycling through the car’s color displays, pausing now and then to debate with Natalie about which shade looked better. They were laughing and joking around. Meanwhile, I was the lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Helpless and pathetic. The equipment that should have kept me alive had been stripped out and repurposed as a toy for Natalie to impress Grayson. My life meant nothing to her. Their excited chatter felt like a death knell — mocking my helplessness with every word. My knuckles went white. I bit down so hard I tasted blood. “Natalie, stop this. I genuinely don’t have this under control — people die when brakes fail. My right hand is broken. I can’t move it. Get me backup. Now.” A dull thud — Grayson threw down the controller, his voice sullen. “Babe, I’m done. This worthless life of mine isn’t going to last much longer anyway. I shouldn’t have upset him.” Natalie immediately turned on me, screaming. “Ethan, that’s enough! Could you show some compassion? Grayson is sick. He’s a patient. Why do you have to be so petty? You want out? Not until Grayson has had enough fun.” People around them chimed in. “Grayson, you’ve really hit the jackpot with Natalie — not every girl would bet her boyfriend’s career and his life just to keep her first love happy. Respect.” “Still — Ethan’s situation looks like it’s getting pretty serious. Aren’t you worried about him at all?” Natalie answered without missing a beat, her voice rock-solid. “He’s faking it. He’s pulling a stunt to get my attention. He tried the same trick last time — does he really think I’ll fall for it twice?” “You all know Ethan. Arrogant, self-centered. This is just my way of keeping him in line.” She was putting my life on the line as a “method of keeping him in line”? Did she actually think I was a god? What was I to her? The “last time” she referenced — her little crew had staged a fake kidnapping, claiming Natalie had been taken. They gave me one hour to abandon the race and drive over a thousand kilometers to “save” her. I’d sacrificed the ranking I’d bled for, wrecked my car, and gotten injured in the process. When she found out, she’d seemed genuinely torn up about it. Now I was learning she’d thought I was running a con on her the whole time. “Ha, that’s right — Natalie always knows how to handle men.” That finally pulled Grayson out of his sulk. He went right back to his little performance with the controls. The constant visual changes made my competitor, Drake, think I was deliberately provoking him. He came at me without hesitation. Three thunderous impacts — Drake’s reinforced bumper slammed into my rear. A shrill warning alarm pierced the air. Drake’s furious curses followed. The collision knocked the air out of me. I coughed up a mouthful of blood. Every organ in my body felt like it was being wrung out. Each breath scraped through what was left of my lungs like sandpaper. My head pounded. My car was beyond my control. My life was in someone else’s hands. That realization nearly sent me over the edge. If this kept up, I had one way out: a coffin. I made a decision — a desperate one.

“Ethan, have you lost your mind?! You wouldn’t dare—” Natalie seemed to figure out what I was about to do. But it was too late to stop me. She’d been too caught up playing house with Grayson — and that had given me my only window. I surrendered. Officially conceded. Threw away over a decade of dreams in one move. My body had hit its limit. If I kept going, there’d be nothing left of me — and Natalie didn’t care if I lived or died. No one gets to threaten my life. I will not be anyone’s punching bag. The moment Drake saw the white flag go up, he finally backed off his assault. “Well, I’ll be damned. Never thought I’d live to see the great Ethan throw in the towel.” “This isn’t some trick, right? You’re not playing me to drop my guard? I’m warning you — try to double-cross me, and I will end you.” “No trick. I surrender. Drake, please — help me.” I screamed as loud as I could, praying he’d hear me. He was the only one close enough. Two hundred meters ahead sat the track’s most notorious killing curve — a bend that had claimed more lives than anyone cared to count. At this speed, with no brakes, hitting that turn meant certain death. Before I could finish, Grayson cut off my lifeline again — sealing every window in the car so no sound could escape. Then, as punishment, he “accidentally” activated the electric shock system. A violent surge of electricity tore straight through my chest. I couldn’t breathe. The burning was unbearable. My entire body convulsed uncontrollably. Worse than the pain was the humiliation — the shock made me lose control of my bladder. In that moment, my hatred peaked. “Oops — I think I bumped something. Hope that’s okay. It sounded like Ethan was trying to talk to someone out there. I hope I didn’t upset him by accident.” I stared at the intercom with bloodshot eyes. I knew Natalie could see me. “Natalie — do you know what he just did to me? He wants me dead!” “Are you about to tell me he shocked you? I watched every modification on that car myself. The shock function is a gentle warning — it won’t kill you. Stop performing.” “And while we’re at it — I’ll give you a warning too. Stop playing games with me. Acting pathetic won’t help you.” She slammed the switch. Then she turned to Grayson and laughed, heaping praise on him. “Grayson, you did so well. Once we make it past this curve, I know you’ll find your confidence again.” The pain and helplessness boiled into something behind my eyes. My breathing went ragged; I nearly blacked out. Then a searing pain exploded in my abdomen. I pressed my hand against it and pulled it away soaked in red. The wound was a mess of blood and torn flesh. I pressed my fingers in. They came back out with fragments of gravel embedded in them. Grayson had deliberately sabotaged me at the worst possible moment. Debris from the car ahead had shredded straight into me. I was past the point of holding back. “Natalie, can you not see that Grayson is doing this on purpose?! He has been screwing with my controls this whole time. I’m injured and bleeding out right now! Are you both happy? Give me back control of my car — I just want to survive!” “Uh — Ethan seems really upset. Is he mad at me? Babe, I’m scared. I’m such a burden to everyone. Maybe it’d be better if I was gone.” Grayson’s voice was perfectly pitched — a grown man whimpering like a wounded child on cue, and Natalie swallowed it whole every single time. Natalie’s disgust for me hardened into something uglier. “Ethan, stop performing. All you do is threaten to die. It’s pathetic. Grayson has a real illness. He has depression.” “Is the only way you feel good about yourself making sure he suffers? Do you need everyone else to lose so you can win?” Natalie turned her back on me completely and spoke directly to Grayson. “Grayson, I’m handing you full control of the car. Let’s ignore him. If he actually dies — that’s on him. He’s choosing this.” The moment she finished, they locked everything down. The car went into sealed, impenetrable mode. From the outside, it looked like I’d gone back on my surrender — like I was recklessly charging back into the race and looking for a fight. Racers are young, hot-blooded, and proud. They don’t take kindly to that kind of provocation. “That rat Ethan — he played us! Everyone go, take him out!” Even some of my own teammates didn’t understand what was happening. A few of them tried to speed up and check on me — and Natalie shut them down instantly. “Hold your positions! Nobody passes Ethan’s car. That’s an order.” “But this doesn’t match the strategy Ethan briefed us on — we’re supposed to be racing as a unit. His car is a target right now. If this keeps up, first place—” “Shut up. I speak for Ethan. I’m his girlfriend.” “Ethan! Ethan, say something!” I beat my fists against the sealed window until they bled. No one heard a thing. The car held. I was an animal trapped in a cage, thrashing until I’d torn myself apart — and it changed nothing. Then the air inside the car began to thin. Grayson’s voice slid into my ear, low and cold. “Ethan. Go ahead and die. Once you’re gone, I’m done pretending to be sick, done playing the victim. I’ll tell your parents exactly how heroically you went out. Your team, your car, your girlfriend — I’ll take good care of all of it for you. Rest easy.” Grayson had never had good intentions. He’d been waiting for the right moment. Now he steered my car deliberately into Drake — trying to ignite a fresh wave of fury from Drake’s crew. Ahead, the most treacherous curve on the circuit appeared. With Drake’s team bearing down on me, I had ten seconds left. Maybe less. My body went cold as the blood poured out of me. Consciousness began slipping, dragging me toward darkness. Grayson’s triumphant laughter detonated in my ears, savoring every second of my helpless struggle. I wasn’t ready to give up. God, I wasn’t ready. Was this really how it ended? “Ethan! We’re coming for you!”

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Eight years. That’s how long I rotted in a cell for a murder I never did. And there he is. My husband. Waiting at the gate with roses and our twins, smiling like he didn’t put me there himself. His eyes fill with tears. “Vivian. Baby. You’ve learned your lesson. From now on, you’ve got me and the kids. That’s it.” The reporters swarm in. They’ve been waiting for hours. “Vivian Hayes! You used to be America’s sweetheart. Tell us, what was going through your head when you tortured that poor delivery driver?” “How did you feel when his family set the fire that killed your parents?” “Your CEO husband got down on his knees on live TV for you. Your kids grew up labeled the children of a killer. Any regrets, Vivian?” The cameras and mics push at my face like weapons. Every question wants me dead. I don’t say a word. Then someone shouts over the rest. “Chloe Bennett has confessed her love for your husband on camera. Multiple times. Will you finally let him and the kids go? Give them a way out?” A way out? I almost laugh. They’re the ones who never gave me a way out. Damon was the one who begged me to take the fall for Chloe. ……. All those vicious questions, and Damon didn’t say one word to defend me. But the second someone says Chloe’s name? He snaps his fingers. The bodyguards move in. “Sorry, folks. Ms. Bennett is a respected actress. Please leave her name out of this.” My own kids look like they want to swing at the reporter. “Chloe is beautiful and kind! How dare this killer even say her name!” I gave birth to these two in prison. I worked the laundry shift during the day with one of them strapped to each side of me. At night I rocked them for hours so they wouldn’t wake the other inmates. The day Damon came to take them, I asked him for one thing. “Send them overseas. As far as you can. And whatever you do, keep them away from Chloe.” Now I’m out. And I find out the two babies I almost died for were raised at her knee. Turned into knives. Pointed at me. The car ride home is silent. Damon reaches over and takes my hand, careful, like he’s testing the water. “About what happened back then. I want to thank you. For Chloe.” I don’t move. “You were already married. Pregnant. You’d been talking about retiring anyway. Chloe had just graduated. Her whole career was in front of her.” I laugh. It comes out ugly. “So?” I turn and look at him. “So the real killer walks free, and I’m the one who has to bury my parents and lose my kids? Is that what you’re telling me?” He doesn’t answer. When he finally speaks, his voice breaks. “Her parents saved my life, Vivian. I owed them. Blame me. Hit me. Yell at me. I swear, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.” Eight years of cold concrete. The reporters tearing me apart at the gate. All of it falls apart in my chest the second he says it. I start shaking. The sobs rip out of me. He pulls me against his chest. His voice is low. Steady. The voice I used to fall asleep to. “It’s over, baby. It’s all over. We’re gonna have a beautiful family. Just us and the kids.” It’s such a beautiful picture. It shatters the second I walk through the door and see her. Our house. Exactly the way I left it. Brighter, actually. Warmer. Because the day they put me in cuffs, Chloe moved in. She walks up to me like she owns the place and grabs my hand. “Vivian! You’re finally home! I made dinner. We’ve been waiting all afternoon.” I rip my hand away like she’s diseased. Damon’s face turns to ice. “Vivian. I get you’re pissed. Take it out on me. Don’t take it out on her.” He steps between us. “Yeah, you took the fall. But she’s the one who raised our kids while you were gone. She put her whole career on the line for this family. Drop it already.” “Drop it?” Nothing in prison ever hurt the way that sentence just did. “You want me to thank her, Damon?” I want to scream the rest. Why wasn’t he at our anniversary dinner that night? Why was he at her birthday party instead? Why did he throw his own pregnant wife in a cell to save her? Chloe jumps in before it can blow up. “It’s okay, Damon. Really. She needs time. I knew this would happen.” She gives me a soft, sad little smile. “You two eat. I’ll get out of your way.” Her eyes go red right on cue. The picture of hurt. But she doesn’t let a single tear fall. She just spins around and runs back to her room.

Every dish on the table was made by Chloe. Just looking at them makes me want to throw up. Damon says it’s my first family dinner since I got out. Says I should sit down and act normal. At least for the kids. But the kids don’t even let me sit. Noah grabs a meatball off the plate and chucks it at my face. “Why does she get to eat Chloe’s food?” “Chloe and Daddy love each other! Why are you trying to steal him, you killer?” Nora’s already wailing next to him. “Daddy, please don’t let her live here. I’m scared.” Damon scoops her up like she’s made of glass. Chloe comes flying out of the kitchen the second she hears crying. She presses herself right up against him. Pretends to wipe Nora’s tears. Her hands are doing way more than that. “Aw, Nora, sweetie. She’s still your mom. And the police taught her her lesson. She won’t kill anyone anymore.” Nora hears the word kill and sobs harder. Eight years. Eight years I missed with these kids. Eight years they got called the children of a murderer at school, on the playground, everywhere. Now my baby girl’s face is red and swollen because of her, and something inside me snaps. “Chloe. What the hell did you just say?” I shove between her and Damon and grab her arm. “Won’t kill anyone anymore?” “You know exactly who did it. Better than anyone in this room.” Every ounce of rage I swallowed for eight years comes roaring up at once. My hand flies up to slap her. Damon catches my wrist mid-air. “Vivian. Jesus. Prison actually made you crazy.” He throws my arm down hard. I stumble. My lower back slams into the corner of the table. Pain shoots up my spine so sharp I almost black out on my feet. But that’s not what hurts the most. “Chloe was trying to calm Nora down. She was defending you, for God’s sake.” “Just go to your room. You’re not okay right now.” I stare at him. The tears are right there, burning behind my eyes. The same man who promised me the rest of his life an hour ago in the car. Now he’s screaming at me to protect her. I drag myself down the hall. Lock the door behind me. I pull up my shirt in front of the mirror. The whole side of my lower back is already turning purple. Black at the edges. Hideous. This bedroom is twice the size of my cell. Bright. Clean. And somehow I’ve never felt colder or more alone. In prison, rats ran across me at night. Roaches in my hair. I didn’t care. Because every single day I told myself the same thing. Get out. Get back to Damon. Get back to the kids. Build the life you were supposed to have. That’s what kept me breathing. And now? Even with the door shut, I can hear them laughing in the living room. I hear my kids piling food onto Chloe’s plate. Calling her Aunt Chloe in that sweet, sticky voice. I hear my husband ask her, soft and worried, “You okay, baby? She didn’t scare you, did she?” That life out there. The warm one. The happy one. That was supposed to be mine. No. It was supposed to be more than that. If somebody hadn’t leaked my parents’ address eight years ago. If the victim’s family hadn’t shown up with gasoline and a match. I’d have a house full of grandparents and babies right now. A real family. Loud. Messy. Whole. I’m crying so hard I can barely breathe when there’s a knock at the door. “Vivian. May I come in?”

