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“Chloe, keep an eye out for me. I’m going to shift.” “Spending all day with male wolves, suppressing my pheromones, my wolf is going crazy.” I suddenly open my eyes and hear Selena say the same words as in my past life. In my past life, I followed Princess Selene, disguised as a man wolf, into Lycan King’s Academy. On one night of the full moon, Selene was discovered when she secretly shift into her wolf form. According to werewolf law, a female wolf entering Lycan King’s Academy must be punished. But this time, I don’t want to take the blame for Selena like I did in my past life. And I don’t want to provoke Rayne again just to stay alive. In my past life, after passing the academy’s tests, Selena fulfilled her dream of becoming a King’s warrior, and the moment she returned home, she put on a dress. That was when Rayne finally learnt that Selena was a female wolf. He resented me for taking Selena’s place, saying that if not for me, the one he would have marked should have been Selena. “I train with Selena in the academy for three years. We work perfectly together. We should have been mates.” “If there is another life, I don’t want to meet you again.” Even Selena regretted letting me take her place back then. That’s true. How can anyone live a whole life without regrets? I have mine too. Seeing that she is about to shift, I grab her wrist and press it down. “What about another day? This spot isn’t hidden enough. If we get caught, it’ll be trouble.” That is exactly what happens in my past life. Not long after Selena shifted, her scent was picked up by the patrolling wolves. Even though they didn’t see her face clearly, the news that a female wolf has slipped into the academy spreads. Selena forced me to take the blame. “Chloe, I’m begging you. I haven’t passed the tests yet. I can’t be exposed as a female at a time like this.” I was an Omega. When I was nine, I was attacked by Rogues, and Selena’s mother saved me. From that day on, I became Selena’s servant, bound to her by a Blood Bond. Selena was the princess of the Black Moon Pack, yet she always wanted to enter the Lycan King’s Army like a male wolf and became a warrior. So three years ago, I accompanied her to the Academy, disguised as a male wolf. As long as wolves passed the academy’s tests, they can become warriors. But I didn’t want to die either. So I went to Rayne, the youngest commander in the academy, and begged him for help. Just to stay alive, I even took off my robe to please him. The academy was full of male wolves. The moment he catched my scent, something dark stirred in his eyes. He dragged me onto the bed, and the restraint he has held back for so long collapses in that instant. I didn’t know how Rayne handled the situation, but from that day on, I stayed in his room. Later, Rayne and Selena passed the tests together and became King’s warriors. On the day we left the academy, Rayne promised that he would take me as his mate. But what I got instead was at the Lycan King’s banquet, Rayne stared at Selena in her dress, completely lost. When he heard Selena said what happened in the academy, he crushed his wine glass with his bare hand. I went to him and asked if he would still mark me as his mate. He looked at my face and said, “I keep my word.” He marked me as his mate as promised, but on the night of our Mating Ceremony, he left me behind and went off to drown himself in drink. That was when I finally understood. He resented me for taking Selena’s place. He said that if not for me, the one he would have marked should have been Selena. From that day on, he never stepped into my room again. Later, Selena became Prince Theron’s mate. But not long after, Prince Theron failed in his bid for the Lycan heir, and Selena was dragged down with him. On the day she was exiled from the pack, I went to see her off. The way she looked at me was full of hatred. “You are just an Omega. What gives you the right to live better than me?” “I regret it. If I had known, back in the academy, I would never have let you take my place.” She suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed it into my heart. I could have dodged, but I couldn’t, because I was filled with regret. Before I closed my eyes, I saw Rayne standing beside me, watching me, motionless.

Selena doesn’t listen to me. Within seconds, she completes the shift. Strangely, until she turns back into human form, none of the patrolling wolves show up. Could it be that Rayne is reborn too? With a heavy mind, I return to my room. Students like us all sleep in shared dorms. Selena and I are not assigned together. She only comes to me when she needs something. That day, I wait from noon until sunset, and still, there is no news in the academy about a female wolf sneaking in. If Rayne is reborn as well, he will definitely find a way to protect Selena. Now I can do what I want to do. Lost in thought, I suddenly feel two pieces of dried meat tossed into my arms. I look up, and Lucian is staring at me, his gaze intense. “You didn’t come to eat. I thought it was like before again. You scared me.” “Like before?” I don’t quite understand what he means. Lucian raises a brow and lies down beside me. “It’s nothing. Just eat. Going to sleep hungry doesn’t feel good.” Lucian is a friend I meet in the academy. When I first arrive, maybe because I am small and good-looking, everyone wants to sleep next to me. I am terrified and don’t know what to do. After all, I am a female wolf, and on both sides of me are male wolves. If this goes on, sooner or later I will be exposed. In the end, it is Lucian who drives those male wolves away with his fists and moves me to the spot at the very edge. In these three years, as long as he is around, no one dares to come close again. If I have to choose a mate, I would rather choose someone like him. I don’t need him to be powerful. I just want him to care for me and love me. I chew on the dried meat in my hand and see that Lucian has already closed his eyes. He looks no worse than Rayne. His features are sharp and defined, his build tall and strong. When he doesn’t smile, there is a natural edge to him that keeps others at a distance. If he had a better background, would have become a King’s warrior long ago. It’s a pity… in my past life, he was killed by Rogues.

That night, I barely sleep at all. After that, Selena comes to see me a few times. She says Rayne suddenly arranges a private room for her, but to avoid suspicion, she doesn’t plan to let me stay with her. “Chloe, just hold on a little longer. Once the tests are over, I’ll take you back and pick a good mate for you.” From her words, I am certain that Rayne is reborn too. “I’m your Omega. Whatever you say, I’ll do.” I lower my gaze. In this life, I don’t want to get involved in anything between her and Rayne ever again. Selena adds, “In a few days, I’ll follow Rayne to infiltrate the Rogue army. If it works, I’ll pass the tests early, and the whole academy will know my name.” “Three years… I’ve finally waited for this day.” My heart tightens all of a sudden. Right. This is the day. To make sure Rayne’s mission succeeds, Lucian went alone to lure the Rogues away. In the end, outnumbered, he died in battle. In my past life, when I heard the news, I was washing clothes for Rayne. When he came back and saw me in tears, he was clearly displeased. “I come back after passing the tests, and you were crying?” I didn’t say a word. I just felt like this world was unfair. We are like side characters in a story. From the very beginning, our fate is in someone else’s hands. Even when we die, no one cares. But I don’t want to live like this anymore. I find Lucian and try to get him to come up with an excuse, to not follow Rayne in the attack on the Rogues. He looks at me, lifts a hand to ruffle my hair, and a smile curves on his lips. “Chloe, I’m going to become the King’s warrior. How can I run from a fight?” My eyes sting as I say, word by word, “Then what if… you die?” Lucian answers me with words that hit like thunder. “I fight for the pack. I die with no regrets.” Seeing that I can’t change his mind, I decide to go with him. When I first enter the academy, I am too weak, so I am assigned to learn cooking. In these three years, I have never fought an enemy. But after Lucian dies in my past life, I replay his escape route countless times. I am sure I can save him.

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When he came to, Grandfather told him we shared no blood—and ordered him to marry me. Lucian wasn’t having it. He said an arranged marriage would kill any chance at real love. So he got blackout drunk and stumbled onto the train tracks. Saving him cost me both my legs. He still showed up to our wedding—red-eyed, jaw locked, hating every second of it. And on our wedding night, he threw me into an underground club. They tied me to a bed. He sat in the corner and watched. Smoking. Smiling. Like he was at a goddamn show. After more nights than I could count, I got hold of a lighter and set the curtains on fire. The whole place went up. He burned with me. Then I opened my eyes. And I was back—back on the night someone drugged him. Fine, my stepfather. This time you can have your great love. I won’t be the one paying for it. …… A hand clamped around my waist, hard enough to bruise. My eyes flew open and met Lucian Ashford’s bloodshot stare. There was raw hunger churning in those eyes—dark, unhinged, barely leashed. I jerked my head sideways, scanning the room. No leather restraints. No bed bolted to the floor. No stench of bleach and other people’s sweat clinging to the walls. Just my apartment. Just him. His grip tightened. “Strip. Now.” He was too close. The heat of him bled straight through my dress, and his breath rasped against my throat. My vision blurred. And just like that, I wasn’t here anymore. I was back under those men—too many of them, foul mouths on my neck, fingers tearing my clothes off in pieces. I shoved the memory down and bit into Lucian’s arm hard enough to taste blood. “Get the hell off me!” The pain snapped him out of it. His eyes dropped to my torn collar, and something flickered there—something I couldn’t name—before disgust wiped it clean. “Elara Ashford, you’re disgusting.” His voice came out flat and lethal. “Don’t flatter yourself. Spreading your legs won’t make me love you.” Something twisted in my chest, sharp and deep. I remembered the way I’d died. And for one ugly second, all I wanted was a knife from the kitchen, to end him right there. But I couldn’t. Grandfather loved him. And I wasn’t going to burn for this man twice. I swallowed the bile crawling up my throat. “Where’s your girlfriend? I’ll go get her.” Lucian went still. “How do you know I have a girlfriend?” “Is this really the time?” He stared at me for two long seconds, eyes sharp with suspicion. Then he rattled off an address. “Thirty minutes. Get her here.” I didn’t waste another word. I floored it the whole way and made it back with her in twenty. In the car, Serena Cross had been a different person—sharp-tongued, smug, daring me to say a single word about her and Lucian. The moment she stepped out of the car, all of that vanished. Her legs were shaking. Her eyes went red on cue, her voice trembling at exactly the right pitch. “Lucian—I don’t know what I did to upset her. She drove so fast the whole way. I was terrified.” The shock on her face when she saw Lucian’s flushed skin was a masterclass. Not a beat too much, not a beat too little. “Lucian, are you okay? You don’t look well. Let me take you to the hospital—” He pulled her inside before she could finish. I stood there as the door slammed shut in my face. And let myself remember everything. Serena had been my classmate—on a hardship scholarship, couldn’t afford a hot meal most days. I used to lie about ordering too much food just so she’d eat with me. When she said she spent the holidays alone, I brought her home with me. We had a butler. Mrs. Clark cooked for us. But Serena got up at dawn every morning to help in the kitchen, asking everyone’s preferences and making dinner herself. I thought I’d found a friend for life. Until the necklace Lucian gave me went missing. I tore the house apart looking for it, and found it shattered on the kitchen floor. Only Serena knew where I kept it. And only she knew what it meant to me—because she was the only person I’d ever told about the way I felt for him. When I confronted her, she dropped to her knees outside the front gate in thin clothes, trembling, swearing it was an accident, saying she had nowhere else to go. I had her things thrown out anyway. She rose and limped toward the gate—and ran straight into Lucian. He saw her shaking, barely able to stand, and his pity won. I was furious. But more than that, I was terrified. Terrified he’d find out how I felt about him. Terrified he’d pull away forever. So I let her play me. I just never thought they’d end up in bed. She made sure I knew. Photo after photo. Every detail. When I told Lucian what she’d done, he didn’t believe a word. “People like you—bought and traded like cattle—wouldn’t know real love if it hit you.” The fight got ugly. He moved out the same week. The only reason I’d ended up at his apartment tonight was because Grandfather asked me to drop off documents. But the look Serena gave me before she walked through his door— I understood now. She’d planned all of it. A girl from nothing. Scheming her way into a wealthy family. Drugging him was the most direct route. In my last life, I’d ruined her plan. This time, I was going to stand back and watch my stepfather walk straight into it. I stared at the closed door for a long moment. Then, slowly, my lips curved.

