The Pack headquarters was silent in the dead of night. My breathing was rapid, and blood was dripping down my skin, soaking my clothes. My feet fluttered on the carpet, and the drops of blood on the ground were like an angry warning, telling me that everything was beyond redemption. I was covered in scars all over. Last night, in order to save the Alpha, Caden Westbrook, I alone led away the assassination operation of the hostile Rebellion Pack. At that time, I thought that everything I did for him would eventually earn a response and a trust. Now, standing at the door of his office, I find myself completely wrong. Through the half-open door, I heard his deep voice interwoven with another she-wolf’s light laugh. That voice was all too familiar to me – it was Ava, Beta , one of the members of the Wolf tribe whom I once regarded as friends and companions. “You are really becoming more and more charming.” Ava’s voice was sweet, interspersed with a teasing tone, as if nothing had ever happened. Alpha Caden’s voice was deep and lazy, as if he were enjoying all of this. “You know, I’ve been tired of her for a long time.” Alpha Caden’s cold voice rang out, “I didn’t completely abandon Seraphina because she was my Mate and the Council elder.” At that moment, it seemed as if the whole world had fallen silent. I stood there motionless at the door, my heart feeling as if it had been crushed by some heavy object, unable to breathe. I pushed the door open forcefully. Immediately, a strong smell of alcohol and perfume hit me in the face, so intense that it made me want to vomit. On the sofa, Alpha Caden and Ava were entangled with each other, hugging and kissing, while I, standing before them, was like an insignificant prey. I said nothing, just lowered my head, feeling completely humiliated from the inside out. “Alpha Caden!” I gritted my teeth and almost squeezed out these two words through the gaps between them. He slowly raised his head, his gaze wandering. There was a look of shame in his eyes, but also a kind of natural coldness. “What are you doing here? Have all the people from the Rebellion Pack been diverted?” At that moment, I could hardly believe his words. He showed no concern for me at all, and such a shameless expression appeared on his face. My eyes were pricked by the light and felt a little moist. Ava smiled even more smugly, closing in step by step, and contemptuously lifted my chin: “Why pretend to be pitiful? When you were a hostage for Alpha Caden back then, weren’t your eyes in such good condition?” I suddenly had a sharp pain in my head. In the kidnapping case three years ago, I was taken hostage instead of Alpha Caden. Feral Wolf shone a powerful flashlight directly into my eyes to force me to obtain the confidential password of Pack, resulting in eye damage. At that time, my eyes had already begun to have problems. Although I tried my best to endure, I couldn’t fully recover. Nowadays, my right eye still goes blind from time to time on rainy days, and my left eye is always photophobia and tears. I wanted to fight back, but I was powerless to hold on. Standing at the door, I even found it hard to catch my breath. “Did you hear that? He said he was tired of you.” Ava approached me, sneering coldly and pinching my neck with both hands. “How can you be worthy of being Alpha Caden’s Mate in your current state?” Alpha Caden stood up, casually pushed aside Ava’s hand and walked up to me. He slowly lit a cigarette, with a sarcastic smile on the corner of his mouth: “Since you want an answer so much, then let you take a good look.” He looked at me coldly and casually threw the lighter onto the marriage contract we once signed together. It was at my 18th coming-of-age ceremony. After the Moon Goddess decided on him as my Mate, he urged me to sign. How tender and affectionate she was back then, Alpha Caden’s attitude took a sudden turn for the worse after that kidnapping case three years ago. I tried my best to save her, but it still ended up in this situation today. The firelight ignited that piece of paper, spreading rapidly and burning up all the former promises and memories. I looked at him, and tears couldn’t help flowing down. The flames on that piece of paper shone on Alpha Caden’s collarbone, where the traces of Ava’s kiss were still clearly visible – he once said that only I could leave a mark on him, but now, it was clearly Ava who had taken my place. My hand feebly touched the eye drops in my pocket. Enduring the excruciating pain in my eyes, I dropped a drop. The liquid, along with the blood streaks, dripped onto the charred marriage contract. The firelight made everything even more dazzling. My vision blurred a little, but I still stared fixedly at Alpha Caden’s face. “Seraphina, do you think you deserve him? ” Ava suddenly grabbed my hair and forced me to raise my head, “Haven’t you always lived a comfortable life?” Back then when you were taken hostage, there was nothing wrong with your eyes. I felt a chill coming from between her fingers, and that sneering scent made me tremble uncontrollability. Every word Ava said was like a sharp knife, cutting across my heart. Don’t go too far. I raised my head, trying to resist with all my might, “We once -” “Once?” Ava interrupted me, and the smile on her face became even more sinister. “Do you think it ever had any meaning?” Now you are just a burden. Alpha Caden finally came up to me. He didn’t look at me again. Instead, he threw the burned marriage contract into the trash can and casually left me behind. If you keep making a fuss, I’ll make you disappear completely. Alpha Caden said coldly, her tone devoid of any emotion. He pressed the bell on the table and a Warrior in a black uniform came in. Take her away. I was coldly dragged away by Warrior, with almost all my strength drained. My eyes began to blur. Blood dripped onto the carpet and I felt like I was about to fall. But no matter how I struggled, I was always powerless. Thrown into the solitary confinement room, I curled up in the corner in pain. The intense pain on my ribs almost made it impossible for me to breathe. Last night’s assassination hurt two of my ribs, and today’s betrayal has completely broken me down. I tried hard to hold back my tears, unable to believe that all this could happen to me.

I lay on the hospital bed, my eyes fixed on the white chandelier above my head. My heart felt as if it were being pressed by heavy stones, and my breathing became heavy. I clenched the bed sheet tightly, feeling the sweat on my palms soaking through. The risks of the surgery are like a knife hanging over one’s head, refusing to go away. Before, I didn’t dare to have surgery. The risk of death during the operation deterred me. I’m afraid that Alpha Caden will be sad after my death, and I can’t accept leaving her either. But now it’s different. He’s as if he has never cared about me. Similarly, I should also get out of the current predicament. Pack Doctor pushed the door open gently and came in. His deep voice broke the silence of the room: “Seraphina, are you ready for it? The operation can be carried out at any time, but you know, the risk of death during the operation cannot be avoided.” I took a deep breath and avoided the doctor’s gaze with my eyes. I once kept delaying because I was too afraid to face the possibility of leaving Alpha Caden. Now, I have been severely hurt by him, breaking all my self-protection. I finally understand that continuing to endure and remain silent is no longer the life I want. “Pack Doctor, I… I decide to have an operation.” Pack Doctor raised his eyebrows slightly, as if sensing my determination. He approached, picked up the scalpel and gently stroked it: “This is a decision concerning your life. I will do my best.” I closed my eyes, held back the tears at the corners of my eyes, and nodded weakly, “I can’t wait any longer.” The surgical process is like a silent dream. “The operation was very successful. ”Pack Doctor said. I woke up from the anesthesia in a daze. The world before my eyes was still blurry, as if everything was shrouded in grey mist. But I could feel the intense pain in my eyes. My right eye seemed to be torn apart, and it seemed that every blink would trigger the pain in my heart. I squeezed my wrist hard and forced myself not to shout. A few days later, when I regained my sight, the severe pain in my right eye did not ease at all. Every time I open my eyes, the light around me stings me so much that I almost have to close my eyes to resist it, but that stinging pain seems to remind me of those unbearable memories from the past. I curled up in bed, holding the sheet tightly, my teeth crunching. Pain keeps me awake and unable to escape. At this moment, a slight sound of footsteps was heard outside the ward door. I forced my eyes open and saw Pack Doctor walk in, expressionless, as if he had been worn down by work and had no emotions at all. He lowered his head, examined my eyes, and a trace of concern flashed in his gaze: “The recovery period might be longer than expected, but you will get better gradually.” Bear with it. The pain is temporary. I couldn’t help but chuckle softly, my voice hoarse: “The pain is temporary, but how can the pain in the heart heal?” Pack Doctor didn’t answer. He just nodded silently. His expression became more serious and he said in a low voice, “Seraphina, what you need is time and patience.” Relax and stop thinking about those unimportant things. However, all of this still cannot let me go. Because I know very well that my pain doesn’t just stem from the recovery after the surgery. The real pain comes from the person I once deeply loved – Alpha Caden. A few days later, despite the intense pain in my eyes, I went home from the hospital and walked into the living room. As soon as I stepped into the living room, I heard the noise outside the door. Ava suddenly pushed the door open and entered, carrying a box of rotten roses in her hand. She gave a contemptuous smile and threw the flower box in front of me. “Alpha Caden said that. He said this flower suits you best.” ” Her voice was full of disdain, and there was that disgusting smug on her face. The scent of her perfume mingled with the familiar scent on Alpha Caden, instantly breaking my heart. I stared fixedly at the pile of rotten petals in front of me, my eyes filled with question and anger: Is Alpha Caden really that cold-blooded? I once trusted you so much. How could you cheat on me behind my back? I said angrily. Ava disdainfully kicked over the scattered project proposal on my desk: “Luna, what do you think you are?” You don’t even deserve to know the confidential password of the Alpha safe! Alpha Caden said, “Since you haven’t shown up for so many days, you might as well stay a little further away.” Ava sneered, “Your things have already been thrown into Omega’s room. You’ll be living there from today on.” As she spoke, she sneered and looked at me with malice in her eyes. I wanted to refute something, but found my voice choking up in my throat. Every word she said seemed like a knife stabbing at me. That night, the intense pain in my abdomen prevented me from sleeping. I bent down, holding my stomach with both hands. The intense discomfort made it almost impossible for me to breathe. I hurried into the bathroom and picked up the test strip that I dared not face – the pregnancy test strip. When I saw the two bright red bars above, the whole world seemed to collapse. I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, looking at my pale face, and suddenly felt that I had become so strange. My heart was racing and my mind was filled with chaos. Soon, Omega’s servant came in. His eyes casually swept over the test strips on the table, and he immediately reported it to Alpha Caden. Late at night, I lay in bed, holding the pregnancy test report tightly in my hand, and tears couldn’t help but spill out of the corners of my eyes. Suddenly, the cheerful sounds from the next room came to my ears. The familiar breathing sounds became even clearer in the dead of night. I knew it was Ava and Alpha Caden. Hanging out next door to me was Ava’s deliberate request, and Alpha Caden, seeking excitement, half-heartedly agreed. Alpha Caden’s voice kept ringing in my ears. He panted and whispered, “Seraphina is pregnant now. When the baby is born, I’ll find an opportunity to get you into Council.” At this moment, all reason and self-respect were cast aside. I held the report tightly, and tears finally slid down silently. I once thought he was everything to me, but I never expected that he would be so heartless and so indifferent.

