I spent fourteen months on the port project. No weekends. No holidays. Three straight weeks sleeping on a cot in the control room. At the celebration ceremony, Sofia, the Caporegime, scratched my name off the contributor list in front of everyone. “Marlena, you’re young. There will be other opportunities.” She took the million-dollar bonus and the Underboss nomination for herself. I didn’t fight back. Instead, I handed her the lifetime liability charter and watched her sign it. Three days later, in front of the Council, the system collapsed. Trial version expired. My little gift buried deep in the code had detonated. She screamed that I set her up. I smiled. “That signature on the liability charter? It says your name. Embezzlement. Fraud. Five million in losses. All yours.” …… End of year. The Gambino Family Celebration Ceremony. The port project was finally complete. I had poured fourteen months of my life into it, no weekends, no holidays. During the hardest stretch, I had slept on a cot in the control room for three weeks straight just to push it through final inspection. The ceremony hall blazed with light. Everyone was clapping, toasting, slapping my shoulder. “Marlena, hell of a job. Couldn’t have pulled this off without you.” I smiled and started toward the podium to give my speech. But Sofia, the Caporegime, snatched the microphone from my hand. She took a pen and, in front of the entire room, scratched my name off the contributor list. “Don’t misunderstand, everyone. Marlena was just running errands for me. The core of this project was all my sweat, all my late nights.” “Marlena, you’re still young. There will be other opportunities. As for the million dollar bonus and the Underboss nomination this time, I won’t be modest about taking them.” She held my gaze, daring me to push back. Around us, my colleagues cast sympathetic glances my way. Someone whispered, “Sofia’s being way too blatant.” Another voice said, “She deserves it. If you don’t fight for yourself, you’re just asking to be walked on. Who can you blame?” I didn’t argue. Sofia had shown up to this project exactly three times. The first time was the groundbreaking ceremony, where she stood in the front row for a photo. The second time was a progress meeting. She arrived forty minutes late, sat down for a cup of coffee, and left. The third time was tonight. Everyone waited to see how I would react. Instead of fighting back, I handed her the project’s lifetime liability charter with both hands. “Sofia, you’re absolutely right. More responsibility for the more capable. That means the final approval signature on the project should be yours as well.” Sofia paused for a moment, then nodded with satisfaction and signed her name without hesitation. As soon as the celebration ended, she stormed into my office with her people. “Marlena, you’re just a runner. You don’t deserve this office anymore.” She had them stuff my belongings into cardboard boxes. Papers scattered across the floor. Picture frames shattered. “The supply closet at the end of the hall has decent Wi-Fi. You can work there.” She looked down at me. “Not like you’re useful anymore.” I watched my things get tossed into the trash. My hands tightened. “Sofia, was that really necessary?” She laughed, her crimson nail pressing into the center of my chest. “Too far? This is just how the game works. No connections, no protection. You’re nobody. And nobodies get stepped on. That’s not cruelty, that’s the rules.” Just then, the wide announcement blared through the speakers. A commendation from the Don. All credit for the port project had been awarded to Sofia alone. The million dollar bonus. The Underboss nomination. All hers. The same colleagues who had pitied me moments ago switched sides instantly. “Congratulations! Well deserved!” “See? A project like this needs a Capo at the helm. Marlena never had what it takes.” They swarmed around her, handing her drinks and lighting her cigarettes, trampling me to lift her higher. Sofia shot me a triumphant look. She announced that drinks were on her tonight. Then she walked right up to me and slammed a scalding hot espresso onto the corner of my desk. Coffee splashed across my hand, leaving a red burn. “Marlena, stick to this. Cool yourself down. Don’t let jealousy eat you up.” Laughter erupted around me. I said nothing. I quietly wiped the coffee from my skin. I pulled out my phone and wired a generous cut straight into the Family group chat. The message read: Congratulations to Sofia on her promotion to Underboss! The group went silent for a moment, then exploded with people grabbing the money. Sofia glanced at her phone and smirked. “At least you know your place.” She warned me: “Keep your mouth shut, do what you’re told, and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.” I immediately bowed my head, my face full of respect. “Of course, Sofia. You have my word. Oh, and here is the final project transfer document. All the accounts and details are inside. Just need your signature.” I handed her a thick stack of papers, dense with financial records and progress logs for the dock project. Sofia didn’t even glance at it. She was too drunk on her own rise. She took the pen and signed her name without a second thought. “Don’t bother me with this small stuff anymore. I’m the Gambino Family’s second in command now.” I looked down at her signature. The corners of my mouth curled upward. That wasn’t just a transfer document. That was a death warrant confirming her as the project’s sole responsible party. With her name on that page, any problem that came out of this project would fall on her and her alone.

Sofia’s celebration barely lasted two days before trouble hit. A partner family sent an encrypted dispatch demanding that the project’s lead personally present the results. Sofia stared at the red error codes on her screen, her eyes practically bulging out of her head. She knew nothing about the project. She did not even know how to launch the program. All she could do was read from someone else’s slides. She came running to the supply closet, her heels clacking frantically against the floor. “Marlena, write me an automated presentation script.” Her voice was still sharp, still commanding, as if this was my duty. She had already forgotten how she had humiliated me just days ago. I kept typing, not looking up, my fingers flying across the keyboard. “Sofia, I’m just a runner now. You pulled my core team access. I want to help, but I can’t.” She slammed her hand down on my keyboard. “Cut the crap. I’ll give you temporary access. Can’t handle something this simple? I’ll have you disappeared from this Family before midnight.” People around us turned to stare, their eyes gleaming with anticipation, waiting to see me fall flat on my face. I put on a show of trembling, shrinking my shoulders and stammering. “Please. Don’t cast me out.” Seeing her intimidation work, Sofia softened slightly. She pulled two stacks of cash from her bag and tossed them on the table. “Twenty thousand dollars. Make this work, and the money is yours. Fail, and you’re gone.” I stared at the money, putting on a greedy, desperate look. “Deal. Thank you, Sofia. I’ll get it done right away.” I took the temporary access and wrote the script as fast as I could. But deep in the code, buried in the backend logic she would never understand, I planted a small gift. A gift set to trigger at a very specific time. When Sofia presented the script at the Family meeting, it was a massive success. The Don nodded approvingly and called her a rare talent. She beamed, her smile so wide her makeup nearly cracked. After the meeting, she came back with her crew and took the twenty thousand dollars back. She also had my computer smashed, citing “project security.” “Marlena, it’s not that I don’t trust you. Family rules. You can’t be too careful.” She looked down at me like I was a spent piece of trash. “As for the twenty grand, we’ll put it on your tab. We’ll sort it out at year end.” With that, she turned and walked away on her heels, not giving me a second glance. I looked at the shattered screen. Instead of anger, I nearly laughed out loud. She had just destroyed the only evidence that could prove her innocence. Now, not even the Don himself could save her.

The day the million dollar bonus hit her account, Sofia bought herself a red Porsche. She parked it right in front of the Family compound, in the most visible spot, and spent half an hour taking photos. Her social media filled with shots of the steering wheel and her limited edition watch. The cover of the lifetime liability charter was in the background of the shot. Caption: All the hard work is finally being seen. Beneath it, a flood of likes and groveling comments. I saw the post while I was eating pastries in the break room. A woman next to me was touching up her makeup and making snide remarks, loud enough to make sure I heard every word. “Some people are just born to run errands. Look at the Underboss. Now that’s a queen.” “Exactly. No nerve to fight for what’s yours, then crying when someone takes it. What a waste.” When the wall falls, everyone swings. Everyone who used to call me sister was now practically stepping on my face to kiss Sofia’s feet. Then one of the Don’s aides came rushing in with news that stopped the room cold. “Next Monday, the Council is coming for an inspection. They want to see the port project contract signing in person.” The entire Family erupted. The Council. The men who held true power over life and death in the Family. One word from them could decide anyone’s fate. Sofia’s face flushed with excitement at the news. To show off her hands-on leadership, she refused all offers of help on the spot. “No one needs to touch this. This project is like my own child. I know it better than anyone. I’ll handle it myself.” “I will personally present to the Council. Let them see what I can do.” She ran into me in the break room. She stopped and fanned the air in front of her nose like I was carrying something contagious. “God, you reek of desperation. See that, Marlena? The project runs just fine without you. You were always disposable.” I speared the last piece of pastry and ate it clean. Then I looked up with an eager, fawning smile. “You’re absolutely right, Sofia. You’re the queen, I’m just a spare part. Knock them dead next week. Maybe throw a little glory my way while you’re at it.” Sofia snorted and walked away. “At least you know your place.” Late that night, my phone buzzed. A voice message from Sofia, still barking orders. “Write me a speech before morning. Focus on my creative thinking and all those late nights I put into the project. Don’t bore me with technical details. Make it sound powerful.” “Mess this up, and you’re out.” I listened to her voice, a cold smile creeping across my face. I tapped out a reply on the screen. One word: Okay.

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Back in college, I bought myself a boyfriend. He stayed with me. I paid off his grandfather’s six-figure medical bills. A full-ride genius, swallowing his pride to be mine for four years. Then my father got swept up in a federal financial fraud case. Everything vanished overnight. When we broke up, he was cold. Didn’t say a single word to make me stay. Years later, I’m dancing at a strip club. He’s the founder of a tech company, dating our college’s former cheerleading captain. He asks me: “Any regrets?” “No.” “Well, I have one.” — Of all the ways I imagined running into Evan Corwin again after graduation, this wasn’t one of them. I’m a dancer at a strip club. And tonight, he books me. The lights pulse wild and electric. I twist inside a giant martini glass, water lapping against my skin, while the crowd below howls and whistles, hurling fistfuls of cash at the stage. I’m the eye of the storm, same as always. But my attention,every last shred of it,snags on him. I can barely hold it together. Before going on, I threw on a mask and a wig, desperate to keep him from seeing my face. Now, I peel off one layer at a time, drawing fresh screams, more bills, hungry stares from every direction,and the whole time, I’m watching him from the corner of my eye. Stella Voss sits right next to him. They look disgustingly perfect together. There’s a plate of artfully sliced oranges on Stella’s side of the table. A long time ago, when I used to love oranges, Evan would always cut them for me. The way he handled a knife was almost obscenely attractive,each slice precise, uniform, arranged on the plate like a little work of art. I used to joke that he had to be a secret assassin. Back then, I thought he loved me. Turns out it was just his perfectionism talking. Four years apart. Feels more like half a lifetime. Somehow, my routine drifts closer and closer to his section. *Damn it.* I should be putting distance between us. God knows if I get any closer, he might recognize me. But clearly, one of Stella’s hangers-on already has. She leans over, loud enough to be heard over the bass: “Hey,didn’t Evan have a girlfriend in college? Four years together or something?” My hand freezes mid-reach for my bra strap. Evan doesn’t take the bait. The woman shifts in her seat, a little awkward, but pushes on: “Four years, though. That’s gotta be hard to forget, right?” Silence settles over their table like a still river. After what feels like forever, Evan lets out a quiet laugh. “Hardly.” —