I never let Damon see me like this. I spin around fast and scrub at my eyes. Too late. He’s already clocked the red rims and the wet streaks down my cheeks. He sets down a bowl and pulls me into his chest. “Hey. What’s all this? The kids spent eight years getting called a murderer’s children. Of course they’re cold. Give them time.” I nod into his shirt. “I know.” Then I look up. “That thing I asked you to look into. Who leaked Mom and Dad’s address. Did you ever find out?” His face shifts. I feel his whole body go stiff against mine. “Babe. It’s been eight years. There’s nothing left to trace.” I frown. “I was at the peak of my career. I bought them that place in the Hamptons specifically to keep stalker fans out. The address was locked down.” “Whoever knew where they lived was someone close to me.” “Damon.” I grab his hand like it’s the last rope on a cliff. “Please. You have to find out who did this. They burned alive. There wasn’t even enough left to put in the casket.” After dinner, Damon takes the kids upstairs. I run myself a rose-petal bath. Partly to scrub eight years of prison off my skin. Mostly because tonight is supposed to be the first time my husband and I share a bed in nearly a decade. I dig out the black slip he used to lose his mind over. I sit on the edge of the bed. And I wait. He doesn’t come. Eventually I pad down the hall. The kitchen’s dark except for the fridge hanging half open. That’s when I see them. “Damon. Are you seriously going to sleep with that old bitch tonight?” Chloe’s in a red lace slip. Barely there. She drags one finger down his chest. He catches her wrist. “Chloe. Don’t talk about her like that. She did eight years for you.” She laughs in his face. “Sweetie. You had more money than God. One phone call and a hundred women would’ve lined up to take that fall for me.” She leans in. “And let’s be real. The night her parents walked in on us? The night they said they were going to the press? You’re the one who handed their address to the victim’s family.” “Damon.” She winds his tie around her finger and pulls him in until their mouths are almost touching. “Just say it. You wanted me. That’s why you put her away.” Their breath is mixing. He breaks. Grabs her by the jaw and bites down on her lip. Between gasps, he’s still talking. “When I married her, I swore I’d never cheat. But you and me, baby, we go back to kindergarten. The only way to keep my word to her and my word to you was to put her somewhere she’d never find out.” Then they’re kissing again. Loud. Hungry. And I’m standing in the dark feeling my heart get carved up in strips. The man I gave every piece of myself to. He killed my parents. The “girl he grew up with” he introduced me to at our engagement party? She was never a little sister. She was the love of his life. I don’t remember walking back to the bedroom. My legs aren’t mine anymore. I collapse on the floor. My phone is buzzing on the nightstand. My old agent. I can’t reach for it. I’m up before sunrise. I drive to my parents’ grave. I drop to my knees in front of the headstone and slap myself across the face. Hard. Mom. Dad. I’m so sorry. You raised a fool. Then I hear footsteps. A lot of them. Coming fast.

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After Alpha Zane’s death, the leadership of the Silverfang Pack passed to his younger brother, Alpha Rex. Alpha Rex declared he would “take care of Zane’s Luna together”, visiting my room—his sister-in-law Evelyn—every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I refused. The next day, cards printed with my private photos began circulating in every major Pack group chat. They read: “Luna for hire. $50 per time, $100 for three.” Furious, I went to confront Alpha Rex: “They’re photoshopped! I never did anything like that!” He didn’t believe me. Instead, he got me drunk, threw me out on the street, and spat venomously: “Never thought you’d stoop so low. You disgust me. Spend the night here reflecting on how not to shame me again!” He hadn’t even left when his so-called Alpha “brothers” dragged me away. I was tortured until dawn, my legs nearly crushed. Covered in blood, shaking all over, I stumbled back home—only to see Alpha Rex holding Evelyn—my so-called sister-in-law, Alpha Zane’s Luna. He shamelessly whispered: “Took long enough to get her out of the way. Otherwise, I couldn’t keep loving you… Evelyn.” I summoned every last ounce of strength to call out to the voice buried deep within: “Enid.” “I’m here, Stella.” That was Enid, the wolf soul within me—silent ever since my bond with Alpha Rex. But now, finally, she awakened. “He betrayed us.” My body trembled; my voice was like snow in the wind. Evelyn nodded with feigned concern: “I could understand if Stella didn’t want you visiting me, but spreading rumors like that? The whole Pack’s heard… It broke my heart.” “And aren’t you afraid of going too far? What if she breaks the bond with you?” Alpha Rex sneered: “I only bonded with her to cover for you and my brother. And now she wants to cut it off? If she were obedient like you, she wouldn’t have had to spend the night ‘reflecting’…” He paused, contempt dripping from his voice: “If she knew her place like you, she wouldn’t have tried to bargain with Stella’s reputation. Everything that happened to her, she brought on herself.” My breath caught. My whole body shook. “She’s pregnant?” I blurted. Alpha Zane hadn’t even been dead ten days! Before I could process it, Alpha Rex’s parents—Old Alpha Ross and Old Luna Tina—appeared in the hallway. I hid in the shadows. Instead of anger, they spoke calmly, almost indulgently: “Evelyn, it’s hard on you, staying behind to give Zane an heir.” “Once you have the child, I’ll let Alpha Rex give you my emerald necklace.” That’s when I understood—this “dual replacement” had been long accepted. Twin siblings standing in for each other—an ancient, Moon Goddess-sanctioned ritual to strengthen bloodlines. Only Evelyn’s child wasn’t Zane’s. It was Alpha Rex’s. When Evelyn hesitated, seemingly wanting to defend me, Alpha Rex snorted: “Relax, I already threw her out to get her trained. When she comes back, she’ll cooperate. Otherwise—she’s not even fit to keep as a dog! She wants to break the bond? Let’s see her try!” I stumbled away, only for my communicator to ring again—another round of anonymous harassment, each message laced with mockery. I tried to hang up—when Alpha Rex burst through the door. He froze at my battered state—then quickly replaced the shock with a fake smile, wrapping his arm around me: “Stella, you’re finally back. I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have left you out there. You’re my Luna. I should have believed you.” He gently stroked my wrist. But in my mind, all I could hear was: “Alpha Rex sure is lucky. That Luna’s wild and cheap—$100 for three turns…” When he whispered, “Tonight, you’ll earn it all back,” rage exploded inside me: “Don’t touch me!” He was stunned—then yanked me to the ground: “Stella, quit the act! I told you to reflect, not cause more drama!” I hit the floor hard, gasping. He rushed to help me up, only to be stopped by Evelyn: “Stella, don’t make a scene. I heard nothing actually happened last night.” “What did I do wrong? Why is everyone on the side of the people who hurt me?” I cried out, my voice shaking like a candle flickering in a storm. “You trusted him too much. Woke up too late.” Enid’s calm voice echoed from within me. Evelyn looked at Alpha Rex, speaking gently: “I only stayed to honor Zane… What is there to fight over…” That’s when I broke. Through tears, I called the authorities. Standing up on trembling legs, I shouted: “What did I do wrong? The one who should reflect—is all of you!”

When I said that, Tina immediately jumped in: “Stella, how can you say something like that? Evelyn is still pregnant with Zane’s child, she’s all alone now… how pitiful!” Ross also cut in coldly, full of reproach: “From ancient times, it’s been acceptable to marry two women for succession. This is just to share responsibility for the late Zane. Can’t you even tolerate that much?” Seeing everyone siding with him, Alpha Rex pulled Evelyn closer and added with a smirk: “How about this—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I’ll stay with Evelyn, and Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays with you. Still not satisfied? What do you want?” I felt a fire swelling in my chest. I couldn’t take it anymore. I gritted my teeth: “No need. Just spend all seven days with her. I don’t care.” The room went dead silent. Tina froze for a moment, then clapped her leg and laughed: “Glad you’ve finally come to your senses!” Alpha Rex sighed in relief and walked toward me to embrace me. But the moment he got close, filthy images from last night pierced my mind like blades. I recoiled instinctively, nausea choking me. I shoved him away, panting, and said each word with force: “Don’t touch me.” “You misunderstood—I meant to say… I want to sever the bond with Alpha Rex.” “That way, he can be with Evelyn—openly and officially.” He froze. “Stella, what kind of joke is this?” His eyes brimmed with disbelief. “I didn’t even blame you for sneaking around with other wolves, and now you’re breaking our bond over this?” “This?” I snapped. “You left me on the street, watched me get humiliated by your ‘brothers’. Do you even know what I went through?” He sneered: “I had people watching you. What could’ve possibly happened? Or are you mad you missed a few paying clients?” Smack! I slapped him, my whole body shaking. “Alpha Rex, are you even human?” Tina rushed to block me: “How dare you strike an Alpha? He’s the leader of the Silverfang Pack!” I let out a bitter laugh. “An Alpha? Without me, your Silverfang Pack is nothing!” “I sold off the estate my father gave me to help him win the Alpha succession. I built your throne!” “Enid,” I whispered inside. “Should I keep enduring this?” “No, Stella,” Enid’s voice was calm, unwavering. “Now is the time to tear your chains. Your wolf blood was never meant for shame.” Alpha Rex exploded: “Who’d want a used-up mutt like you after this?” Outside the door, omegas peeked in, whispering: “So shameless! I’ve gotten her little card before.” “Heard she’s wild—three times for only a hundred bucks.” “I wanna try her too,” someone murmured. My body trembled uncontrollably. My knuckles turned white from clenching too hard. Tears poured out without restraint. Evelyn, ever the innocent, said softly: “Don’t say that… Stella’s not that kind of wolf…” Alpha Rex shot her a cold glance, then spat: “You’ve got the nerve to cry? If you had any decency, would people say those things?” “Enid…” I muttered. “Don’t let them stain the last of your dignity. You were never meant to be beneath their feet.” I looked at Alpha Rex, still ranting about how much he “tolerated” and “sacrificed”. “But… I loved him once,” I told Enid. “That doesn’t mean you should accept humiliation,” she replied. “Love is not a prison. A bond is not a shackle.” “You thought saving the Silverfang Pack would earn their gratitude. But they only ever saw you as a tool.” Evelyn stepped closer, deliberately whispering in my ear: “Rex loves me. He only pitied you.” “You helped the Pack, so what? He never loved you. He would never sacrifice a single thing for you.” She straightened up, raising her voice: “Just leave quietly. Maybe you can keep a shred of pathetic dignity.” I was about to respond when my communicator vibrated. The screen showed an image—me, from last night, being violated. Underneath it: “Round two tonight? I’ll pay double.” I screamed. The device slipped from my shaking hands and crashed to the floor. My chest felt like it had been torn open by claws. Even breathing hurt. I looked up, eyes locked on Alpha Rex. One word at a time, I said: “Stop pretending.” Tina and Ross’s faces turned ghostly pale.