I stood in the corridor of the hospital, my hands tightly grasping the confirmation of the surgery appointment displayed on the phone screen, my heart filled with countless contradictions. At that moment, I knew I should make a decision – either to let go or to continue this relationship that was doomed to break up. “Can you really do it?” I asked myself, my voice weak, yet reverberating in the empty room. Everything before my eyes is blurry. The moment I made the appointment for the surgery, deep down in my heart, I had actually made a choice – I no longer wanted to stay in this city, by the side of that man named Alpha Caden. However, when I stood at the hospital entrance, that uncontrollable confusion swallowed me up again. Is turning around and leaving, leaving the child behind, really the best choice? Instinctively, I raised my head to look out of the window. The drizzle was falling, the traffic was surging, and from time to time, figures hurried past on the street. I took a deep breath, gathered my courage and dialed Alpha Caden’s phone number. “Hey, Alpha Caden…” My voice almost vanished on the other end of the phone, and my words were swallowed up in the wind and rain. However, there was silence on the other end. There was still no response on the other end of the phone. Just at this moment, I heard footsteps coming from behind. That kind of gait was all too familiar to me. It was Ava’s gait. I turned around sharply and saw Ava standing in front of me with a sneer. A look of disdain curved at the corner of her mouth: “Want to run?” Do you think you can escape? Behind her, the tall and burly man, Warrior, stared at me coldly, holding a knife in his hand, with an undeniable coldness in his eyes. I struggled backward desperately, and my entire heart felt as if it were being torn apart. Why was Alpha Caden so cruel to me? Does he really not want this child anymore? Stop right there for me! Ava suddenly let out a furious shout. Immediately, she rushed up to me, grabbed my wrist and pulled me into her arms with all her might. She sneered in my ear in a low voice, “You should be glad that Alpha Caden doesn’t think highly of you. At least you’re alive.” And you, this child of unknown identity, have no value at all. “Let me go!” I struggled desperately and pushed her hand away with all my might, trying to break free from her restraint. However, Ava seemed to have been well-prepared. With a precise hand knife strike on my neck, my body immediately lost its strength and I fell to the ground. Stop struggling. Don’t waste any more time. Ava’s voice carried a cold sneer. She crouched down, ready to pour a bottle of unknown liquid into my mouth. The smell of that bottle of medicine was pungent. I could hardly stand it. I wanted to struggle, but I was weak all over and simply couldn’t resist. Just as Ava was about to force the liquid into my mouth, Warrior said, “Be careful she might bite you?” She has no chance anymore. Ava’s lips curled up slightly, and her eyes revealed a vicious look. Just then, the rain poured down like a deluge. I felt a violent impact, and immediately a warm liquid flowed out of my mouth. I know. That’s my blood. The excruciating pain almost made me faint. All the suffering, all the powerlessness, all the despair condensed in this moment. Ava seemed to finally let go of me and looked at me coldly. An indescribable sadness welled up in my heart. Alpha Caden, the man I once deeply loved, is actually so heartless. Could it be that he really doesn’t care about me and the child in my womb at all? My mobile phone finally rang at this moment. “Alpha Caden?” Almost subconsciously, I grabbed my phone and saw that his name was displayed on the screen, but the call wasn’t answered. I dialed his number again, but still couldn’t get through. I finally realized that perhaps Alpha Caden really doesn’t care about me at all anymore. Just then, I saw Alpha Caden’s figure clearly appear on the LED screen not far away. He was announcing that Ava would become a member of the Council. Look at what the person you love is doing now. Ava sneered, her tone brimming with sarcasm, “He doesn’t care about you anymore, not even showing contempt.” My heart seemed to be torn in two. I can’t bear this kind of pain any longer. My hand trembled as I almost unconsciously dialed the Healer, Zane Whitford’s number. He once saved me. It was he who rescued me from the desperate situation in that kidnapping incident three years ago. “Zane Whitford…” I whispered, with a hint of choking in my voice. The call was connected, but soon it was snatched from my hand by a cold hand and thrown directly into the pudd on the ground. “Do you want to ask for help? There is no chance now. ” Warrior sneered. His figure was blurred in my sight. The phone was submerged in water and had no signal at all.

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Everyone knew my husband Seth’s inner wolf was cold toward me. Then I walked in on him pinning my stepsister against the kitchen counter, his nose buried in her neck, breathing her in like she was something his wolf had been searching for. It came out at a family dinner. Seth wanted out. He’d found his True Mate in Serena. Serena’s husband, Callum, had no ground left to stand on. His Pack had just lost their territory in the border wars. He had nothing left to fight with. So he took me instead. Two couples. Two bonds. Swapped clean. Callum looked at Seth across the table. “If my Pack hadn’t fallen — if Serena hadn’t been yours — I would never have walked away.” Seth pulled Serena close and left. I stood in front of the leftover food and didn’t know where to go. It didn’t matter. I was dying anyway. I didn’t say that out loud. I swallowed it back down. Along with everything else I’d been swallowing for years. — The dinner broke up. The waitstaff cleared the table. I stood in the doorway of the private room with nowhere to go. Seth had already carried Serena out. His arm around her waist, down the hotel corridor, into the elevator. His wolf had found what it wanted. He never looked back. Not once. Callum was still there. Waiting. “Let’s go.” He finally spoke. “Back to my place.” I didn’t want to. “You have nowhere else.” His voice was even. “Your father’s Pack won’t take you back. Where else would you go?” I looked at him. He always knew exactly where to press. He waited. When I didn’t answer, he reached out and took my hand. His hand was warm. Knuckles sharp under the skin. Thin calluses on his fingertips. Years ago, he’d held my hand the same way on the day we made our bond. “Let’s go,” he said. I didn’t refuse again. Because he was right. I had nowhere to go. — In the car, Callum sat behind the wheel and said nothing. Then, after a long silence: “You hate me.” I turned to look at him. He kept his eyes on the road. Streetlights swept across his face one after another. I didn’t answer. Hate? I used to. After the bond was severed, the hate kept me up most nights. It sat in my chest like something I couldn’t swallow down and couldn’t spit out. I hated him for bonding with me and then rejecting the bond. For being soft toward Serena in front of my face. For the way he started looking through me like I wasn’t there. But what I hated most was the needle. The one he arranged. The one he held me down for. I had just found out I was carrying his pup. I walked in with the scan still warm in my hands. I thought he’d be relieved. I thought maybe this was the thing that would finally give us something to build on. He let me finish. Then he was quiet for a moment. “Serena heard about it,” he said. “She’s not happy.” Serena wasn’t happy. So the pup had to go. I got on my knees. I told him it was his. That the scan showed a heartbeat. That it was beating right now, on that printout, that it was alive. He didn’t react. He picked up his phone and made a call. I don’t know who he called. I only heard his side: “Right. Home visit. As soon as possible.” Thirty minutes later, the doorbell rang. A woman in plain clothes came in with a small white case. She glanced at me, then looked at Callum. He nodded. I got up to run. He grabbed me and pinned me to the bed. I fought. I kicked him. I bit down on his hand until I tasted blood. He didn’t let go. The needle went into my vein. My whole body locked up. The fluid moved down the line, drop by drop, into me. I still remember the pain. I rolled. I clawed the sheets apart. My inner wolf screamed for help until I had no voice left. Nobody came. He stood outside the door all night. He heard me scream. He heard me cry. He heard it go quiet. The sheets were soaked red. The pup was gone. The next morning he came in and looked at me. “Rest up,” he said. Then he left to see Serena. She’d been upset about all of it. He went to comfort her.

My body never recovered after that. The Pack doctor said the damage was permanent. My wolf’s healing ability had been stripped down to almost nothing. Likely unable to carry again. I heard it and felt something loosen in my chest. Good. A pup nobody wants shouldn’t have to come into this world. “Vera.” Callum’s voice pulled me back. “That procedure,” he said. “I know it left damage.” I looked at him and said nothing. “How are you — how’s your wolf now?” Not dying. Not living either. My inner wolf had gone so quiet I sometimes forgot she was there. Cold weather and my joints ached bone-deep. Every change of season brought the cough. Some nights it went on for hours, and there was blood in what came up. A doctor had told me I had a few years left if nothing changed. I wasn’t going to tell Callum any of that. “Don’t worry about it,” I said. He nodded. Didn’t push. The car moved through one red light, then another. I closed my eyes. — Callum Hart was my first mate. We grew up on the same territory outside Boston. Same Pack schools, kindergarten through college. Both families had known each other for decades. Everyone said we were the obvious pair. I was twenty when everything changed. Serena’s mother showed up at our Pack with Serena in tow. My mother found out her mate had a daughter nearly my age that she’d never known about. My mother died that winter. A brain bleed. She was already gone by the time anyone reached her. The funeral day, Callum came to pay his respects. He took my hand and said: “The bonding ceremony still stands. When the mourning period is over, we’ll make it official.” The first months of our bond, he was good to me. He was. But it didn’t last long before he fell for Serena. He told me straight. Said he’d split everything fifty-fifty. Said he wanted to sever the bond. I said no. I cried. I begged. I knelt in front of him and asked if he remembered I was his bonded mate. He looked down at me. No disgust. No pity. Nothing. “Vera,” he said. “You can’t force a wolf to feel what it doesn’t.” He loved Serena and he didn’t hide it from anyone. When Pack members talked about her, he went after them. When she cried, he stayed up all night. When she said she was unhappy, he gave her whatever she asked for. Including my unborn pup. The car stopped. “We’re here.” The Hart den was right in front of us. The living room light was still on. Callum’s mother was on the couch in her robe. She saw me walk in and her face went flat. “Why did you bring her here?” “She is cursed. Her own mother dies, our Pack loses its territory — and you walk her through our front door?” I said nothing. I stood there with my eyes down. Callum said nothing either. She got louder. Went through everything — my bloodline, my family, my standing in the Pack hierarchy. She went for a full fifteen minutes before Callum spoke. “Mom. It’s late. Go to bed.” She shot him a look, shot me another, and went upstairs still cursing under her breath. Just the two of us. Callum stood with his back to me. “Don’t take it personally.” “Where do I sleep?” I said. He turned, looked at me once, and led me upstairs. He stopped in front of a bedroom door. The room we’d shared when we were bonded. He pushed it open. Everything inside had been redone. Pink curtains. Serena’s things lined up on the vanity. Her photo on the nightstand. Callum gestured at the room. “You can stay here. Don’t move anything. She might come back someday — I don’t want her walking in to find it changed.” I walked in and sat on the edge of the bed. He was still in the doorway. Waiting for something. I didn’t look back. “I’m tired.” He stood there a moment, then turned and walked away. His footsteps faded down the hall. — That night I couldn’t sleep. The room carried Serena’s scent. Something thick and sweet that made my wolf flinch. I turned over and over. My mind wouldn’t stop. After the bond with Callum was severed, I’d gone back to my father’s den. I thought — my father’s house, at least. He wouldn’t turn me away. I was wrong.