“Honestly, Ev not hating her is generous enough.” Stella waves a hand, breezy and unbothered. “I went to the same school. It was honestly… ugh, he deserved so much better. If his ex hadn’t been in the way, Ev and I would’ve gotten together years ago.” “Exactly! Stella’s got like a million followers, she’s literally a reality TV star,no ex can compete with that.” The hanger-on throws a smug little glance in my direction. I snap a kick. Water arcs out of the glass and hits her square in the face. The crowd goes *feral*. Whistles, stomping feet, guys throwing their arms up begging to be next. Her cursing drowns in the deafening roar. My set reaches its finale. The cheers crash over each other, wave after wave. Bills carpet the stage. I blow a kiss for the curtain call. Inside, all I want is to get out. But as I pass Evan’s section, his voice cuts through the noise. “Wait.” —

My body locks in place like someone drove a nail through my feet. One second. Two. Dana materializes beside me right on cue. “Sorry,she’s part-time. Once her set’s done, she’s off the clock.” Dana shoots me a look. I bolt. She pulls me aside backstage. “Heads up next time, okay? We’ve all been the new girl. One complaint and your whole night’s pay is gone.” “Thanks, Dana. I owe you one.” “Don’t worry about it. But that VIP room? Watch yourself. Every person at that table is a big shot. Especially the young one in the middle,the good-looking one. Tech startup founder, been in Forbes. None of us can afford to piss him off.” The warning comes a little too late. If there’s one person on this planet who has already pissed off Evan Corwin beyond the point of no return, it’s me. I’m the ex he can “hardly” remember. —

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Cain gripped my waist, his red eyes churning with panic: “Isolde, I lost control during a heat cycle. I’ll have her get rid of the pup immediately.” I was the fated mate of Cain Blake, Alpha of the Nightshade Pack — the recognized Luna of the entire wolf clan. Until the day of pup Kaden’s first birthday celebration, when Ella appeared at the oak gates of the territory, her belly swollen. Every werewolf’s gaze fell on me. I had become the laughingstock of the entire Nightshade Pack. “Alright. I believe you.” But five years later, I went to the healing center for a routine check-up. From the private room next door, Ella’s voice drifted through the wall: “Cain, this is all your fault. If I hadn’t given birth to Bailey for you, why would I be going through all this.” “I don’t want the pack’s resources. I want you to get rid of Isolde and officially mark me as Luna.” My hand froze on the door handle. When I came to my senses, I submitted a mate bond dissolution request directly through the wolf clan’s municipal hall communication system. There was no need for Cain to abandon me. I was the one letting him go first. …… The moment the submission was confirmed, a mind-link came through on Cain’s private channel. His voice was casual, the background filled with the noise of pack affairs. “Isolde, the pack is marking out new territory today. I won’t be back to the main house tonight.” I raised my hand and touched my face. For him, I had endured my wolf spirit’s rejection and injected the pack’s specially formulated anti-aging serum. All because of one thing he had once said: “Isolde, after female werewolves pass thirty, their skin loses its warmth. I prefer the feel of an eighteen-year-old female.” I was never the type to bother with even earrings, yet again and again I had bent myself to please him. And behind my back, he had fathered a pup with Ella. “Alright.” I replied through the mind-link. My tone was so calm it felt foreign even to myself. Cain’s consciousness paused. He probably hadn’t expected me to be so cold. He seemed about to say something more, but I cut the link. Then I sent him a recording of what Ella had said at the healing center through the pack’s communication system, and added one line: “See you at the municipal hall.” Less than half an hour later, Cain’s SUV crunched over the fallen leaves of the territory and came charging back to the main house. Kaden’s small figure came bounding over, wolf ears drooping, his voice soft and childlike: “Mama!” I stared at Cain, all the words I wanted to say stuck in my throat. He grinned like a scoundrel, scooping Kaden up in his arms, his wolf tail sweeping gently across the pup’s back: “Kaden, how about we all go hunting in the Full Moon Forest tonight?” “Yes, yes!” Kaden cheered, waving his little wolf claws. I could see it clearly. He was using Kaden to threaten me. Five years ago, when Kaden found out we were dissolving the mate bond, his wolf spirit went into violent revolt. His small body convulsed on the ground, yet he clung desperately to the hem of my clothes: “Mama, please don’t break the bond with Papa. Please.” My heart felt cut to pieces. In the end, I gave in for the sake of the pup. This was his usual move. But just as we were about to head out, Ella appeared. She stood on the stone path in front of the main house, eyes rimmed red, leading by the hand a pup about the same age as Kaden — Bailey. She knelt directly in front of me, wolf tail curled to her side, humbling herself to the ground. “Sister, please, give Cain back to me. Today is Bailey’s birthday. He needs his Alpha’s presence.” Bailey burst into wails, kicking at the ground with his short little legs: “I want Papa! I want my Alpha Papa!” Kaden, who was holding my hand, went suddenly rigid. His wolf ears flattened. His face went white as paper. I turned to look at Cain. A flash of struggle crossed his red eyes. I had just reached out to grab his wrist when he turned and walked to Ella’s side. “We’ll go hunting another day,” he said to me, his voice laced with apology. Something inside my mind snapped. After that scene five years ago, Kaden could no longer hold his head up among the other pups in the pack. There were always pups pointing at his back and jeering: “A wild pup with no father.” “The pathetic cub of a Luna who can’t keep her Alpha.” Kaden had once broken down and climbed the pack’s watchtower, nearly jumping off. It was I who knelt at the base of the tower, soothing him with my wolf spirit’s aura, that talked him back down. Afterward, Cain sent the most precious wolf-fang ornaments and snow-fox furs. But what use were all the pack’s resources to me? The entire Nightshade Pack knew those things were earned by Kaden and me at the cost of a layer of our skin. “Cain, if you dare walk away, Kaden and I will truly cut all ties with you.” My wolf spirit let out a low growl in my chest, my red eyes locked onto him. Cain’s heart tightened. The next second, Ella grabbed Bailey and bolted toward the road outside the territory: “What’s the point of living if we’re treated like this! We might as well get hit by a car and die on the road!” Cain’s eyes went wide with fury. He shoved me aside and sprinted after Ella into the traffic. I fell onto the stone steps of the path, my forehead striking the flagstone. Blood trickled down my cheek. Kaden cried out. He threw his small body over mine to shield me, tore off his little jacket to press against my wound, then ran after Cain and grabbed the hem of his trousers with his little wolf claws: “Papa! Mama is hurt! Take her to the healing center!” Cain’s face was full of impatience, his attention entirely on sheltering Ella in his arms. Then Bailey suddenly let out a shriek. Ella thrust Bailey’s reddened wrist at Kaden and screamed: “Why did you pinch him! He’s just a pup! What are you two trying to do! If you want to hit someone, come after me!” She raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the cheek. A werewolf’s self-healing made the redness flare and fade quickly, leaving only a disheveled appearance. Cain lost all reason in his protectiveness, and raised his hand to strike Kaden across the face. “You’re just like your mother! Spoiled to have no regard for anyone!” He immediately contacted the Iron Blood Training Camp through the pack’s communication system: “I have an out-of-control pup here. Come pick him up immediately.” Kaden crumpled to the ground, one cheek swollen red, wolf ears flat against his head, staring blankly at Cain. He only murmured: “I didn’t pinch him. I didn’t…” I pushed myself up and stepped in front of Kaden. “What gives you the right to hit him! What gives you the right to accuse him of something he didn’t do!” Cain’s eyes held only Ella and Bailey. He wouldn’t give Kaden or me even a single glance. A black van pulled up alongside the stone path. Several werewolves in training camp uniforms jumped out and moved to drag Kaden away without a word. The Iron Blood Training Camp — the pack’s notoriously brutal pup disciplinary facility. The trainers there routinely beat and punished the pups. Just last year, one pup had been beaten so severely that his wolf spirit was weakened, leaving him permanently unable to shift.

My Kaden was a pureblooded pup of the Nightshade Pack. What right did anyone have to make him suffer like this? My eyes went red. I threw myself in front of Kaden, snarling like a wolf that had lost all control: “Get away! I will die before I let you take him!” Seeing the wound on my forehead still bleeding, Cain’s eyes flickered briefly with something soft. Ella immediately burst into tears, speaking in a persuasive tone: “Sister, you’re harming Kaden like this. If he’s made mistakes and you won’t correct them, and you stop others from helping discipline him — even if his wolf spirit awakens, he’ll only grow more extreme.” Cain set aside his hesitation. He yanked me aside and let those tall werewolves roughly drag Kaden into the van. “Mama! Mama, save me!” Kaden’s cries tore through my wolf spirit. I chased after the van and slipped on the moss of the stone path, falling to the ground in a heap. Passersby who didn’t understand the situation, seeing Cain sheltering Ella and her pup, assumed I was a low-ranking female clinging to the Alpha. They pulled out their communicators to record my collapse. The pack’s public channel was flooded with mockery. “This female has no shame — acting like a mistress and daring to make a scene.” “Clinging to the Alpha like a rogue wolf. The guards should throw her into the punishment cell.” Not far away, Ella leaned into Cain’s arms, as docile as a tame little wolf. But her eyes were filled with thick contempt. She mouthed two words at me — “Useless.” A trace of reluctance crossed Cain’s face and he moved to help me up. Ella immediately collapsed against him, clutching her head: “Cain, my wolf spirit is in so much pain.” Cain withdrew his gaze and carried Ella horizontally in his arms, walking to the car. As the car passed me, Ella rolled down the window and flashed the smile of a victor. But by now, I no longer cared about any of this. I rushed back to the main house, packed bags for Kaden and myself, and used private resources to hire three high-ranking wolf warriors as escorts. Everything was prepared. I only had to wait for dawn to go and break Kaden out of the training camp. At midnight, Cain — whom I’d thought would never come back — pushed open the door of the main house. He was thoroughly drunk, his wolf spirit’s aura in disarray. The moment he saw me, he grabbed my jaw. “Isolde, what’s with that look on your face.” “Ella and Bailey — I’ll keep them in the secondary residence. They won’t threaten your position as Luna. Why won’t you just give a little ground?” Give ground? Five years ago I gave ground. And what happened? He and Ella had a pup together. My Kaden suffered every indignity. Ella’s social platform was filled with photos of their family of three celebrating a birthday in the Full Moon Forest. And now Kaden was still trapped in the cold Iron Blood Training Camp. Cain’s palm smoothed across my cheek, infatuation in his red eyes. “Isolde, let’s have another pup — a girl this time. Once we have both a son and a daughter, you won’t want to leave me anymore.” He pinned me on the sofa, his hand sliding up my thigh, his wolf spirit’s aura wrapping around me with possessiveness. I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. The sound rang out sharp and piercing in the quiet main house. Cain froze. “Have you lost your mind!” I pushed him off, pulled out the mate bond dissolution agreement I’d already prepared, and flung it in front of him. “Sign it.” Cain’s expression turned ominous. The alcohol had dulled his reason. This was the first time he hadn’t backed down in front of me. He picked up the pen and pointed at the signature line: “Are you sure?” “Yes.” I enunciated each word. Cain’s eyes went bloodshot, the veins in his neck standing out. He signed his name cleanly. “Isolde, I’ll be waiting for you to come crawling back.” I paid him no attention. I picked up the signed agreement and my bags, pushed open the door, and walked out of the main house I had lived in for seven years.