I left the documents on the entry table and walked away. After my parents died, I grew up in Grandfather’s house. Most of my memories were of the estate—and of Lucian. He was the one who helped me with my homework. Taught me how to carry myself. He tore up the love letters boys slipped into my bag and warned me not to fall for any of them. When I got my first period, he was eighteen. His ears went red as he bought pads for me at the drugstore. Watching the sunset catch on the flush of his face, I learned what it meant for a heart to race. Later, that racing turned into something else. And he drifted further and further away. It was past midnight when I got home. The living room light was still on. Grandfather was half-asleep on the couch. He let out a long breath when he saw me. “Another few minutes and I would have called the police.” I buried my face in his arms. Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them. Grandfather had always loved me most. In my last life, Lucian pushed him down the stairs because of me. After Grandfather lost the use of his legs, Lucian dumped him in the cheapest nursing home he could find. Left him there to rot. He sent me to a place just like it. “I lost my phone,” I said quietly. “I’ll get a new one tomorrow.” It took a long while to coax him back to his room. When I finally reached mine, everything looked unfamiliar—but safe. So this was how easy it was to stop loving someone. The next morning, I came downstairs to find Lucian and Serena sitting in the dining room. Grandfather sat across from them, his face dark as a storm. On the table was my favorite—seafood porridge. Serena beamed at me. “Elara, did you sleep well last night?” I noticed the red marks on her neck right away. “Fine.” She didn’t touch her food. “Serena, why aren’t you eating?” Lucian’s voice was so gentle it almost made me drop my spoon. She gave him a weak smile. “I’m allergic. It’s okay—I’ll grab something at the dining hall once we get to campus.” Lucian’s expression darkened. He told Mrs. Clark to make her something else. Grandfather slammed his chopsticks down. “Allergic? A farm girl?” Lucian’s jaw locked. “Father, everything here is what Elara likes—” “She’s my granddaughter. She eats whatever the hell she wants.” Serena scrambled to smooth it over. “Lucian, really, I can eat it. Don’t upset your father over me.” The meal ended cold. The moment Grandfather left the table, Lucian blocked my way. “Keep your mouth shut. I don’t want him knowing what happened last night. And—” He tossed my phone at me. “Try something like this again, and I’ll make sure the whole family knows what you really are.” So he thought I was the one who’d drugged him. No wonder he’d hated me so deeply in my last life. Throwing me into that club hadn’t been enough. He’d had his men feed me pills every day—asleep or awake, I was never lucid. I’d stripped off my own clothes in front of strangers. Begged them. Lost every last shred of shame. The pain ripped through my chest so hard I doubled over and crouched on the floor. My head felt like it had been split open with a hammer. “Lucian Ashford—whether you believe me or not, I had nothing to do with last night.” He just stared at me, eyes cold. “You were the only one who came to my apartment yesterday. If not you, then who?” “Unless you’re going to tell me you don’t have feelings for me?” Being humiliated like that in front of Serena—my face went up in flames. I lifted my chin. “You’re not that important to me anymore. Lucian Ashford—I feel sick for ever being attracted to you.” His face went rigid. “What did you say?” I pointed at the door and told them both to get out. “The person I cared about was the Lucian Ashford from years ago. Kind. Decent. Knew right from wrong.” I met his eyes. “Not you.” I walked past him without looking back.

I thought that was the end of it. Let him have his love story. I’d wash my hands of Lucian for good. Two or three days later, the rumors started at school. “Did you hear? Elara Ashford’s in love with her own stepfather. That’s basically incest.” “I heard she tried to drug him too. Didn’t work. He kicked her out. The Ashfords must be mortified.” “I never liked her anyway. That holier-than-thou look on her face. Take away the Ashford name, and what’s left?” I walked up behind them. “I have top grades. And a shelf full of competition trophies.” They spun around. That was when I recognized them—Serena’s roommates. I didn’t bother softening my voice. “I recorded everything you just said. Expect a letter from my lawyer. You’re right about one thing—I have the Ashford family behind me. What do you have? Your lying mouths? Or just your shamelessness?” “We’re not lying. Go check the forum. There’s a video.” I opened the site. Someone had posted security footage from outside Lucian’s apartment. You could see him through the open door, his face flushed. But the clip ended the second he shoved me out. Everything after—Serena’s arrival—had been cut. It was obvious who’d done it. Before I could find Serena, Lucian found me. He was waiting outside my classroom, his face like thunder. Mindful of the Ashford name, he didn’t go off in public. He steered me to his car instead. He threw his phone into my lap. “Delete the post. I’ll handle the rest of the gossip.” So he thought I was the one who’d posted it. I stared at him. “You’re wrong. Serena—” He cut me off. “Don’t bother lying. I traced the IP. It came from your laptop. The account was registered with your number. You own a unit in that building. Pulling the security footage would have been easy for you.” His eyes went colder. “Should I keep going?” Every excuse I could have offered was already walled off before I opened my mouth. Even knowing he felt nothing for me, being accused like this still cut. This man had taken up my entire youth. I used my phone number to recover the forum password right in front of him. Deleted the post. He let out a cold scoff, ready to say something— Then watched as I opened my messages and deleted his contact. Looking back, the chat had mostly been me, talking to myself. Lucian, the ribs at the dining hall today were good. But not as good as yours. Lucian, Grandfather wants us home for dinner. Says he wants to introduce me to someone. What do I do? His replies had been almost identical every time. Ya. I wiped him off my phone. His number. His photos. Every last trace of him. As he watched me do it, the composure drained from his face. “Elara Ashford. What do you think you’re doing?” My voice came out flat. “You think I’m annoying. You think being associated with me is humiliating. So let’s just stop all contact.” His hand shot out, catching my arm as I reached for the door handle. “Elara Ashford—I told you to delete the post. I never said I wanted to cut ties.” “Behave. Stay out of Serena’s way. And we can go back to normal.” I almost laughed. “I make things difficult for her?” Lucian frowned. “Of course. You had her kicked out of the student clubs. You reported her for cheating so she’d lose her scholarship. You’ve been making her life miserable.” “But I can fix all of that. I won’t hold it against you.” I pried his fingers off my wrist, one by one. “Father—you’ve misunderstood.” He hadn’t heard me call him that—so solemnly, so deliberately—in a long time. It stopped him cold. “It’s me who doesn’t want anything to do with you anymore.” I opened the car door. “Not at all.” The door clicked shut between us. Through the window, I watched the color drain from his face.

When I got home, I told Grandfather I’d accept the arranged marriage he had suggested before. But he didn’t look as pleased as I expected. “My girl,” he said carefully, “tell me the truth. Why the sudden change of heart?” My pulse quickened, but I kept my voice even. “I used to think I was still young. But a classmate just had a baby. I’m twenty-five. If I get engaged now, we can date for two years—and I’ll still be young enough to give you a great-grandchild before my best years are gone.” I knew exactly what he wanted to hear. My answer raised no suspicion. The next day, I met the man who controlled the Wesson Group—Caspian Wesson. They called him The Cold Man in Northgate City. Cold likes ice. Unapproachable. Never linked to a single woman. The moment I saw him, I froze. In my last life, after Lucian locked me in that club, someone had burst through the flames the night I set the place on fire. The man leading the rescue was Caspian. He’d run through the burning building without hesitation, dragging out everyone who’d been trapped like me. When he reached out his hand, I’d pushed it away. “I’m tired,” I’d said. “I don’t want to keep going.” He let me go. But the look in his eyes wasn’t cold at all. It was full of sorrow. A man that good—getting close to him was the easiest thing in the world. For the next two weeks, whenever I didn’t have class, he came to pick me up. Dinners. Movies. Shopping. Walking through the city. Every plan he made hit me in exactly the right spot. So perfectly matched to my taste it was almost suspicious. I started to wonder if he was secretly a player. How else would he know so many ways to win a woman over? Until I caught a glimpse of his browser history. Best places for a first date. Romantic movies for couples. What do women in their twenties like. I burst out laughing. His face went red. He wouldn’t meet my eyes. A long moment passed before he spoke, resigned. “Stop laughing. I just… I don’t know how to act around you.” I still couldn’t stop. “You can ask me next time.” “Can I?” “Of course. What if the internet recommends something I don’t even like? Aren’t you worried I’d be upset?” The resignation on his face faded into something serious. “Whatever you want, sweetheart.” No one had ever called me sweetheart before. Not in this life. Not in the last. One month was enough. I knew he was the man I wanted to marry. It wasn’t a grand, sweeping love. But he answered every message I sent. He made me feel like I mattered. I asked him once—he was so busy. Why did he always reply to me instantly? “Nothing in my life comes before you. Nothing.” I admitted I was confused. Why did he care about me? Where did his feelings even come from? “Sweetheart. Give it time. Don’t shut me out. Let’s give each other a chance.” I said yes. The next day, I formally brought Caspian home.