The housekeeper stepped back when she saw me in the doorway. My father looked at me like I’d tracked something in. Said I’d shamed the bloodline. My stepmother wanted me out. Every day she had a name for me — a Pack elder with bond rejected, fifty-something, looking for someone to keep his den. She said I should consider myself lucky. “You’re a severed mate,” she said. “What exactly are you holding out for?” That was when Seth came. It was the worst I’d been. My stepmother had nearly finalized it — the Pack elder, the second bonding I hadn’t agreed to. My father said nothing. His silence was enough. Then Seth showed up and asked to court me. Said he’d thought about me for a long time. My father said yes. My stepmother threw a cup at the wall. The day I moved into Seth’s den, I thought: maybe this is finally it. He treated me well. He put toothpaste on my brush before I woke up. When I coughed, he made pear tea. On the nights I couldn’t sleep, he lay beside me and patted my back until I went still. I thought I’d found solid ground. I thought maybe things were allowed to be okay now. Then came the day we visited my family after the bonding ceremony. Serena was in the yard. She was wearing a white sundress. The wind caught the hem. She turned and glanced back. Just once. That was all it took. Seth’s feet stopped moving. His wolf had caught her scent. After that, everything changed. He started going to the estate constantly. Said he was checking on my father. He started bringing her things. Small gifts, then larger ones. He started bringing her up in conversation. How perceptive she was. How warm. I knew exactly what was happening. I didn’t say a word. I just thought: maybe this is just what my life is. The people I love always leave. In the end, it was at the family dinner. He dropped the papers on the table in front of me and walked out with his arm around Serena. — I lay in bed thinking through all of it, and somewhere in the middle of it I fell asleep. The next morning I was woken by shouting. “Still in bed? The sun’s been up for hours!” His mother’s voice exploded next to my ear. I opened my eyes. She was standing over me, hands on her hips, face full of contempt. She grabbed my arm. “Get up and make breakfast. This pack doesn’t feed those who don’t pull their weight.” My whole body hurt. It was like this every month. My lower back locked up. A grinding cramp low in my stomach. Even breathing felt like effort. I pushed myself up on one arm, pulled on a jacket, and got out of bed. “What’s taking so long? Callum’s waiting to eat!” I made breakfast and brought the food to the table. Callum was already seated, scrolling through his phone. He didn’t look up. I set the congee in front of him. He stood up. “What’s wrong?” his mother asked. “I’m not eating.” He was already at the door, picking up his keys. “Serena’s wolf is unsettled. I’m going to her.” His mother sat at the table staring at the full spread. Her expression curdled. I stood still. Eyes down. Didn’t move, didn’t speak. Crack. Her palm hit the table. “Look at yourself.” She pointed at me. “Can’t keep a bonded male, takes half the morning to cook a meal he won’t even touch — what are you even here for? You’re deadweight.” When I still didn’t respond, she grabbed a dish off the table and threw it at me. It hit my forehead and split in two. Broth ran down into my eye. “Useless!” She turned and walked out. The broth stung. I blinked. Reached up and wiped my face. My forehead had split open. Blood mixed with the broth, running down. The floor was a mess. I crouched down and started picking up the pieces one by one. When the shards were cleared, I got the cloth and knelt on the floor and wiped up the broth.

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One of us had to go. That’s what Mom said when she called us into the living room. My sister Ruby and I. Two daughters. One slot left in the trust fund payout—but only if someone completed the Smokejumper Tour. Two years. Dangerous as hell. The lawyers had tied Dad’s estate up tight. “We’ll draw straws,” Mom said, her voice flat. She’d been flat since Dad died. Ruby reached for the straws. I didn’t let her touch them. “I’ll go.” Mom’s head snapped up. Ruby froze, her hand hovering in midair. “You’ll what?” “I’ll do the Tour. Ruby can marry Pierce and fulfill the contract.” My voice didn’t shake. I’d practiced this in my head a thousand times since I woke up in my twenty-three-year-old body again. Since I remembered dying. Mom stared at me. “You and Pierce have been inseparable since high school. You love him.” “I’m going.” I didn’t tell her that in my last life, I’d drawn the lucky straw. That I’d married Pierce Hawthorne in a white dress while Ruby packed her bags. That Ruby lasted six months at the remote fire station before Chief Miller’s son—Lenny, the unstable one—cornered her in the supply shed. That she killed herself three days later. That Pierce blamed me when he found her suicide note. That he dragged me to her grave and made me pay for her death in ways I still felt in my bones. The door slammed open. Pierce. He stormed in like a wildfire and locked eyes on Ruby. He pulled her into his arms. “Thank God. I thought I was too late.” His voice cracked. His eyes were red-rimmed. He turned to Mom, still holding Ruby. “Mrs. Brennan, I love Ruby. I want to marry her. I know you wanted me to marry Clara, but I don’t love her. I never did.” He dropped to one knee in front of my mother. “Please. Let me marry Ruby.” I stood there. Numb. He’d come back too. He remembered dying—no, he remembered killing me. And he’d chosen her again. “Pierce—” “Save it, Clara.” He stood, and the look he gave me was pure venom. “I’d rather die than marry you.” That look. I knew that look. I’d seen it before when he held me down and let Lenny— I shook my head. Cleared the memory. Mom coughed softly. “Clara already volunteered for the Tour. You’re free to marry Ruby.” Pierce blinked. Then his face split into a grin, and he kissed Ruby’s forehead. “God. Finally.” He didn’t look at me again. He grabbed Ruby’s hand and pulled her toward the door, already talking about wedding dates and venues. Just before he left, his eyes flicked to mine. “Stay away from us.” they said.

I went to the outdoor supply store to buy gear for the Tour. Heavy boots. Fire-retardant pants. A pack that could carry forty pounds of equipment. I turned the corner past the camping section and saw them. Pierce and Ruby. Standing in front of a white lace gown on a mannequin. Last time, I’d wanted that dress. Pierce said no. Too expensive. Too flashy. His dad was the Deputy Director of the Regional Fire Authority—we couldn’t draw attention. Now he was pulling out his credit card without hesitation. Ruby caught sight of me. Her smile widened. “Clara! What a coincidence!” She looped her arm through Pierce’s and walked toward me, her hips swaying. Pierce’s hand settled on her lower back. “We set the date. Three days from now. You have to come, sis. I’d be devastated if you missed it.” “I need to prep for the Tour—” “If you don’t show up,” Pierce said quietly, “I’ll kill Ash.” My blood went cold. Ash. The little black mutt that Pierce’s mom gave me for my sixteenth birthday. She’d loved me like a daughter. When she died, Ash was all I had left of her. Pierce knew that. “You wouldn’t.” “Try me.” Ruby touched my wrist. Her fingers slid over the silver bracelet—Pierce’s mom’s bracelet, the one she’d clasped onto my wrist on her deathbed. You’ll be my daughter-in-law someday, she’d whispered. Ruby’s thumb rubbed the metal. “You know, sis, this bracelet should really go to the actual daughter-in-law. Don’t you think?” My throat tightened. “It’s not a family heirloom. She gave it to me.” “Clara, if you love it that much, I have others at home—” “Stop.” Ruby’s eyes filled with tears. Her voice broke. “You’re doing this because you’re jealous, aren’t you? Because I’m marrying Pierce and you’re not?” Her tears fell. Loud sobs. People turned to stare. Pierce’s jaw clenched. “Take it off.” “Pierce—” “Take it off.” I looked into his eyes. Saw the same cold hatred from before. My hands trembled as I unclasped the bracelet. Ruby reached for it. And dropped it. The silver hit the tile floor. The clasp broke. Beads scattered like buckshot. “Oh no.” Ruby’s hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes went wide with fake shock. “Clara, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean—” “You bitch.” My voice shook. “You did that on purpose.” Ruby’s tears came harder. Louder. “I just wanted something to remember Pierce’s mom by! You’re so selfish! You don’t want me to marry him, so you broke the bracelet to punish me!” The crowd murmured. A woman next to us glared at me. “Disgusting. She’s jealous of her own sister.” “Breaking a dead woman’s bracelet? That’s evil.” I knelt. Started picking up the beads. My hands were shaking so hard I could barely hold them. Pierce crouched next to me. His hand shot out and crushed mine into the broken clasp. Sharp metal bit into my palm. Blood welled up hot and fast. He leaned in close. His breath was warm against my ear. “Try that again, and I won’t just hurt you. I’ll erase you.”

I walked home with the beads wrapped in a scarf, my hand throbbing. When I got there, Mom had already left for work. Ruby was waiting in the kitchen. She smiled. “Hungry, sis? I made stew.” She pushed a huge pot toward me. Steam rose from the top. The smell hit me like a fist. Meat. Rich. Gamey. “Where’s Ash?” Ruby’s smile widened. “Oh. You know. I figured you’d want a good meal before the Tour. You won’t get food this good out in the wilderness.” My stomach turned. “You didn’t.” “He was just a dog, Clara. And you’re leaving anyway.” She laughed. “Waste not, want not.” I lunged. My hand connected with her face hard enough to snap her head sideways. She hit the floor, clutching her cheek, and I stood over her, shaking. “We’re sisters. Why are you doing this?” She looked up at me. Smiled through the red mark blooming on her skin. “Because Mom rigged the draw last time. She told you which straw to pick. She chose you.” Ruby’s voice turned cold. “Do you know what Chief Miller’s son did to me? Do you know what it’s like to be locked in a room for six months while a man twice your size uses you like a toy?” Her eyes glittered. “This time, you get to suffer. You get to lose everything I lost.” “I didn’t know—” “Shut up.” She stood slowly, still smiling. “And by the way? That fire that killed Pierce’s mom? I started it.” My breath stopped. “She found out about me and Pierce’s uncle. I locked the door from the outside. I was going to let her burn.” Ruby tilted her head. “But you had to play hero, didn’t you? You ran in and saved Pierce. Got those ugly scars on your legs.” She stepped closer. “Pierce still doesn’t know it was you. He thinks I pulled him out. I made sure of it.” Before I could respond, she threw herself backward into the table. The pot of stew tipped. Boiling liquid and chunks of meat spilled across her arms and chest. She screamed. The door slammed open. Pierce. He took one look at Ruby on the floor, covered in burns, and his boot caught me in the stomach. I hit the ground. Couldn’t breathe. He grabbed my hair and slammed my face into the tile. Once. Twice. Three times. Blood filled my mouth. “I told you what would happen.” His voice was a growl. “I told you to leave her alone.” He picked up Ruby like she weighed nothing. Carried her to the sink. Ran cold water over her burns. Then he turned back to me. His hand closed around my throat. I clawed at his wrist. Couldn’t get air. The edges of my vision went dark. Ruby’s voice, faint and breathless: “Pierce, stop—you’ll kill her—” “Good.” Just before I passed out, he let go. I sucked in air. Coughed blood onto the floor. Pierce grabbed my hair again. Dragged me to my knees in front of Ruby. “Apologize.” I couldn’t speak. He slammed my head into the floor. Again. Again. Again. “This is your warning. Next time, I’ll cut off whichever hand you used to push her.” He left. Ruby went with him, wrapped in his jacket. I lay there until the bleeding stopped. Then I packed my bag. Left the house. And caught the first bus to the Fire Base.