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I was six months pregnant when I found torn lace lingerie stuffed under the mattress — it wasn’t mine. I went to confront my mate, but overheard him talking to a packmate instead. “The Prince’s bonding ceremony with Ivy is in seven days. You already marked her — what’s your plan?” Kael’s voice was ice. “If anyone finds out she’s already been marked, she’s dead — I won’t let her face it alone.” “Selene’s father and brother died defending the kingdom — the Lycan King promised her family could be pardoned for any crime. Have Ivy accuse Ryan publicly.” Calm. Every word poison. I bit my lip until I tasted blood, and the mate bond in my chest shredded. In my previous life, at the Luna Queen’s Celebration, Kael’s childhood sweetheart stumbled out half-naked, sobbing that my brother had forced his mark on her. The noble she-wolves couldn’t wait to spit on the Blackwood name. “Ivy is the Prince’s chosen mate — that Blackwood boy dared mark her? Beat him to death!” I invoked the pardon — the one my father and brother earned with their lives — and begged. The King honored his promise and spared Ryan, ordering him to mate Ivy instead. Then Kael shattered both my brother’s legs in front of everyone. He whispered, “If the King doesn’t vent now, he’ll kill your brother later.” We swallowed it — but seven months later, that she-wolf birthed a nine-pound pup. Ryan howled, “I never touched her!” He’d screamed it a thousand times — no one believed him, they called him a coward. He grabbed the pup and crawled toward the King’s hall to prove his innocence — Kael knocked him out cold from behind. I tried to scream — his hand closed around my throat. “Make a scene, and Ivy and the child are ruined,” he hissed. His eyes were murderous as he strangled me to death — his own Luna, days from giving birth. I woke up — the Moon Goddess sent me back to the night of the Celebration. This time, I tied Ryan with silver chains and locked him in the east wing. Ivy still claimed someone had raped her.

Ivy smashed her forehead against the Hall’s stone pillar, bleeding, shaking, sobbing in the women’s arms. “I bear another’s mark — I’ve betrayed the Prince — I’ve shamed the Ashfords — let me die!” Everyone glared at me like I was filth. “The Blackwood family is feral. They think killing a few rogues at the border gives them the right to ravage the Prince’s future mate.” “Riding on daddy’s war glory to do whatever the fuck they want. It’s pure lawlessness!” “My Goddess. If they’re this bold in the capital, imagine how many helpless she-wolves they’ve forced themselves on at the border!” I looked at the man shielding Ivy — my mate, Alpha Kael. I kept my voice flat. “Ivy, are you sure it was my brother?” She stiffened, tears pouring harder. “I’m already marked by him — why humiliate me — let me die!” She lunged for the pillar — the women dragged her back. Kael wrenched me aside, his face twisted with fury. “Your brother acts worse than a Rogue, and you bully the victim?” “Your father bled for the Blackwood name — you two destroyed it.” His grip bruised bone. I let out a cold laugh. Half an hour ago, I’d chained Ryan up myself — silver restraints, locked in the east wing. How the hell could he have gotten out to mark Ivy? I looked Kael dead in the eyes. “Are you sure it was my brother?” His jaw clenched. “I knocked the bastard out and tied him up myself — I pulled him off Ivy. You think I can’t recognize my own brother-in-law?” My stomach dropped. His certainty unsettled me — could Ryan have somehow broken free? “Selene, how long will you keep bullying this poor girl!” An elder she-wolf snapped at me. “You’re Kael’s mate — instead of standing by your mate, you shield your worthless brother.” “You even slander this poor girl!” I scoffed and swept my gaze across the self-righteous crowd. “So no matter what, whether Ivy actually lost her purity or not, my brother takes the blame.” “You —!” Ivy looked like I’d slapped her, tears rolling down. She pulled a blood-stained cloth from her dress and hurled it at my feet, voice cracking like she was coughing up her own soul. “I was a pure, unmated she-wolf — am I some cheap bitch who’d lie about this?” “If the Blackwoods won’t take responsibility, I’ll die right here — I’d rather be dead than tied to your filthy name!” She spun and lunged for the pillar — the women scrambled to hold her back.

“Stupid girl, don’t!” “It’s that Blackwood scum’s fault, not yours!” “You’ve suffered enough — don’t throw your life away for that bastard!” They comforted Ivy while glaring daggers at me. “Ivy is the Prince’s future mate!” “Your little pack thinks it’s something special? Why would she ruin herself to frame you?” Kael grabbed my wrist, putting on his concerned-husband act. “Selene, enough.” “Just accept it — prepare the mating gifts, go to the Ashfords, propose on Ryan’s behalf, and beg the King for mercy.” “The King might still spare his life. Otherwise, marking the Prince’s chosen mate — your brother will be killed by the King’s anger.” Last life, I believed his words. I believed Ryan had lost control, so I handed over half the Blackwood fortune as a mating gift and treated Ivy like a queen. Then she birthed a bastard at seven months and destroyed my entire family. My stomach turned. I ripped my arm from his grip. “The Blackwoods will never mate Ryan to that woman. Not in this life.” Kael’s face went cold, his eyes turning savage. Before he could speak, the crowd parted. Ivy’s father, Elder Ashford, stormed in. His face was purple with rage, body shaking — he walked straight to Ivy and cracked her across the face. She hit the ground hard, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. “Shameless bitch — you still have the nerve to breathe?” “Servants! Drag this filthy thing out and snap her neck — she’s disgraced the Ashford name!” Two Ashford wolves stepped forward. “Don’t bother — I’ll do it myself.” Ivy yanked a hairpin from her head and drove it straight toward her own throat. The crowd erupted. Screams, grabbing, pulling. “Selene! Are you just going to stand there and watch?” “If your brother hadn’t done this, Ivy wouldn’t be trying to kill herself!” “Your brother ruined a girl’s life — can you live with that?” I watched the whole show in silence. Ivy’s eyes flashed with something vicious — she gripped the pin and stabbed it into her neck. Blood gushed instantly. The women screamed. “She’s dead — the Blackwoods killed her!” Kael’s face went white — he lunged forward and ripped the pin from Ivy’s hand. “Healer! Get the healer now!” He tore a strip from his sleeve and pressed it against her throat. Ivy lay in their arms, weak, blinking — her eyes drifted to me. No death wish in them. Just a flicker of victory. Once Ivy was carried away, Kael stormed toward me. “Bitch!” He snarled, and backhanded me across the face. I stumbled and hit the ground. My palms scraped the cold stone, skin splitting open. The left side of my face burned, my ear ringing. Kael pointed down at me, eyes full of venom. “You heartless cunt — you wanted her dead, didn’t you?” “I won’t share my life with a cold-blooded she-wolf like you! I’m rejecting you today!” Everyone cheered like it was a holiday.

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“When the moon goddess designated Catherine and my brother as fated mates, I said nothing. But she was always meant to be mine.” “We were each other’s first love.” “Now my brother is dead. She can finally be mine, and no one can say otherwise.” My fiancé, Killian, has been kneeling outside my father’s estate for three days and three nights. He begs me to reject him of my own accord so that he might marry Katherine instead. “Elara, you are the heir to the Red Moon Tribe. You possess everything; I beg you—reject me. Let Katherine be my mate.” In my previous life, I refused. Consequently, on the very night of the bonding ceremony meant to unite Killian and me, Katherine swallowed silver-poison and took her own life. For this, Killian loathed me to the very bone. After we completed the marking ritual, he never entered my bedchamber again. Later, building upon the foundation provided by my family, he finally secured a firm foothold for the Graystone Pack. He forced a draught of wolfsbane poison down my throat, watching as I writhed in agony on the floor, and snarled through clenched teeth: “You are the one who killed Katherine. Once you are dead, your corpse will be hung high in the Red Moon Tribe’s territory. That will be the punishment for your father.” In this life, I gazed at the man kneeling before the estate gates and smiled. “By the Moon Goddess above, I, Elara, hereby reject Killian as my mate.” …… “Elara, Killian has been kneeling out there for three days now. Is this his way of trying to force your compliance? The audacity!” “He wants to marry his own brother’s mate—a desire for which his own father already gave him a sound thrashing. Now he’s playing the pitiful victim to pressure you. Does he really think our tribe is a pushover?” My maidservant, Rosie, stormed into the room, her face flushed crimson with indignation. I recalled the day Killian first arrived at my father’s doorstep, pleading with me to dissolve our betrothal. The news that the heir to the Graystone Tribe had been kneeling for three days and three nights had already spread throughout the entire territory of the wolf packs. A large crowd of wolves had gathered at the gates, pointing fingers and whispering amongst themselves. Standing just inside the doorway, I let out a long, slow breath. Killian had no choice but to come to me. To marry one’s own brother’s former mate—that was a scandal. The Alpha and Luna of the Graystone Tribe would never agree to this. But if *I* were the one to reject him—if I broke off the engagement of my own accord—then he could claim that *he* was the one who had been cast aside. That way, his parents would have no grounds to object. And so, he knelt here, pressuring me—using the very persona of elegance and grace I had once cultivated for myself—to force my consent. A woman clad in white approached Killian and knelt down beside him. As Killian recognized the newcomer, his face filled with a mixture of heartache and urgent concern. “Katherine, what are you doing here? This has nothing to do with you. I will speak to Alala personally. You are frail, and your wolf spirit is unstable. Go back at once.” Katherine shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “Killian, this is simply my wretched fate. Please, stop pleading on my behalf.” “Alala comes from a noble lineage; how could she possibly understand my suffering? My mate is dead, and my own family refuses to take me back.” “Yet, even so, I cannot bear to see you hurt yourself like this just to protect me.” Killian caught her just before she collapsed. “Katherine, I swear I will look after you for the rest of my life. My brother is gone; protecting you is now my duty.” The moment he saw me step through the gates, he immediately raised his voice. “Alala, you are the daughter of the Red Moon Tribe’s Alpha. You know the difference between right and wrong. Look at how Katherine suffers—I beg you, release me from our engagement and allow me to be with her.” I fixed my gaze upon the gray garment Katherine was wearing. Everyone around her assumed she dressed so plainly out of mourning—as a tribute to her late husband. But no one else noticed the true nature of that garment—a fabric so rare that, throughout the entire tribe, scarcely a handful of people could ever hope to possess it. Killian guarded her as if she were a precious treasure; she looked nothing like a woman who had ever known hardship. My wolf, Laura, let out a furious growl.