Alpha Rex’s face turned bright red the moment I snapped at him. I casually grabbed that disgusting card stuck in the neighbor’s doorframe—printed with my private photo, along with a degrading price written across the paper. Coldly, I said, “You printed my photo. You spread vile rumors about me. I will never forget this.” He glanced nervously at Evelyn, pretending to stay calm as he protested, “Me? Why would I? Why would I want the whole pack to know their Luna is a bitch?!” He paused, then put on a look of deep affection, his tone turning mournful. “Stella, if you still care about me—your Alpha Rex—I won’t abandon you.” “As long as you’re willing to let Evelyn move in, and let her safely give birth to Zane’s child, I can forgive everything.” He looked at me with agonized sincerity, his words full of emotion, drawing sympathetic gasps from the surrounding omegas. “She doesn’t even treasure an Alpha Rex who loves her like that. What’s wrong with her?” “She was with Zane. Zane just died, and she’s already so heartless…” “Look at Evelyn, so gentle and understanding. Stella is selfish and shameless.” Evelyn, standing at the back of the crowd, smiled with satisfaction. Her lips moved slightly, and I could clearly read the two words she mouthed: “Serves you.” I clenched the card tightly, didn’t spare them another glance, and turned to leave. Alpha Rex tried to grab me, but I shook him off hard. Furious, he shouted from behind me, “You walk away now—don’t ever come back!” I walked down the stairs without looking back, my heart utterly calm. “You’re still waiting for them to change, but all they’ll become is more like stray dogs.” Enid’s voice suddenly echoed in my mind—the voice of the wolf spirit that had long slept inside me. “I endured for five years…” “You are the Luna of the Winsor Pack. Your bond is your honor, not your chains.” I could almost feel Enid standing behind me, a noble and commanding wolf shadow at my back. I reopened my communicator and sent a message I had already made up my mind about: [Dad, Mom, I’m breaking my bond with Alpha Rex. Silverfang Pack—let it go bankrupt.] Just as I was about to step out of Silverfang Pack’s gates, I halted, overwhelmed by rage and humiliation. “Shall we break the bond now?” Enid asked, her voice deep and distant. “No.” I whispered back. “I’ll do it in front of the whole pack.” “You want them to witness how a Luna reclaims her honor.” I nodded slightly. “Exactly. I’ll turn this humiliation into a trial—my trial.” Stumbling, I flagged down a cab. The driver looked at me through the rearview mirror, twitched the corner of his mouth, and sent a voice message on his communicator: [Guess who just got in my car? Luna—the one going viral in the group chat… the ‘$100 for three times’ bitch.] A chill ran through my body. I felt frozen. I clenched my teeth, refusing to let the tears fall. In my mind, Enid spoke softly: “Stella, these aren’t insults—they’re the fire that will forge your soul anew.” “Burn it all down—with your true self.” Meanwhile, back at the Silverfang Pack mansion— Evelyn stumbled, grabbing the edge of the table. A sickly blush colored her pale face. “Rex, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have upset Stella like that…” She caressed her slightly swollen belly, eyes full of delicate sorrow. “But I’m really scared… What if she, out of spite, sends someone to hurt our baby?” Alpha Rex froze, then slammed the table in anger. Evelyn immediately took his hand and placed it on her belly. “Feel it—the baby kicked just now. It must have sensed danger.” She looked up at him, tears hanging from her lashes. “Remember the fire three months ago? The omega guarding the warehouse said he saw a woman wearing a pearl necklace wandering nearby…” Alpha Rex’s pupils shrank. That was my favorite necklace. Evelyn seized the moment and leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She whispered seductively into his ear: “It’s only us—we’re the real family, aren’t we?”

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“Please… please, come get me,” I sobbed, clutching the phone tightly. “I have to leave this place. I’ll agree to any condition.” A sharp, worried voice answered instantly. “What happened, Wendy? Are you hurt?” I wiped my tears and cleared my throat. “I’m fine. I’ve just had enough of this fake place.” “When should I come for you?” the voice asked. “In seven days,” I replied. “This is the last time, Wendy. Don’t disappoint me again.” The call ended. I slowly got up from the floor. But another voice echoed coldly in my mind—tinged with disdain. “Only now you want to leave? What were you waiting for?” I closed my eyes. It was her—Miranda, my wolf soul. “Wendy, you’re free to go,” the nurse said kindly. I nodded and smiled at her, then limped out of the pack hospital. In my heart, I wished for a message or a call—but there was nothing. The phone stayed silent, and oddly, that silence brought me relief—no more lies to fabricate. In the living room, the holographic TV was broadcasting the pack’s celebration. My mother didn’t even glance up. She was feeding peeled grapes to Penny. “Our sweet Penny, always so good. Not like someone else who can’t even serve tea without breaking a cup.” My fingers tightened around the tray, the cracked rim digging into my palm. Three days ago, Penny had “accidentally” knocked the tray from my hands. Now my mother was smiling at her, eyes full of affection. “Look at you, so graceful. Not clumsy like Wendy.” Penny bit into a grape, her gaze flicking toward me. “Mom, Wendy’s just tired. She stayed up late helping me organize council documents,” she said with a syrupy smile. “Right, sis?” Alpha John lounged on the sofa, idly toying with the emerald bracelet Penny had given him. “Organizing? More like creating chaos. Last time it was the clan’s financial report—if Penny hadn’t stayed up to fix it, who knows what kind of mess we’d be in.” Miranda: “Page seven of that report had Penny’s lipstick mark. She used correction fluid to hide the right figures.” That error was deliberate—Penny’s fault. But I was the one who took the fall. My mother patted Penny’s hand. “Teach her? Don’t waste your time. You should just focus on learning from Alpha John. Someday, you’ll make a fine Luna for the Blackthorn Pack.” John pulled Penny closer by the shoulder. “Of course. Unlike someone else, who wasn’t even worthy of a proper bonding ceremony. Just a secret wife, hidden in the shadows.” Then my mother snapped. “Why don’t you go die with that useless father of yours?” It wasn’t the first time she said she wished I’d died with my father. My brother’s death anniversary had only passed a week ago. How could she… Penny quickly grabbed her hand. “Mom, don’t be mad. Wendy didn’t mean to upset you…” She paused, her voice dripping with honey. “But John’s right. If Wendy learned more from me, maybe she wouldn’t be such a disappointment.” I looked at Alpha John, and my heart shattered again. Alpha John, Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack. The man I had loved for ten years. He never looked at me—until five years ago. Penny had run away from her own bonding ceremony. I found him by the cliffs in a storm, about to jump. That night, he was drunk beyond recognition and whispered in my arms, “Wendy, don’t leave me.” That night, he slept with me—and I let him. The next morning, he said he’d marry me. I thought it was finally my turn to be happy. I said yes without hesitation. But a year later, Penny returned in tears—and he forgot all about me. He swore he’d never look at her again. Told me I didn’t need to worry. But he was lying. He took her back. They betrayed me—right under my nose. He treated me coldly, kept our bond a secret, while parading her around. Two months ago, I was forced to lure in a stalker who had been secretly filming Penny. While I was running for my life, Penny sent me ninety-nine videos of her and Alpha John having sex—all in one night. Even in the hospital, my knees torn open from the chase, my phone kept buzzing—one clip after another. “Did you die or what?” John’s voice cut through, cold and impatient. He snapped his fingers in front of my face. I blinked, then smiled. “What’s wrong, darling?” “There’s a council banquet tonight. Don’t go.” “Why not?” He sneered. “Penny said you spilled wine on Elder Lady last time. It embarrassed the pack.” It had been Penny who knocked my elbow. But now it was my ‘clumsiness’ again. He glanced at my bare collarbone. “If Penny hadn’t fled the ceremony that year, I never would’ve…” “Some people just aren’t cut out for public events,” my mother added mockingly. They all laughed and walked away. I sighed and sat on the couch. Then I heard Penny’s giggles by the door. She held up a pregnancy report. “John, the pack doctor says the pup is healthy.” “Three months along—just in time with our wedding date.” John rushed over to take the paper, his fingers brushing the ultrasound image tenderly. “You’ve worked so hard.” He bent to kiss her belly. “Baby, Daddy will give you the world.” So while I was in an operating room, they had already gotten married—and were expecting a child. And I remained the secret he refused to acknowledge. Miranda: “You’ve always known what they were. What are you still hoping for? John’s pity? Penny’s guilt? Your grape-feeding mother to say ‘I’m sorry’?” “I just… feel so defeated,” I whispered. “Of course you do. You waited for him ten years, and he gave the ring to someone else.” Miranda scoffed. “But now, finally—you’re choosing to run.” “I’m not running,” I said through clenched teeth. “I’m ending it.” No tears. I contacted the elder. “This is Wendy,” I said. “I’m ready to sever the bond.” “Are you sure, Wendy? You insisted on marrying him in the first place,” the elder asked. I nodded. “Yes. This is my final decision.” “Alright, I’ll send the documents. Both of you must sign and return them within six days for the process to be complete.” “Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll make sure Alpha John signs.” Suddenly, the front door slammed open. Alpha John stormed in, brows furrowed. “Sign what?!” he roared.

“What are you trying to get me to sign, Wendy?” My grip on the phone tightened instantly, the elder’s words — “must be signed within six days” — still reverberating in my ears. “It’s nothing,” I said quickly, shoving the phone into my clothes. “Just a follow-up confirmation from the doctor.” “You’re lying.” Miranda’s voice slithered through my mind like ice over a frozen lake, sharp and merciless. “You really think you can hide it from him? What does he even see you as? Less than a dog.” He suddenly seized my wrist, the pressure nearly enough to shatter bone. “Unlock it.” “The password’s my birthday.” He typed in 0617. The screen stayed black. On the second attempt, a vein on his temple began to pulse. “You told me your birthday was June 17!” Miranda cackled. “Five years of marriage and the only date he remembers belongs to a dog.” “That’s the birthday of the Pomeranian you gave Penny.” “Five years of marriage, and you remember a dog’s birth, not mine.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Wendy, I…” “Enough!” I wrenched my arm from his grasp, my nails raking a red line across his wrist. “You remember the day she fled her wedding vow for word, but last year, when I was burning with fever ironing your moon-crest embroidered suit, you took Penny out to her favorite restaurant.” “Enough!” Alpha John snapped coldly. Behind him, his wolf shadow flared, baring its fangs. “Penny already swore before the Moon Goddess. It’s you who refuses to move on.” I didn’t respond. I walked past him and headed upstairs. Just as I reached the top, Penny’s saccharine voice chased after me. “John, look at the gift I picked for Wendy…” She swung the shopping bag into my room. She saw me in the room, holding my late brother Ronald’s backpack, grieving in silence. “You’re still keeping Ronald’s stuff? So morbid. Dead people’s things bring bad luck.” My hand froze on the drawer handle. Inside lay Ronald’s heart transplant consent form — the signature line still blank. “Don’t touch that.” “I’ll be gone soon,” I said softly. “Then you’ll finally have everything you’ve always wanted.” “Oh no,” she stepped closer, her voice venomous, “I haven’t taken everything yet.” Then, she screamed and fell to the ground, red marks “appearing” on her wrist. “Wendy, I just wanted to look at your dad’s ring…” The ring wasn’t worth much — but it was the last thing I had of him. The only thing that hadn’t yet been stolen. She held up her bare hand, nails secretly digging into her flesh. “Why did you hit me?” Alpha John stormed in as Penny pointed at me, trembling. “She said… said she hated me for stealing Ronald’s heart!” “You’re insane!” He gripped my jaw, his fingers biting into my skin. “Ronald died of heart failure!” I stared at Penny’s hidden hand. On her middle finger was Ronald’s graduation ring — the one I had left by his urn. “One week ago,” my voice turned eerily calm. “The hospital found a matching heart. The day before surgery, we were told the donor backed out.” Penny’s smile faltered for a second before she burst into tears. “John, she’s lying again…” Miranda observed coldly: “Her left eyelid twitched twice — classic sign of a lie.” Then, “accidentally,” Penny knocked over the urn on the nightstand. Ronald’s ashes spilled across the floor, mixing with his beloved dried sunflowers. “She couldn’t even spare the dead,” Miranda whispered. “And you still want to forgive her? She’s the real stray dog here.” Miranda’s ethereal claws sliced the air, forming a shimmering ward. “She deliberately struck the moonstone seal with her elbow. That dust she scattered with the sunflower petals — that’s silver poison powder. It’ll keep a wolf’s soul from ever reincarnating.” “You spilled his ashes!” I lunged forward — —but Alpha John’s slap landed first. The edge of his ring tore my lip. Then came my mother’s wolfbone staff, slamming into my back. “Throwing a fit over some ashes? You’re just like your wretched father — pathetic!” “You finally understand,” Miranda’s voice was gentle, too gentle. “It wasn’t a misunderstanding. They’ve been killing your brother together — from the very beginning.” Penny crouched beside the ashes, dabbing a bit on her fingertip and smearing it at the corner of her eye. “Wendy, I’m sorry… The truth is, John begged the doctor to give the heart to me. He said he couldn’t live without me.” She leaned into my ear. “Did you know? The night before Ronald’s surgery, I unplugged his monitor.” I stared at the faint needle scar on her ring finger — the one she gave herself while faking heart failure. Alpha John was cradling her now, checking her “wounds.” My mother delicately wiped the ashes from Penny’s shoes. No one saw the blood trailing down my palm as I picked up the shards of Ronald’s urn. I closed my eyes. Six more days. And I’ll be free — forever.