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Three years after my death, the grounds surrounding Blackwood Manor became a wasteland. Not a blade of grass survived. Anyone who ventured too close fell violently ill within hours. The tabloids called me a curse that would linger for a millennium. The media pressure mounted until Julian had no choice. He brought Silas to the estate—a renowned occultist who promised to cleanse the property and bind my restless spirit forever. The manor stood before them, ornate but lifeless. A cold wind swept through the empty halls. Julian pulled Isabella behind him, his face tight with irritation. “That bitch Seraphina. Dead for three years and still causing trouble.” “I should have left her on some remote island to rot when I had the chance.” He didn’t know the truth. My ghost hovered beside him, watching. My cursed corpse lay buried beneath his feet. Rotting. Festering. — The house that had been my prison gaped like a wound in the landscape. Though it was noon, sunlight couldn’t penetrate the windows. The darkness inside seemed alive. Silas and his apprentices surveyed the property, their expressions growing grimmer by the moment. “The resentment here is overwhelming,” Silas muttered. “This won’t be easy to resolve.” He paused, then continued: “We need to find the body first. Only by pulverizing the bones with a blade forged from consecrated obsidian can we hope to dispel this malevolence.” The method was grotesque—barbaric, even. Even Silas, who had witnessed countless horrors, struggled to suggest it. Julian didn’t hesitate. He immediately ordered someone to procure the obsidian and commissioned the finest craftsman to forge it into a knife. Then he led the group toward my grave. “Isabella’s been having nightmares for weeks. That bitch is behind it, I’m certain.” “Dig up her grave. Grind her bones to dust. I don’t care.” I’d been buried hastily. It took them some time to locate the site. Finally, they found it—beneath grass that had grown nearly ten feet high. My tombstone lay toppled and cracked in the weeds. The ground was uneven. Julian had workers prop the broken stone beneath Isabella’s feet so she could stand more comfortably. Then he ordered two laborers to dig. Word had spread throughout the county that Julian was coming to exorcise Blackwood Manor. Curious neighbors gathered to watch. They all blamed me for their misfortunes. “Filthy whore,” one man spat. “Dead and still making trouble. Should throw a diseased pig down there with her—fuck her corpse every day until she’s too exhausted to haunt us!” The old man hawked phlegm onto my grave. “Mr. Blackwood treated you like a princess when you were alive. You didn’t appreciate it then. Now you’re dead and causing chaos. How can anyone be so vile?” Another person kicked the coffin savagely. Of course. Everyone in this town knew how much Julian “adored” his precious Seraphina. Julian waved them back. He was about to signal the workers to pry open the coffin when arms wrapped around him from behind. “Julian, please. Seraphina was my sister, after all.” “Whatever she did wrong, I forgive her. Can’t we just let her rest in peace?” Julian pulled Isabella into his embrace, stroking her back soothingly. “Darling, you’re too kind to her. She repaid your goodness with betrayal. Have you forgotten all those nights you woke up screaming from nightmares?” “I locked her in that house three years ago. Today, I’ll cast her out for good.” Isabella nodded, burying her face against his chest. Secretly hiding the anxiety in her eyes. Silas directed his apprentices to open it. The workers were more respectful than the spectators. They carefully broke each lock rather than cursing the dead. The metallic clanging echoed across the wasteland. Finally, they lifted the coffin lid. But inside wasn’t the rotting corpse they expected. Instead, the coffin overflowed with blood-stained ballet shoes. Everyone stared in confusion at the mountain of pointe shoes. Only Silas stepped forward, lifting one. The satin was shredded from use. The blood had oxidized black over time. After searching through the pile, Silas suddenly announced: “This is a malevolent ritual circle.” He pulled out a jade pendant from the bottom of the coffin. The stone was so dark green it appeared black. Intricate symbols covered its surface. Julian laughed derisively. “Vicious to the end. Even in death, she left curses to torment Isabella.” “Search everything. I want to know what game she was playing.” Silas produced a dowsing pendulum. It pointed directly at the manor house. The building reeked of dark energy. Only after the apprentices established protective wards could they enter safely. Inside, the pendulum went haywire—spinning wildly without stopping. Silas ordered his team to search for any personal belongings, but everything of mine had been burned the day after my death. They found nothing. Isabella began sweating the moment she entered. Now she clung to Julian’s arm. “Julian, please. Let’s leave. I feel awful.” She whimpered weakly against him. Julian started to lead her out, but Silas blocked their path, trembling. “Mr. Blackwood, you cannot leave!” “To break the curse, you must remain. You were closest to the deceased. If you leave now, the spirit’s power will surge exponentially!” No one had dared defy Julian before. Now this occultist presumed to stop him? But Silas was renowned—untouchable. Julian clenched his fist, fighting the urge to strike him. Instead, he punched the antique vase in the center of the hall. It shattered instantly. A notebook fell from inside. Julian grabbed it and flipped through. The pages were blank. Enraged, he started to tear it apart—but Silas snatched it away. Julian’s glare could have flayed flesh from bone. But Silas ignored him, chanting over the empty notebook. The apprentices, returning empty-handed, saw their master working a spell. They formed a circle around him, joining the incantation. Slowly, writing began appearing on the previously blank pages. “The spirit’s diary from before death!” “Read it!” Julian’s patience snapped. “Let’s see what tricks she’s playing. And how that bitch Seraphina learned such dark arts!” Silas opened to the first entry.

“Today is my twentieth birthday. Julian came to celebrate with me. I was so happy. But Isabella kept inserting herself between us, preventing us from talking. She even pretended to stumble into him. It made me a little upset. I’m being petty. My sister would never hurt me. I remember the day they found her—the day she came home after being lost for ten years. Mom and Dad held her and sobbed. I stood to the side, silently vowing to protect her too. But after that day, it felt like Mom and Dad stopped loving me. They only saw Isabella. Then I went abroad to study ballet. They forgot about me entirely. Even when I burned my hand making them breakfast, they just had the servants throw it away without a word. But with Isabella? They treasured even the smallest souvenir she brought back from vacation. They carried those trinkets everywhere, showing them off to everyone. Still, she deserves all that love. She lost ten years with our parents. No amount of compensation is too much. At least I still have Julian. No matter what, he’ll always be by my side.” Silas’s voice was flat, emotionless—yet somehow it made the words suffocating. I never imagined there would come a day when Julian would leave me too. That I would be utterly alone in this world. One day after our wedding, Isabella injured herself extreme skiing. Mom and Dad demanded I donate my right kidney. It was during the critical selection period for the principal dancer position at the company. I was the top candidate. Becoming principal at a world-class ballet company was my dream. The surgery required months of recovery. I would miss my only chance. I refused. My parents begged. They threatened. They manipulated. But in the end, it was Julian who strapped me to the operating table. Julian. Julian slammed his fist into the wall, teeth clenched. “She betrayed me first. Now she’s playing the victim. Shameless!” “Isabella and your parents were so good to her, and this is how she repays them!” In the corner, Isabella relaxed slightly. She moved toward Julian, her hand gently sliding up his arm. “Julian, don’t be angry. She was just upset about not being able to dance anymore. She didn’t mean it.” “If… if they hadn’t found me that year, maybe Seraphina wouldn’t have turned out this way…” Tears streamed down Isabella’s face. Julian’s anger intensified seeing her cry. He wiped her tears, voice harsh with fury. “This has nothing to do with you. You did nothing wrong.” “Stop defending her. This is all Seraphina’s fault—that selfish bitch!” The crowd, though they’d never even met me, nodded in righteous indignation. Silas sensed something amiss. He continued reading. “There’s a thunderstorm tonight. I’m terrified. But Julian went to Isabella’s. After we married, he started staying at her place constantly. Every time, he tells me not to misunderstand. Tonight, with the thunder and wind, I begged him not to leave me alone. I’m genuinely frightened. But he said he’s comforted me through storms countless times and I never seemed scared before. He locked me in my room. Then he went to her. Because Isabella had just called him, crying that she was afraid of the thunder. Julian, did you ever consider that Mom and Dad are there with Isabella? I have no one.” “Today is October third. I’m recording the date because I’ll remember this day for the rest of my life. I’ll never dance again. I fell today. I asked to be taken to the hospital. Julian refused. He accused me of using it as an excuse to see ‘that doctor.’ He keeps saying I betrayed him. I don’t even know which doctor he’s talking about. He locked me in my room. Wouldn’t let anyone treat my injury. A day later, a house doctor finally came. By then it was too late. The damage to my leg was permanent. I’ve been practicing harder these past weeks, preparing for my next chance at principal dancer since I missed the last opportunity. Now there is no chance. Never again. Julian, you always said you loved watching me dance. You said I looked like the angel on a music box. Today, you broke that angel’s wings with your own hands.”