I looked calmly at Killian. “Killian, Katherine is your brother’s mate. How can you do this to him?” “Kaden fought for the pack and was ultimately killed by a pack of strays. Every wolf in this territory respects him for his loyalty and bravery.” “Who dares to mistreat the mate he left behind? Can’t the Alpha of the Greystone Pack even protect his own daughter-in-law?” “Or is it that since Caden’s death, everyone in your pack has come to look down on her? If I join the Greystone Pack, I will personally ensure she receives the respect she deserves.” “Besides, when news of Kaden’s death reached the pack, I heard Katherine was so overcome with grief that she fainted on the spot. Everyone praised her loyalty—and how long has it even been?” “And now you want to marry her? Have you thought about the consequences?” Killian was blinded by emotion, but the Alpha of the Greystone Pack was not. So the moment Killian said he was taking Katherine away, he was beaten senseless. But as soon as he could stand, he crawled to my father’s doorstep. Killian held Katherine tightly, looked up at me, his voice full of sincerity. “Elarra, she was meant to be mine. It was the Moon Goddess who made a mistake; that’s why she became my brother’s destined mate.” “Now, because of this, she can never be anyone else’s partner. I cannot abandon her.” “In the Greystone Tribe, without a husband to rely on, she’ll be the subject of constant gossip. With her frail body, she simply couldn’t bear it.” Katherine wiped away her tears. “Miss Elara, I should die. That would be the easiest solution. But Killian won’t let me; he insists I stay by her side.” “Fate has been so unfair to both of us. You’re about to marry into the Greystone Tribe. Or could you let me stay by Killian’s side? I swear, I’ll never compete with you for him—you’ll always be his one and only partner.” “I don’t want anything else. I just want to stay by his side.” After she spoke, her voice choked up, and her body swayed as if she might collapse at any moment. Tears fell one by one, each landing with perfect timing. Their performance of grief was so convincing that the crowd began to whisper, filled with sympathy. “Poor Katherine. Her husband died right after they were married. He left her with nothing.” “Couldn’t Elara just let them be together?” “But if she accepted Katherine’s proposal, who knows who would be in charge of the Greystone Clan in the future? A man blinded by love will always choose the woman he favors, not his destined mate.” The murmurs grew louder. My wolf inside me let out a cold laugh. In my previous life, the scene Killian and Katherine staged right here at this door completely crushed what little dignity I had left. I had been stubborn back then, refusing to reject him. Katherine used her death to turn my bonding ceremony into a disaster, giving Killian a reason to remember her forever—and to hate me forever. In this life, everything starts anew. I will not let them succeed. “Killian, what are you doing?” A shrill shout rang out from behind me, and the crowd parted to make way. It was Luna Victoria of the Greystone Clan. I’d summoned her before leaving. She arrived just in time. She glared at Killian, her eyes brimming with disappointment. “You are the heir to the Greystone Clan. Your every action reflects on the pack’s honor. Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” Katherine cowered behind Killian, trembling all over, and called out softly, “Luna.” Luna slapped Katherine across the face. “Ever since the day you joined the pack, I’ve treated you like my own daughter. But the moment my Caden died, you turned around and seduced my youngest son. You want to be the heir’s mate? Fuck off.”

Katherine wept, her face streaked with tears. “Luna, Killian and I truly love each other. Caden and I have dissolved our bond; I am free now.” Victoria snapped, “Caden’s body still hasn’t been recovered, and you’re already so eager to find your next partner?” Their urgency was, of course, because they couldn’t wait any longer. It wasn’t until after Katherine died in my previous life that I learned she was carrying Killian’s child. That was why Killian had poisoned me so viciously. They were in such a hurry because if they didn’t get married soon, Katherine’s pregnancy would be impossible to hide. Killian shouted, “Mother, you only have eyes for my brother. Have you ever thought of me?” “Back then, the Moon Goddess designated Katherine for my brother, and you wouldn’t let him refuse—even though he clearly didn’t love her.” “Later, because of the concept of destined partners, you insisted I marry Aelara.” “Now I’ve compromised, but I’m simply asking that Katherine stay by my side. Must you be so heartless?” Hearing this, I raised an eyebrow and cut him off: “How can the status of a mistress be worthy of Katherine? She should be your partner.” As soon as I finished speaking, a look of surprise and delight flashed across Killian’s face. He tilted his head back and laughed aloud: “Elarra, you’re actually willing to give up the position of partner for Katherine?” “Everyone says you’re smart and gentle, but I never expected you to be so magnanimous.” My mother, who had been rushed out of the manor, hurriedly cut me off: “No, Elara, you mustn’t act on impulse. Your betrothal to the Greystone Clan isn’t something you can change with a single word.” “Besides, if Killian were to do something like this before your marriage, your father and I would certainly not accept it so easily. You must not act recklessly; this concerns your entire future.” Having said that, Mother turned to Killian: “Killian, you’ve forced Elara to accept Katherine staying by your side. Such disloyalty is truly despicable.” “And now you’re using public opinion to pressure Elara into agreeing.” I calmed my mother’s anger and stepped forward to look at Katherine. “Katherine, are you certain you want to become Killian’s mistress? To give up all the glory you shared with Caden?” Katherine nodded. “Yes. I only want to be with Killian for the rest of my life.” “I don’t care if he’s the heir, nor do I care if I can become the Luna of the Graystone Tribe. We simply love each other with all our hearts and want to be together.” I looked at the two of them. “Caden’s body isn’t even cold yet. As his widow, can’t you even wait until his body is found?” Katherine just covered her face and wept, not answering a word. Killian frowned at me. “You need only agree to let Katherine stay. You needn’t concern yourself with anything else.” “My brother is gone, but the living must go on. Is that not so?” I tilted my chin up slightly, looking at them with contempt. “Killian, I never imagined you were such a despicable man. To marry his partner so soon after my brother’s death—how could someone like you possibly deserve to have me as your wife?” “By the Moon Goddess, I, Elara, refuse to let Killian become my partner.” “Now just go ahead and marry your Katherine—whether as a partner or a mistress. From this day forward, we have nothing to do with one another.” My wolf, Laura, let out a triumphant howl deep within my heart.

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My husband locked our son in the trunk—just so his childhood sweetheart’s cat could have the entire back seat to itself. My son was terrified, pounding on the trunk lid, crying hysterically. His desperate banging drew honking warnings from passing cars, but my husband just held his childhood sweetheart in the passenger seat, laughing and flirting. “What’s with all these cars honking? Are they sick or something?” It wasn’t until I scrolled through social media and recognized our car in a video posted by netizens that I called him in a panic. He finally picked up on the fifteenth call. Through blaring music and girlish laughter, his annoyed voice came through. “I’m driving! Why the hell are you calling? So annoying!” “Our son’s in the trunk crying so hard he can barely breathe! Pull over now!” I screamed into the phone. His response was casual, almost bored. “Kids cry. He’s not gonna die. I’ll let him out when we get home.” “That’s ten more hours! It’s a sealed trunk—you’re going to kill him…” He hung up. When I tried calling back, I found he’d blocked me. Almost immediately, his childhood sweetheart posted on social media. Her cat was curled up in my son’s car seat. The caption read: [Sean said that for ‘our son’s’ comfort on this trip, eliminating unnecessary people was essential. ♡] I was crying so hard I almost passed out when suddenly, I heard my son’s clear voice behind me. “Mommy! Uncle and I are back from the amusement park!” I spun around. My son stood in the entryway, clutching his toys. Then who the hell was locked in that trunk? *** I pulled my son into my arms, holding him tight until I felt his warmth and heartbeat. Only then could I believe this was real. But the video, those cries, Cindy’s social media post… None of it could be fake! “Mommy, why are you crying?” My son wiped my face with his little hands. “It’s nothing, sweetheart.” I forced a smile and handed him to my brother. “Jake, watch Leo for a couple days. I have an emergency to handle.” After settling my son, I got in my car and drove straight toward Sean’s hometown. I had to find out—who the hell was in that trunk! At a rest stop, I grabbed a hot Americano during a brief break. A few truckers nearby huddled around their phones, and their conversation drifted into my ears. “Still hasn’t let him out? It’s been hours!” “According to the latest updates, the kid’s still in the trunk. The banging sounds are getting weaker. It’s terrible!” “Word is there were several accidents on the highway, massive traffic jam. The cops can’t even get through yet.” “Is that father insane? I heard he did it just so his mistress’s cat could sit comfortably…” A chill crawled up my spine. My hand trembled, spilling hot coffee. How dare Sean! That could be a life! I couldn’t sit still any longer. I rushed back to my car and switched the GPS to take back roads. Just then, my mother-in-law called. “Alice, I can’t reach Sean. I don’t know if Leo gets carsick…” My throat tightened like I’d swallowed waterlogged cotton. “Mom, probably bad signal on the road. I can’t reach him either.” “Leo’s probably asleep by now. You should get some rest.” I hung up quickly, and tears immediately burst out. What could I say? That your son would lock your grandson in a trunk to die, all for his childhood sweetheart’s cat? Sean had requested time off a week early to drive Cindy home for the holidays. I couldn’t get away from work, so he suggested taking Leo back first. How could I have trusted him! Thank God. Thank God Leo was safe. Otherwise, I would’ve dragged Sean straight to hell with me! The back roads were rough, and I drove with my heart in my throat. Three hours later, my phone’s tracking showed Sean’s car stopped at a roadside motel. Seven hours had passed since I’d first seen that video! Eyes bloodshot, I switched the GPS and drove like a maniac toward that motel. I burst into the lobby and pointed at the black sedan parked outside, my voice hoarse. “The owner of the car with license plate ending in 7X9—what room?” The desk clerk glanced at me and went back to scrolling on her phone. “Sorry, we can’t disclose guest information.” “There’s a child in that trunk! He’s been locked in there for seven hours!” I slammed my hand on the desk. The clerk remained unmoved. “Then contact the guest yourself.” With no other choice, I dialed Cindy’s number. “Ring… ring…” It rang forever. Just when I thought no one would answer, she picked up. The first thing that spilled from the receiver was sticky, intimate panting mixed with the creaking of bedsprings. Then came Cindy’s deliberately sweet voice, trembling slightly. “Sean… shouldn’t we… shouldn’t we bring Leo up here?” “It’s been seven or eight hours now, and it’s pretty cold at night…” Next, Sean’s impatient voice came through, mixed with heavy breathing. “Bringing him up will just interrupt us. Forget about him!” “Besides, sleeping in the trunk is the same as sleeping anywhere else, right?” “Don’t waste time, hurry up…” The call abruptly ended. Buzzing filled my ears. All the blood in my body went cold.