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I am the Luna of the Silver Fang Pack. Tonight, my mate told me to kneel before his mistress and beg for her forgiveness. Because I “failed to produce an heir.” But he doesn’t know — the child he ordered thrown into the dungeon three days ago carries his bloodline. His only bloodline. …… …… The cold of the marble floor seeped through the thin fabric of my dress as Alaric’s command pressed down on me like a physical weight. An Alpha’s order. My wolf whimpered inside me, clawing against the compulsion to obey. “Kneel, Selene.” His voice — the same voice that had once whispered promises against my throat in the dark — was ice. Flat. Final. I looked up at him. Those steel-grey eyes I had loved since I was seventeen held nothing. No warmth. No recognition. As if seven years of being his Luna, his partner, the woman who rebuilt this pack from the ashes of war, meant nothing. Beside him, Vivienne smiled. She stood draped in crimson silk, her auburn hair cascading over one shoulder, her hand resting on Alaric’s forearm with the possessiveness of someone who had already won. “She’s not kneeling, darling,” Vivienne murmured, pressing closer to him. “I told you — she has no respect for your new Luna.” New Luna. The words hit me like silver through the chest. “Alaric.” My voice came out steadier than I felt. “You can’t replace a Luna bond. The Moon Goddess—” “The Moon Goddess gave me a barren mate.” He cut me off without flinching. “The elders have approved the dissolution. You have no pup. You have no claim.” I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell him everything — about the pregnancy I’d hidden because the pack doctor warned me that Alaric’s enemies would use it against him, about the child I’d secretly carried to term and hidden away with a trusted omega in the eastern wing, about the night three days ago when Vivienne’s guards “discovered” the baby and dragged the screaming infant to the dungeon on charges of being a rogue’s offspring smuggled into the packhouse. My child. His child. But the words died in my throat. Because Alaric was looking at me the way you look at something you’ve already discarded. “You have until dawn,” he said. “Take what you can carry and leave pack territory.” He turned his back. Seven years. I had given him seven years, a war victory, a rebuilt pack, and a son he didn’t know existed. And he gave me until dawn. I didn’t kneel. I walked out of the great hall with my spine straight and my wolf howling inside my ribcage. The pack members lining the corridor wouldn’t meet my eyes. Some of them I had healed. Some of them I had fed during the famine. One of them — Mara, the head omega — had tears streaming silently down her face. None of them spoke. Alpha’s word was law. And Alaric’s word had just declared nothing to me. I made it to the east corridor before my legs gave out. I pressed my back against the stone wall and slid to the floor, biting down on my fist to keep from screaming. The dungeon. My baby was still in the dungeon. I had tried to get to him twice. Both times, Vivienne’s personal guards had blocked the entrance. The second time, one of them had grabbed my arm hard enough to leave bruises and whispered, “The Alpha’s mistress says if you go near the rogue child again, she’ll have it put down.” Rogue child. My son. Eight weeks old, with Alaric’s grey eyes and my dark hair. A perfect, helpless little boy who didn’t understand why he was sleeping in a cold cell instead of his mother’s arms. “Luna?” I looked up. Mara was crouching in front of me, her round face blotched with crying. “Don’t call me that anymore,” I whispered. “You’ll always be my Luna.” She pressed something into my hand — a small iron key. “Third sub-level. The old servant’s passage. Vivienne’s guards don’t know about it.” I stared at the key. “You have to go now,” Mara urged. “Before the dawn patrol starts.” I closed my fist around the key so tightly the metal teeth bit into my palm. I was done being the dutiful mate. I was done waiting for Alaric to see my worth. Tonight I will get my son. And then I would burn everything Vivienne had built on my ashes.

The servant’s passage smelled like damp stone and forgotten things. It spiraled downward in a tight corkscrew, the steps worn smooth by generations of omegas who had used it to carry food and firewood to the lower levels without being seen by the Alpha’s household. I moved fast, one hand trailing the wall, the other clutching Mara’s key. My wolf senses cut through the darkness — I could hear the drip of water, the distant clang of the furnace, and somewhere below, so faint it nearly killed me, the thin cry of a baby. Kai. I’d named him in secret, in the small room where I’d given birth with only Mara and the pack’s retired healer present. Kai — it meant “keeper of the earth” in the old wolf tongue. A name for someone who would hold the ground when everything else fell apart. The passage emptied into a narrow corridor that ran parallel to the dungeon cells. Through the gaps in the stone, I could see the flicker of torchlight. One guard, sitting on a wooden stool, scrolling through his phone. One of Vivienne’s handpicked betas — young, sharp-jawed, wearing the new crimson armband that marked Vivienne’s personal detail. He hadn’t been part of this pack six months ago. None of Vivienne’s guards had. They’d arrived with her like a private army, and Alaric had simply… let them stay. I pressed myself against the wall and waited. My wolf calculated the distance, the angle, the risk. I was a Luna — my wolf was stronger than most females in the pack, stronger than some males. But I was also sleep-deprived, malnourished from the stress of hiding a pregnancy, and running on nothing but fury. Enough fury to level this whole dungeon. The guard stood up, stretched, and walked toward the far end of the corridor — probably to relieve himself. The moment his footsteps faded, I slipped the key into the servant’s door, pushed it open, and stepped into the dungeon. The cells down here hadn’t been used in years. Alaric’s father had kept prisoners of war in them during the border conflicts, but Alaric had sealed the level after taking the Alpha title. The air was frigid, smelling of iron and neglect. And there, in the last cell, on a pile of threadbare blankets that someone — Mara, I was sure — had smuggled down, was Kai. My son. He was awake, his tiny fists clenched, his grey eyes wide and searching. When he saw me, his face crumpled into the expression that all babies make when they finally see the person they’ve been crying for — half relief, half accusation. Where were you? “I’m here,” I breathed, fumbling with the cell lock. The key didn’t fit — this lock was different, newer, shinier. Vivienne had changed it. Panic flared white-hot. I yanked at the bars. They didn’t budge. Kai started to cry — a real cry, the kind that echoed. “Shh, baby, please—” I reached through the bars and touched his cheek. He was cold. His little body was cold. In a dungeon cell, in the middle of winter, my eight-week-old baby was lying on a stone floor with nothing but thin blankets. Something inside me cracked. Not broke — cracked. The way the earth cracks before a volcano. I gripped the bars and pulled. My wolf surged forward, pouring strength into my muscles. The metal groaned. I pulled harder, a scream building in my chest. The bar on the right bent — just enough to create a gap. I squeezed through, scraping skin off my shoulder, and gathered Kai into my arms. He was so light. Too light. Had they even been feeding him? I tucked him inside my coat, against my chest, and felt his tiny body shudder with a sob before he burrowed into my warmth and went still. “I’ve got you,” I whispered into his dark hair. “I’ve got you and I’m never letting go.” The guard’s footsteps were returning. I moved. Back through the gap, back through the servant’s door, back up the spiraling passage. Kai was silent now — some primal infant instinct telling him to be quiet while his mother ran. I emerged on the ground floor near the kitchens. The packhouse was dark and silent; it was past two in the morning. Through the window, I could see the moon — waning, but still bright enough to silver the snow outside. Take what you can carry and leave pack territory. Fine. I was leaving. But not before I made one stop. The Alpha’s study was on the second floor. I found out the code to the door — 0917, the date of our mating ceremony. The date Alaric had looked into my eyes under the full moon and sworn, before the Goddess and the entire pack, that I was his forever. Forever lasted seven years. The door clicked open. I slipped inside. The study was exactly as I remembered — oak desk, maps on the walls, the faint scent of Alaric’s cologne. For a moment, my wolf ached. This room smelled like safety. Like home. I crushed the feeling. I went straight to the hidden panel behind the bookshelf. Alaric didn’t know I knew about it — I’d discovered it three years ago while cleaning, but I’d never opened it, because I trusted him. I didn’t trust him anymore. The panel slid open, revealing a small safe. I entered the code — the same one, because Alaric was arrogant enough to use one code for everything — and the safe clicked open. Inside: documents. Stacks of them. Pack alliances, financial records, land treaties. And at the very bottom, a folder stamped with a red seal I didn’t recognize. I pulled it out and opened it. My blood went cold. It was a contract. Between Alaric and the Nightshade Pack — the most feared pack on the continent, led by Alpha Rhett Voss, a man known as the Butcher of the Eastern Territories. The contract was a trade agreement. Weapons, territory, safe passage through Silver Fang land. And the price? Me. The contract stated, in cold legal language, that upon dissolution of his mating bond, Alaric would deliver his former Luna to the Nightshade Pack as a “diplomatic gift” to ensure the alliance. Dated six months ago. Before Vivienne arrived. Before the accusations of barrenness. Before any of it. Alaric hadn’t fallen for Vivienne and decided to replace me. He had sold me to Rhett Voss first, and then manufactured a reason to get rid of me. Everything — the lies about my infertility, the arrival of Vivienne, the baby being dragged to the dungeon — it was all staged. All of it, so he could hand me over to a monster and call it politics. Kai whimpered against my chest. I folded the contract and tucked it into my coat. Then I walked out of the packhouse, into the snow, and didn’t look back.

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My name is Helen Silvermoon. Werewolf princess. Heir to the Silvermoon throne. Three days ago, my father was assassinated. His body wasn’t even in the ground yet when the Darkmoon family stirred up humans to deface his memorial portrait with stones. “The Coexistence Agreement is the biggest lie of the Silvermoon crown!” — a human council representative spits into the camera. “The Moonbridge Project is racial segregation! Humans will never be slaves!” #MoonbridgeProjectConspiracy #WerewolvesOppressingHumans Trending worldwide. My grandfather turns off the TV. He is the Silvermoon Alpha King. “The Darkmoon family is pushing to abolish the Coexistence Agreement. The Saint Moon Parliament votes in three weeks. Your crown heir’s trial is being accelerated.” He leans down. His voice scrapes like a rusted blade. “Helen. Go to Silvermoon Academy. As a human. Find proof that the Darkmoon family is sabotaging the peace. Otherwise—” Otherwise, Silvermoon falls. Darkmoon rises. The agreement collapses. Humans become slaves. I push the inhibitor into my vein. The liquid is silver — like liquid moonlight. Three seconds later, I can no longer smell werewolves. Three minutes later, I become a human. The gates of Silvermoon Academy open before me. I bend down to lock my bicycle. “Did you hear? Two transfer students today. New Moonbridge kids walking right into the trap—” A hand holding coffee. A high heel stepping exactly where I’m about to put my foot. Coffee pours all over me. A scream explodes.

“Are you freaking blind?” The blonde girl gets close to me. She sniffs the air around me. “Chelsea, look. Director Nielsen said one of the transfer students today is the daughter of a human cleaner.” She pokes at my T-shirt. “That’s you, right?” “No, it‘s not.” I get shoved hard. A passing girl catches me. Brakes screech. A black SUV stops. A girl steps out — sharp-dressed, oversized sunglasses hiding half her face. “Emily Nash. Transfer student.” She takes off her sunglasses. “My dad is the cousin of Council Chairman Nash.” The blonde girl laughs. “There are only two transfer students today. What about your father?” “He’s dead.” “Oh. So you ARE the cleaner’s daughter.” She steps closer. “Know your place, lower-class.” The laughter stings. “We have class.” The girl who caught me earlier lowers her head. “Mrs. Weimar’s class doesn’t allow tardiness —” The blonde girl shoves her. “Abigail. Human girl. No one asked you to speak.” Abigail stumbles. Her textbooks hit the ground. I crouch down to pick them up. “You’re helping her?” The blonde girl grabs my wrist. “First — I am not the cleaner’s daughter. Second — You know nothing about who I am. And third —” —SLAP— My face stings. I lift my head and look into her eyes. “You’ll regret messing with me.” She laughs out loud. “You’ll regret coming to Silvermoon Academy, Moonbridge freak.”