I watched Julian, hoping to see some flicker of nostalgia for what we once had. That would at least prove he’d cared about me, once. Instead, he grabbed a nearby ornament and hurled it against the wall. “The evidence of her affair was irrefutable! And she still has the audacity to lie!” “Keep reading!” “I want to hear what other bullshit she spews!” Silas glanced at Julian, then continued. “My leg is broken. I need rest. But Julian hasn’t visited once during my recovery. He won’t answer my calls. Mom and Dad came, though. I thought they were here to see me. I was wrong. They came to tell me to stop calling Julian. They said: ‘Isabella failed to get into the Vienna Dance Academy again. She’s devastated. Julian is helping her through it. Please don’t disturb them.’ ‘Isabella has never asked for anything her whole life. Just this once—let her have him!’ Mom and Dad knelt before me, begging. My heart shattered. They’re my parents. Now they’re on their knees in front of me. But I couldn’t agree. My whole life, Isabella took everything. My toys, my princess dresses, my parents’ love. Now she wants Julian too—the only thing I have left? When I didn’t answer, they cried harder. They were ready to kowtow. I finally nodded. Even though it felt like a knife twisting in my chest.” “Julian pulled strings to get Isabella into the dance academy after all. That’s wonderful. I wish I hadn’t seen that entertainment news segment. On TV, a reporter asked if Julian and ‘Miss Vane’ would be making an announcement soon. They didn’t specify which Miss Vane, but everyone knew they meant Isabella standing beside him. After all, Julian and I were already married. Julian smiled. He didn’t deny it. The media took it as confirmation. I was devastated. Confused. Another reporter asked if Isabella got into the prestigious academy through Julian’s connections. Julian denied it. Then he said my spot at the school had always rightfully belonged to Isabella. That I’d stolen what was hers. I turned off the television, trembling. I couldn’t bear to hear more. Everything was gone. Even Julian had left me. In the end, they even took ballet—the only thing I had left, my soul’s purpose. I stared at my useless legs and sobbed.” After these diary entries, the crowd fell silent. Only Julian spoke, voice cold. “Still pretending? Aren’t you tired? Is it that hard to admit you wanted to meet your lover?” Isabella wrapped her arms around Julian, soothing him. “Julian, don’t be upset. Seraphina was just lashing out because she couldn’t dance anymore. She didn’t mean it.” I watched them, so intimate—the way their eyes wove invisible threads between them. I sighed softly. I remembered when Julian and I were that sweet, in the early days of our marriage. But Isabella visited me constantly. One thing led to another. They ended up in bed together. That’s when I realized they’d been having an affair. I confronted Julian, crying, demanding an explanation. He ignored me. Said Isabella was pregnant and needed to be handled delicately. Then he barred me from his office. He moved into Isabella’s house. He stopped answering his phone. I had no way to reach him. I never got to tell him: I was pregnant too. Julian, irritated by the diary, snatched it from Silas and read ahead himself. “Isabella is pregnant. Julian moved into her house. I can’t see him anymore. But Isabella visits me constantly to mock me. She says our parents, our man, our dreams—everything belongs to her. I deserve nothing. I’m worthless. A complete failure. I tried to avoid confrontation. I turned my wheelchair to leave. But she deliberately walked toward me. As she passed, she threw herself to the ground. Julian and our parents rushed in. Isabella claimed I pushed her. I denied it. No one believed me. They called me a monster. Julian was furious seeing Isabella suffering from the miscarriage. He had me locked in this remote manor estate. This massive house—and I’m completely alone. The servants only clean and bring food. They never speak to me. My only companion is a crow that built a nest outside my window. People say crows sound harsh and grating. But to me, that cawing was the most beautiful sound in the world.”

But eventually, the crow died in the first snowfall. Winter came viciously to the Highlands. Overnight, the world turned white. I braved the freezing wind to check the nest—only a few twigs remained, clinging stubbornly to the eaves. The nest had collapsed. Below, on the lawn, I found the crow’s frozen body. The crow was gone. I was alone again. I wanted to die. But they’d made it impossible. Every sharp object had been removed. The manor’s upper floors were inaccessible without the elevator, and my wheelchair couldn’t reach the stairs. I tried starvation. They caught on quickly. The servants stopped bringing meals and instead administered IV nutrients daily. I couldn’t live. I couldn’t die. My mental state deteriorated rapidly. Soon I could only lie in bed, kept alive by machines. Julian didn’t want me—but he wanted me alive. One day, a servant entered my room, turned on the television, and left. On screen, Julian publicly denied all my achievements in ballet. He claimed every award, every accolade belonged to Isabella—who happened to look like me—and that I’d stolen her glory. The media erupted. I didn’t need to watch to know how the public would judge me. As expected, everyone called me shameless. Said Isabella was cursed to have a sister like me. That I was an embarrassment to the Vane family. The scandal consumed the news cycle. At its peak, my parents made a statement. “We apologize. We failed to raise our daughter properly.” “However, we hope you’ll show mercy to Seraphina for our sake.” “We spoiled her. This is our fault. We’re truly sorry.” Every word confirmed the lies. I lay in bed, too exhausted to feel angry. I thought back to years ago, when I was still a student at the academy. Before Isabella was found. When I was the only beloved daughter. Before marrying Julian, when his world revolved around me. The memories flickered past like a film reel. Was I dying? Good. Please, let it be quick. I couldn’t endure this suffering anymore. But I didn’t get my wish. I hadn’t gotten a single wish since Isabella came home. I was lost in memories when a loud thud startled me. Isabella had fallen to her knees before Julian. Apparently, he’d just asked if the diary entries were true. Isabella cried out: “Julian, is that really what you think of me?” “She’s my own sister! I’ve cherished her my whole life. How could I frame her?” “If you don’t believe me, ask any servant in the house!” Julian’s harsh expression softened. He realized he’d wronged his lover. He gently helped Isabella to her feet. “Almost let her fool me again. Yes, I said those things about her—but I also paid to bury the news. How could any reporter have been reckless enough to publish it?” He opened the diary and continued reading. “Someone broke into the house. Ragged. Homeless men, by the look of them. The servants seemed to have vanished. The men came straight to my room. My legs were broken. I’d been bedridden for months. I couldn’t fight back. Their yellowed teeth grazed my skin. They panted over my body. Then they finished. After that day, they came every day. Always different homeless men. The servants only appeared when changing my IV. They never cleaned me. Never washed away the filth. Someone save me. Or just kill me. Please.” “Isabella came today. Julian didn’t. Her elaborate manicure scraped across my face. She said I looked like a dried-up corpse now. Filthy. Ugly. She said even the men were too disgusted to touch me anymore. She wanted to preserve me at my most beautiful. So she forced a bowl of medicine down my throat. The medicine was bitter. Not as bitter as my heart. She didn’t need to force me. I would have drunk it willingly. Finally, I could die. Julian, I never want to see you again. Not in this life or the next.” The diary ended abruptly. The remaining pages were covered in dried blood. Isabella rushed to speak: “This is slander! What did I do to deserve these lies?” For once, Julian—who always defended Isabella—didn’t respond. “You don’t believe me? Julian, she’s lying!” Seeing his silence, Isabella panicked. Julian pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair. “I believe you, Isabella. I believe you.” “This is poisonous nonsense! Burn that book!” Someone moved to take the diary. But Silas slowly raised his head. “No. Something’s wrong.”

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After another defeat in the war, the Alpha of the rival Northern wolf pack captured Sabrina, the woman my brothers loved, and demanded that I, the strongest fighter among us, be sent in exchange. I had armed myself and was preparing to lead the guards out to rescue her personally when, just before I set off, my brother handed me a drink laced with drugs. When I woke, I found myself tied to a wooden bed. My three brothers – one was the leader of the wolf pack, one was an executive councilor, and one was commander of the guard. They had once been the proudest pillars at my back. But now, my second and third brothers were pinning me down with all their strength, while my eldest brother held an iron rod, his eyes filled with pain and grim resolve. “Jodie, don’t blame us. Sabrina can’t be allowed to come to harm.” As soon as he finished speaking, the iron rod came crashing down on my leg. Only in that agony did I finally understand. They were not sending me to rescue her. They were making sure I could not run – that I could be used to bring back their beloved Sabrina, safe and whole. … “Sabrina is in poor health. She can’t withstand the cold of the Northern snowfields, and she can’t survive their torture.” Harvey, my eldest brother, lowered his eyes. His voice trembled faintly, but the hand holding the iron rod did not shake at all. My mouth was full of the bitter taste of the drug, mixed with the metallic tang of blood rising in my throat. “So I’m supposed to endure all of that for her?” I stared at him and spoke in a hoarse voice. My second brother, Victor, pressed down hard on my shoulders, his grip so brutal it felt as if he would crush my bones. He avoided my gaze, the line of his profile drawn tight. “Jodie, we’re doing this for the Frostmoon wolf pack too. Their power keeps growing. We can’t beat them.” My third brother, Edgar, pinned my legs down. His charming eyes, which were usually full of laughter, were now ice-cold. “You’re the strongest Alpha in the Frostmoon pack. They may not be able to kill you.” I gave a cold laugh, my chest heaving violently. “So you decided to help them along and make sure I die faster?” I received no answer. I only saw the iron rod in Harvey’s hand rise again, cutting through the air as it came down without mercy on my other leg. “Crack-” The sound of bone shattering was so clear it was piercing. My vision went black. Cold sweat soaked through my clothes in an instant. Pain flooded over me like a tide, swallowing me whole. Through my blurring consciousness, I saw my eldest brother throw the iron rod aside and wipe the blood spattered on his face with his sleeve. He moved slowly, carefully. Then he came to the side of the bed and leaned down to look at me. “Jodie, you’ve suffered enough. Sleep for a while.” His voice was terrifyingly gentle. “Don’t worry. When you wake up, Sabrina will be back.” My fingers dug hard into the bedboards. With every last bit of strength in me, I called his name. “Harvey.” His body stiffened, and something complicated and pained flashed through his eyes. I smiled. Blood foam spilled from the corner of my mouth, staining my pale lips red. “You will regret this.” Victor and Edgar released me and stepped behind Harvey. On three similar faces was the same unyielding resolve. My gaze grew colder and colder. Back when our father fell ill and wanted me to inherit the position of leader, I had done everything I could to prove myself weaker, all so my eldest brother, whose ability was beneath mine, could take the seat. After Harvey inherited leadership, I went out to fight. I became the renowned “God of War” far and near, all to help him manage the pack and keep our wolves from being bullied. I never imagined that, in the end, this would be my fate. They did not look at me again. They turned and strode out of the room. The instant the door closed, I heard the lock fall into place. I had become a cripple imprisoned in my own room.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself shut inside a crude prison cart, being taken to White Wolf Gorge, the border between the Frostmoon pack and the Northern pack. The wounds on my legs had been given a simple dressing, but the bumps of the road had torn them open again. Blood soaked through the bandages and stuck them to my trouser legs. Every jolt brought a pain that drilled into my bones. The one escorting me was Edgar’s Beta. He kept his head lowered the entire way, not daring to look at me. Only when I was so thirsty I nearly passed out would he pass a waterskin through the bars of the cart, his eyes always carrying respect and shame. I took the waterskin and drank in silence. The hatred I felt toward my three brothers nearly burned me to ash. Seven days later, the prison cart stopped beneath White Wolf Gorge. The exchange site had been chosen in the open space before the two packs. Two men dragged me roughly out of the cart and threw me hard into the snow. The cold rushed into my wounds at once. The pain made the veins stand out on my forehead, yet I did not make a sound. I raised my head and saw the person who had brought me to this point. Sabrina. She wore a clean, soft white dress and a thick cloak over it, standing behind my three brothers as they guarded her. Her face was somewhat pale, but she was completely unharmed. Caelan, the Alpha of the Northern pack, was staring openly at me. In his ice-blue eyes were undisguised hatred and satisfaction. His warriors had suffered two crushing defeats at my hands. “Jodie.” He spoke slowly, his low voice laced with mockery. “So this day has come for you too.” I ignored him. My gaze passed over him and fixed on the people opposite me. Harvey stepped forward and addressed Caelan. “Alpha, the person has been brought. May we take Sabrina and leave now?” There was careful, almost pleading humility in his tone. He had utterly disgraced the Frostmoon wolf pack. Caelan suddenly laughed. He lifted the long whip in his hand and pointed it at me. “This is the strongest Alpha of your Frostmoon pack?” “A cripple who can’t even stand?” The Northern guards behind him erupted into mocking laughter. My three brothers’ faces turned horribly dark, but not one of them spoke to defend me. They only guarded Sabrina even more closely, afraid she might be harmed. Sabrina peeked out from behind Harvey, her eyes falling on my legs. In those eyes that always shimmered with tears, there was not the slightest guilt. Instead, a clear flicker of triumph crossed them. She even curled her lips at me, just a little. It was the smile of a victor. Silent, and blinding.