The clerk saw my face go pale and asked quietly. “Ma’am, are… are you alright?” “There’s a child in that car…” My voice was hoarse as I pointed outside. “You can’t just ignore this!” The clerk’s face showed a flicker of hesitation, but she still shook her head. “Ma’am, I… we can’t leak guest information. Why don’t you try contacting them again?” Cindy had just blocked me. How was I supposed to contact them! I quickly scanned the motel layout and pretended I needed the bathroom. “Where’s the restroom?” The clerk pointed in a direction. I turned and headed that way, then quietly slipped upstairs. The moment I reached the second-floor landing, Cindy’s moaning drifted from the end of the hallway. I held my breath and inched forward, step by step. Muffled voices came from inside the room. Sean’s voice. “Damn, you’re exhausting. I need to sleep…” “Sean, what about Leo…” Cindy’s voice. “Tch, why do you keep bringing him up?” “We’ll deal with it after I get some sleep. He’s not gonna die anytime soon anyway.” Even though I knew Leo was safe at home right now, Sean’s words were like poisoned seeds taking root in my mind. I couldn’t control the vision that forced itself into my head—I “saw” my Leo being shoved into that dark, suffocating trunk. His little hands pounding until they turned red, his cries going from loud to hoarse, finally reduced to weak whimpering. Cold. Dark. No oxygen. His tiny body curled up, slowly going still. Every detail felt so real, as if it were happening right before my eyes. Even though logic told me it was a hallucination, it was fake. But that imagined despair squeezed my heart and choked my breath. Without thinking, I raised my foot and kicked the door with all my strength! “BANG!” The door flew open. Inside, Sean was naked, wrapped around an equally naked Cindy. His face twisted with shock and rage as he looked up. Cindy shrieked and grabbed the blanket to cover herself. “Alice Miller?! Are you fucking insane!” He grabbed his clothes, his face turned grim. My eyes swept the room quickly. Clothes and used condoms scattered across the floor. The air reeked of something nauseating. Cindy’s damn cat was curled up at the corner of the bed, lazily licking its paw. I ignored his piercing shouts, my gaze sharp as a blade cutting straight through him. “Give me the car keys. I’m opening that trunk!” Sean’s face flashed with confusion, then greater fury. “I just put Leo in the trunk—did you really drive hundreds of miles to chase me down? He’s not dead!” “Give me the keys!” I repeated, extending my hand. “Now!” “Psycho! You’re a complete psycho!” Sean cursed furiously, grabbed the car keys from the nightstand, and hurled them at me. The keys flew through the air and smacked into the cat at the corner of the bed. “MEOW!! REOWWW!!!” The cat’s fur stood on end as it leaped up. “Whiskers!” Cindy, wrapped in the blanket, lunged forward and clutched the cat to her chest. “Baby, are you okay? Does it hurt?” Her eyes reddened with concern as she held the cat up to Sean’s face. “Sean, look—Whiskers is terrified!” Sean immediately bent down, gently stroking the cat’s back. “Whiskers, don’t be scared, Daddy will make it better.” “That’s right, Mommy and Daddy are here. Whiskers is so brave.” The two of them cooed over the cat like they were comforting a precious child who’d suffered the world’s greatest injustice. I watched this absurd, grotesque scene and let out a bitter laugh. “Ha… how touching.” My gaze moved from them to the whimpering cat, finally landing on the car outside the window. “So in your eyes, is the child in that trunk worth less than a single hair on this animal?”

Sean’s eyes flickered, his voice dry. “Leo’s my son. Of course I care. I’ll go down with you…” “Alice! You deliberately didn’t catch those keys so they’d hit Whiskers, didn’t you?” Cindy interrupted him with a sob, clutching the cat and glaring at me through tears, “Leo wanted to play hide-and-seek in the trunk himself—that’s why Sean agreed!” She turned to Sean, her voice even more pitiful. “How can you blame this on me! And even if you’re mad at me, why take it out on Whiskers!” The faint wavering on Sean’s face instantly vanished, replaced by a sinister look directed at me. “A cat is a life too! If you’re this cruel to an animal, how are you any different from one yourself?” He bent down, picked up the keys, and gripped them tight, his voice dripping with disdain. “Like mother, like son! Leo can stay in that trunk and reflect on his behavior. And you—get lost!” “Reflect?” I trembled with rage, tears streaming down my face. “Sean, that child has been locked in there for almost eight hours!” “He’s scared! He could run out of oxygen! He could die—have you thought about that?!” Sean’s face remained dark, but his eyes softened for just a moment. “Sean, look! So many people are calling me a mistress, a homewrecker…” Cindy pulled out her phone and shoved it in his face. The screen showed comments calling her a “mistress.” She turned, tears pooling in her eyes as she stared at me. “This is your doing, isn’t it? You work in media—you’re best at manipulating public opinion…” “From the beginning, you didn’t want Sean to drive me home. You’ve been planning to destroy me this whole time, haven’t you?” “You’re lying!” I was so angry I nearly laughed. “Random people posted those videos online. What does that have to do with me!” “Really?” Cindy’s gaze sharpened. “Because I had someone check—the ‘concerned citizen’ who first posted the video is an intern at your company.” “You plotted this from the start to frame us and ruin our reputations!” “From the moment you objected to Sean driving me and my brother’s family, you’ve had this whole thing planned out, haven’t you?!” Sean’s eyes turned completely cold, looking at me like I was a venomous snake. “Alice Miller, you disgust me.” “Get on your knees right now and apologize to Cindy. Bow your head and admit everything you’ve schemed!” “Otherwise, tomorrow my lawyer will slap divorce papers in your face! And you’ll never see your son again!” My heart sank. Yes, when he proposed driving Cindy and her brother Derek’s family home, I’d argued with him because I couldn’t handle work and watch Leo alone. In the end, he compromised and said he’d only take Cindy and Leo. But now, this had somehow become evidence of my “premeditated setup.” I had no interest in explaining to him. I lunged for the keys in Sean’s hand! “Ahhh!” Cindy, who was blocking the way, suddenly screamed and fell to the ground, clutching her stomach. “Alice, why did you kick my stomach!” I froze. I hadn’t even touched her! “Alice Miller! You fucking dare lay hands on her?!” Sean’s eyes bulged with fury. The next second, Sean viciously kicked me in the abdomen! “Ugh—ahh!” I flew backward, my spine slamming against the wall before I slid to the floor. Every organ felt displaced. I curled up in agony, my vision going black. But it wasn’t over. Sean charged over and kicked me again and again! I couldn’t even scream—only broken gasps escaped me. “Stop! Stop it!!” A terrified shout came from the doorway. It was the desk clerk—and behind her stood several police officers!

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Five years ago, I think my life is finally getting fixed—until I find out the evidence that put my adoptive sister Felicity in jail for running me over… was all a lie. Five years ago it came out that my adoptive sister, Felicity, was the one who’d run me over. My parents and my fiancé, Sebastian, stood by me like a wall. Felicity was thrown out that very night. Sebastian made sure she went to jail. Fast forward five years. Christmas Eve. My parents are supposedly abroad. Sebastian says he has to work late—another lastminute excuse. I’m used to it. I feed his disabled sister, Sammy, then head out alone to buy groceries for Christmas dinner. As I pass a flower shop, I see someone I shouldn’t. Felicity—alive, smirking into her phone. “Yeah, I’m buying flowers for my husband. He’s sacrificed so much. I have to spoil him,” she coos. “He’s a CEO. No matter how busy he is, he comes home to me every single day. Five years of marriage, and he’s never asked me to lift a finger. Today’s Christmas. He canceled everything. He’s cooking dinner for me and my parents.” I look up. There he is—Sebastian—walking toward her with grocery bags. And behind him? My parents, the ones who were supposed to be in another country. Sebastian doesn’t see me. He smiles and hooks his arm through Felicity’s. “Hey, honey. Who were you on the phone with?” he asks. Before she can answer, my parents flock to Felicity. My mother presses a candy apple into her hand like she’s a child. My father pats her arm, sighing. “I know you and Sebastian have been married for years, but on paper… it still says Leah’s name. That’s not fair to you,” he says. “You’ve been so patient.” Felicity glows. “It’s not hard,” she murmurs. “As long as I have Mom, Dad, and Sebastian… I’m happy.” Her voice is all humility and suffering, and my parents rush to comfort her. I stay in the shadows, shaking. Felicity never went to jail. She’s been living in the same city as me this whole time. My parents never left the country. They’ve been with her. And my marriage to Sebastian? A lie from the start. I don’t remember how I walk away. I clutch our marriage license and head to City Hall. The clerk frowns. “Ma’am… this license is forged. There’s no record of it here.” “The man on this document, Sebastian Vance? He’s already legally married to someone else.” “Felicity Carter.” The paper slips from my fingers. My hand won’t move. I make it home somehow and push the door open. The place is wrecked. The room I cleaned that morning is covered in Sammy’s waste. The vase on the table is shattered. Sammy’s leg is cut and bleeding, but she doesn’t seem to feel it—she just sits in the mess, grinning at me. This is almost every day. Five years of living in a lie. Five years of drowning in this nightmare. Sebastian built his company from nothing and he’s obsessed with saving money. So no nurse. Just me, taking care of his sister fulltime. “She’s my only family left,” he told me. “You have to be careful with her.” Five years ago I was a rich girl with a bright future. Now I count pennies before buying vegetables. I don’t cry. I fetch water, clean Sammy up, bandage her leg, scrub the floor. Then my phone rings. Sebastian. “Make two extra fish dishes tonight. Bring them to the office. I’m feeding the staff who are working late.” His voice is an order—no please, no thank you—and he hangs up before I can answer. Fish again. Neither of us likes fish. After we were “married,” Sebastian barely ate at home. But every few weeks he asks me to cook fish and take it to his office. I should have known. Felicity loved fish as a kid. Back when we all lived together, my parents used to ask me to cook it for her. Funny. When they first brought me home, they held me and promised I’d never suffer again.