Abigail lowers her voice. “You shouldn’t have helped me. Chelsea is the werewolf princess of the Darkmoon family. Zoe is her sidekick. No one dares to go against them.” “I know.” “Then why —” “Does ‘no one dares’ makes it right?” The bell rings. Mrs. Pamela walks into the classroom. “Today we’re talking about the origin of the Moonbridge Project. Thirty years ago, the Silvermoon Alpha King founded the Moonbridge Project, admitting one hundred human students every year. This is a hand of friendship extended by werewolves to humankind.” Emily raises her hand. “What do you think about the negative rumors spreading online about the Moonbridge Project?” “The Moonbridge Project may have some —” “Some discrimination?” Emily finishes the sentence. “Some areas that need adjustment.” (Mrs. Pamela) “Like what?” (Emily) “Like — human students should not question the teaching methods of werewolf teachers.” Chelsea’s voice cuts through from the front row. In Ancient Werewolf Language. “What?” Emily looks completely lost. “Like — werewolf students should not deliberately use Ancient Werewolf Language to isolate human classmates.” Chelsea glares at me. Abigail whispers, “What did she say?” My grandfather’s voice echoes in my head: As a human. Find proof. This is your heir’s trial. I lower my eyes. “Ancient Werewolf Language. I don’t understand it.” Chelsea’s lips smile. Her eyes don’t. “Ms. Conner, if you can’t understand Ancient Werewolf Language, I suggest you transfer schools.” I lift my head. Calm. Steady. “I’ll learn.” But not the language. Your secrets and conspiracy. That‘s what I came for.

Dorm assignments. Werewolf students live in the main tower — floor-to-ceiling windows, private bathrooms. Human students live in the basement — water dripping from the ceiling, the smell of mold in the air. “Helen Conner.” The dorm manager reads my name. “A converted storage room.” “Wait.” Zoe leans against the wall. “Isn‘t Conner the cleaner’s daughter? She should live in the cleaner‘s dorm — with her own kind.” Laughter. The dorm manager’s eyelid twitches. “Miss Zoe is right. The cleaner’s dorm is outside campus, next to the Forbidden Forest. An extra twenty-minute walk.” I don’t argue. I grab my backpack and turn toward the east exit. Zoe‘s voice floats after me. “Let’s see how long she lasts.” My phone buzzes. Campus forum. Pinned post: 【Full Moon Festival Eve Alert: After moonrise tonight, werewolf students may roam the campus freely】 Top comment: “Full Moon Festival night = hunting season. Twelve humans got clawed last year.” Abigail catches up to me. The old scar on her arm turns pale in the setting sun. “Tonight is the eve of the Full Moon. Tomorrow night is the Moonlight Hunt. You have to hide —” The intercom crackles: “All human students must return to their dorms immediately.” The footsteps in the hallway grow heavier. Denser. Around the corner, Zoe leans against the wall. A baseball bat in her hand. Raised. Aimed at my knees. “Well, well. Two humans. Heading back to your dorm?” Her pupils turn gold. “I can walk you there.”

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The night of our graduation party—the one for turning eighteen—Ryder marked me.Out of nowhere. We were both drunk.I’d gone downstairs to get some air.Found him leaning against the garage door.He crooked his finger at me.Just that.One little gesture.And I followed him upstairs. It hurt. I bit down and stayed quiet,fingers twisting into the back of his shirt.When he pulled away,my head was still buzzing.He was already standing up straight,fixing his collar. I’d had a crush on him for six years. I thought I finally had my answer. First thing, the next morning, I opened my laptop and pulled up the college application portal. Ryder’s school was out east.Massachusetts.Long winters. I hate the cold. I was willing to deal with it. I wanted to tell him in person. The hallway was loud. I walked up to his classroom and reached for the door handle—then stopped. Someone inside was talking.Loudly. “You marked Luna Hale? The one who bolts every time she sees you——” “How long has she had a thing for him?” “Who knows.She’s so easy.Throw her a little attention and she’s hooked.” Laughter. A lot of it. I stood there outside the door,waiting.Waiting for Ryder to say something.To deny it.To tell them to shut up. “Alright,relax,”Ryder said.”It was just a temporary mark.It’ll fade in a few days.Not a big deal.” More laughter. “Right.Didn’t Ryder say he wanted to practice with someone before going after Chloe?” “Classic.She’s been chasing you forever and you give her a temporary mark?” “She was into it. I didn’t make her do anything,”Ryder said. “She’s totally going to think it meant something.” “That’s her problem,”Ryder said.”Either way, I’m making things official with Chloe before school starts.” The tears came fast. I pressed my hand over my mouth and walked away. I stood in the bathroom for a long time.Staring at myself in the mirror.At the red mark on my neck. It was fresh.The edges were still sharp.In a few days it would be gone.Like none of it ever happened. He never meant to choose me. I was just practicing. My phone buzzed.Mia. “You coming to the graduation dance tonight?” Then another.”Oh,and I just saw Chloe posted—she’s gonna be there too.And Ryder.Don’t tell me they’re actually a thing now?” I started typing.Deleted it.Tried again. I’ll be there. I slid my phone back into my pocket and took one last look in the mirror. I needed to talk to him face to face.

I changed into a different dress and let my hair down to cover my neck. The temporary mark was still warm. I dug a concealer out of my drawer and dabbed it on.In the mirror, there was nothing to see. Mia was waiting for me at the door.One look and she was already suspicious. “You look off.Something happened?”She looked me up and down. “Let’s just go.” I spotted Ryder the second I walked in.He was on the couch in the corner.Chloe was next to him. Not next to him.On his lap. She had on a crop top and shorts.His hand was resting on her waist. When she turned to say something to him, he leaned in naturally to listen.Their arms were linked together. Ryder never leaned down for me. I’m shorter than him.Six years of conversations,and every single one of them, I was the one on my tiptoes,stretching my neck,tilting my head up just to catch his eye. They started playing a game.Someone held up a phone to keep time.Everyone around them was egging them on. Simple rules.Chloe lay back on the couch.Ryder planted both hands on either side of her and did push-ups without touching her. Chloe laughed and sank into the cushions.Ryder lowered himself down with each rep,chest meeting chest before pushing back up.The crowd was screaming. On the tenth one, he didn’t hold himself up.He dropped down and stayed there. Chloe’s face went red.She shoved at him.”You did that on purpose.” Then he kissed her.Full on the mouth.She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Three whole minutes.Okay,I’ve seen enough,”Mia said. When Ryder pulled back from Chloe,his eyes swept across the room. He saw me.His hand was still on the back of Chloe’s head,but for half a second his expression went blank. Then he looked away.Chloe said something in his ear.He bent down to listen.Then he smiled. The crowd closed around them. Mia grabbed my arm and yanked me toward the door.”Stop looking.” She pulled me outside. “What’s that on your neck?”she said. I reached up to touch it.The concealer had sweated off.The bite mark from the temporary mark was showing.

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Five years ago, I lost my world to fire and blood. Now, I’m a single mother in a forgotten town, guarding a secret that could restart a war. My son has furry ears and sharp teeth. He is the last heir of the Lycan King. I thought we were safe… until He found us. The King’s brother. The ruthless Alpha. And he’ll burn the world to ashes to take what belongs to him. … “Lior, ears in! Now!” I hissed, frantically pulling the woolen beanie down until it nearly covered his eyebrows. One fuzzy, gray triangle was still twitching defiantly against the fabric. Living in Silver Falls meant hiding in plain sight. Local legends spoke of “The Howl” on full-moon nights to keep naughty children in bed, but the town had no idea the real “monster” was currently eating chicken nuggets at my kitchen table. I once stopped my son from biting a mailman. Last week, he accidentally howled at the moon during a spelling test. Today, he grew wolf ears at breakfast. Lior looked up, his molten gold eyes shimmering with ancient power. “What are the rules, Lior?” I asked, crossing my arms. “No teeth, no ears, no glowing eyes, and don’t scare the humans,” he recited, his voice small but steady. I kissed his forehead, sent him to the bus, and headed to the diner. Three years ago, I arrived here with nothing but a secret. Now, I was the town’s favorite cook, blending into the aroma of grilled onions and sea salt. But at 2:00 PM, the school called. “Miss Elara,” the principal wiped sweat from his brow. “He didn’t just push the boy. He… he smashed a solid oak desk with his bare hand.” Lior stood tall, uninjured and defiant, while the other boy sobbed with a small scratch on his arm. “Is this how you raise him?” the mother shrieked. “Look at my baby!” “Sorry-” I apologized profusely, but Lior’s eyes flared. “I’m not sorry! He said my Dad is never coming back. He lied! I have a Dad, he’s just… very busy!”

Five years ago, Ironwood Pack was the crown jewel of the North. Luna Seraphina was my only true friend. She is a regal woman who treated a human servant like her own blood sister. Beside the Alpha King stood his younger brother, Kael, the kingdom’s deadliest wolf. When Hagen’s rebels breached the gates, the air filled with the blood. “Run, Elara!” Seraphina had gasped, thrusting a silver-wrapped bundle into my trembling arms. “Protect him. He is the last Alpha heir. Never let Hagen find him.” I watched from the shadows as she and the Alpha Lord shifted, their massive forms standing ground against a tide of darkness until the pristine snow turned crimson. I ran until my lungs burned like fire, clutching baby Lior to my chest. He lost his memory that night, the trauma locking away his wolf. To him, I wasn’t the servant who saved him. I was simply “Mama.” But now, in the principal’s office, the wolf was scratching at the door. “Lior!” I interrupted, my heart hammering against my ribs. “We had a deal! You cannot hurt your classmates, no matter what they say.” The “busy Dad” he imagined was a shield he’d built for his own heart, but I knew the truth.