I opened my eyes to the stark white ceiling of the hospital. I sat up, and the pain made me cry out. The door opened. A nurse walked in, smiling gently. “Wendy, back again. You’re practically a regular now.” She held a clipboard with a thick stack of my medical records from the past six months. Knife wounds, burns, fractured bones—the ink piled high like a mountain on the paper. “What happened this time?” I groaned. “An Omega brought you in,” she explained. How long had I been lying here? Long enough for the Omega sweepers to come and go, long enough that even a wolf’s natural healing couldn’t mend my cracked ribs in time. “Wendy… are you…” The nurse’s voice softened, “Are you being abused?” “I’m fine,” I cut her off quickly. “I’m just clumsy. It was an accident.” “An accident?” she looked up, and the corridor’s moonstone lights shimmered in her eyes. “But this time, it’s three fractured ribs, and…” She hesitated, then added in a whisper, “Wendy, you’re pregnant.” Tears welled up in my eyes as I placed my hand over my belly. “That’s his spawn,” Miranda growled in my mind, voice laced with contempt. “He put fate inside you while crying out another woman’s name. You really want to keep that humiliation?” I trembled as I answered, “I don’t know… but it’s still a life.” “You want to raise it? Just so John can control you again?” she scoffed. I still remembered clearly how it happened. Three months ago—right when Penny sent those sex tapes. That night, Alpha John staggered into my room, drunk, mistaking me for Penny. He kept murmuring, “Penny, don’t leave me…” over and over. I let him hold me. I let him leave chaotic Alpha marks all over me— Just so I could pretend, for a few hours, that I was wanted. The next morning, he woke up cold and accused me of seducing him. “The child is strong,” the nurse said, her voice floating faintly. “But you lost a lot of blood. If you’d arrived thirty minutes later…” I stopped listening. All I could see were the videos Penny had sent. I knew I no longer had the strength to raise this child. How could I bring a baby into such misery? “Wendy?” “I’ve decided to have an abortion,” I told her. The clipboard fell to the floor with a loud smack. “Wendy! You’re four months in. Abortions at this stage are extremely risky for werewolves, and—” “I don’t have a husband,” I stared at the cracks on the ceiling. “The father… his heart belongs to his fated mate.” I shrugged. “My mind’s made up. Please give me the necessary forms.” As I signed, a drop of blood from my fingertip soaked into the rune on the paper, vanishing instantly— A binding magic. Once signed, there was no turning back. “You’re finally making decisions for yourself. Finally listening to me—and to yourself.” I closed my eyes, and for the first time, my heartbeat felt steady. “Thank you, Miranda.” “Don’t thank me,” she replied. “We’re symbiotic. As long as you live, I can roar.” “Tomorrow morning at eight,” The nurse tucked away the forms, her eyes full of worry. “May the Moon Goddess protect you.” My phone buzzed. A string of missed calls lit up the screen. The last message was sent half an hour ago: “I’m at the border of Blackthorn. This time, I’ll get you out, Wendy.” I smiled faintly and sent a short reply. Then I checked the phone again— No messages from my mother. None from Alpha John. Not even Penny. As I walked out of the ward, I heard Penny’s laugh echoing down the hallway. “John, the pup kicked today!” Turning the corner, I saw Alpha John kneeling, resting his head against Penny’s belly. The Alpha token on his wrist was pressed gently to her rounded stomach. “I’m so happy you have a supportive husband through your pregnancy, Penny,” said the pack doctor. And right before my eyes, Alpha John kissed Penny. “It’s my honor, Penny. You complete me.” “My Luna,” he rose and kissed her forehead with a tenderness I had never known. “When our baby is born, I’ll hold the grandest celebration for you at the Moon Goddess’s altar.” “Do you still believe that Alpha ever loved you?” A sharp pain struck my heart. But I couldn’t help asking: “Then what was I?” Nausea surged. I rushed into the restroom and gripped the sink, retching. “Well, if it isn’t Wendy.” Penny’s voice rang from the doorway. “Enjoying your little peep show at my checkup?” “Get out.” “Still not dead?” She stepped closer. “When I left you lying in Ronald’s ashes, I thought you’d finally go keep him company.” “Kill her,” Miranda whispered. “She doesn’t deserve to breathe your brother’s name.” “You threw away Ronald’s ashes?” I looked up sharply, catching the blue ceramic shards stuck to her heels— The remains of his urn. Penny smirked. “Not just tossed them—I had an Omega bury them with dog shit. That useless heart of his should’ve gone to a mutt anyway.” I yanked her hair backward. “You venomous bitch! Killing him wasn’t enough, you had to desecrate his ashes?!” “Help! Wendy’s gone insane!” Penny screamed, suddenly curling up on the floor, clutching her stomach and writhing. “My baby… it hurts…” The bathroom door slammed open. Alpha John burst in. “What did you do to her?!” “She killed Ronald! She destroyed his ashes!—” SMACK. The slap was sharp and brutal. My vision blurred from the sting. His voice was ice. “Ronald’s life was always meant to save Penny’s.” Penny scrambled into his arms, And behind his back, she pinched his waist. In a whisper only a bonded Alpha could hear, she said: “Kill her, John.” Alpha John’s gaze darkened. He stepped forward, boot stomping down on the hem of my skirt, pinning me to the cold tile. Penny stood behind him, smiling cruelly, mouthing the words: “Die already.” “Alpha John…” I looked up into his eyes, hoping to see even a flicker of the light I had chased for ten years. But all I saw was hatred—cold, final. “She—” I began, desperate— “Shut up.” he cut me off, raising his hand toward my abdomen. Behind him, Penny stealthily stabbed his arm with her hairpin, Making it appear as though I had attacked her. In that instant, John’s rage exploded. He didn’t slap me again— He shoved me. Hard. My stomach slammed into the marble sink. I looked down at the pool of blood, And heard my own heartbeat slow… fading… Inside me, the faint flutter of the baby’s movement… disappeared. “Help… me…” I reached out, trying to grab the hem of his trousers— But caught only air. “Now do you believe me?” Miranda’s voice roared through me like a midnight storm through a forest. “He’ll kill you—for her. They all hate you… because you’re still breathing.” He didn’t look back. He just walked away, arm wrapped around Penny’s waist. His voice was full of unfiltered disgust: “Just die here, you worthless trash.”

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When the broke campus heartthrob confessed to my best friend for the tenth time, she pointed at me. “Elara’s poor too. You two would be perfect together.” He looked at me. The dead eyes flickered to life. Ten years later, he hit the Forbes list. The first thing he did was thank me for standing by him. Everyone knew he spoiled me rotten. Until he saw Jade pole dancing at a club. Turns out her rich husband had gone bankrupt and blown his brains out. Silas slid the divorce papers across the table. “If I hadn’t married you, she could’ve come to me.” We had our first fight in ten years. He froze my bank accounts. I’d rather die than sign. Then Mom’s condition turned critical. He wouldn’t give me a dime. I watched her die. Dad shoved me to the ground, tears streaming down his face. “Why did you fight him? If you hadn’t fought, your mother would be alive! The wrong person died. Why are you still breathing?” My brother Alex stared at me, eyes red and raw. My five years old son Leo tugged at my sleeve, sobbing. “Where’s Grandma? Where is she? Why didn’t you save her, Mommy?” That night, Silas smirked at me. “How much longer are you planning to insist?” I handed him the signed papers. I was done insisting. I was going to find Mom. …… When I pushed the signed papers in front of him, his hand went rigid, cigarette still between his fingers. He didn’t even notice the ash burning his skin. “Being obedient for once?” “Yeah.” He leaned in close. “What’s your game? Just say it.” “I’m going to find Mom.” Silas laughed. “What, transferring her to a new hospital?” I froze. Shock rippled across my face. “Your mother’s condition—only the hospital I set up can treat it. Where are you moving her?” He… didn’t know Mom was dead. A bitter smile ghosted across my lips. “Don’t worry about it.” I stood up and dragged my suitcase over. I didn’t own much. One suitcase wasn’t even half full. After all this fighting, I’d sold almost everything valuable. Still couldn’t scrape together Mom’s surgery fees. Maybe Dad was right. I killed her. Time to pay for it. I opened the door. A hand clamped around my throat. Slammed me against the wall. “Playing games?” Silas towered over me. “You wouldn’t sign for months. Now you’re so easy about it. What, gonna do something to Jade the second you walk out?” Always like this. He always assumed the worst of me. I used to smash things around the house just to remind him I’d been his wife for nearly a decade. But now I smiled. “Kill me. Perfect. You’ll be a widower. Marriage over.” His hand jerked back like my skin’d burned him. He stared at me, disbelief written across his face. I didn’t flinch. He spat out “Psycho” and walked away. I found a cheap apartment. I’d been stockpiling sleeping pills for months. Swallow them all, and I’d leave quietly. I stared at the gray branches outside the window. Smiled faintly. Twisted the cap off the bottle. A crash. My hand jerked. The bottle hit the floor. Pills scattered everywhere. Silas grabbed my arm, his grip bruising. A cold smirk twisted his mouth. “I knew you gave in too easy. You’re going after Jade, aren’t you?” Before I could speak, he dragged me out. The car stopped in an empty lot on the outskirts. He yanked me out and threw me at Jade’s feet. Her sequined mini skirt barely covered anything. Bruises covered her arms and legs. She glared at me through red-rimmed eyes. “Elara, I may have fallen on hard times, but I still have morals. I never tried to wreck your marriage. Why did you have those animals kidnap me and humiliate me? If Silas hadn’t shown up in time, they would’ve killed me!” I looked at the strangers surrounding us. “I didn’t do this.” “Still lying?” Silas grabbed my jaw. “These guys already said you hired them. What, you think Jade set herself up?” Jade shot the thugs a quick look. They broke into exaggerated sobs. “Mrs. Cross! You can’t just back out now!” “Yeah, Mrs. Cross! You said you’d cover for us if anything went wrong!” “You called her a whore! Said there’d be no consequences! If we’d known she was Mr. Cross’s woman, we never would’ve touched her!” Jade whimpered softly. Silas’s grip on my jaw tightened until I thought the bone would crack. “Keep lying, and you can forget about your mother’s medical bills. Forever.”

I stared at him, eyes burning. Then I laughed. “My mother? She’s dead. What bills?” Silas’s pupils contracted. The next second, his palm cracked across my face. “You’ll say anything now just to deny your crime, won’t you?” Jade suddenly spoke up. “Elara, Silas might have problems with you, but he’s never taken it out on your mom. Even I know he set up a medical account for her. He puts in hundreds of thousands of dollars every month.” I went still. Slowly looked up at Silas. His expression was ice-cold. Same as always. A man like him would never give Mom hundreds of thousands of dollars a month. If he had, she wouldn’t be dead. They were both lying. Threatening me with a fake account to force the divorce. Lying… Silas’s voice was arctic. “Gonna keep denying it?” I took a deep breath. “What do you want?” “Get on your knees. Apologize to her.” “Oh, there’s no need, we used to be frie—” Before Jade could finish, I dropped to my knees. Pressed my forehead to the ground. “I’m sorry.” Silas stared at me like I’d grown a second head. I stood up. Dusted off my knees. “If that’s all, I’m leaving.” The pills at the rental were still waiting. “Stop.” A knife clattered onto the table. Silas’s voice was flat. “Jade got hurt because of you. An apology doesn’t cut it.” I turned back. He sneered. “She got cut. So will you.” Jade clutched her scratched arm, eyes welling with tears. “Fine.” Dying was the goal anyway. I picked up the knife. Drove it straight toward my heart. “ELARA!” A hand clamped around mine, gripping the blade. Silas fought against my strength. I stared into his eyes. The tip inched closer to my chest. “ELARA!” I held the handle. He held my hand. “You want your kid in an orphanage? Then go ahead. Do it!” I froze.

“I’m not raising that bastard, Elara.” My mouth opened. Blood trickled from the corner of my lips. “You—” He cut me off. “If you really wanna die, take the brat with you. Looking at his face—looks just like yours—makes me sick.” Right. Silas hated me. So he’d hate Leo too. If I died, no one would protect Leo. Silas might even hurt him. I yanked the knife out. Coughed up blood and stumbled. He caught me. The last thing I heard before I blacked out was his voice, sharp with panic. “Ambulance! Get a fucking ambulance!” When I woke up, I was in a VIP room. Silas sneered down at me. “Getting smarter with your tricks. Even faking suicide now.” I looked at him. His lip curled. “Jade was right. You should’ve been an actress.” He left. I lay alone in the white room. Stared at the ceiling. Pressed my hand to my chest. That afternoon, I knocked on my brother’s door. Mom’s photo still sat on the table. On the couch lay the unfinished scarf she’d been knitting for him. Winter was coming. She’d wanted him to wear it. When Alex saw me, he moved to slam the door. I shoved my hand into the gap. “I need to ask you something.” He turned his head away. I stepped inside. He sat on the couch and lit a cigarette. He never smoked. Never drank. After Mom died, he did both. “I’m sorry. I should’ve listened to you from the start.” He exhaled smoke. Said nothing. “I shouldn’t have held on for those ten years. I shouldn’t have fought with you and Dad over Silas. I should’ve let Jade have him when you first said so. I’m sorry.” My brother laughed bitterly. “Sorry? Will sorry bring Mom back?” My throat closed. He stared at me. “You were so obsessed with keeping him, Mom died because of you.” The last words came through clenched teeth. “Why do I have a sister like you?” I lowered my head, voice shaking. “But… I’m begging you. Take care of Leo.” He went still. “I’m not asking you to love him like your own. Just… don’t let anyone hurt him.” My brother stared at me. Then laughed coldly. “What, guilt-tripping me now?” I said nothing. “Leo’s unlucky to have a mother like you.” “Please.” “Get out.” “Please—” “GET OUT!” An ashtray shattered at my feet. “Get out! Don’t stand there and disrespect Mom’s memory!” I turned. Mom’s photo smiled gently at me from the table. I knelt. Pressed my forehead to the floor. Stood. Knelt again in front of Alex. “Please.” I left without looking back at his shocked face. Outside, I’d already reached the car when his voice rang out. “Don’t ever come back! Go die wherever you want! Don’t tell anyone you’re my sister! This family doesn’t have a sister like you!” I gripped the steering wheel. Tears slid down my cheeks. It was okay if he cursed me. I knew. In the end, he wouldn’t abandon Leo. I started the car. Drove away. The sleeping pills lay quiet on the table. I stretched out on the rental bed. Set a delayed message to the landlord. To send in twenty-four hours. Asking her to contact the funeral home. I’d sold my last pieces of jewelry. Twenty thousand dollars. Not enough for Mom’s surgery. But enough to cover the landlord’s trouble. I brought the pills to my lips. The door exploded inward. Someone grabbed my throat. I choked. Spat the pills out. Silas’s jaw clenched, his eyes wild. “What did you do? What did you and your mother do to Jade?!”