Before I turned twelve, the world felt like nothing but hell. A drafty room. Bare cupboards. Endless chores. Endless beatings. The man who “raised” me was a gambler. Every time he lost, he took it out on me—pressing his cigarette into my arm, laughing at my screams. The woman was no better; she beat me for fun and hated to see me rest. I worked from dawn until midnight. Then, when I was twelve, the Carters found me. Light for the first time in that basement. And my real parents standing over me. It was the middle of summer. My wounds were festering. I smelled like rot. But they didn’t recoil. They held me. Their tears were warm against my neck. That was the first time I ever knew warmth. When I came home with them, I learned I had an adoptive sister. We’d been switched at birth. The people who’d abused me were her biological parents. My parents were good to her. I didn’t mind—I was grateful just to be warm. And then Sebastian arrived like a god. I was behind in school, never properly taught, bullied at every turn. He stood in front of me. He protected me. He taught me what I’d missed. He helped me belong. At sixteen, under the old oak, we promised forever. So when did it all start to fall apart? When Felicity turned eighteen and began faking depression—threatening to kill herself every other week. After that, somehow, I became the villain in their story. My parents looked at me differently. “Leah, Felicity is sick. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” they said, and that was all. Sebastian drifted away too. He paid more attention to Felicity. When I argued, he only frowned and said, “You’ve been way too spoiled.” Then the accident five years ago. I’d just finished my PhD ceremony and walked out of the building. A truck hit me. Bones shattered. I almost died. One foot still bears the limp. My parents stayed at my bedside for a week. Sebastian went after anyone responsible. When evidence showed Felicity had hired the driver, I thought every wrong would finally be made right. I didn’t know then that everything they did was to protect her. I look in the mirror now—bloodshot eyes, a mess of a woman, no trace of the proud girl who clutched her PhD. My chest tightens. I think of Professor Davis—he wanted me as his assistant once—and guilt blooms. My phone buzzes. A text from him. Leah. I’m leaving for France in a month. You were always my best student. Before I go, will you come with me as my assistant? I didn’t cry when my marriage turned out to be a lie. I didn’t cry when I saw my parents hand Felicity candy apples. I didn’t cry through five years of this nightmare. But seeing my professor—the man who treated me like a daughter—still care? I break. I type back before I can think. Thank you. Yes. I’ll come with you. He’s handling the visa and the tickets. I need to pack. That’s when I realize how little I own. Five years. Not one new piece of clothing. Because Sebastian said, “Be frugal.” I’ve been living like a nonperson. I’m still packing when the door opens. Sebastian walks in. He sees the empty dinner table and frowns. “Leah. What the hell?” “Did you feed Sammy? Why isn’t the fish ready?” He fires question after question—none of them asking if I’ve eaten. I look at him. My face is blank. “Why should I do any of it?”

Sebastian’s face freezes. He looks at me like I’m a complete stranger. “What did you just say?” His voice is sharp. “What do you mean, ‘why should you’?” “Leah, have you lost your mind? Are you insane? Do you even hear yourself?!” He snaps out of it fast. Then he swings his bag right at my face. I turn my head just in time to take it on the cheek, but he’s already yelling louder. “I bust my ass every single day! Who do I do it for?!” “I asked you to make one stupid fish dish, and now you’re having a breakdown?!” I feel blood on my lip. It’s split open. I wipe it slowly. Then I look at him. Not quite smiling. Not quite not. “First of all,” I say quietly. “Was that fish really for your employees?” “Second. Sammy is your sister. Not mine. Feeding her? Taking care of her? That’s your job.” Then Sammy hears the yelling from the other room. She starts crying. Stumbling out of bed. She trips and falls flat on the floor. And then she just wails. Loud. Loud enough that the neighbors come out to see what’s going on. Sebastian doesn’t go help his own sister. His face just turns red. Embarrassed. “Leah,” he hisses. “You really want to do this in front of everyone?” I don’t flinch. I pull out our marriage license. And I tear it in half right in his face. “Do what? Finally see you for what you are?” I let out a quiet laugh. “God, I really had you wrong.” “We’re done.” I grab my bag and head for the door. But the neighbors block me. “Sweetheart, we’ve known Sebastian for years,” one of them says. “That man works so hard.” “It’s your job as his wife to support him. Take care of his sister. Don’t make a scene on Christmas.” A few older women snicker. “Sebastian’s a CEO,” one of them scoffs. “And you? What do you even do all day—sit around and live off him? You should be thanking your lucky stars he married you.” “Without him, what would you even do?” I feel sick. They don’t know. None of them know. Sebastian gives me a thousand a month and calls it “frugal.” I work three jobs just to pay for Sammy’s medication and all the household bills. I’m not even angry anymore. I just turn to Sebastian. “Hey,” I say. “Do you really think I’m your wife? Like they all just said?” “Because from where I’m standing… you already have a wife. And it’s not me.” Sebastian stares at the torn pieces of paper on the floor. For a second, his face goes pale. Then something clicks behind his eyes. He laughs. A nasty little laugh. “Oh, I get it,” he says. “You’re mad about the wedding. The ceremony. That’s what this is about.” He pulls out his wallet. Throws fifty dollars on the ground. “Here. Go buy yourself something sweet, hand it out to the neighbors—call it a celebration or whatever.” “I have work to do. I don’t have time for your drama.” He walks away. Fast. Like he’s running. I don’t say anything else. I just turn to leave. But then I see Sammy, still on the floor, crying so hard she can barely breathe. She didn’t ask for any of this. I sigh. Help her up. Walk her back to bed. And when I’m changing her clothes, something falls out of her hand. A photo. A small wedding photo. And in it? Sebastian. In a tux. Holding hands with Felicity. In a white dress. Sammy sees the picture and lights up. “Lici!” she says, grinning. “Lici’s wedding! Lici gave Sammy candy!” I freeze. So much for being “too busy for a ceremony.” So much for “saving money” and “not caring about tradition.” They had a wedding. A real one. And I never even knew. Even Sammy was there. For five years, she’s never once said Felicity’s name like that. With happiness. Now she’s looking at a picture of Felicity with Sebastian… and smiling. The last bit of warmth inside me goes dark.

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My mother was the the heroine of a tragic novel. When she died, the four men who’d been at her side found me alive inside her. That’s how I ended up with four fathers. One of them became a don—Don Julian Ashford, a man whose name makes men straighten their collars. One of them ran the muscle and the private army—General Marcus Ashford. One of a medical genius who could cheat death—Dr. Silas Ashford. The last was the chief enforcer, a martial arts master—Sir Cedric Ashford. They spoiled me like a princess. Every girl in the Millbrook city envied me. Until the year I turned eighteen. That was when they found her. Jade Sinclair came back—the daughter of their lost love. From that day, my four fathers became strangers. Jade said I insulted her; Don Father had my mouth sewn shut and starved me for three days. Jade said I poisoned her. Doctor Father threw me into the Pit—his underground chamber of venomous insects. The venomous insects chewed through my face and ate one of my eyes. When Jade claimed I hired men to assault her, Sir Father dragged me by the collar to the family camp—forced me into sexual servitude. Three years. I went from fighting to accepting. One night, my door was opened again. I started taking off my clothes like I always did. Then I heard someone say, “Ivy. Do you want to go back to your mother?” …….. I snapped my head up. There was no one in the room. At the same time, a voice appeared in my head again. It said it was my mother’s System. That she had left in a hurry years ago and never knew I survived. Now she knew, and she wants to bring me home. If this body dies, I can see my mother. Then *The System* said, “Ivy, your mother has been so worried since she learned you exist. Would you be willing—” I didn’t let it finish. I grabbed a blade and pressed it to my throat without hesitation. Yes. Finally. My mother is alive! And soon I was going to see her. I was so happy I forgot to be afraid of death. But before I could cut, something slammed into my hand. The pain made me drop the blade. A foot stomped on it. “Ivy Lane. are you trying to kill yourself?” The familiar voice made me look up. “Sir Father.” The words slipped out before I could stop them. As expected, the man frowned at the name. “Don’t call me that. I cut ties with you long time ago.”

He was Sir Cedric Ashford. When I was little, a rival boss kidnapped me. Cedric climbed the enemy’s family on his knees, and took three stab wounds, six holes through his body, just to bring me back unharmed. After I was rescued, I cried at the sight of his wounds. He patted my head and said the cuts meant nothing to him. He said when he saw me cry, he hurt with it. He used to love me the most. Nut that love disappeared four years ago, when General Father brought Jade back from the Mafia war. I always knew my four fathers shared a lost love. But I didn’t know it wasn’t my mother. It was Jade’s mother. They were said to be the four sons of one of Millbrook City’s most feared mafia kings. Because the Rival Mafia Family feared of the boys would one day rise to power, their enemies sent mercenaries and killers to hunt them down. My mother, still a child then, hid the four boys and sent them to masters to train. After learning their skills, and with my mother’s help, they rose up and succeeded. Don Julian became the new mafia boss in the Millbrook City and cleared their group name. People said my mother and Don Julian had been in love. But when she was about to marry him, Jade’s mother appeared. The moment she arrived, she drew the four men’s attention. After that, People also said my mother very jealous, she often hurt Jade’s mother; and later, my mother killed herself out of jealousy. After my mother’s death, Jade’s mother vanished. Only when Jade returned did the fathers learn that Jade’s mother had left because she felt guilty over my mother’s death. To be honest, I don’t believe those stories. My instinct tells me my mother was not the villain; Jade’s mother was. But the fathers don’t trust my instinct. They even think my mother and I are the same, fighting for their attention. So every time Jade and I clashed, they sided with her. Soon I went from the pampered little princess to a whore to a thousand men. Sir Cedric picked up the blade and glanced at the wound on my throat. Then his wrist turned. The blade came straight for me. I stumbled back two steps on reflex. The flash of steel passed. A new cut appeared on my neck. Sir Cedric sneered, “If you want to die that badly, what are you hiding from?” “You’re just like your mother—cheap, always hurting yourself to get attention.” “She was smarter than you, at least. She always did it in front of all four of us. You pick this kind of miserable place. You’ve really lost your mind.”

I am about to explain that I am not acting. But then I remember—no one ever believed my explanations before. I bow my head. “You’re right, Sir Cedric. May I ask why you bothered to come all the way here? Was it to watch me put on a show?” Cedric freezes for a moment. “Don’t flatter yourself. Today is Jade’s birthday. She said she’s willing to forgive you and make peace. I am here to take you to see her.” Three days ago, I heard that Don Julian would name Jade Princess of Mafia and there’d be a parade today. I’m a year older than her; that title is the one Don Julian gave me when I was ten. If this were before, if someone tried to take what was mine, I would have made a scene. No one would have had a good time. Now I just tell Sir Cedric without expression, “I don’t want to go.” Cedric pauses, then says, “That’s not up to you.” He grabbed me by the arm and hauled me out. He takes me back to his place to cleaned me up, dressed me, and then rushed me toward the toward the manor. Sitting in the carriage, Cedric talks nonstop in my ear. He tells me to kneel before Jade. Not to make her angry again. My heart aches. I watch the carriage go faster and faster. The thought of seeing my mother grows stronger and stronger in my mind. Without thinking, I lift the curtain and jump out. I haven’t hit the ground before someone gasps. I think at that speed I’ll surely die. But the pain I expect never comes. Instead, I fall into a warm embrace. Cedric catches me. We roll on the ground twice. His furious voice explodes above my head. “Ivy, are you insane?” I look at him. He’s bleeding—bright red across his face where my head struck him. I reach up to wipe it off. His face goes hard. “Can you stop playing these games? You want to see if I care? I’ll tell you—me saving you means nothing. I’d save a stranger the same way. If I’d known you were planning this, I wouldn’t have jumped. ” “From now on, if you want to die, go ahead. I won’t stop you.” My hand freezes in midair. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the moat not far away. I smile bitterly. “All right, Sir Cedric. Remember what you said.” Before he can react, I spring up and, without looking back, hurl myself into the water. He had nearly drowned as a child. Water was his one fear. He said those cruel things knowing he might not jump in after me. So when the freezing water rushed into my lungs, I felt nothing but relief. Finally—I am going to see my mother.