“Mommy, I’m still so hungry.” Lior mumbled, his eyes fixed longingly on the raw ribeye I was prepping for the lunch rush. His pupils were blown wide, nearly swallowing the gold of his irises. “It’s not cooked yet, baby,” I said, reaching for the tongs. Lior didn’t wait. In a blur of speed no human child should possess, he snatched the slab of meat and began tearing into it. I sighed as a sudden flurry of black fur drifted onto the kitchen tile. He was shedding again. His triangular ears popped out, twitching with every frantic bite. I didn’t panic; I just grabbed the vacuum. Whirrr. “How about I sear the next one medium-rare for you?” I asked, navigating the vacuum nozzle around his feet. “Just tell me when you’re hungry, and for heaven’s sake, stop raiding the fridge in the middle of the night!” “One more thing, mom, I accidentally ate the neighbor’s chicken.” “Again?!” I wasn’t in shock. The struggle of raising a Royal Alpha cub? It doesn’t care about your grocery budget. When he loses his temper, every dog within a three-block radius starts a howling riot. But luckily, I’m the only one who can talk him down from the ledge. “The full moon is coming up,” I warned, bopping his nose. “Try to behave better, okay?” He just blinked at me. “Yes, Ma’am!”

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When I broke with Kane Blackwood,his inner circle all laughed at me. “Let her go,”they laughed. “Elara Vance is nothing without the Alpha. The rogue wolves will tear her apart in days.” They were right. Every path was a dead end. I was starving,exhausted,dodging rogue wolves at every turn. So,I ended up crawling back to that man. Like the sacrificial offering I was,dressed in a sheer silk nightgown,standing before Kane’s estate. Kane stroked my neck. His fingers found my pulse—fragile,frantic—and he chuckled. “Learned your lesson?” I flashed a sweet smile. “I did.” I used to have it all wrong. I actually thought I would be the Luna of the Blackwood Pack. Not anymore. Now,I was just the Alpha’s pet. I craved his protection,his resources—but nothing more.I was done chasing his love. … My legs gave out from weakness. Kane swept me into his arms and carried me to the bath. Holding me close,he turned on the shower with his free hand. Hot water washed down my neck. I leaned against his chest.My eyelids were heavy. I murmured,my voice thick and soft. “Kane?” “Yeah.” “I want to enter the Blood Moon Crown trials.” He stopped washing me. His rough thumb brushed the fresh bite marks on my collarbone. A moment passed in silence.Then,flatly, “Alright.” A smile crept onto my lips. I leaned into his chest gently.”Thank you,my Alpha.”

The next morning,my phone was overheating from all the messages. The internal rules for the Blood Moon Crown. A list of the wolf Elders. Each Elder’s preferences for assessing wolf strength.It was all organized clearly and thoroughly. Even their past combat footage was tagged and sorted. At the very bottom was an image of an antique bronze crest. An Elder’s Endorsement—a fast-pass straight to the finals. I stared at the screen for a long time. Then,almost out of habit,I opened the pack forum. Sure enough. Every single post trashing my bloodline or doubting my strength was wiped clean. Overnight.Even some Elder heirs who had been stirring up trouble were nowhere to be found. Instead,the feed was flooded with a completely new narrative. “Elara Vance is actually insanely gifted.” “Taking down that berserk bear shifter solo?Absolute flex.” “You just can’t hide a truly strong wolf.” I read the praise and almost laughed. When I was on my own,I couldn’t even beg my way into the lowest-tier trials. Now,Kane lifted a single finger,and the absolute best was handed to me on a silver platter. Why the hell was I playing the proud,independent card before? I put my phone down. I showered,changed into my tactical gear,and sat at my workbench. Already polishing my silver dagger,I finally texted him back. 【Thank you,my Alpha.I got the crest.You’re amazing.】 I paused,then added another text. 【Free for a hunt tonight?】 I deliberately softened my tone,adding a touch of sweetness. He didn’t reply. The old me probably would have stared blankly at the screen. I would have agonized over whether he was busy with pack business, or if he just couldn’t be bothered with me. But not anymore. I put my phone face down and went back to studying my tactics. Hours later,shoulders aching,I finally picked up my phone. Sent two hours ago.Just two words. 【Come downstairs.】

I blinked in surprise and quickly replied.【Sorry,I was deep into studying tactics.Didn’t look at my phone.】 His reply was instant. 【Yeah.】 【Come down.】 I walked over to the window. His black Ford Raptor was idling on the street below. The driver’s window was rolled halfway down,revealing his sharp,impassive profile. When he saw me approach,he grabbed a paper bag from the console and handed it through the window. “I was at the Elder council all afternoon. Couldn’t text you back right away.” Inside was a hot,fresh meat pie from my old favorite spot. Back in the day,whenever we got into a fight,Kane was never one for sweet talk or apologies. He would just do his border patrols,swing through town,and pick up a small peace offering. A hot pastry,some sweet candies,or a six-pack of my favorite craft beer. I paused briefly,then smiled slightly.”Well.I know you’re busy.” The cab fell silent for a few seconds. Kane just stared at me. His dark eyes were completely unreadable. Finally,he looked away. “Get in.There’s a pack gathering tonight.” “Okay.” I pulled open the passenger door. As I slid into the seat,I froze. The seat had been pushed way back.It definitely wasn’t in my usual spot. The glove compartment in front of me was cracked open. Resting inside was a silver bracelet. It wasn’t my style. I reached over and picked it up. Kane turned his head.Something shifted in his expression. “That’s—” I had already dropped the bracelet back inside and snapped the compartment shut. My tone was calm. “Probably just something one of your pack members left behind.” I fastened my seatbelt,tilted my head,and gave him a smile.”Let’s go.We shouldn’t keep everyone waiting.” Kane didn’t put the truck in drive. I turned back to look at him.”What is it?” He was staring at me. His eyes were pitch black,his expression steadily turning ice-cold. A few agonizing seconds passed before he finally shifted into gear. His voice came out low and dangerously raspy. “Elara.” “You’re understanding these days.” Dead silence filled the truck. The veins on the back of his hands bulged against the steering wheel. He didn’t say another word.

We reached the valley for the pack gathering. I followed Kane into the clearing. Around the bonfire,a circle of wolves was drinking and chatting.The moment they saw me,the air went silent for a split second. Then,someone let out a laugh. “What did I tell you guys?” Gideon,Kane’s Beta,leaned against a boulder,swirling the liquor in his cup. His tone was dripping with arrogance. “I said Elara would come crawling back the second she hit a wall out there in the real world.” A few others snickered along with him. I stood beside Kane.I just offered a faint smile and didn’t say a word. The old me probably would have thrown my dagger in his direction.I wouldn’t have given a damn about the Alpha’s presence or pack rules. But not anymore. Gideon looked genuinely surprised by my silence. He raised an eyebrow. “Well,look at that.Seems she finally learned how to behave this time.” The second the words left his mouth,Kane’s flat voice cut through the air. “That’s enough.” Gideon clicked his tongue and threw his hands up in mock surrender. “Alright,alright.The Alpha’s getting defensive.My lips are sealed.” Footsteps crunched on the trail leading into the valley. Seraphina Thorne strolled in,her knee-high boots clicking against the stones. Her gaze drifted between me and Kane. “What’s going on?”she asked,her voice silky. “I could hear you guys being loud from all the way down the trail.” Someone chuckled and filled her in. Seraphina listened,looking thoroughly amused.She turned her gaze to me. “Just a harmless joke between packmates.Miss Elara won’t mind,right?” Her tone was light and airy. Exactly the same tone she used the very first time we met. She was the Alpha’s daughter from the neighboring Thorne Pack. Pure-blooded and noble. When she came to visit the Blackwood Pack back then,Kane had personally gone to the border to escort her in. The news blew up across the neighboring packs that very day. The rumors of an”impending mating union between Blackwood and Thorne”were everywhere,felt like daggers to my eyes. I refused to believe it. I went straight to Kane,demanding an explanation. I ended up running right into them as they arrived together at the estate gates. I grabbed Kane’s arm and asked him what the hell was going on. Seraphina,standing right beside him,gave me a dismissive once-over and laughed. “The Alpha’s kept little pet is quite disobedient,isn’t she? Someone needs to teach her a lesson.” I looked up and told her,syllable by syllable, “I am his mate.Not a pet.” But she just treated it like a hilarious joke. She turned to Kane with a smirk. “She says she’s not a pet.” Kane grabbed my wrist. His brows furrowed into a hard frown. “Elara.Behave.Don’t make a scene.” He didn’t say a single word to defend me.Not one. Furious and broken,I told him I was leaving him. He just stared down at me,his face dark. “Don’t regret this,”he said.

Back then,I really did panic. I even second-guessed myself. But that night,I stood just outside the valley. I heard his inner circle laughing with my own ears. “So what if they split? Without the Alpha,what the hell is Elara Vance? Let her go rogue for a few days;she’ll learn how cruel the wilds really are.” Right then and there,any thought of turning back just died. So I packed my things,moved out of his estate,and left cleanly. And the result? It was laughably pathetic. When we were together,I never once used Kane’s power to my advantage. Yet after we split,the neighboring packs were so terrified of offending him that they completely cut off all my options. Hunting grounds were shut down to me. Werewolves at the trading markets deliberately lowballed my goods. Even a spot at a sanctuary I had already secured was ripped away at the last second. I found out later that someone had put the word out: I had offended the Blackwood Pack,and anyone who didn’t want trouble should steer clear of me. After all that struggling,I still ended up crawling back to his side like a beaten dog. Pulling myself out of the memory, I picked up my mug of ale and met Seraphina’s eyes. “I don’t mind.” “As long as everyone’s having a good time.” Seraphina paused. My unnatural calmness actually earned me a second glance from her. Gideon let out a low whistle,looking at Kane. “Alpha,you really tamed her this time.” I just sat there,taking a slow sip of my ale,pretending I didn’t hear a thing. But Kane’s expression was turning pitch black. A second later,he abruptly stood up,snatching his jacket off the boulder. “We’re leaving.” The whole crowd in the valley froze. Gideon blinked in confusion. “Leaving already?” Kane completely ignored him,his hand locking onto my wrist. He dragged me through the woods. My heeled boots stumbled over the thick layer of dead leaves. I couldn’t help but gasp,”Kane,slow down.” He didn’t miss a beat. He dragged me all the way back to the parking lot.Then he finally let go and whirled around to face me.”Elara,are you really tolerate everyone like this?”