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The first year Julian transferred to headquarters, he video-called me every night until midnight. The second year, it dropped to once a week. The third year, the calls stopped. He switched to texts. I told myself I understood. Then one day, he sent me a message. “Mom wants you to come back. She says there’s something to discuss.” I took time off work and flew out. Eleanor was sitting in the living room. A woman I’d never seen before stood beside her. “Sienna, honey, I’m not asking you two to divorce. I just want you to be gracious about this. Give Vivienne a proper place in this family.” “She’s been by Julian’s side at headquarters all this time. You’ve seen it yourself — his numbers have never been better.” I looked at the woman. She lowered her head and said softly: “I’m already pregnant. My baby needs a father.” Eleanor picked up where she left off. “You haven’t given us a single child in three years. Something’s got to be wrong with you. I’ve found a top specialist — you should start seeing him.” I sat on the sofa and said nothing. Then I stood up, picked up my bag, and walked to the door. I had just stepped outside when Julian’s car pulled up. He got out and saw me. He froze. The passenger door swung open. A little boy, no older than two, reached out his arms and called out: “Daddy, up.” Two years old. Nine months of pregnancy, plus two years. That put it right at the start of his first year at headquarters. The man who used to call me every night until midnight. Who once ordered me food delivery at two in the morning because I mentioned I forgot dinner. Who still flew back every few months, just long enough to make me feel like he was still mine. That man had gotten another woman pregnant. Julian clearly hadn’t expected me to walk out. His hand hung in the air, frozen. He’d forgotten to close the car door. The little boy in the passenger seat kept squirming, calling out for his daddy in that soft, babbling voice. Vivienne came rushing out of the house and grabbed my arm. “Don’t blame Julian. This is all my fault.” “I’d had too much to drink that night. I wouldn’t let him go. He never stopped loving you.” I shook her off and fixed my eyes on Julian. Julian finally snapped out of it. He crossed to me quickly and stepped in front of Vivienne. “Sienna, let me explain.” I looked at his face — that face I knew so well — and felt my stomach turn. “Explain what?” “Explain how you spent your days in her bed and your nights calling me your wife?” Julian went pale. He dropped his voice, and something close to pleading crept into it. “Don’t make a scene. Mom’s still inside watching.” I almost laughed. So in his mind, calling out his lies made me the problem. Eleanor had followed us out by then, peeling a piece of fruit in her hands. “Sienna, men stray. It happens. That’s just how it is.” “Besides, Vivienne’s already given him a son, and there’s another one on the way.” “You couldn’t even give him one child in three years. You can’t expect the Harlow name to die with you.” I turned to Eleanor. “I can’t give you a child?” “Julian, did you forget to mention that you drank yourself sick chasing deals, and I spent months caring for you around the clock until my own hormones crashed?” Julian looked away. He couldn’t meet my eyes. Vivienne’s eyes filled with tears on cue. She shrank behind Julian. “I know you’re hurting.” “I don’t need a name on paper. I just want to be near Julian.” “When the baby comes, you can be its mother. I’ll be the nanny.” How noble. How selfless. Julian heard those words and the guilt in his eyes turned to tenderness in an instant. He put his arm around Vivienne’s shoulders. When he looked back at me, his voice had hardened. “Sienna, Vivienne has already given up this much. What more do you want?” “If she hadn’t been at headquarters managing my relationships these past two years, I never would have made it where I am.” “You stayed home. You have no idea how hard it’s been for me.” No idea how hard it’s been for him. What I knew was that the startup money he’d taken to headquarters — I’d sold my grandmother’s house to put it together. What I knew was that I used to read his weekly texts over and over, a dozen times each. I took a slow breath and reached into my bag. I pulled out a small black voice recorder. He’d had it custom-made and sent to me during his first year away. Inside was his voice: “Three years, Sienna. Give me three years and I’ll bring you here myself. You’ll never have to wait again.” I pressed play right in front of him. His voice carried down the empty street, warm and full of promise. It sounded almost grotesque. Julian’s breath caught. He reached out to grab it. I let go. The recorder hit the ground. I raised my heel and brought it down hard. The plastic cracked with a sharp, clean snap. “Julian, we’re done.” I turned and walked away. Julian called my name. But his footsteps stopped when Vivienne let out a cry behind him. “Julian — the baby — something’s wrong—” I didn’t look back. I flagged down a cab and pulled the door shut behind me.

I didn’t go back to the hotel. I went straight to the airport. I bought the first available flight back to the city we’d shared. The apartment was full of him. Matching slippers by the front door. Two sets of toiletries in the bathroom. Our fifth anniversary photo still hanging on the wall. I found a suitcase and started packing. I didn’t take anything that wasn’t mine. I barely took anything that was. I’d just zipped it shut when I heard the lock turn. Julian stood in the doorway, tie loose, eyes red. He looked like he’d come straight off a plane. He’d followed me. He saw the suitcase on the floor and crossed the room fast, grabbing my hand. “Don’t do this. Just calm down.” “I know I messed up. But I never wanted a divorce.” I looked down at his fingers on my hand. “Let go.” He didn’t. He pulled me into him instead. “I won’t.” “That kid was an accident. The night of the company party at headquarters, I blacked out. By the time I came to, it had already happened.” “When Vivienne turned up pregnant, the doctors said terminating would put her life at risk.” “What was I supposed to do? Let her die?” He handed every piece of blame to bad luck and impossible circumstances. I shoved him off and slapped him across the face. The sound rang through the apartment. Julian turned his head. One side of his face went red. “The first one was an accident. What about the second one she’s carrying now?” “Did you black out for that one too?” Julian said nothing. He looked at me, and something flickered in his eyes. Annoyance. “Did you have to say it like that?” “I already told you — you’re my wife. Most of what I have goes to you.” “Vivienne doesn’t want anything. She just wants a stable home for the kids.” “Why can’t you just be reasonable about this?” His nerve almost made me laugh. “Reasonable?” “Julian, you make Director and suddenly you think you’re entitled to two women under one roof?” “What do you think a marriage is? What do you think I am?” He dragged a hand through his hair. “Then what do you want me to do?” “Strangle a two-year-old? Push Vivienne off a roof?” “You didn’t used to be this cold.” Cold. So in his mind, refusing to accept his mistress and her child made me the cold one. Something inside me shut off. And stayed off. My phone buzzed. A message from Vivienne. A photo. Her lying in a hospital bed, taking a selfie. The private medical wing at headquarters in the background. The caption read: “He flew back overnight to calm you down. I’m here alone, trying not to lose the baby. I’m scared. But I don’t blame you. I just want you two to be okay.” Then a second message came through. A photo of a legal document. A share transfer agreement. Julian had signed over thirty percent of his stake to a name I’d never seen before. Leo Harlow. The two-year-old’s name. I held the screen up in front of Julian’s face. “This is what you call most of it going to me?” Julian’s face changed the moment he read it. “That was Mom. She pressured me into it. She said it was for the child’s security—” I didn’t want to hear another word. I grabbed the suitcase and walked around him toward the door. “My lawyer will contact you tomorrow morning. If I don’t hear back by nine, I file and send this document straight to your company’s HR.” Julian didn’t follow me out. His phone had started ringing. Through the line came the sound of Vivienne crying.

The next morning, Julian didn’t show. He sent a long message instead. Vivienne was showing signs of a threatened miscarriage. He couldn’t leave. He said he wouldn’t sign the divorce papers. He told me to take some time to cool off. I didn’t reply. I called a lawyer and had the petition drafted. What I didn’t expect was that Julian would move first. A week later, the company held its annual gala. I was the lead designer at the regional office. Attendance wasn’t optional. The venue was in headquarters’ city. The moment I walked into the ballroom, I felt it — eyes on me, and not the good kind. Whispers everywhere. “That’s her. Three years of marriage and not one kid.” “I heard he’s already got a second one on the way with someone else. And she’s still hanging on, refusing to walk away.” “Shameless. If I were her, I’d have taken the money and left.” I swept a cold look across the room and walked to my seat. Up on the stage, Julian stood in a tailored suit, delivering the year-end address. His eyes found me through the crowd. There was a warning in them. The awards segment started. The Best Design of the Year award. My project. Three all-nighters to finish it. The host’s voice rang out with forced enthusiasm. “And the award for Best Design of the Year goes to — Vivienne Vance!” My head snapped up. Vivienne walked to the stage in a couture gown, her stomach just beginning to show, accepting the applause with tears in her eyes. She took the trophy and looked straight at Julian. “I want to thank Mr. Harlow for his guidance. I wouldn’t be standing here without him.” The room erupted. I sat in my corner, shaking. That project was mine from start to finish. Vivienne couldn’t operate CAD software. Julian took the microphone. His gaze went directly to me. “One more announcement before we close out the evening.” “Due to health reasons, designer Sienna Thorne will be taking an indefinite leave of absence.” “Vivienne Vance will step in as acting head of design at the regional office, effective immediately.” Every eye in the room landed on me. Some pitying. Some laughing. Most just watching to see what I’d do. This was how Julian intended to break me. Strip away my work. gut my career. Humiliate me in front of everyone. All to make sure I understood: without him, I was nothing. I stood up. No hysteria. No running. I walked to the front of the room and looked up at Julian on his stage. “Stealing someone else’s work does carry legal consequences.” Julian frowned. He dropped his voice. “Stop making a scene. I’m giving Vivienne the credit as compensation. If you want money, I’ll pay you double. Privately.” I looked at his face and felt sick. “You’re using my work to compensate your mistress?” “Julian, you never stop surprising me.” Vivienne spoke up beside him, soft and wounded. “Please don’t blame him. I’m the one who wanted a chance to prove myself.” “I don’t want the prize money. Every cent goes to you.” A murmur of approval rippled through the crowd. “She’s so gracious.” “Exactly. Three years, no kids, and she still has the nerve to act like this.” A sharp pain tore through my abdomen without warning. Like a blade turning inside me. I pressed my hand to my stomach. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Julian assumed I was faking. He let out a short, contemptuous laugh. “Don’t recycle the same tricks, Sienna.” “Security. Please escort Ms. Thorne out.” Two large men closed in from either side and grabbed my arms. The pain had taken everything out of me. I had nothing left to fight with. They half-dragged me out of the ballroom. As the doors swung shut behind me, I heard Vivienne’s voice float out, sweet and soft. “Julian, the baby just kicked.”