After Caelan lifted his hand to indicate that they could leave, Sabrina’s eyes reddened almost instantly and tears began to fall. “Harvey, I’m finally safe.” She threw herself into Harvey’s arms, trembling slightly as if she had endured endless wrongs. Harvey immediately took off his own cloak, wrapped it tightly around her, and soothed her in a low voice. “Sabrina, it’s all right now. We’ll take you home.” Victor and Edgar crowded around her too. “Sabrina, are you hurt?” “Did those Northern wolves bully you?” The three of them surrounded her so closely that it was as if she were some precious treasure recovered after being lost. And I, the bargaining chip whose legs they had broken with their own hands to exchange for her, had been completely discarded by them. Caelan watched enough of the show, then slowly walked over to me. “Take her away.” At his cool command, two Northern wolves immediately stepped forward and hauled me up from the ground. I was dragged forward. My broken legs scraped across the rough, icy snow, leaving long streaks of blood. The blood wound on behind me. As I passed by them, I suddenly spoke, my voice hoarse yet extraordinarily clear, calling their names. All three of their bodies went rigid at once. Even their movements as they shielded Sabrina stopped. Sabrina shrank in Harvey’s arms and looked at me, her smile growing brighter. “You used the Frostmoon pack’s strongest Alpha to exchange for an Omega who can’t even transform.” The air went instantly quiet. My brothers’ faces changed sharply. Sabrina’s smile froze for a moment too. Her greatest humiliation was that she could not fully transform at all – and now I had said it in front of everyone. I continued slowly. “One day, because of the stupidity you showed today, the Frostmoon pack will run with blood.” Harvey’s face turned iron-gray. Victor instinctively looked away from me. Panic appeared on Edgar’s face for the first time. “Take her away!” Harvey nearly roared the words through clenched teeth. The Northern wolves immediately quickened their pace and dragged me into Northern territory. Behind me, the gates slowly closed, cutting me off from my homeland completely. I was taken into Caelan’s room. He sat in the main seat, unhurriedly wiping the blade in his hand. “Jodie.” He lifted his eyes, his gaze cold and sinister. “Three years ago, at Blackstone Gorge, you personally killed ten thousand of my guards and cut down the Beta I trusted most.” “From that moment, I swore.” He slowly stood and walked over to me. The icy point of his blade lifted my chin. “I would make you live worse than death.” He leaned down to look at me, a cruel smile in his eyes. “Now, I have finally done it.”

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Three nights before the Luna Ceremony, I was run down by a rogue. My spine was shattered. Damien Blackwood, my mate—the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack—ensured the rogue was executed. But as I lay there in the healer’s den, unable to move, none of it mattered. I didn’t want to wake up. I didn’t want to face the reality of never running with my pack again. Somewhere between the agony and the numbing fog, I heard Damien speaking to the pack healer. “We still have time for an advanced healing ritual. But if we wait a few more days, Selene’s paralysis will be permanent. If you truly want Lilah as your Luna, fine, but why put Selene through this?” Damien sighed, as if my life was nothing more than a burden to him. “If she’s permanently injured, she’ll have no choice but to stay in the packhouse. If she recovers, she’ll fight back.” My breath caught in my throat. “I swore to Lilah that I’d make her my Luna,” Damien continued, his voice eerily calm. “If Selene is disabled, she’ll have no choice but to accept my child as her own. She won’t have the strength to oppose me.” A single tear slipped down my cheek. So that was it. The ceremony, the bond I had cherished, the future I had believed in—it had all been a lie. I was nothing more than a stepping stone for Damien’s ambitions. Fine. If this was what he wanted, I would give it to him. “Just follow the plan,” Damien ordered. “Make sure the suppressant is given at the right dose. She can’t find out.” The healer hesitated, his voice uneasy. “Are you certain? Selene is already paralyzed. If you strip away her ability to shift, if you sever her wolf from her entirely… What will be left of her? She’s your fated mate, Alpha. The Moon Goddess chose her for you.” Silence. Then, Damien spoke, his voice like ice. “She won’t find out. As long as she remains weak, she’ll have no choice but to stay here. She won’t be able to leave, let alone challenge me.” The healer exhaled slowly, a sound filled with unspoken words. “And what about your child with Lilah? The girl is three. She has your eyes, your scent. If Selene ever discovers the truth—” “She won’t.” Damien’s tone hardened. “Make sure the suppressant is clean. No mistakes. Do it while she’s still unconscious.” The healer lingered for a moment, then turned away. Damien pulled out his communicator crystal and sent a quick message. “Did the rogue cover his tracks? Ensure his family is relocated to another pack. Selene can’t ever find out.” A fresh wave of tears slid down my temples, disappearing into my hair. My wolf whimpered weakly inside me, caged and helpless. Damien dipped a cloth into warm water and wiped my skin. His touch was steady, his movements almost tender. But no matter how much warmth he pressed into my body, I couldn’t stop shivering. The Luna Ceremony I had dreamed of for years had never been mine. It had always belonged to Lilah. And that rogue attack… it wasn’t an accident at all. My mate had planned it all. He had set me up, broken me, caged me. I was nothing more than an obstacle in his way. The love, the bond, the promises… they had all been a lie. I tried to open my eyes, to fight back, but before I could, a sharp sting spread through my veins. The suppressant. As they wheeled me toward the ritual chamber, Damien leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. His voice was gentle, almost affectionate. “Just rest, Selene. It’ll be over soon.” The cold magic seeped into my bones, and my wolf’s cries faded into silence. The pain barely registered. My heart had already gone numb.

When I opened my eyes, the sterile scent of the pack’s infirmary filled my lungs. The numbness hadn’t changed—I still couldn’t feel anything below my waist. My wolf whimpered in the back of my mind, restless and weak, trapped in the same helpless state as me. Damien sat beside me, his expression tense. The second he noticed I was awake, his face softened into an illusion of concern. He took my hand and pressed it against his cheek. “Selene? You’re awake. Do you feel okay? If anything hurts, I’ll call the pack healer right now.” His voice was gentle, his touch careful—just like always. But his eyes… they were empty. It was almost impressive how well he could fake it. I gave him a small smile, reaching up to brush my fingers over the rough stubble on his chin. “You didn’t sleep, did you? I’m fine, Damien. You should rest.” He exhaled, nodded slightly, and within minutes, he was fast asleep. His grip on my hand loosened just enough. I glanced at his phone on the nightstand. Without thinking, I picked it up and unlocked it. The wallpaper was still the ceremonial mate-bonding photo we had taken in advance. It felt ridiculous now. His message app was still open in the background. At the top of his chats was Lilah. I tapped in. The messages were simple, but each one felt like a gut punch. [Rhea called for her dad again today. She already knows how strong you are. She’s going to be trouble when she grows up.] [Rhea ate the treats you sent, finished every last bite.] [She won’t stop asking to run with the pack at full moon. I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn’t listen. Come if you can.] Damien hadn’t replied with words, but under every photo, there was a two-hour video call log. I remembered when he once told me he didn’t want pups yet. Now I knew the truth. It wasn’t that he didn’t want children. He just didn’t want them with me. I checked his gallery. There was a private album for Lilah. The password? The child’s birthday. Over five thousand photos. Three years of memories that had nothing to do with me. Damien was there for every holiday, every special occasion. The second chat in his messages was with the pack elder overseeing the mating ceremony. From the very start, he had put Lilah’s name down. The ceremonial robes were her size. The invitations had both their names on them. I was never meant to be his Luna. I let out a quiet laugh and closed the app. No point reading any further. Instead, I reached out to my best friend Mira, asking her to find me a healer outside our territory. I filed to renounce my position within the pack. She didn’t question it. She just assumed I had finally woken up, finally seen Damien for who he was. She was relieved. Every message she sent was full of excitement, happy that I was finally letting go. I set my phone down and drifted off to sleep. When I woke up, Damien was crying. He was gripping a hospital report, his whole body trembling. “Selene.” His voice cracked. “The healer found something during your exam. You—” He swallowed hard. “You were born without a womb. You can’t have pups.” I didn’t react. Just stared at him. “It’s okay,” he said quickly. “I don’t care about that. You’re still my mate, and that won’t change. Once you’re discharged, we can adopt. A pup will help you recover, I promise. Everything will be fine.” I was the one who had supposedly lost something, yet he looked more devastated than me. His performance was almost flawless. I didn’t call him out on it. I just let the silence stretch, watching him clutch that report like it was the worst thing that had ever happened to him. After a long pause, he wiped his tears and nodded, as if making some kind of deep, emotional decision. Then he pulled me into his arms. “I swear, I’ll take care of you,” he whispered. “No matter what the pack says, I’ll always stand by your side. And once we’re bonded, I’ll transfer all my assets to you. I just want you to be safe.” His chest was pressed against mine, but our heartbeats weren’t even close to matching.