I don’t know how much time passes. Then the darkness fades. I sit up eagerly, ready to find my mother—but someone slaps me across the face. I fall to the ground. “Bitch!” Doctor Father’s voice snarls above me. His face is twisted with anger. “All we asked was for you to do some light work at the camp. And the moment you see your Sir Father, you put on this act? Do you know he almost drowned because of you?” Of all four fathers, Doctor Father and I were the closest. The others were too busy, so almost he raised me. He taught me to read, to write, to recognize herbs and practice medicine. He was always gentle. No matter how badly I messed up, he guided me patiently. He never once punished me. But the day Jade came back, he hit me for the first time. Jade had brushed against one of his venomous insects and claimed I’d planted it on her. He took a whip to my back. “This is my fault for not teaching you better—treating lives like a joke?,” he said. Later, when Jade said I poisoned her again, Doctor Father fed me a pill that attracted insects and threw me into the Pit. Tens of thousands of bugs crawled into my body. they ate through my flesh and took one of my eyes. He tried to save me afterward, but I still lost one eye. I don’t say anything for now. He thinks my silence means I agree. His anger rises. He raises his hand to hit me again. Sir Father stops him. “Silas, calm down. Today is Jade’s enfeoffment ceremony as Princess of Mafia. Ivy can’t handle it. She’s already tried to kill herself three times in front of me.” I glance at Sir Father. He has changed his clothes. His wounds are bandaged. But his face is pale. I remember what Doctor Father said: “he almost drowned because of you.” He saved me again. Sir Father can’t swim. He must have used every bit of strength to pull me out. Doctor Father snorts. “Cedric, you were fooled. She’s used this stunt before—just to get attention.” Sir Father hesitates. Then, as if relieved, he says, “So that’s it.” Doctor Father looks at me again. “Ivy, today is Jade’s birthday. Make a scene in front of us if you must, but don’t drag it up to the another fathers—you know how they are…” Before he can finish, i have already lunged toward the medical case behind him. I have lived with Doctor Father long enough to know exactly where he keeps the poisons. I open the case. Find the deadliest one and swallowed it before anyone could stop me. Doctor Father’s face goes white.

The poison is bitter. But I am happy. Doctor Father once told me this poison has no antidote. If I take it, I will die. Doctor Father only freezes for a few seconds. Then he shoves his fingers into my mouth. “You’re insane. Do you know what that is?” He wrenched my jaw open and shoved his fingers down my throat. His large hand patted my back forcefully. Black blood trickled out of my mouth. He watches. Waits. When the blood running from me fades from black to red, Doctor Father lets out a breath. “Ivy, it was just a title. Was it worth dying over?” Sir Father looks shaken too. Now he believes I really want to die. His voice trembles. “Ivy, don’t do anything stupid. Yesterday the four of us talked to Jade. She agreed to forgive you. After today, you can come back to the mansion. Julian will make you the anther Princess of Mafia. Just stop trying to die. We’ll go back to how things used to be. Okay?” Hearing that, tears spill from my eyes. They think I’m moved. Then I drop to my knees in front of them. “Doctor Father. Sir Father. Please. Just let me die.” Doctor Father explodes with rage. “Ivy, didn’t you hear what we said—” “I heard.” There is no point hiding it anymore. “But I don’t want to go back to the house. I want to find my mother.” I tell them everything I heard in my head today. Their expressions grow more and more complicated. Finally, Doctor Father pulls me to my feet. “Ivy, listen to me. Your mother is really dead.” He tells me my mother jumped into a lake. Don Father pulled her out. Doctor Father used every skill he had and still couldn’t save her. After she died, the four of them cut me out of her belly. Then they stayed by her body for seven days and seven nights. They watched her rot. Watched her disappear from this world. Doctor Father says what I heard might be a hallucination from shock. He suggests I stay with him if I won’t return to the house—if I behave, he won’t let anyone hurt me again. I am about to shake my head when the sound of hooves slams through the courtyard. I am about to shake my head when the sound of hooves slams through the courtyard. Moments later Don Father and General Father rush in. frantic. “Silas, Cedric—have you seen Jade? She’s missing!”

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Before our Mating Ceremony, my mate Damien withdraws our Mating Application overnight, then submits one with Nora. Nora, the younger sister of his late Beta. When I hear the news, there is only one day left before the deadline. Warrior Sam looks troubled as he explains for Damien. “Luna, Alpha says saving a life is the highest honor for our kind.” “It is a fake bond, just to let Nora stay in the Blackwood Pack for treatment. Only you can understand his intention.” I tear the application that was meant for our honeymoon into pieces. “I don’t understand, but I’ll let him have his way.” The scraps scatter across the floor. Sam’s face turns red. “Luna, Alpha, he also…” “Call me Healer Lola,” I say calmly. Sam freezes. His mouth opens, then he lowers his head. “Yes, Healer Lola.” “Alpha asked me to tell you, once Nora settles in the pack, he will end the bond with her and form a mate bond with you right away.” “He says you are the only one in his heart.” I gather the herbs on the table and place them into a box. “Who he keeps in his heart is his business.” “My application can only be submitted once.” “Go tell him, my mate slot has no backup.” Sam’s face goes pale. He wants to say something, but my phone rings. “Healer Lola, a patient’s condition just turned critical. We need you now.” “I’m on my way.” I hang up and put on my healer robe. Before I leave, I glance at Sam. “Anything else?” He shakes his head and steps aside. I walk out of the office. At the end of the hallway, I see Damien. He is in his combat uniform, standing by the window. Nora stands beside him, holding a coat, about to drape it over his shoulders. Damien does not turn around. He just looks out the window. Nora sees me. Her hand pauses in midair, and she gives me a smile. I look away and walk into the ward. Memories flood my mind. I have known Damien for twenty-two years. We grow up together. He drives away the male wolves who bully me. I mend his torn battle gear. He becomes Alpha, respected by the entire Blackwood Pack. I become the best healer. In everyone’s eyes, we are fated mates. He sets the largest room in the Pack House as our mate residence. The day we get the key, he lifts me up and spins me three times in our new home. He laughs. “Lola, this is our home from now on.” I wrap my arms around his neck. “Damien, welcome home.” I handle the entire renovation myself. As Alpha, Damien often goes to the border. I take half a month off and run across the whole territory to find materials. The day he returns, I cover his eyes. He opens them and looks at the new home. He says nothing for a long time. Then he pulls me into a tight hug. His eyes turn red. “Lola, you worked so hard.” I shake my head. “It’s not hard. I want to do it.” The day we submit our Mating Application, the whole pack celebrates. Damien’s mother holds my hand and places the Luna crown on my head. “Lola, I am your mother now. If Damien ever hurts you, tell me. I will deal with him.” I smile and nod. My eyes grow warm. Damien puts a ring on my finger and whispers in my ear. “Lola, you are my only mate.”

Nora appears one month after we submit our Mating Application. She is the sister of Ryan, Damien’s Beta who died. Ryan dies in a battle with another pack while protecting Damien. It has always been a thorn in Damien’s heart. Nora’s parents are long gone. Ryan is her only family. By pack rules, a lone wolf with no family is sent to the Neutral Lands. The conditions there are harsh, and there are no professional healers. Nora was born with a weak wolf. Damien brings her back from the Neutral Lands and settles her in the pack guesthouse. He tells me, “Lola, this is my responsibility.” I nod. “I understand.” I go with him to visit Nora. The girl is small and thin, wearing old clothes that do not fit. When she sees Damien, her eyes light up, then she lowers her head and speaks softly. “Brother Damien.” Damien hands her the food. “From now on, treat this place as your home.” Nora shakes her head. Tears fall. “I don’t have a home anymore.” Damien’s body stiffens. I walk over and take Nora’s hand. “Don’t cry. From now on, we are your family.” I take her to buy new clothes and bring her to eat good food. I even want her to move into our mate residence. Damien refuses.“It’s not convenient.” I think he is worried about me. Now I realize, he is worried about himself. Nora starts to look for Damien often. Today it is a headache, tomorrow a stomachache, the day after she cannot sleep. No matter what Damien is handling, he goes to her right away. Rumors start in the pack. They say Damien treats Nora better than me, his mate. I do not care. I trust Damien. I trust the bond we build over twenty years. Until the day we submit our Mating Application, we have a party. I wear a white dress and hold Damien’s arm. He looks handsome that day. Standing together, we receive nothing but blessings. A pack elder just walks up to us with a glass of wine when Damien’s phone rings. He glances at it. His expression changes. He says “Excuse me” and walks out with his phone. I stand there. My smile freezes on my face. The hall falls silent. All eyes are on me. Damien’s mother walks over and presses my hand. “Lola, ignore him. We continue.” I force a smile and drink the wine. It burns. Damien comes back soon. He walks to me and lowers his voice. “Lola, I need to go.” “Nora is at the guesthouse. Her wolf loses control. She hurts herself and loses a lot of blood.” My heart sinks. “How is she?” “I don’t know. The staff called. They say it is serious.” There is panic in his voice I have never heard before. I look at him. “Damien, today is our application day. She has been taken to the Healer House, and the healers will take care of her.” He avoids my eyes. “I know.” “But she’s in bad shape. She needs me now.” “I will explain when I come back.” He does not look at me again. He turns and leaves. I watch his back disappear at the door. I almost drop the glass in my hand. That night, I drink the rest of the wine alone. Damien does not come back. Early the next morning, I get a call from the Healer House. A wolf warrior is badly injured. I rush there, change into my healer robe, and work for eight hours straight. When it is over, it is already dark. I take off my robe and get ready to go home. In the hallway, I see Damien and Nora in a ward. Nora wears a hospital gown. Her face is pale. Her hands are wrapped in thick bandages. Damien holds a bowl of soup and feeds her one spoon at a time. “Eat a little more. You haven’t eaten all day.” Nora shakes her head. Her eyes fill with tears. “Brother Damien, I can’t eat.” “Am I useless? I only bring you trouble.” Damien puts the bowl down and gently touches her head. “Don’t think like that. I am here.” “Your brother is gone. I will take care of you for the rest of my life.” Nora cries harder. She leans into his arms, her shoulders shaking. “Brother Damien, you are so good to me.” Damien holds her and pats her back softly. I stand there and watch them. My phone alarm rings. It reminds me that today is my birthday. Damien hears it and looks up. He sees me. His expression stiffens for a moment, then he stands. “Lola, let me explain.” Nora sees me too. She peeks out from behind him and calls softly. “Healer Lola.” I look at them and suddenly feel it is ridiculous. I say nothing and turn to leave. Damien chases after me and grabs my hand. “Lola, don’t be mad.” “Nora, she just…” “Let go.” My voice is cold. He freezes. I shake off his hand and walk away without looking back. That night, I go back to our mate residence alone. I open a bottle of wine and sit on the floor. My phone is filled with dozens of messages from Damien. “Lola, I’m sorry.” “Lola, where are you?” “Lola, reply to me.” I do not reply to any of them. I just hold the bottle and drink it slowly. “Happy birthday, Lola.” I whisper to myself.