I pretended not to understand. Kane stared at me,his eyes a terrifying,fathomless dark. The next second,his hand clamped around the nape of my neck and he crashed his lips onto mine. The kiss was urgent and bruising,dripping with sheer Alpha possessiveness. He forced me backward until my lower back slammed against the car door. A moment later,he pushed me into the backseat. The car door slammed shut with a heavy thud. In the cramped space,the only sound left was his ragged breathing. Like a provoked beast,he bit at my lips,his large hands gripping my waist with a punishing force. Through the relentless motion and close contact,his growl rumbled deep against my ear.”Elara,are you mine?” For a fleeting second,my mind drifted. As a half-blood,I watched my human mother slowly drain her soul over a doomed interracial romance.I knew better than anyone just how treacherous love could be. Back then,I was guarded,prickly,and absolutely refused to hand my heart over to anyone. But Kane stubbornly bulldozed his way into my life. During my years wandering the Southern Territories,I was gravely injured once. On the night of a full moon,I called him in a delirious haze. All I said was,”I miss you.” By the very next afternoon,he had actually flown a helicopter across countless pack borders,touching down in the dirt lot right outside my motel. The wind from the blades whipped my hair around. Standing amidst the deafening roar of the rotors,he lifted his gaze to me—looking like a fierce beast that would never,ever back down. The image of the old Kane gradually merged with the wild man pinning me down,demanding answers. Looking up at him,the corners of my lips suddenly curled. I lifted my arms,wrapping them around his neck,and gave him a sweet,seductive smile. “Of course I’m yours,my Alpha.”

He suddenly stopped moving.Then a wilder,more violent storm blew in. In the following days,my inbox blew up. Pack alliance invites and rare resource lists fell like snow. Ancient weapon blueprints. Reserved seating at the Moonstone Council. Combat journals of legendary Lycans. Things I could never touch before. Sorting through them,I scoffed. Being an Alpha’s pet was so easy. As long as you kept the Master happy,everything came to you. Kane didn’t visit me once. But news of him and Seraphina flooded the pack forums,as they attended the Elder Council together and patrolled the borders.Always side by side. Every pack whispered the same thing:their Mating Ceremony was coming. I played the perfect pet. I didn’t ask a single question. Until one midnight. I woke up groggy. The heavy stench of alcohol hit me. Kane was in my bed. He hugged me from behind,gripping me incredibly tight.His face was buried in my neck. His voice was terribly hoarse. “Elara,let’s have our Mating Ceremony.” I went completely rigid. Silent.Sensing my reaction,his arms tightened. So hard,he almost crushed me into his very bones.

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I was back to the day I chose my son. This time, I walked past my own flesh and blood and picked the runt no one wanted. Everyone said I was the most pathetic omega in the pack. The day I gave birth, the Luna took my son and never gave him back. But I told myself it was fine. Catherine was the Luna, my boy would have a better life with her than he ever would with me. Then I took a blade for the Luna during a rogue attack. The Alpha said I’d earned a reward and let me choose one of the pups in the pack house to raise as my own. So I asked for my son back. I asked for Julian, and Catherine had to hand him over. I raised him until he was twenty, and that year the Alpha named him heir. That same night, Julian forced a cup of wolfsbane tea down my throat. He looked at me like I was filth. “If you hadn’t dragged me away from the Luna, I would’ve been named heir years ago. All you ever did was hold me back.” When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day I’d chosen him. Alpha Alaric sat at the head of the hall. “Evelyn has shown her loyalty to this pack. She may choose one pup to take into her care.” I followed his gaze. Five boys stood in a line. Julian was at the front, dressed sharp, the Luna’s golden child. He looked at me with something close to disgust. Last time around, I’d been so blinded by the joy of getting him back that I missed the contempt in those eyes. I closed mine and swallowed the nausea rising in my throat, then looked past him to the others. At the very back, below the dais, a scrawny kid stood with his head down. That was Silas. His mother Lillian had tried to seduce the Alpha and been executed as a traitor, and after that he became the runt nobody wanted. The other wolves said he was sullen and strange, that he lived worse than the omegas in the pack house. I looked at that boy standing there all alone and something in me just broke. I knew what it felt like to be thrown away. I took a deep breath and raised my hand, pointing at Silas. “Alpha, I want him.”

The room went quiet. Silas looked at me, his eyes blank with confusion and something like disbelief. He was thin, almost frail, but his back was perfectly straight. I met his gaze and didn’t know what to feel. I’d never been the type to fight for anything. Alaric and I had a thing back in school, but he found his Luna and moved on. Catherine never let me forget it. Five or six years in this pack and I was basically invisible. Last time around, I’d insisted on getting my real son back, and he’d poisoned me for it. This time, I wasn’t hoping for anything. I just wanted a kid nobody else wanted either, so the two of us could keep each other company and get through the days. Alaric paused for a moment, then gave a faint smile. “Alright.” He said, “Silas is a quiet one and you’re steady. Good match. Take care of him.” I could tell he didn’t think much of it. He just figured I’d picked the easiest option and that was that. I thanked him and walked over to Silas, reaching for his hand. When my fingers touched his, he flinched but didn’t pull away. And just like that, Silas became my son and came home with me. That night, I ran a warm bath for Silas. When his clothes came off and I saw his back, my hands went still and I couldn’t move. It was covered in wounds. Whip marks layered over each other, huge patches of bruising and burn scars where the skin had puckered and fused together. My voice shook when I asked, “Who did this to you?” Silas was quiet for a long time before he said, “I fell.” I bit my lip and didn’t push. I wrung out the cloth again and wiped his back as gently as I could, working around every wound. When I was done, I got him clean clothes and helped him into them. Then I put my hand on his head. “Silas, this is your home now, and I’m your mom.”

Silas wasn’t the sullen, difficult kid the rumors made him out to be. He was obedient, just quiet. So quiet that sometimes I forgot he was even there. But that was enough. I’d gotten a second life and I wasn’t going to waste it getting caught up in pack politics or trying to climb any ladders. I just wanted to lay low, raise Silas in peace, and keep my head down. Maybe when I was old, he’d come visit once in a while. That alone would make this life worth living. Silas went to school every day. One afternoon, I had nothing to do, so I baked some pastries and brought them over. I spotted Silas before I reached the school. He was sitting alone under a tree, reading. On the other side of the yard, Julian was tossing a ball around with three other boys crowding him like he was the center of the universe. Right. Julian lived with the Luna. Everything he had was the best of the best, and every kid in this pack treated him like royalty. Last time, I’d been stupid enough to pull him away from all that and make him live with me, a nobody omega with no power and no connections. Him hating me, resenting me for dragging him down, I guess I couldn’t entirely blame him. I let out a dry laugh and looked away. My son was Silas now. All that mattered was that we lived our lives in peace. I carried the box over and sat down next to Silas. He looked up at me with a flicker of surprise. “Hungry?” I set the box on the table. “I just made these. Try some.” I’d barely gotten the pastries out when an impatient voice cut in. “Why do you keep showing up?” I turned around. Julian had already walked up close, not bothering to hide the irritation on his face. He pointed at the pastries, his face twisted in disgust. “The servants at Catherine’s house eat a hundred times better than this. I wouldn’t touch this garbage. Stop bringing this crap around to bother me.” Before I could say a word, Silas stood up. He stepped between me and Julian. “She’s your mother, Julian. How can you talk to her like that?” Julian scoffed. “My mother is the Luna. She’s nothing.” He waved his hand. “Take your garbage and go. Don’t come back.”

If this had been the old me, those words would have left me burning with shame. But now, all I felt was disappointment. I smiled lightly. “Julian, you’ve got it wrong.” I pulled Silas close. “I’m Silas’s mom. These are for him.” I bent down and ruffled Silas’s hair, then handed him a pastry. “Here, sweetie, try it. Tell me if it’s any good.” Julian’s face froze for a second after I said that. He’d probably never imagined that the woman who used to fuss over him would cut him loose and give all that warmth to a kid he thought was beneath him. Silas took a bite and smiled. “Thanks, Mom. It’s really good. I love it.” I grinned. “Good. I’ll make more next time.” I turned around with the pastries and looked at Julian and the other two boys standing there, stunned. “You guys want some too?” Kids are kids. Six, seven years old, always hungry. They perked up when I offered, already tempted. The other two were slowly reaching out their hands. “Don’t you dare!” Julian slapped their hands away. “It’s just some sad little pastry. The kitchen scraps at our house are better than this. Only losers who’ve never had anything decent would want this. I wouldn’t be caught dead eating it.” Then he looked at me and raised his chin. “You better remember what you said today. Don’t ever come looking for me again.” I watched Julian, furious and trying so hard to act like he didn’t care, and almost wanted to laugh. I nodded. “Don’t worry, Julian. My only son is Silas. Anything good I have goes to him.” Julian’s face went pale. He stomped his foot and spun around, shouting at the three boys still standing there dumbfounded. “What are you looking at? Let’s go!” Then he took off without looking back. The three boys scrambled after him. That night, Silas came home from school and I put him to bed like always. Just when I thought he was asleep, he said in a very small voice, “Mom.” He rolled over to face me. “Tomorrow when school’s out, could you bring me pastries again?” My heart went soft. “Of course.” I kept my voice gentle. “I’ll make more tomorrow, and I’ll come pick you up too.” Silas’s mouth curved into a happy little smile and he closed his eyes, perfectly content.

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My husband and my three brothers dug out my heart for their favorite sister. I drink the prenatal supplement Jade gives me. Seconds later, my stomach folds in on itself, as if someone’s twisting a rope inside me. “C-section. We have to do a C-section,”Dr. Ethan Hart—my oldest brother, also　the best cardiac surgeon in Fairmont—says I need an emergency C-section. My husband Julian Price screams, “Save her! I only want my wife!” My three brothers crowd around me. Their eyes are red. “Just sleep, Ivy, it’ll stop hurting. We have the best doctors, the best medicine.” When the pain is at its worst, I feel ridiculously lucky that the people who love me are right here. Until I overhear them outside the door while I’m waiting for anesthesia. Ethan’s voice carries a note of excitement I don’t like. “Ivy’s healthy, her blood type and age match. It’s a rare chance—let’s harvest her heart and transplant it to Jade.” Marcus agrees—my second brother. “I’ll arrange people to destroy the evidence. Ivy will never find out.” Oliver chimes in—my third brother. “I’ll formulate a targeted medication. Even if Ivy gets a bad heart, she won’t suffer.” After a beat, My Husband Julian exhales like a man unburdened. “Jade really needs a good heart to fulfill her dance dreams. As for Ivy… we’ll compensate her later. I’ll sign the consent now.” It’s like a bucket of ice dumped over me. My heart already feels like someone is carving it out of my chest with a dull knife. Then a voice rings inside my head—familiar and utterly foreign—a cold electronic chime: [ALERT: Host life at risk.] [FINAL CONFIRMATION: Do you wish to forfeit all rewards and remain in this world?] I laugh through my tears. This time, their counterfeit love can’t chain me anymore. — I try to roll off the bed. But a nurse shoves a tube down my throat and into my nose. Anesthesia floods my body. Before the darkness swallows me, I see Jade—accentuated and rehearsed in her pity—being wheeled in. The foster sister they adore now, and the one who poisoned my baby. Ethan holds his scalpel. He speaks coldly to the nurse: “Don’t bother with the dead fetus. Take her heart out and transplant it into Jade.” I feel the blade slice through my skin, layer by layer. Right before I lose consciousness, I hear him whisper. “Hold on, Jade. When you wake, you can shine on stage.”