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The end-of-season hunt concluded the same way it always did in the Grey Stone Pack. Alpha Elena stood at the head of the carcass and called the kill division, her voice carrying the full weight of her rank. Jax stepped forward and claimed the prime organs. He snatched the heart and liver while they were still steaming, taking the raw cuts only high-ranking wolves were allowed to touch. He held them in both hands and never once looked in my direction. I was handed an insult wrapped in gristle. Elena tossed me the bones Jax had already cracked open and sucked dry. His saliva still clung to the marrow, and the stench of his satisfaction was baked into every fracture. It was the kind of scrap a wolf throws to a stray. For five years I had kept Grey Stone’s walls from crumbling. I built their Silver-Trap Boundary System from salvaged wire and old ward components. I reset the perimeter triggers by hand and worked three straight nights during the Rogue siege so the rest of the pack could sleep in their dens. Now I was expected to feast on Jax’s leavings. Alpha Elena found me at the equipment shed later that evening. She leaned in the doorframe with her arms crossed, a smile cutting across her face like a blade. “Silas,” she said, her voice laced with false warmth. “The north ridge ward-triggers are failing again.” “I know,” I said, keeping my back to her. “Regional Alpha Greaves arrives in nine days. We need the perimeter running clean before he sets foot on our land.” She stepped closer. “Fix the wards, Silas. Do this for the pack and I’ll personally push your Transfer Order to the Royal Pack.” I set my wrench down and stared at the dark wooden wall. She had made this exact promise when I rebuilt the flood barrier. She made it again when I ran the emergency generator alone through the siege. For five years she used that Transfer Order as bait, but Jax was always the one who walked away with the reward. “No,” I said. The word came out flat and final. Elena’s smile didn’t move, but her eyes sharpened. “Excuse me?” I turned around and met her gaze. “I said no. I’m done being your pack mule, Elena.” The shed went quiet. Elena studied me for a long moment. “Don’t be reckless. Stay and fix the wards, and I’ll personally guarantee the next Release Order goes to you. No committees. No delays. You have my word as Alpha.” Before I could answer, Jax appeared in the doorway. He was still picking bits of liver from between his teeth, dark blood staining his chin like a badge of his unearned rank. “Elena’s doing you a favor, Omega,” he sneered, dragging the word out like he was scraping mud off a boot. “You should be on your knees thanking her for even noticing you.” He leaned against the frame with a gap-toothed grin. “Tell you what, I’ll let you smell my heart-cut. Maybe that’ll cheer you up.” I wiped the last of the grease from my hands and looked past him to Elena. “Don’t bother. I’m transferring to the Blood Moon Pack. They’ve already offered me the position of Master of Wards with thirty pounds of fresh kill every month, and they put it in writing.” Elena’s composure cracked. “Blood Moon? You go there and you’ll be a masterless stray with a tool belt. They only want your skills, Silas. The second you stop being useful, they’ll drop you like a Rogue carcass.” I buckled on my tool belt and stepped toward the door. “You’ve used me for five years while I starved. At least Blood Moon is honest about what my work is worth.” Elena’s warmth vanished completely. Her eyes went cold and flat. “You need my Alpha’s Seal on your Pack Severance Order. Without my mark, you go nowhere. You will stay in Grey Stone, Silas, because I am the law here. Now fix those ward-triggers. That is a command.” She turned and walked out without a second glance. Jax lingered a moment longer, whistling a taunting tune before following her into the dark. I stood alone in the shed. I thought about the seventeen Rogues who never breached our territory because of the traps I built. I looked at the gnawed bones in the rag, smelled Jax’s stale scent on them, and made my decision. I walked to the north ridge boundary panel and stripped out every custom piece I had ever installed. I pulled the hand-tuned silver-trigger pulses and the pressure wards I had calibrated with my own sweat. Pack property could stay. But my work was leaving with me. On my way back I stopped at the supply post. Old Bren didn’t look up from his pipe. “Nothing for you, Silas. Alpha Elena reallocated your ration to Jax for his supply run to the High Council. You’ll have to manage.” A hollow laugh escaped me. Elena’s “guarantee” was already being paid for with my stolen food. As I walked away I heard Bren muttering to a woman nearby. “Serves him right, playing the hero over those ridge trees when we could have sold the timber.” I didn’t stop. Three years ago I saved those trees because they formed a natural flood barrier keeping the pack dens dry. They called me a traitor then. They were starving me now. I had chosen their lives over their gold, and I would make that same call again. But from this moment on, the fate of the Grey Stone Pack was no longer my concern.

Jax sauntered up to Bren’s window with his hands in his pockets, acting like he owned the whole ridge. “What’s all the noise about?” he asked, all false concern. Bren filled him in on my refusal with obvious pleasure. Jax listened with his head tilted like a patient elder, then turned to me with the look of a man watching a rabid pup. “Silas, man,” he called out, loud enough for the crowd to hear. “Walking out on your pack over a few scraps? What does that say about your loyalty to the bond?” A woman behind Bren shouted her approval. The crowd pressed in tight. Jax’s mouth curved into a slow, satisfied grin. “He told Elena flat out that Grey Stone was beneath him. He called every wolf here a stray.” A massive wolf named Cutter stepped forward and jabbed a finger at my face. “That true, Silas? You calling us strays after everything this pack gave you?” I looked Jax in the eye, my voice flat. “When did I ever say that, Jax?” Jax blinked with wide-eyed innocence. “Right there in the Alpha’s office. That’s why she stormed out. You going to deny it now?” The crowd erupted. Insults flew. They called me an ungrateful traitor and a mutt. Cutter spat at my feet and accused me of refusing to fix his signal-stone because I thought I was better than everyone else. “Cutter,” I said, keeping my voice even. “Your stone cracked because you dropped it off the watchtower. I lent you mine for three weeks, and you still haven’t returned it.” I turned to Marta at the gate post. “The east wards failed because lightning hit the power relay. I spent the whole night on that post so the pack’s entire grid wouldn’t burn out. I got to your triggers the next morning.” The noise dropped. The truth has a way of doing that. But Jax stepped in quickly to keep the anger alive. “That’s the problem with Silas. He keeps score. Every job is a transaction to him, not an act of loyalty.” “Spoken by a wolf who has never done a real day of work,” I said, and pushed past him. I walked to the equipment shed with Bren scrambling behind me, yelling about pack property. I opened the control panel and turned to face him. “Pack property stays, Bren. I’m only taking what’s mine.” I pulled out the custom silver-trigger pulse and the hand-built scent nodes I had assembled from salvage. Bren started sweating the moment he realized I was gutting the heart of the system. “You’re killing the boundary!” he hissed. “I’m removing my parts,” I said, straightening up. “The system will run at forty percent. That’s exactly where it was before I arrived.” I looked over at Jax in the doorway. “You’re the star now, Jax. Fix the wards with that silver tongue of yours. I’ll be watching.”

I went home and slept deep and dreamless for the first time in weeks. Without my custom triggers, the boundary was wide open. A determined Rogue could find the gaps in a matter of hours. By evening, Bren was pounding on my door with three Enforcers behind him. “Silas! The east perimeter is throwing dead zones!” I didn’t open my eyes. “Ask Jax,” I said. “Jax doesn’t know how to—” “Ask. Jax.” I heard them shuffle away into the dark. That night, Jax spent his own gold at the Council outpost to buy generic replacement parts. He came to my window at dawn to brag. “See? The pack doesn’t need you, Omega.” I watched him from behind the glass. He had no idea the generic parts were incompatible with my custom housing. He didn’t know about the manual recalibration the cold required, or that the two systems would fight each other until they failed completely. The Regional Council visit was in eight days and the temperature was dropping. I smiled and went back to sleep. That evening, I caught the Blood Moon signal: two low owl calls spaced three seconds apart. I slipped out the back to find their Beta, a massive wolf named Drum, waiting in the shadows. He handed me a bundle of fresh venison and a flask of dark ale. “Alpha Rhen sends his regards,” Drum said quietly. “He says you’ve been patient longer than anyone should have to be.” “Where do we stand on the severance?” I asked. “Alpha Rhen went straight to the Regional Council to bypass Elena. It’ll take six more days for the Emergency Release to process. Hold on until then, Silas. Whatever they put you through, it ends soon.” I nodded. The warmth of a good meal settled over me. Six days. I could wait six days.

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The Blackwood Pack was leaving.This dark forest could no longer sustain us. Only me,Elara Vega,was forgotten. Felix Sable,our Alpha.He used to brush leaves from my hair and call me”Little Elara,don’t be afraid.”Ever since he claimed the wolfhead crest,ever since I was mauled by a giant bear at sixteen while protecting him…everything changed.The blow fractured my wolf soul.My memory faded,my sense of direction vanished,and I became weaker than the frailest Omega.Worst of all,I could no longer feel the wolf within me,unable to shift.Felix’s gaze lost its warmth,replaced by cold assessment and silent sighs.He never yelled,but his gentle excuses—”You’re too weak,””You need rest”—pushed me away with icy precision.No hatred,just disappointed distance that hurt more than scorn. That evening,I went to his study to ask if the new territory had space for my herb garden.The heavy oak door stood ajar,and Felix’s low voice mingled with the butler’s. “…Patrols near Sterling Pass report suspicious tracks.The migration route must be rerouted!No time to waste!”Felix’s Alpha tone brooked no argument. “Yes,my lord.Supplies and maps will be ready by nightfall.”The butler hesitated.”And…Miss Vega’s arrangements?The elders’proposal?”A pause.”Migration is too dangerous.Her health…she won’t survive.The elders believe a Luna who can’t shift or protect herself would be a liability in the new territory—even a weakness to exploit.They suggest…considering a stronger,more suitable mate to solidify our position.” My heart lurched,nails biting my palm. Felix was silent—a silence that crushed me.When he spoke,his voice was steady,icy. “Elara’s limitations are clear,butler.”He stated it as fact.”A broken wolf soul,unable to shift—lethal flaws.Migration isn’t a picnic;it’s a fight for survival.One mistake—wild beasts,a blizzard,even falling behind—would kill her.She needs a safe haven,not a death march with the pack.” Another pause,as if acknowledging the elders’suggestion.”For now,survival comes first.The new territory is unsecure.I can’t afford distractions—extra guards,constant worry.It endangers the entire pack.Staying in the ancestral manor,where she’s familiar and cared for,is best.”He didn’t endorse replacing me,but his words did.”Constant worry”,“endangers”—those words shattered my last hope. Anger,shame,and the fury of being labeled a liability surged.Again!Exile masked as”safety,”abandonment justified as”duty.”Was this empty manor to be my grave?The elders’proposal,his silence…a blade hovering over our bond. No.This time,I refused to be discarded.I’d prove that even with a broken soul,frail body,and faulty memory,I wasn’t just a burden to be pitied.I’d reach the new territory on my own! I raced to my cold tower room,a single thought burning.I’ll beat him there.Let Felix Sable see his”fragile liability”walk the path he deemed impossible. I yanked open the drawer,grabbing my faded wildflower-patterned linen bundle.Inside went thick wool dresses,a pouch of dried herbs(rosemary for calm,thyme for cold),a small biscuit mold,honey-oat cakes wrapped in parchment—my meager tools for survival.And a heavy pouch of silver coins—my lifeline. At dawn,the manor still slept.I slipped out like a shadow.The market was quiet,coachmen shouting destinations. “Where to,miss?”A bearded driver eyed me sideways. I froze.Where?The new territory’s name…Sterling…Sterling…it swam in my fractured memory,slippery as an eel. “Hurry up!Blackwood Vale?Silverflow Town?Broken Tooth Pass?”The driver waved impatiently. I feared that disdainful look—the look of being deemed a fool.In panic,I shoved coins into his hand.”St…Sterling!Take me near Sterling Pack!”I clung to the name I’d overheard—Sterling,the powerful pack bordering our new home. The carriage jolted over rough roads.I huddled in the corner,clutching my bundle like a lifeline.Only when the manor’s spire vanished did I dare breathe,tears stinging my eyes—fear,defiance,and the ache of abandonment. Inside,laborers chatted around a charcoal stove. “Hey,heard about Alpha Alaric Argent—tough as nails!But still single…” “Idiot!”an older man spat.”He’s had a betrothed since childhood!Noble blood,perfect match!Wedding’s imminent!” I leaned against the cold carriage wall,lips parched.Betrothed.Perfect match.The words struck like ice.Felix and I had been”promised,”once.Now,to the elders,to him,my”white wolf bloodline”meant nothing next to my inability to shift. Flashbacks:he picking bluebells for me,comforting me after nightmares. So when the dark magic-twisted bear charged at Felix,my”white wolf bloodline”instincts overrode fear.I shoved him aside…then darkness,and the agony of a shattered soul.I woke to pack Doctor Aelwyn’s grave sigh:”Little one…too deep a wound.Your wolf soul…the ability to shift…memory,direction…”He didn’t finish,but his silence was a death sentence. I was sixteen,newly aware of my bloodline’s political weight and my arranged fate with Felix.The Sables compensated,reaffirming:At adulthood,Felix will make me Luna. By my bed,the budding Alpha clasped my hand,eyes conflicted:”Elara,don’t worry.When I become Alpha,I will make you my Luna.Blackwood needs your blood.I’ll…take care of you.” I believed him.Or chose to.Year after year,I watched the old apple tree bloom and fall. At eighteen,on another apple harvest day,I baked herb biscuits with trembling hands and approached his study. “Felix!I’m…I’m an adult now!”I held out the warm tray,voice shaking. He was with a distinguished visitor—later,I learned it was Alaric Sterling.Felix turned,frowned at the sight of me,irritation and embarrassment flashing in his eyes.He glanced at servants,voice clipped:”Your memory’s playing tricks on you,Elara.The betrothal requires you to be‘fully recovered,’fit to lead as Luna.You’re nowhere close.Rest,and stop fantasizing.” As Alaric approached,Felix’s irritation vanished,replaced by a polished smile.”Lord Alaric!Congratulations.Your fiancée is noble,brilliant,and composed—a perfect partner,no doubt your greatest asset.”He didn’t look back. I stood there,holding the now-cold,bitter-smelling biscuits,retreating to the icy courtyard steps.His praise for Alaric’s”greatest asset”vs.his dismissal of me—cruel contrast.The elders’whispers,his cold logic—chains tightening. I wanted to scream:It’s your memory that’s playing tricks on you,Felix! But it didn’t matter.I,the baker,the herb girl,would never be an”asset.” Being left behind didn’t matter. I…would go alone. Just as you always called me a burden on your journeys. This time…I’ll go first.To the place you’re abandoning me for. Will you finally see…that your”weakness”is stronger than you think?