Damien hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. “The mating ceremony is already planned. Since you’re still recovering, you might have to…” “Find someone to stand in for me so the Silvercrest Pack doesn’t lose face,” I cut in, already knowing what he was getting at. Rather than waiting for him to put me in a weaker position, I took control. At least this way, I could keep some dignity. His golden eyes flickered with something unreadable before he masked it with a sigh. “You don’t have to say it like that, Selene. The pack needs a Luna, and with your condition…” I let out a humorless chuckle. “My condition? You mean the injuries from the accident? Or the fact that I can’t shift anymore?” He looked away, not answering. That was answer enough. Then my phone buzzed. Damien’s ears twitched as he caught the sound. His gaze flickered to the screen, and his brows furrowed. “Selene, what documents did you cancel?” I quickly deleted the message and kept my voice steady. “Nothing important. Just some old pack records. I updated them online.” He didn’t question it, just pulled me closer, his voice full of concern. “You’re still recovering. If you need anything, just tell me. I’ll handle it for you.” I looked up at him and smiled. “Damien, I want to be discharged.” His expression darkened instantly. “No. You’re not fully healed yet. I can’t agree to that.” I tugged on his arm, forcing my voice to be light and playful. “Didn’t you say we should adopt a pup? There’s a caretaker at home, I’ll be fine. I just want to visit the orphaned pups at the sanctuary and look around, okay?” In five years, this was the first time I had ever acted sweet with him. Damien hesitated, then gave in. On the way, he reached into the backseat and pulled out a bag of wrapped treats, placing them in front of me one by one. “I got these just for you,” he said, but then I noticed the packaging—soft biscuits and honeyed treats, things that young pups would love. I closed the bag, tossed it aside, and leaned back. “My stomach feels off,” I muttered, shutting my eyes. This five-year lie had gone on long enough. It was time to end it. As soon as we stepped into the sanctuary, I sat in a wheelchair, playing the role of the fragile Luna-to-be. A little girl with silver-streaked hair came bounding over, her scent warm with familiarity. She threw her arms around Damien’s legs, clinging to him like she had known him forever. “Dad!” she called out excitedly. Damien stiffened. His expression changed for a split second before he quickly composed himself. Worried I might get suspicious, he rushed to explain. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I sponsor this sanctuary and have visited a few times. She’s just a pup who started calling me that.” I inhaled sharply, taking in the girl’s scent again. There it was—his scent, mingled with hers in a way that only blood ties could explain. She wasn’t just some orphaned pup. She was his.

Three Years Later… A week before our mating ceremony, I overheard Damien speaking with his Beta. “Alpha, there are other ways to claim control over the Silvercrest pack. Is marrying Selene really necessary? If she finds out the truth, it could be dangerous.” Damien exhaled sharply. “This is the only way to make her lower her guard. Florence deserves to rightfully inherit the Silvercrest name. If I have to involve myself, so be it. For her, I will do anything.” My breath hitched. The salvation I had clung to—the mate bond I had convinced myself was real—was nothing but a carefully laid trap. I pressed myself against the wall, my wolf trembling in rage and betrayal. Damien’s voice was calm, almost affectionate. “Luna Eleanor won’t last much longer. Selene will insist on having her at the ceremony, but once she’s gone, the Silvercrest pack will be weak. She will have no choice but to rely on me. That’s when I will strike.” The Beta hesitated. “Are you sure about this, Alpha? Florence is just an omega-born bastard. Isn’t this too cruel to Selene? Over the past three years, she has fallen for you.” Damien’s voice turned cold. “Do not call her a bastard again. Florence is the rightful second daughter of the Silvercrest family. And Selene…” He let out a sigh, as if I were nothing more than a burden. “Marrying her is a form of compensation. Even when the Silvercrest pack falls, she will still have me. Her life won’t be difficult.” The Beta still looked uneasy. “Your brother—” ” Arthur always loved competing with me. Now that Florence has chosen him, I will make sure their future is secure. As for me… I don’t matter.” My claws dug into my palms. The bond between us, the years we had spent together, had all been a lie. The lawyer sighed. “I’ll finalize the agreement. Just… make sure you won’t regret this.” “Oh, and delete the video from the funeral three years ago,” Damien added as an afterthought. “Selene can never find out it wasn’t Arthur who leaked it.” My heart turned to ice. The video that ruined my life—the betrayal I had blamed Arthur for—hadn’t been his doing. It was Damien’s. The man who swore to protect me, to stand by my side, had orchestrated it all. He had never been my savior. He had been the executioner, waiting for the right moment to deliver the final blow. The footsteps in the hall grew louder. I swallowed my panic and hurried back to my room. The hot tea I had been carrying spilled onto my hands, but I barely felt the burn. I had spent the last three years believing in a mate bond that never existed. I had trusted him with my pack, my mother’s dying wish, my heart. I had been a fool. The sound of a door clicking shut signaled the lawyer’s departure. A moment later, Damien entered. His scent, laced with the faint bitterness of alcohol, filled the space. He found me standing by the door, his golden eyes softening. “Why are you just standing there?” I forced a smile, masking the rage boiling beneath my skin. “I was bringing you tea, but I spilled it.” He stepped forward, cupping my face with warm hands, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “You’re too good to me.” I closed my eyes, suppressing the urge to rip him apart. Soon, Damien. Very soon, I would return the favor.

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I was Selena’s bed substitute. Every day, I slept with her mate in her place. Because Selena was too weak to endure Kane’s roughness, she forced me to sleep with him for her. But when the three-year term was over, she still wanted to keep controlling me. So she tried to force me into a mate bond with a fool. To survive, I begged Kane in bed to give me a status. But he only said carelessly, “You’re Selena’s maid who came with her when she married me. If I make you my Concubine, wouldn’t that embarrass her?” I closed my eyes in despair. Everyone knew how deeply Kane loved Selena. The next day, I went to the Luna and begged her to let me form a mate bond with the dying heir of the Alpha King, even if it meant I would be a widow for the rest of my life. The Luna was deeply moved. “Good girl, have you really thought this through?” I knocked my forehead to the floor. “I will never regret it.” From the corner of my eye, I saw Kane and Selena’s faces turn deathly pale. … Kane came to Selena’s room again. After a short round of teasing, the lights in the room went out. Selena walked out, and I pushed the door open and went in. The moment I entered, Kane pulled me into his arms. He lowered his head and gently smelled my scent. “Your scent still smells better.” Werewolves had sharp noses. Every night, I took medicine to make myself smell like Selena. Before I could answer, he picked me up and took me hard for the entire night. After Kane fell asleep, I quietly slipped away and went to another room to report to Selena. I had to tell Selena clearly what positions Kane and I had used last night, what words we had said, and then, under Selena’s hateful stare, I would be brutally punished by the servants at her side. All the scars were on my arms, so no one would ever see them. After Selena finished venting her anger, she would lie back beside Kane. And I would endure the pain and continue serving as a maid during the day. But this time, Kane, who usually slept very deeply, woke up. He lifted a strand of Selena’s long hair and joked, “Where did you go just now? Don’t tell me someone swapped places with you for a while.” When I heard that, my heart jumped. A chill ran through my whole body. But Selena reacted quickly. She immediately threw herself into Kane’s arms and acted spoiled. “Then smell me. My scent hasn’t changed.” I let out a silent breath of relief and quietly left.

Selena was a rare beauty, but her body was weak. Among the wolf race, where strength was worshipped, no one wanted to form a mate bond with her. Except Kane. At the Moonshadow Banquet, Kane fell in love with her at first sight. Soon after, he began courting her. They loved each other. As Selena’s personal maid, I came with her. But after the marking was done, when it was time for them to truly be together, Selena could not endure Kane’s roughness and fainted on the spot. It happened three nights in a row. Selena was afraid Kane would abandon her because of this. So every night, after the lights went out, she made me, whose voice and figure were close to hers, pretend to be her and sleep with Kane. Because of that, I had to take the scent-changing medicine every night. The side effects were terrible. Every time I took it, the pain felt like needles stabbing through my body. But even then, I still had to satisfy Kane in bed and make sure he was pleased. Selena promised me that I only needed to replace her for three years. Once her body recovered, she would give me a sum of money and send me away from the royal city. But she used my younger sister’s life to threaten me. I had no choice but to obey. After dawn, I went back to my room, changed my clothes, and went to serve Selena and Kane breakfast. Kane stared at me. “Why do you always wear such strange clothes?” No matter if it was hot or cold, I always wore a high-necked long dress. Because Kane always loved leaving marks on my body. Those marks could not be seen by him during the day. I pressed my lips together nervously, not knowing how to answer. Selena gently pushed him. “Kane, have you forgotten? Ayla is mute. She can’t speak.” Selena was afraid Kane would suspect me if he heard me speak during the day, so she made me pretend to be mute. Kane raised an eyebrow, seemingly interested. “This mute girl is quite pretty. Her figure also looks very similar to yours.” Selena’s face darkened. “What? Have you taken a liking to her?” She glared at me. There was killing intent hidden in her eyes, as if she wanted to skin me alive. Kane laughed. “What nonsense are you saying? I only like you. Look at how you bit me last night. That was the first time you made me feel so satisfied.” He pulled open his clothes and revealed the teeth marks on his shoulder. My whole body froze. Last night, he had been too rough. I cried and begged him to stop, but that only excited him more. In panic and anger, I bit him. I had not told Selena that detail. I never expected Kane to mention it. I lowered my head in terror. Sure enough, the moment Kane left, Selena poured a cup of scalding hot tea over me and cursed, “You bitch. How dare you bite Kane? Are you trying to challenge my position, or are you trying to let Kane know you exist?” Before I could explain, she had people tie up my hands and feet and drag me to the basement. She gave me no water and no food. Kane had to inspect the border for five days and did not need me. That was why Selena dared to lock me up. When I was starving and barely alive, my younger sister, Leah Winter, bribed the guard at the door and brought me a bowl of soup. “Sister, how did you anger Selena? I just went to beg her, but she refused to see me.” Leah lay by the crack of the door, looking at my weak body. She cried so hard her heart almost broke. “I’ll go beg her again. As long as she agrees to let you out…” I did not have the strength to answer. I only asked her, “When will Kane come back?” “Tonight.” “That’s good.” Then Selena would let me out soon. Because she still needed me. I endured the burning pain in my stomach and continued asking, “Has anything happened in the manor recently?” Leah thought for a moment. “The Alpha King’s heir, Lucius, has gotten even worse. The healer said he might die soon. The Luna wants to find someone to form a mate bond with him and leave behind his bloodline. But because the woman has to swear that she will never form a mate bond with another wolf again, no one is willing.” Lucius. Kane’s older brother. He was the true heir of the Alpha King. When he was young, he was brave and powerful. But a few years ago, he was injured, and since then, his body had become weak. Now he did not have much time left. After he died, the future Alpha King would only be Kane. Although no one said it openly, every wolf in the manor knew Kane and Lucius had a bad relationship. So in order not to offend the future Alpha King, no one was willing to form a mate bond with Lucius. Not to mention, they would have to stay unmated for the rest of their life. No one wanted to become a widow. Soon, Selena let me out. She had food prepared for me, but her face was still full of disgust. “This time was only a small lesson. You’d better behave from now on.” I silently knocked my forehead to the floor and begged Selena to let me leave. “You said back then that it would only be three years. Now the three years are over. I want to leave the royal city. Please let me go.” “No!” Selena refused angrily. “My body has not recovered yet. Kane still can’t do without you.” Seeing that I was determined, she threatened me. “If you dare to leave, I’ll kill Leah. I’m sure you don’t want to see your sister suffer like that.” I knelt on the ground. It felt as if I had been thrown into an ice cave. I was shaking from the cold. Of course I could not bear it. After all, the reason I agreed to do all of this in the beginning was to protect my young sister. But did that mean I had to pretend to be another woman for the rest of my life? Did I have to be a hidden mistress who could never be seen? Did I have to endure everything that should never have been mine again and again? This life was too terrifying. After a long silence, I heard my teeth chattering. “Then after Kane becomes the Alpha King, can I become his Concubine?” The moment I said that, Selena slapped me across the face. “Dream on! In this life, you can only be a substitute who can never be seen. If you dare reveal this to Kane, I won’t just kill you. Your sister Leah won’t survive either!” But I did not want to be controlled forever. I did not want to keep damaging my body as someone else’s substitute. I did not want to live every day under threat, terrified that the truth might be exposed, and then be killed by Selena. A life like this was too frightening. I cried and begged, “Selena, I’ve served you since I was a child. Please have mercy on me. I can’t spend my whole life without forming a mate bond with a male wolf…” Before I could finish, Selena interrupted me coldly. “You want to form a mate bond? Fine. The guard at the gate has a son your age. You can form a bond with him.” My whole body instantly went cold. The guard’s son was born mentally impaired. But he was strong, and he loved hitting people. Selena wanted to control me for the rest of my life. When Kane returned to the manor, I was kneeling on the ground in a daze. Selena stood up with a smile. “You’re back. You must be tired after these past few days. This maid broke the cup presented by the wolves of the Western Territory, so I punished her to kneel for half an hour.” Kane walked around me without the slightest concern. His face was full of exhaustion. “How is the matter with my brother going?” Selena sighed. “To form a mate bond with a dying man, and risk offending you, the future Alpha King… no she-wolf would be willing.” Kane frowned. “Then just find someone. Use her family to control her. Offer money or punishment. There will always be a she-wolf who agrees. Mother already dislikes you because you are weak. If you handle this well, she will definitely see you differently.” Selena answered softly.