When I come to, the first thing I do is ask *The System* what it said. “As long as my body dies,” I ask, “I can go back to my original world. My heart disease will be cured. And I’ll get a hundred million dollars. Correct?” [Correct.] How ridiculous—when I first agreed to come this world to redeem four men, it was because I couldn’t afford treatment for my heart disease.Fifteen years later, those same four men repay me back a bad heart again. I don’t hesitate to rip the oxygen tube out. To make me die faster. Breathing becomes harder. My throat clamps shut. My face turns purple. I am moments from suffocating. A small, humorless smile lifts my lips. Good. I won’t have to stay here and face their fake love anymore. The heart monitor explodes into red lights and a keening alarm. My three brothers and Julian burst into the room with a pack of nurses, bellowing, “Ivy!!” Ethan does CPR, he wants to save me. He puts the tube back in. Then he roars with bloodshot eyes. “Are you insane?! Why did you pull out your tube? It’s just a lost baby—don’t give up on your life!” I clutch at the hollow ragged pain where my heart should be and scrape out a voice. “I only lost a baby?” Julian collapses to his knees and keeps slapping his own face. “It’s my fault. I asked Jade to give you that medication. thought it would help the pregnancy. I didn’t know you were allergic…The toxins hit your heart. But Ethan’s the best cardiac surgeon in the country—he can fix you. We can have more children.” Julian crawls toward me on his knees. His eyes are wet. He grabs my hand. “I already punished the pharmacist who made the mistake. She’ll never work again. Don’t blame Jade, don’t blame yourself. we love you.” When I don’t answer, Marcus speaks. His voice is hoarse. “I’ve contacted hospitals overseas. We’ll find a matching heart.” Oliver pats my shoulder gently. “I’ll prepare the targeted medication. You’ll breathe like a normal person again. You’ll run and jump.” I feel nothing but so cold. They want to sweep it all under the rug. Jade poisoned me. Killed my baby. And now they’re planning to steal my heart. I let out a bitter laugh. I look at the four men surrounding my bed. “Where’s Jade? I’ll go see her myself.” Ethan frowns. “You’re still blaming her? She had a heart attack from the guilt. Lucky we found a donor just in time.” Oliver, the brother who used to spoil me the most, quickly adds. “Darling, Don’t cause trouble. Ethan will fix Jade, and he’ll fix you too.” I snort. “Really? Both surgeries, at the same time? My heart breaks, and Jade just happens to find a donor?” The room goes silent. “Ivy…”Ethan opens his mouth and closes it again. I’m tired of their lies. “Go check on Jade if you want. I’m glad she’s well.” They freeze, looking for something to say; I pull the blanket over my face. When I peek out again, they are gone. But Julian hesitates at the door and then stays. His shame is thick in his eyes. I smile at him. “Go see her. Come back and tell me how she’s doing.” Then he leaves without another word. When the house is finally empty, I breathe out and fumble for my phone. *The System* promised me one wish if I helped it meet its KPI. Right before I went into surgery, I traded my System wish for two video clips. I watch the videos until my vision blurs—over and over— I watch them plan how to steal my heart. How my eldest brother methodically stripped it out and painstakingly placed it into Jade. A chill runs through me. And then I am glad I didn’t die just now. Because leaving so easily would have been too kind for them.

During my hospital stay, one of them stays with me every day. But they always leave in a hurry. I think they are busy. Then one day I need to use the bathroom. No one is around. I drag my IV pole and slowly make my way down the hall. I pass a room. Through the window, I see Julian Price—the man who said he had an urgent meeting—feeding a dumpling into Jade’s mouth. My three brothers are in the room too. They watch her with soft, doting eyes. Ethan’s voice is helpless but fond. “Jade, you can’t go stuffing yourself just because you’re better. Those dumplings are too greasy.” Jade bats at his white coat and pouts. She complains with the exact touch of a spoiled child. “But Marcus made them for me. They’re too good to resist.” Then she complains again. “You guys crowd around me every day. It’s so annoying. I can’t even sneak a snack without someone catching me.” My nails dig into my palms. I laugh at myself. For days my meals have been nothing but plain rice porridge I’ve ordered myself. No one noticed. No one asked. Jade, meanwhile, has hot dishes hand-delivered by Marcus. I turn around. My legs feel like lead. Then I hear two nurses whispering outside the break room. “The patient I’m taking care of? I think this one is the real sister. Dr. Hart was explicit—just give anther one IV fluids and keep her alive. If Miss Jade has severe rejection, that one be ready to replace her whole blood.” My body clamps shut. The scar lines across my chest and belly feel like they’re tearing open; pain crawls through my limbs. How did it come to this? When I first came to this world, my body was weak. I was sick all the time. Another critical condition notice. Another brush with death. I remember being the child who if I so much as bumped my knee. Ethan learned medicine to take better care of me. Marcus and Oliver were the same. Marcus hustled to build businesses so we could afford treatments; Oliver buried himself in pharmaceutics to make my medicines less bitter. When I was on the edge of death, they prostrated themselves at famous temple and pray for a protective charm to me. To bring me good karma, they even saved an orphan named Julian Price from the snow. Everyone in Fairmont knows the Hart family’s daughter is blessed: three brothers who dote on their fragile little sister, and her fiancé is the CEO of a tech giant. I was an orphan. I craved that love more than anything. After I finished the mission I even refused the reward—I just wanted to stay and be loved by them. Then Jade arrived. The day they brought her home, the brothers swore over me. “She looks so much like our mother. She has the same heart condition. We can’t ignore her.” “Don’t worry. Adopting her will bring you more good karma. You’re still our love and only.” I believed them. I really tried to accept her. To be kind I gave up my room. Every time my brothers came back from a business trip, I reminded them to buy her a gift too. I felt sorry she couldn’t go places because of her heart. So every time Julian and I went on a date, I brought her along. Slowly, Jade sank into the family. She learned to whine for gifts. She play-fought with Julian. She fit right in. But somewhere along the way, something shifted. When Jade fell in front of me, Ethan’s first question was, “Did you push her?” One time Marcus cooked, he made all of Jade’s favorite foods. Oliver’s research goal became—develop a targeted drug for Jade’s heart. Even Julian, when we argued, would throw out, “Why can’t you be more like your sister? Learn to be softer!” And then… they plotted to steal my heart. All for her. The emotions surge back. My heart feels like someone is ripping it out again. I try to move faster. I want to leave this place. But I’m too weak. My legs give out. I fall. The wounds on my chest and abdomen split open. Pain so sharp it blots out thought folds me into a ball. I go limp, fog swallowing me, and whisper, “Ethan, Oliver and Marcus …” Just as I am about to pass out, I see them. My brothers and Julian. Running toward me. Ethan is the fastest. He scoops me up. His voice is harsh. “Ivy Hart! Because you saw us all with Jade, you hurt yourself again? Just to get attention?”

I am sent home from the hospital. Nurses watch me around the clock. They won’t let me hurt myself again. My body is too weak. I sit in a wheelchair. I can’t even use the bathroom without help. Jade, on the other hand, runs and jumps like nothing happened. She wears a pink chiffon dance dress and twirls in the garden, light on her feet. Julian holds his phone, recording her. My three brothers watch without blinking. Their lips curl into soft, adoring smiles. I feel boring. I turn my wheelchair around. I want to leave. “Oh!” Jade suddenly trips and falls with a small thud. “Jade!” The four men rush to her side. I look back. Jade points at a loose latch that fell from my wheelchair. Her voice wobbles with tears. “Ivy, I know you blame me for the wrong medicine and for losing the baby, and you must be jealous my heart got fixed and yours didn’t, but—” She bursts into sobs. “I can finally dance. How could you do this on purpose and make me fall?” Ethan kneels to check her leg, rubbing it gently. Marcus’s face darkens. Veins bulge on his forehead. “Ivy Hart! What happened to the way we raised you? How did you become so cruel?” The other three glare at me. Disgust in their eyes. My ruined heart feels like someone just stabbed it again. “I didn’t,” I rasp. “That part fell off yesterday—” “Still lying! We really spoiled you too much.” Marcus raises his hand. He is about to slap me. The blow is inches from my face before Julian steps between us. “Marcus, Ivy has been through a lot. She needs time.” Oliver also tries to calm him down. “Forget it. Jade mentioned wanting to try that new private restaurant. Let’s take her out to celebrate.” He turns to me. his eyes are cold now. “As for you. Stay home and think about what you did.” Julian hesitates. He wants to stay with me. but Jade rushes forward and grabs his hand in front of me, shaking it like a child claiming a toy. “Julian, come with me! You promised you’d buy me dinner if I was good during surgery.” Julian’s face stiffens. “I should stay with your sister… she—” I stare at their intertwined hands until my throat goes dry. “Just go. She wants you to.” Julian pats my head. “All right. Wait for me at home. I’ll bring back your favorite seafood porridge.” — I sleep until three in the morning and wake to an empty bedside. Julian never came home. The whole house is dark; only Jade’s room is lit. The door is ajar. As I closer, I hear the soft, syrupy sounds of her crying. Julian’s voice, huskier than I’ve ever heard it, murmurs, “Shh. We have to stop. You just got better…” Jade’s voice trembles. “Now that my heart’s fixed, when will you divorce her? I met you first. You were mine from the beginning.” Julian answers, low and warm, “You’re my favorite, baby. But Ivy saved my life. I can’t abandon her. Besides, if you reaction after the surgery was very strong, we might need her blood to save you.” “Julian…” Jade coos. A cold basin of water is poured over my head. All night I listen to them whisper and laugh, their sweet nothings spilling through the thin door. My hands shake as I grip my phone. I lean against the wall. I close my eyes. — Morning comes. My three brothers leave for work and find me propped beside Jade’s door. “Ivy, what are you doing here?”they ask. I give them a quick wave and then push my wheelchair inside Jade’s room without warning. In the stunned silence on their faces, I throw back the covers. Two bodies are tangled under the sheets—naked and breathless. I raise my phone and start taking pictures.