The carriage jolted to a halt,and the curtain was yanked aside.”Inspection for Sterling Territory!Out!”a cold voice barked. I was hauled down,staring up at the imposing Sterling Keep.A guard announced,”Single young individual found!Suspicious identity!” The captain leading the patrol scanned me.”Take her.Fits the conscription profile.Send her to the Pack Healer’s lodge.” Two Warrior Attendants seized me,ignoring my struggles,and dragged me toward the stone cottage flanking the keep. Pack Healer Lyra rushed to meet us,speaking rapidly.”Hurry!Wash her up and change her clothes!The ceremony must start!”She smelled of herbs and antiseptic. I was forced into a chair by Omega Caretakers.They scrubbed me down and stuffed me into an oversized white dress emblazoned with the Sterling wolf crest.Finally,a rough,heavy dark wooden mask lined with wolf fangs and bone shards was clamped over my face,blocking my vision. “Escort the Luna to the ceremony hall!”Lyra sighed in relief. Trapped in the mask’s darkness,I was half-carried through stone corridors,ears filled with hushed whispers and distant trumpets—the signal for the wedding to begin. “Poor thing,she’s shaking nonstop…” “Shh!Orders are the ceremony must proceed…” “Did the scheduled noble bride run off?Is this a replacement?” “Captain Edmund’s situation is also problematic…” My heart raced.Replacement?Like me?Had the crying bride fled,and I’d been grabbed to take her place?The sobbing girl… In a corner near the entrance to the bustling hall,I heard muffled,terrified sobs. “Sister?”I turned my head,voice muffled by the mask.”Why are you crying?” The sobs intensified.”…Forced to replace Lord Edmund’s fated mate…He’ll definitely notice…I’m in love with a warrior…” Memories flashed!The laborers had said Alaric’s marriage was a political union!I was substituting the political bride,while she was impersonating a bonded fated mate!This could never stay hidden! “If you’re replacing a fated mate,you’ll be exposed!”I hissed,voice sharpening.”Run!Now!I’m here as a stand-in for Alaric’s political match—maybe I can fool them!Go to your lover!I’ll explain to Lord Alaric and keep them from blaming you!” Her voice trembled with desperate hope.”…Thank you!May the Moon Goddess bless you!”Fabric rustled,and her footsteps faded quickly. “Hurry!The ceremony’s starting!”Lyra’s voice approached.I was seized again and shoved toward the door radiating overwhelming Alpha power—still wearing the ill-fitting white dress embroidered with the Sterling wolf crest. In the mask’s darkness,at the altar stood a figure as massive as a mountain—Alaric Argent.His Alpha presence made my knees weak,yet a strange sense of calm washed over me,overriding my fear. Ancient vows echoed.A Warrior Attendant thrust a heavy silver ceremonial cup into my hands.Alaric’s palm closed over mine,steady and strong,as we raised the cup together.The vows were completed. After the ceremony,I was escorted to Alaric’s chambers.I sat on the stone bed draped in furs,clutching the oversized dress,awaiting my strange husband. Steady footsteps approached the door.It swung open,and he entered,carrying the scent of night dew and faint blood.He picked up the silver ritual dagger on the table and advanced toward me—to remove the mask. “Lord Alaric!”An urgent report came from outside the door,”The tenant dispute in the southern border has escalated.Representatives from Oak Hollow and Grayborne are already waiting in the council chamber for your personal ruling!” Alaric’s hand froze.His Alpha aura carried a flicker of impatience,but he only paused briefly before saying coldly,”Understood.”The dagger was carefully set aside.He turned toward the door,then halted at the threshold,tilting his head slightly.His voice filtered through the mask,”Rest,Luna.No need to wait up.Pack matters take precedence.” “Go ahead,the pack’s affairs are crucial…I’ll stay here,”I replied instinctively,my voice trembling slightly. His footsteps vanished quickly. I removed the heavy headdress and mask.An Omega Caretaker entered,”Luna,please forgive—” “No need,”I murmured.”The front lines need him.” Deep into the night,Alaric hadn’t returned.His Warrior Attendant knocked softly.”Luna,Lord Alaric may be out all night.He left his personal wolfhead insignia—it’s dusty and…stained with blood.I dare not clean it without permission.” On the table,wrapped in soft leather,was a heavy silver badge:a majestic wolf head,edges worn,a speck of dark red blood on its fangs. I took the soft deer hide wrapping the badge,dampened it,and gently wiped away the dirt and blood.The badge gleamed in the firelight.With a charcoal pencil,I lightly sketched two overlapping tiny pine needle outlines on the smooth back surface of the badge. After cleaning,I wrapped the badge again.As dawn broke,I leaned against the fireplace,clutching it,and drifted into a light sleep. In my half-dream,a familiar scent surrounded me.A large hand gently brushed hair from my face and tucked the blanket securely around my shoulders.His thumb restrainedly stroked the top of my head. The door closed softly. Outside,Alaric whispered to the Omega Brigid,”Grandma Isolde will meet her soon.You know her…strict demands.Ensure…She doesn’t make things difficult for the Luna.”

Felix’s POV “Miss Vega’s missing.” When the butler rushed to inform me,my quill hesitated mid-air over the document,but I quickly resumed reviewing the papers,not bothering to look up as I interrupted, “What is it this time?Does the herb garden need moonflowers replanted,or has the kitchen run out of honey again?Tell her such trivial matters don’t require special reporting.I don’t have time for her to fuss over these things.” I’ve truly been overwhelmed lately. The Blackwood Pack is about to embark on its migration,and as Alpha,I need to personally confirm every preparation.From supply stockpiles to migration routes,from the accommodation of the elderly,weak,sick,and disabled to potential threats along the way,every link cannot be overlooked.What’s more troublesome is that the pack elders have been frequently pressuring me to reassess the candidate for Luna. By the time I finished the last supply list,it was already dark outside the window. At dinner,Elara’s usual seat at the long table was empty.Servants carefully placed the cutlery,afraid to make a sound. I put down my knife and fork,my voice cold and hard,”Since she doesn’t dine on time,there’s no need to save her food tonight.” The hall fell silent immediately,with only the occasional soft crackling of firewood in the fireplace. The night wind carried the breath of early snow through the window gap.When I got up to close the window,my gaze involuntarily swept over the training ground.In the moonlight,those claw marks of varying depths were still clearly visible,like marks engraved in time. I suddenly remembered when we were young,Elara was still a skinny cub,yet she dared to confront a group of Alpha cubs for me.At that time,I accidentally failed in training and was almost backlashed by a out-of-control barrier spell.It was Elara who unhesitatingly rushed forward,shielding me with her body and taking a heavy blow directly. She was obviously weaker than me,yet she always tried to be brave. When did my distress for her turn into impatience? It was later,I suppose,after her wolf soul was shattered,and she couldn’t even keep up with basic combat training,yet stubbornly insisted on studying herbs.Those failed attempts that blew up the herb garden,those cloyingly sweet honey teas,those strangely scented but highly effective potions…each one made me both irritable and helpless. I should have been the one who knew best how stubborn she was. “…Forget it,”my tone softened involuntarily,”tell the kitchen to prepare some meat soup and send it to her.” Suddenly,the captain of the guard knelt on one knee,his voice trembling,”Alpha,forgive my sin!Miss Vega…has been missing since yesterday…” The air instantly froze. The butler stepped forward in a timely manner,respectfully handing me a scroll,”My lord,the migration supplies have been inventoried.However…”He cautiously lowered his voice,”Regarding Miss Vega’s placement,the council hopes to finalize the plan before departure.Considering the harsh migration environment,they suggest…” My fingertips tapped lightly on the table.Although my voice was not loud,it made everyone unconsciously straighten their backs.I slowly stood up,and the moonlight stretched my shadow very long. “Send my order,”my voice was calm,”all patrols immediately launch a search,focusing on investigating the herb market and the southern honey workshop.” A self-proclaimed clever guard whispered in persuasion,”Lord Alpha,Blackwood isn’t the only one with a white wolf.Why do you have to…” When my gaze swept over the young guard who made the proposal,he immediately lowered his head,and the fur on his neck involuntarily stood up.Although there was no furious rebuke,the oppressive feeling from a top-tier Alpha made everyone understand the seriousness of the matter. “Search,”my voice was as cold as ice,”turn every inch of land upside down.” The firelight in the fireplace flickered on and off,casting light on an unremarkable glass jar in the corner—inside lay a bunch of dried moonflowers and several strands of silver-white wolf hair stained with dark red spots.

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After the divorce, I spent a million the hottest male escort in the city. The price was worth every penny—he was gorgeous, ripped, and knew exactly how to please. Photos of me and the mysterious man on my penthouse balcony spread through the entire social scene overnight. The next morning, my ex-husband Sebastian Brooks showed up at my door. He had his men drag the man away, then turned on me with ice in his eyes. “Where did he touch you?” I smiled lazily. “Lips, breasts, between my legs—everywhere you used to like. He touched it all.” Rage flashed in his eyes as he barked orders to security. “Break his legs. Throw him in the gutter.” I stripped off my soaked blouse and headed for the shower. “Do whatever you want.” Three years ago, my best friend Miranda sent me a video. She questioned why I’d hidden my illness and let my daughter donate her liver to save me. In the video, my daughter was lying in a hospital bed, beaming with pride. “I love my mommy more than anything! I’m donating my liver to her voluntarily! Mommy, get well soon!” I stared at my perfectly healthy medical report, completely confused. I wasn’t sick. So who the hell was this “mommy” my daughter was donating her liver to? I immediately instructed my assistant: “Freeze my husband and daughter’s cards. And draft divorce papers.” “I won’t fight for custody. Let her have her precious mother-daughter bond!”

Following the address Miranda sent, I rushed to a private hospital on the outskirts of the city. Miranda had just flown in from the airport. She looked like she wanted to say something but held back. I shook my head. “Save it, girl. We’re going to catch them red-handed!” As we approached the VIP ward, security stopped us. “Sorry, CEO Sebastian has reserved this entire floor for his wife’s liver transplant surgery. No unauthorized personnel allowed!” Miranda’s brow furrowed as she looked me up and down. “His wife? Lily, are you sure you’re not sick? ” “Don’t hide it from me. I’m the best transplant surgeon in the world. If you’re ill, I’ll treat you!” I rolled my eyes. “You’re the one who’s sick, babe!” Then I turned to the guard, teeth clenched. “I’m Sebastian Brooks’ ‘friend.’ I’m here to visit his wife, Lily Sterling, and their daughter Chloe!” The security guard scoffed, eyeing me with pure disgust. “You can’t even get CEO Sebastian’s wife’s name right, and you’re trying to kiss ass? Get this through your thick skull: His wife is Victoria Vance! The sole heiress to the Sterling Empire!” “I’ve seen plenty of nobodies like you trying to suck up with gifts. Leave them here and get lost!” Miranda’s frown deepened. “Sterling Empire? Isn’t that your family’s company? Who the hell is Victoria Vance?” Rage boiled in my chest. I’d already pieced together the truth. Victoria, the woman Sebastian always called “just a friend.” Also known as “mommy” to my daughter Chloe. Miranda’s eyes widened in shock. Finally, she understood what was happening. She took a deep breath and pulled out her credentials. “I’m the lead surgeon for this operation. I just flew back from overseas.” The guards exchanged nervous glances and finally let us through. The hallway outside the ward was packed with people. I immediately spotted Sebastian and Victoria, arm-in-arm, soaking up compliments and congratulations. “Mr. Brooks and CEO Victoria—what an enviable power couple!” “The most enviable part? CEO Victoria gave Mr. Brooks such a sweet, devoted daughter!” “So young, yet willing to risk her life to donate her liver to save her mother! That little girl is truly Ms. Vance’s treasure!” Victoria looked smug. “What can I say? I’m absolutely obsessed with my daughter! Back when we wanted to conceive her, I had to beg Sebastian to try eighteen different positions before we finally succeeded!” I frowned instinctively. Sebastian was conservative. In all our years of marriage, he’d been prudish about sex—never willing to experiment. Even saying something flirty would earn me a cold glare and accusations of being shameless. But now? He wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he playfully scolded her. “How dare you say something like that in public?” Sebastian wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close shamelessly. “Did I lie? To give birth to our sweet Chloe, you practically drained me dry! I deserve a medal!” The crowd erupted in laughter. Some people joked they wanted to learn her “advanced techniques.” Sebastian grinned and pulled Victoria closer, pretending to reenact one of their positions. My blood boiled. “You bitch!” I lunged forward and slapped Victoria hard across the face. It happened so fast no one could react. Sebastian gasped and rushed to catch Victoria before she stumbled. He turned on me, furious. “Who has the guts to lay a hand on my wife?” Chloe, who’d been lying in the ward waiting for surgery, came running out. “Mommy, are you okay?” The next second, both father and daughter froze when they saw me. Chloe stopped in her tracks and shrank back. I laughed bitterly. “Sebastian Brooks, you’re such a devoted father! You’re actually letting my daughter donate her liver to your mistress?”