After that, we fall into a cold war. Damien comes to the Healer House every day to see me. I ask the other healers to tell him I am busy. So he waits outside my office from morning till night. Everyone in the Healer House sees it. One healer quietly asks me, “Lola, did you fight with Alpha Damien?” I shake my head. “No.” It is not a fight. It is disappointment. A week later, Damien blocks me in the parking lot. He leans against my car door. “Lola, what do you want?” His voice is tired. “Let’s talk.” I look at him and say nothing. He pulls the door open and pushes me into the passenger seat. Then he gets into the driver’s seat and starts the car. He drives fast. In the end, he stops in front of our mate residence. “Lola, I know I was wrong.” “That day, I shouldn’t have left.” “I shouldn’t have stayed with someone else on your birthday.” “But I had no choice.” “Nora, she… she is too pitiful.” “She has no parents since she was young. Her only brother is gone.” “She is alone here, with no one to rely on.” “If I don’t take care of her, she will die.” I listen to him and stay silent. He turns and looks at me. “Lola, you are the most generous, the kindest.” “You are not like her.” “You are strong and independent. Even without me, you can live well.” “But she can’t.” “If she leaves me, she won’t survive.” I finally lift my head and look at him. “So?” “So you sacrifice me to make her whole?” He is stunned by my question. “That’s not what I mean.” “Then what do you mean? Damien, tell me, what am I to you?” He falls silent. The air in the car turns cold. After a long time, he speaks. “Lola, you are the only she-wolf I want to form a mate bond with in this life.” “I love you.” He says he loves me. But those three words sound like a joke to me.

After that talk, Damien still gives Nora everything she asks for. Nora still accepts his care like it is only natural. The only change is that they start to avoid me. Damien stops coming to the Healer House to see me. He stops texting me and calling me. We are in the same pack, yet it feels like we are far apart. Sometimes, when I get off work and go home, I see his car parked under the guesthouse where Nora lives. It stays there the whole night. Sometimes, when I eat in the dining hall, I hear some wolves talking. They say Damien takes Nora to see a new movie. They say Damien buys Nora an expensive bag. They say Nora has already moved into our mate residence. I do not go to check. I am afraid they are all true. My heart feels like it is burning on fire. It hurts, but makes no sound. I cannot sleep. Night after night, I stay awake. When I close my eyes, I see Damien and Nora together. I lose a lot of weight. All the healers can see it. The Chief Elder of the Healer House calls me in. “Lola, something is wrong with you lately.” “Did something happen?” I shake my head. “No.” “Maybe I am just too tired from work.” The elder gives me leave and tells me to rest well. My heart feels empty. I do not know where to go. In the end, I go back to our mate residence. I think I need an answer. I also need an ending. I open the door. A scent that is not mine hits me. A pair of high heels sits by the shoe cabinet. Pink, with lace. It is Nora’s style. Damien’s coat is on the couch in the living room. I walk in step by step. The bedroom door is slightly open. Inside, there is a woman’s laughter and a man’s low voice. My legs feel heavy. I stand at the door, but I do not have the courage to push it open. At that moment, the door opens from inside. Nora walks out wearing my pajamas. When she sees me, she freezes for a second. Then she smiles.“Healer Lola, you’re back.” Her hair is wet. She smells like body wash. I look at her, my whole body shaking. “Where is Damien?” Nora feigns a shy look and points behind her.“Brother Damien is in the shower. He says he is very tired today.” I follow where she points. Inside the bedroom, our bed is a mess. Two empty glasses sit on the nightstand. A loud crack goes off in my mind. My wolf roars inside me. I turn and run. I do not know how long I run or where I go. There is only one thought in my head. I never want to go back to that place again.

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I was born with a large chest. My body was cursed. That’s what the wood nymphs whispered behind my back, my breasts like ripe figs, so full they looked ready to burst, my waist thin as a grapevine you could snap with one hand. When I walked, those two soft mounds would sway, and even the wind stopped to stare. My mother was a priestess in the Temple of the Moon. She got pregnant at the sacred altar and died giving birth to me, refusing to the very end to name my father. The night she died, twelve laurel trees bloomed silver outside the temple. By dawn, every last petal had fallen. The priestess gathered around my cradle and called me an omen. A nymph too beautiful, they said, in the sacred grove of Artemis, was a disaster waiting to happen. I grew up in that grove, treated like a slave. They wrapped me in thick wool robes from neck to ankle, made me hunch my shoulders and lower my head, forbade me from ever looking a man in the eye. “Thena,” the high priestess Teya said, jabbing her finger into my forehead. “You think that body of yours is for seducing men? This is Artemis’s sacred grove. Step out of line, and I’ll feed you to the sea monster Scylla myself.” I didn’t know what stepping out of line meant. All I knew was the ache in my chest from the bindings they made me wear. In summer, the fabric rubbed my skin raw. In winter, the cold turned my fingers blue. But no matter how tight I wrapped, those two stubborn mounds pushed through, refusing to disappear. I cried into the spring more times than I could count, begging my mother to tell me why she gave me this body. The spring never answered. Only the wind rustling through the laurel leaves. Everything changed on a spring evening. Helios’s chariot had just crossed the sky, painting the grove gold and rose. I was walking back from the stream with a clay jug on my shoulder, water sloshing, when I heard sounds coming from the olive grove behind the temple. Muffled sounds. The kind you’re not supposed to hear. I put down the jug and crept closer. Teya was on her knees. Her robe had slipped down to her waist, exposing the dry, wrinkled skin of her back. And standing in front of her was a man I’d never seen before… No. Not a man. A god. He was shirtless, his body carved like a statue, every muscle holding enough force to level a city. Dark brown curls hung past his shoulders. His eyes were amber, burning like twin fires in the twilight. He had Teya by the chin, tilting her old face up to his. “Tell me,” he said, his voice low, like a blade dragging across a shield. “Who’s the most beautiful nymph in this grove?” Teya trembled. “The… the moon goddess’s handmaidens…” “No.” He let her go, his gaze sweeping past her, past the olive branches, past the floating dust motes in the golden light, and landing straight on me. My blood turned cold. His eyes moved down my face, past my trembling lips, and stopped at my chest, pressed tight against the edge of the clay jug, rising and falling with every panicked breath. “You.” He walked toward me, and with every step, the leaves on the ground seemed to shrink back. “What’s your name?” “Thena…” “Thena.” He rolled the name across his tongue like he was tasting it. The corner of his mouth lifted. “Are you afraid of me?” I nodded. Then shook my head. His scent was too much, iron and blood, the smell of a battlefield. It made my knees weak. “I’m Ares,” he said. “God of War.” I knew who he was. Son of Zeus and Hera. Every nymph knew the stories, once a god like him set his sights on you, there was no escape. My knees buckled. The clay jug slipped from my fingers. Ares reached out. His fingers hooked the strip of fabric binding my chest, moving so slowly I had all the time in the world to run. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. He pulled.

The linen tore like butterfly wings. My body, bound and hidden for seventeen years, broke free and stood naked in the twilight, bare to his eyes, to the fading sunlight, to the wind. I gasped. Tried to move back, but my feet wouldn’t obey. His gaze dropped to my chest. His pupils flared. His amber eyes filled with something I didn’t understand, something hungry and wild, like a man who’d been walking through a desert for a thousand years and finally found water. “Teya,” he said, his voice gone rough. “You were right. This body really is cursed.” He paused, bent his head, and brought his nose within a breath of my collarbone. “Cursed by me.” He inhaled. The warmth of his breath hit my skin, setting off a ripple of goosebumps down my neck, my arms, my spine. “You smell like…” His lips brushed my earlobe. “Spring.” I shoved him. I don’t know where the strength came from, but my palms hit his chest solid. I felt his heartbeat, loud and fast, just like a mortal man’s. I staggered back, stumbling over shards of the broken jug. Blood welled from my foot, but I didn’t feel it. “Don’t touch me!” I screamed. Ares didn’t follow. He stood there, watching me flee, watching my hair whip in the wind, watching my bare shoulders disappear into the trees. Then he bent down and picked up the torn strip of linen, still warm from my skin. He lifted it to his nose. “Thena,” he said, like a spell. The sound followed me through the olive grove, through the laurel trees, through the dying light. It sank into my bones. That night, every nymph in the grove heard me crying. I curled up in the darkest corner of the moon temple, moonlight falling cold through the high windows. I tried to wrap my chest again with the torn cloth, but my fingers shook too badly to tie the knots. Tears soaked my knees, my dress, the stone floor. Teya found me. The marks from Ares’s fingers were still fresh on her cheek, purple and swollen. She looked down at me with eyes that held nothing but disgust. “You think you can run from this?” Her voice echoed off the temple walls. “When a god like Ares wants something, no one stops him. No one.” I looked up through my tears. She bent down, close enough that her lips almost touched my ear. “I heard Ares was badly wounded at Troy. A spear went through his thigh. Right through the tendon.” She didn’t finish. She didn’t need to. A god who couldn’t perform. “Lucky you,” she said, her voice turning light, almost cheerful. “Better a broken god than a beast. At least you won’t have to bear children.” She patted my cheek. “Besides, they say men who can’t do it in bed make up for it in other ways.” “I don’t want to marry him…” “Don’t want?” Teya’s face went dark. “Who do you think you are? A bastard with no father. Ares wants you, that’s more than you deserve. If it weren’t for that body of yours, that slut’s body, a war god wouldn’t even look at you.” She spat the word slut like it was poison. I cried again. That night I dreamed. Ares’s hands moved up my legs, and everywhere he touched, my skin caught fire. His lips pressed against my stomach, and I heard his voice, low and shaking, like the ground opening up beneath me: “Thena. You can’t escape me.” I woke soaked in sweat. My hair was plastered to my face, my neck. The blanket had slid to the floor. Between my legs, a heat I’d never felt before, spreading through me like spring floods breaking through ice. I bit my lip until I tasted blood. Shame shook me down to my bones. Outside, the moon hung cold in the sky.

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