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“Eleanor. Did you steal the strawberries from my fridge?” Hailey tagged me in the family group chat while I was having tea at my old friend Margaret’s place in the Hamptons. I’d used a few of the white strawberries sitting in her crisper drawer to make a simple purée for Leo that morning. Before I could type a word, Liam jumped in. “Mom, those were imported white strawberries. Fifty bucks a box. You can’t just help yourself to Hailey’s things without asking. We need boundaries in this house.” Hailey piled on. “You keep saying you came here to help with the baby, but you sneak behind my back and steal my strawberries? You’re no better than some common thief.” I opened my banking app and Zelled her $5,000. Then I typed back: A hundred times what they’re worth. Are we square now? Hailey accepted the transfer in under three seconds. Then she kept going. “Liam, you need to handle your mother. She thinks because she has a little money she can walk all over us.” I didn’t type another word. I packed my bag, called my driver, and went straight back to the estate in Southampton. On the way, I called my attorney and told him to start the paperwork to repossess the Tribeca penthouse they were living in. Let’s see how well they eat without the thief in the house. The car hadn’t even cleared the Midtown Tunnel when my phone started buzzing. Liam. “Mom, what the hell is this? Are you seriously throwing a tantrum right now?” “I’m going home. To my own house. That’s not a tantrum.” “You’re humiliating us in front of the whole family, Mom. Hailey is sensitive. You’re the adult here, you’re supposed to let things slide. And the $5,000 thing? Who were you trying to embarrass with that stunt?” I almost laughed. “She called me a thief in writing, Liam. And you want me to let it slide?” “Mom—” “The penthouse you live in? I bought it cash. The Cayenne you drive? I wrote the check. I wire you twenty grand a month to float your life. And I’m a thief over a box of strawberries?” “Jesus Christ, Mom, do you have to make everything about money? Families don’t keep score like this. Hailey’s right, you’re controlling. You act like we owe you something. Just come home and apologize to her and we can move past this.” Apologize. To the woman who just called me a thief on a group thread with thirty relatives on it. I hung up. The phone started lighting up again immediately. The family group. Hailey had posted an essay. Eight hundred words, minimum. To everyone — I’m sorry to air this here but I don’t know what else to do. Eleanor didn’t just blow up at me over a misunderstanding today, she actually walked out on us. And that’s not even the worst part. I just went to get ready for dinner and my grandmother’s Van Cleef necklace is GONE. Nobody else has been in the apartment. Eleanor left in a rush with a huge bag. I don’t want to accuse anyone but that necklace was the last thing I had of my grandmother’s. The replies started rolling in. Liam’s sister Catherine was first out of the gate. Eleanor, I am SHOCKED. You’ve always seemed so put-together. How could you? Then Uncle Raymond, doing his usual fake-peacemaker routine. Hailey sweetheart, let’s not blow this up. When she gets back just ask her to open her bag. Let’s keep it in the family. Please don’t call the police. Hailey hit him with a crying emoji. Uncle Ray, I don’t want to either. But she literally threw money at me today and said she has plenty of it. If she has so much, why would she take my necklace? I stared at the screen and my hands went cold. They were building a case. A permanent one. The kind you never wash off. I typed: Hailey. Back up your accusations with evidence or stop talking. Liam chimed in before she could. Mom, don’t dig in on this. That necklace means everything to her. Just give it back and we’ll drop it. Nobody has to know. Thirty years I raised that boy. And it felt like someone had driven a fist through my chest. “Liam. You actually think I took it.” He sent a voice note. I could hear the exhaustion he was performing for the audience. Mom, come on. You’ve always been like this. You take extra plastic bags at the grocery store. You pocket the free pens at the bank. It’s a pattern. Maybe you had a moment, we get it. Just return it and we can all move on without humiliating you. My hands were shaking. I take reusable bags to the store to save two cents at checkout. I send him twenty thousand a month. And that was the evidence I’d stolen a diamond necklace. Catherine again. Eleanor, honey. Liam is handing you a way out. Take the off-ramp. You’re too old to end your life as the family embarrassment. I gripped the phone until my knuckles went white. I’ll say this one more time. I did not take it. If you don’t believe me, call the police. Hailey posted a screenshot. An NYPD online complaint receipt, already filed. Eleanor, you forced my hand. I looked at that screenshot and whatever was left of my feelings for that boy and his wife went out like a candle. There were debts on this ledger. It was time somebody balanced them. I scrolled to my contacts and dialed the private investigator my late husband used to keep on retainer.

The car pulled through the estate gates just after sunset. The hedges had gone wild. The lawn was knee-high in places. I hadn’t been out here in almost three years — not since Richard died and I moved into the city to help with Leo. I’d barely gotten my suitcase through the front door when I heard tires on the gravel drive. The black Cayenne I’d paid for in cash was parked at an angle across my front walk, like they owned the place. “What do you two want?” I opened the door just a crack. “Did the NYPD already track down the necklace in my luggage?” Hailey rolled her eyes and pushed right past me with Leo on her hip. “God, Eleanor, you hold a grudge. Nobody was actually going to have you arrested. It was a wake-up call. We came all the way out here to bring you home.” “I am home. The apartment doesn’t have room for a thief, apparently. So I’ll stay here.” Liam stepped into the foyer, rubbing his temples like I was giving him a migraine. “Mom. Stop. You’re in the middle of nowhere. You can’t even get DoorDash out here. How are you going to live? And who’s going to cook for Hailey and watch Leo while she works?” “She called my cooking unsanitary. She said my parenting was Stone Age. So she can do it herself.” Hailey had already started walking through the house. Living room. Dining room. Up the main staircase. Her eyes were moving like a real estate appraiser’s, and I didn’t like what I was seeing in them. “Babe,” she called down to Liam. “Actually, this could work.” “What could work?” She came back to the landing, smiling in a way I’d come to recognize. “The air in the city is terrible. Leo’s had that cough for weeks. It’s so much healthier out here. Why don’t we just move in? All three of us.” “Excuse me?” “You can take the nanny’s suite downstairs. It’s right off the kitchen, so you’ll be close when Leo needs a bottle at night. Perfect, actually.” The estate had six bedrooms. I’d raised Liam in the main wing. The nanny’s suite was a windowless seventy-square-foot room off the pantry. “You want me in the staff quarters.” “Obviously the master is ours. Leo needs a nursery. I need a room for my Pilates reformer — my trainer said I have to keep practicing. Liam wants a home office. And we’ll need two guest rooms for when my mom and brother visit.” She cocked her head. “That leaves the nanny’s suite. I mean, you’re not going to be difficult about this, are you? It’s for Leo’s health. You always say how much you love your grandson. Surely you can give up a bedroom for him.” I turned to Liam. “Liam. And you’re fine with this?” He wouldn’t meet my eyes. He scratched at the back of his neck. “Mom, Hailey’s thinking about Leo. You don’t need a big bedroom all to yourself, that’s just wasted space. The nanny’s room is fine, you can fix it up.” Something cold ran up through me. This was my son. The son I’d carried, fed, sent through Choate, put through Wharton. And he was negotiating me into a broom closet to keep the peace with his wife. I pointed at the door. “Get out.” Hailey’s face snapped. “Excuse me?” “Out. Both of you. Off my property.” She laughed, sharp and ugly. She shoved Leo into Liam’s arms and dropped onto my living room sofa like she was in a hotel lobby, crossing her legs. “Your property? Eleanor, honey, you need a reality check. Richard built this house. That means half of it is Liam’s. We’re not going anywhere.” She leaned forward, her voice dropping. “In fact, you’re going to get the contract out right now and sign it over to Liam. Tonight. I’m not letting some senile old woman leave this estate to a charity someday because she got mad at her family.” My voice came out very quiet. “Hailey. You are in my house.” She stood up, fast, and slapped my hand away from where I’d been pointing. “You’re in my way. And I haven’t even gotten started on the necklace yet. You sign that contract over tonight, or I walk into the 1st Precinct tomorrow morning and file charges.” “You want to do your eighties in Bedford Hills? Try me.” Her hand shot out and grabbed something off the console table. “Pang—” Porcelain shattered across the hardwood.

I stared at the pieces on the floor. Richard’s teapot. The one he’d kept on his desk for thirty years. The one he was holding in the last photograph I had of him. “What did you just do.” Hailey dusted her palms off like she’d gotten something sticky on them. “Oops. Slipped.” She shrugged. “Relax, Eleanor. It’s just some ugly little pot. You’re scaring Leo screaming over it.” Liam bounced Leo away from me, frowning like I was the problem. “Mom, seriously. You know Hailey’s temper. Why would you provoke her? It’s a teapot. I’ll order you one off Amazon tonight. Twenty bucks, looks identical, on your porch by Friday.” I looked up at him. My vision had gone blurry at the edges. “Twenty bucks.” “Yeah, Mom. Don’t make this a thing.” “That was your father’s. It was Yixing clay. The auction house valued it at two hundred thousand dollars.” Hailey’s eyes flicked sideways when I said the number. I saw her do the math. Then her voice went up an octave. “Two hundred thousand? Are you insane? Are you trying to shake us down? ” “I’m telling you right now, you’re not getting a dime. You stole my necklace, that was thirty grand. We are even.” She walked over and kicked the largest piece of porcelain across the floor, watched it skid to the baseboard. “Let me make this simple for you. You’re signing the deed tonight. You’re not going to argue. And if you breathe one word of pushback, you will never see Leo again. Not his birthdays. Not his graduation. Nothing.” She pointed at Leo in Liam’s arms. “Liam. Take him out. I don’t want him breathing this old-lady air. And from now on, she doesn’t touch him without my permission.” Liam hesitated. “Hailey, come on. She’s his grandma.” “So? With a shoplifter for a grandmother, he’ll get bullied at school. He’ll have to explain her at Christmas dinner his whole life. Liam, I swear to God, if you take her side on this one, we are filing papers tomorrow morning.” Liam crumbled so fast it was almost impressive. He turned to me with that look. The one that had always meant fix this for me, Mom. “Mom. Just get the contract out. Please. Before she really loses it. This house is coming to me eventually anyway. What’s the difference?” I pushed myself up off the floor. My knee was bleeding where I’d knelt in the porcelain, but I didn’t feel it. “Liam. You are using your father’s ashes and your son as leverage to get this house out of me.” “Jesus, Mom, don’t be dramatic. It’s called estate planning. You’re one old woman rattling around in a mansion.” “What does it accomplish? Keep playing this selfish game and see who’s changing your diapers in ten years.” I looked at him. Carefully. And I couldn’t find the boy I’d raised anywhere in that face. I took a long breath in. The inside of my mouth tasted like copper. “You want the house.” “Yes. Thank you.” “Second floor. Top drawer of the writing desk.” Hailey’s whole face lit up. She shoved Leo back into my arms and grabbed Liam’s sleeve and dragged him toward the staircase. Actually, What was in that drawer was a signed contract for the sale of the Tribeca penthouse. And a repossession notice for the Cayenne sitting in my driveway.

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