The hallway fell silent. Countless eyes darted between me and Chloe, confused and curious. “Wait, she’s saying CEO Victoria’s daughter is hers?” “Then what about Mr. Brooks? Is CEO Victoria cheating on him?” The whispers made Sebastian flush with embarrassment. “What the hell are you talking about? Chloe is Victoria’s daughter! Who gave you permission to slander us?” “Lily Sterling, I’m begging you—stop clinging to me like a pathetic stalker! I’ve told you a thousand times, I already have a wife and a child…” He tightened his grip on Victoria’s arm. Victoria smirked and kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry, babe. I won’t let anyone come between us. After all, except for my few days each month, you’re in my bed every single night, servicing me in every way I ask. Where would you even find time to cheat?” A few clever lines, and suddenly everyone was looking at me with disgust and contempt. They’d nailed me to the pillar of shame as “the mistress.” I laughed in disbelief. “Sebastian Brooks, put your hand on your heart and say it again! Who’s the real homewrecker here?” “Who is Chloe’s mother?” Miranda’s face darkened. She snapped at them. “This is insane! Without Lily Sterling’s consent as Chloe’s biological mother, who gave you the authority to let her donate her liver to a stranger?” Victoria’s expression soured. “Who the hell are you? This isn’t your business!” Sebastian took a deep breath, as if steeling himself. “I’ll say this one last time. My wife is Victoria Vance! Chloe is our daughter!” “Lily, I know exactly what you’re trying to do! You want to sabotage my wife’s surgery so you can swoop in and take advantage!” “Dream on! Security—throw them out!” The crowd suddenly understood. “This homewrecker is disgusting! Trying to sabotage Ms. Vance’s surgery right before it starts? That’s basically attempted murder!” “What are you waiting for? Call the cops!” “Thank God we didn’t believe her lies. If we’d delayed Ms. Vance’s surgery, who could handle the Sterling Empire’s wrath?” Victoria shook her head with a theatrical sigh, her eyes full of mockery. “Can’t blame her. My husband is just too irresistible!” “But sorry, Ms. Sterling—Sebastian only has eyes for me!” “Honestly, I didn’t want Chloe to go through with this. But she loves me so much, she cried and begged to donate her liver to save her mommy!” I was shaking with rage. “You sick bitch! Chloe is only fourteen years old!” Even with Sebastian’s two bodyguards holding my arms, I forced myself forward and kicked Victoria hard in the stomach. Her face went white. She clutched her abdomen and collapsed. “Sebastian… it hurts… Am I going to die before the surgery?” Sebastian rushed to support her, then turned on me, his voice venomous. “Pin that bitch down!” The bodyguards obeyed. They grabbed my arms and slammed me to the floor. My face smashed against the cold tile with a sickening crack. Blood filled my mouth. “Sebastian Brooks, have you lost your mind? You’re attacking me for this whore?” Sebastian stood over me, panting. He snatched a rubber baton from one of the guards and slammed it into my head. Pain exploded through my skull. Blood poured into my eyes, blurring my vision. Then he stepped on my head. “If anything happens to Victoria’s surgery, I’ll make you pay with your life!”

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After the seventh time Alpha Arthur locked me in the dungeon, a voice spoke in my head. “Die, and you’ll awaken.” It told me I wasn’t just human. Witch blood slept in my veins—blood that would ignite only in death. So I became the perfect Luna. I stopped caring that Arthur spent every night in Elara’s chambers. I stopped obsessing over his promise—one mate, forever. When Leo knocked over the stew I’d made, I just had the maid wipe his hands. Said I’d never cook for him again. When the pack member brought that bowl of wolfsbane brew—even knowing I was pregnant—I drank it without hesitation. By the time Arthur arrived, the floor was soaked in blood. He pressed his silver blade to my throat, voice breaking. “Sera, do you hate me this much?” “You’re a healer. You know what that poison does. And you still killed our pup?” I stared at the blade. Smiled. Then leaned into it. …… The moment the blade pierced my skin, Arthur’s golden eyes went wide. He yanked the dagger back, but it was too late. The silver edge slashed across my throat. Blood pearled along the wound, soaking into my white cotton dress. The dagger clattered to the floor. Arthur dropped to his knees, pressing his hand against my neck, trying to stop the bleeding. “Sera, you’ve lost your damn mind!” Pity I didn’t die. I answered his first question instead. “You said it yourself, Alpha. One son is enough.” “If I bore you another pup, wouldn’t that make poor widowed Elara feel inadequate? After all, she only gave your brother a daughter before he died.” Arthur’s breath hitched. “What did you just call me?” I blinked. It took me a moment to realize how distant we’d become. After we mated, I always called him Arthur. His mother despised me. She said my low birth and lack of upbringing made it improper to call him by his name. But I refused to change. Now, I’d finally learned my place. His fingers tightened around my throat. I gasped in pain. He loosened his grip, just slightly. His voice was a snarl in my ear. “I told you. My brother’s death left the Pack unstable. Taking Elara under my protection was a necessity. Once she bears a male heir, I won’t touch her again.” “I’m begging you, Sera. Just wait a little longer. Please.” Wait. That word had kept me alone for three years. From once a month, to every single night—Arthur sleeping in Elara’s bed while I lay awake, crying until I had nothing left. I waited through Elara’s pregnancy. Then Arthur moved into her wing entirely, claiming she needed protection during her vulnerable state. I waited another year. She gave birth to a daughter. And still, he kept going to her chambers. I couldn’t wait anymore. So I fought back. I forbade him from seeing her.I screamed, cried, threatened—like a madwoman. All I wanted was my mate. The one who was supposed to be mine alone. But to Arthur, I’d become an insufferable, jealous shrew. Funny. When he marked me, he said I was his fated mate. Said he loved my bold, unfiltered heart. Swore I’d be his only one. No others. Over seven years, he locked me in the Dungeon again and again. To teach me a lesson. To make me like Elara. Graceful. Compliant. Chained in the cold and dark until I could barely stand. All I got: “Sera, when will you learn?” The pup in my belly came from a Pack celebration. Arthur got drunk and stumbled into my bed. I thought he’d come to make peace. But when he reached his climax, he moaned Elara’s name. I swallowed the bitterness like bile mixed with blood. I lifted my head and looked him dead in the eye. “You don’t need to lie to me anymore, Alpha.” “From now on, go to Elara whenever you want. Stay the night. I won’t say a word.” “And if that’s still not enough, I’ll request a severing of the mate bond. I’ll set you both free.”

Arthur’s chest heaved, veins bulging in his neck. “Sera, how much longer are you going to torture me?” “Elara and I are nothing. She’s my brother’s widow. That’s it!” He sounded so sincere. Like he actually believed what he was saying. I shook my head. “You’re overthinking it, Alpha. I mean every word.” Something I said set him off again. He shoved me. Hard. My head cracked against the corner of a wooden chair. Pain exploded through my skull. He looked panicked for half a second, reaching out like he wanted to help. But the damage was done. My pulse weakened. Breath came shallow. I knew my body was shutting down. The wolfsbane. The blade. The blow to my skull. My human body couldn’t survive all three. I knew that now. I had maybe twenty-four hours left. I pushed Arthur’s hand away and staggered to my feet. “Leave, Alpha. I’m tired.” I turned toward my bedroom. As I walked, blood dripped from beneath my skirt, leaving a dark trail across the floor. Suddenly, the door burst open. Leo—seven years old—charged in and hurled his toy at me. It struck my cheek. I felt the sting, the warmth of blood. Arthur froze for a moment, then grabbed Leo by the scruff of his neck and swatted him. “What the hell are you doing?!” Leo wailed, but he didn’t apologize. “I don’t want her as my mother!” “Why can’t she just stay locked up in the Dungeon forever?!” Arthur’s face went rigid. “Who taught you to say that?” Leo squirmed free, his little face red with indignation. “You did! You said you hated her!” “You said if she hadn’t saved you that day in the mountains, you never would’ve mated a lowborn herbalist!” “And she’s always so mean to Aunt Elara! She doesn’t deserve to be Luna!” He pointed a chubby finger at me, his face twisted with childish hatred. “Bad mother! Father and I both hate you! Just disappear already!” Out of the mouths of pups. Every word was a blade, shredding what little hope I had left. Years ago, Arthur was ambushed during a border skirmish. I was seven months pregnant, but I rode out anyway with a small cavalry to rescue him. We won. Barely. I took over a dozen wounds. The trauma triggered early labor. I was dying on that blood-soaked bed when Arthur gripped my hand, tears streaming down his face. “Sera, don’t leave me.” “If you die, I’ll follow you. I swear it.” So I fought. I survived. But Leo was born too early. The Pack physician said he’d die within three days. I refused to believe it. I stayed awake for weeks, researching every remedy, every obscure herb. Leo’s cries grew weaker and weaker. Desperate, I made a pilgrimage to the Moon Temple. Barefoot through the snow. Every three steps, I knelt and bowed. Every five steps, I prayed. My knees bled. My feet went numb. Blood stained the stone path all the way to the top. I don’t know if my sincerity moved the Moon Goddess. But in the end, Leo survived. But his body remained fragile. When winter came, I kept him indoors. Made him rest. Watched what he ate. Elara let him run wild in the snow. Fed him frozen meat and sweets. Days later, he’d collapse. Weak. Shivering. Too sick to shift. Arthur was always away on Pack business. Elara avoided him, terrified of getting sick herself. I was the one who sat with him. Nursed him back to health. When he recovered, he hated me for it. Blamed me for keeping him locked up. For the bitter tonics. For the rules. But Elara? She was the fun one. The one who gave him treats and freedom. She was the one he loved.

Arthur’s expression darkened. “Leo, shut your mouth! Don’t say another word!” Then he turned to me, scrambling to explain. “He’s just a pup. Someone in the household must’ve been gossiping—” In the past, I would’ve been devastated. I would’ve lectured Leo, tried to teach him right from wrong. All I ever got in return was his hatred. Now? I was too tired to care. Arthur noticed the change in me. He frowned, studying my face. Then he decided I was playing games. “What are you plotting now, Sera?” “Playing the stoic martyr doesn’t suit you. You just look pathetic.” “Since you lost the pup, stay in your chambers and recover. And stop targeting Elara and her daughter.” He grabbed Leo’s hand and stormed out. The moment they stepped outside, I heard them laughing. Arthur said he was going to buy Elara a new sapphire necklace. Leo said he was going to use his allowance to buy his baby sister a gift. I still wore the moonstone pendant Arthur gave me at our engagement. He’d been shy. Said he’d get me something better someday. Ten years later, the pendant was tarnished and cracked. He never kept that promise. At every Pack gathering, I was the poorest-dressed Luna in the room. Whenever I asked for new jewelry, Arthur said we needed to be frugal. The Pack’s expenses were high. Then spent fortunes on enchanted oils and potions for Elara. I’d given him everything. And he’d given me nothing. A wave of dizziness crashed over me. My vision darkened at the edges. My fingers had gone numb. Cold spread through my limbs. The voice whispered through the fog: Ten hours remaining. My body was shutting down. I had ten hours left. I sat at my vanity, staring at the hollow-eyed woman in the mirror. I took off the moonstone pendant. Ran my fingers over its worn surface. Then I snapped it in half and tossed it into the fireplace. I spent the next hour burning everything I’d ever made for Arthur. Embroidered leather pouches. Woven riding gloves. Little shirts I’d sewn for Leo when he was a baby. Two entire chests, full of hope and heartbreak. I watched it all turn to ash. When the last ember died, I lay down on my bed. And I waited. But the door slammed open. Arthur stormed in, fury radiating off him in waves. He grabbed me by the arm and hauled me out of bed. “I knew you couldn’t behave.” He threw something at my feet. A cloth pouch, reeking of dark magic. Filled with bone fragments and dried wolfsbane. Elara stood in the doorway, cradling her infant, tears streaming. “Arthur, I don’t want to believe Sera would do this.” “But this curse bag… it was hidden in her room. And it has my daughter’s name written inside…” Her voice broke. Arthur’s face went cold. He kicked me in the chest. I felt ribs crack. “Jealousy is one thing, Sera. But cursing an infant? My daughter?” Blood poured from my mouth, splattering across the floor. The wound on my neck tore open again. Arthur loomed over me, disgust written across his face. “Nothing to say? Not even going to deny it?” I wiped the blood from my lips and glanced at the curse bag. Then I laughed. “That fabric is rare. Even pack Alphas struggle to get it.” “You gave Elara every bolt that came into this estate, Arthur.” “So how did I get my hands on it?” Arthur’s expression shifted. He stared at the pouch. Elara’s face went pale. “Are you accusing me? I did use that fabric for dresses, but I lost the scraps weeks ago—” “Enough!” Arthur cut her off, unwilling to question his precious widow. In his mind, Elara was pure. Innocent. So it had to be me. “Stop making excuses, Sera.” “My daughter is just a newborn. Elara is still recovering.” “If you can’t tolerate this Pack, then this Pack has no place for you.” He snapped his fingers. “Lock her in the dungeon. No food. No water.” “She stays there until she learns.”

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