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Three years dead. My lawyer husband still wanted me to take the fall for his true love. He showed up at my old house with a confession in hand. The place was a wasteland. He had to ask the neighbor where I was. The neighbor told him flat out. “Elena Rose? She’s been dead for years. Word is, after she got out, the victim’s family came for her. Beat her to death.” Theodore refused to believe it. He was sure I’d put the neighbor up to it. His face twisted with disgust. “A couple years in prison and now she thinks she can fake her own death?” He let out a cold scoff. “Do me a favor. Tell her if she doesn’t show up at the courthouse on Monday, she can forget about me paying one more dime for her mother in that care home.” Then he stalked off, fuming. The neighbor stared at his rigid back and sighed. “But her mother… she starved to death in that place a long time ago.” — I drifted in the yard of my old house and watched Theodore Cross struggle through the weeds. He clutched a few sheets of paper. The confession, I figured. The one that would make me the culprit. “Elena! Get out here! You think hiding in this dump is clever?” His shout echoed in the empty yard. “If I hadn’t pulled strings back then, you’d have been beaten to death inside! Now I need you and you dare to hide from me?” Hearing him throw that in my face with zero guilt hurt worse than the beating I took the day I got out. Three years ago, he’d said the same thing. Back then, Serena Vance had been drunk behind the wheel and hit someone. He’d come to me with fake evidence. “Two years. You go in for two years. I’ll get your mom into the best care home. But if you refuse…” I’d flipped the coffee table in our fight. “Theodore! I’m your wife! How can you send me to prison for her?” He hadn’t even bothered to explain. His eyes held nothing but contempt. “Sign the confession or watch your mom’s treatment stop. Your call.” Now, here he was again. Same face, same threat. It was late. Theodore kept shouting. Mrs. Kowalski next door threw open her window. “What’s all this racket in the middle of the night? Nobody’s lived there for years!” Theodore rounded on her. “You know Elena Rose, right? Is she hiding in there?” Mrs. Kowalski squinted at him through her reading glasses. Then she let out an “Oh.” “You mean Elena? She’s been dead almost three years.” Theodore’s face went rigid. “What? Dead?” “Mm-hmm. A few days after she got out, someone beat her to death. Had to do with that old case, they said. Gone on the spot.” She gave him a sharp look. “Who are you, anyway? How do you not know this?” “Impossible!” Theodore’s voice pitched high. “Someone like her couldn’t possibly…” He cut himself off, yanked out his phone, and dialed Serena. His fingers were shaking. He put it on speaker. Serena’s voice drifted out. “Theodore? What’s wrong?” “Serena, that settlement money for the victim’s family. Did you actually pay it?” A half-second pause. Then Serena’s voice, firm and certain. “Of course I did. I signed the check myself. Why?” I heard it clear as day. I almost screamed at her. She’d done nothing. The moment I stepped out of prison, those family members found me. They wanted justice. I was barely clinging to life when I learned the truth. Serena hadn’t given them a cent. They’d never even heard of a settlement. I died in Serena’s place. Theodore’s face relaxed the second the call ended. He turned back to Mrs. Kowalski, his expression full of disgust. “I knew it. Elena got you to lie for her. A little prison time and now she’s staging her own death. Tell her this: if she skips court on Monday, her crazy mother will be out on the street.” He spun around and marched to his car. His shoes crunched on the gravel drive with a final, dismissive sound. Mrs. Kowalski watched him go and sighed into the empty air. “That man is blind. Elena’s mother was gone long before. They say she wasn’t found for days in that care home. Starved to death.”

Theodore practically fled the old property. He didn’t catch Mrs. Kowalski’s last two sentences. My soul was tethered to him, dragged along like a balloon on a string. I had no choice but to follow. His Lexus sped across town and stopped at the entrance of Serena’s luxury apartment, the one with the sweeping lake view. The door opened. Serena rushed to greet him, her smile eager and tight. “Theodore, how did it go? Did Elena agree?” He paused while changing his shoes, not meeting her eyes. “She… wasn’t home.” The smile on Serena’s face dimmed. She quickly replaced it with a wounded look. “She must still hate me. I can’t blame her. I did a terrible thing to her last time.” She dropped her head, her voice going soft and thick. Her eyes glistened on cue. “Maybe… maybe we should just drop this. It’s my mess. I can’t drag her into it again. But… if I really do go to prison, what will you do all alone?” Theodore always fell for that act. He pulled her into his arms, his brow furrowing. “Don’t talk nonsense. What right does she have to hate you? I gave her a huge sum of money the last time. The victim’s family was handled. It was just a few years in a cell, not a death sentence. What does she have to complain about?” He gripped her shoulders, his voice taking on that final, decisive tone. “Relax. I will find her. She will take responsibility for this.” I hovered by the chandelier and caught the flicker of triumph on Serena’s lips. My soul went cold. I never saw a dime of that money. And the “handled” family turned out to be the ones who killed me. Serena buried her face in Theodore’s neck. Out of his sight, the corner of her mouth curled up in victory. I reached for her throat, desperate to choke the life out of her. My hands passed right through. “Don’t worry,” Theodore murmured, stroking her back with steady reassurance. “I’ll find her. She will do her duty this time.” He went back to my old place the next morning, determined to track me down quickly. Sunlight cut through the busted window frames of my abandoned farmhouse. Theodore stood in the yard, his frown deepening. “These roses…” He crouched down. His fingers brushed the withered bushes. He knew I used to fuss over them constantly. They were my grandmother’s heirloom roses. I would never have let them die unless something catastrophic had happened. I shadowed him as he pulled out his phone and took a picture of the spiderwebbed oak door. His thumb hovered over the screen for a long moment. Then he finally called his assistant. “Find Elena Rose. Use every resource. I want every detail.” He kept walking after he hung up. My pulse raced. Right there, at the corner of the old barn, a dark stain still clung to the concrete slab. Three-year-old blood. Two more steps and he’d see it. A shrill ringtone split the air. Serena’s custom tone. Her panicked voice spilled from the phone. “Theodore! The prosecution has new evidence. If we don’t deal with this fast, I’m finished!” “What?” The color drained from Theodore’s face. “I’m on my way.” He turned and ran. He didn’t look any closer. I hovered in the air. I wanted to applaud his sheer stupidity. Of course. In the world of Theodore Cross, even when the sky was falling, he’d hold the umbrella for his precious Serena first.

Theodore’s car barreled down the highway, and I was dragged along with him. The scenery outside the window blurred into streaks. He kept rapping his knuckles against the steering wheel, muttering under his breath. “Still time. There’s still time.” The car’s speaker crackled. His assistant’s voice came through. “Mr. Cross, we still have no trace of Ms. Rose. No credit card activity, no bank transactions. It’s like she’s really…” “Useless!” Theodore slammed his palm against the wheel. “Keep looking! Get the private investigator to tear through every database!” His breathing grew ragged. Then, suddenly, his eyes lit up. That familiar, self-assured expression I knew all too well settled back on his face. He grabbed his phone and called Serena, his voice vibrating with excitement. “Serena, I’ve got it. The old woman is still in the care home. Elena cares about her more than anything…” A violent tremor ripped through my soul. The image of my mother, withered to skin and bone, flashed in front of me. After all these years, he was still using her to blackmail me. I screamed at him to stop, but Theodore couldn’t hear me. He was already consumed by the thrill of the hunt. He slammed his foot on the gas and raced toward the Maple Grove Care Home. The hallway reeked of disinfectant and stale urine. Theodore covered his nose with a grimace. “Someone get out here! Where’s Elena’s mother? Bring her to me!” A middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses hurried over. “Mr. Cross, what an unexpected…” “Cut the crap,” Theodore snapped. “Which room is Margaret Rose in? I’m taking her with me.” Dr. Peterson’s face froze. A sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead. “Well… you might not be aware, but Mrs. Rose, she…” “She what? Serena just came by last month and paid twenty thousand in care fees. Take me to her. Now.” My soul twisted in agony. That twenty grand. It probably went straight into Serena’s pocket. Dr. Peterson fumbled to pull up the records on his computer. The death certificate was right there on the screen. Date of Death: March 15, 2023. Cause of Death: Severe Malnutrition. “Mr. Cross… Mrs. Rose did indeed pass away two years ago.” “Bullshit!” Theodore snatched the mouse and stared at the screen. I saw his pupils contract violently. His fingers twitched. But a second later, a cold sneer spread across his face. “Impressive, Dr. Peterson. How much did Elena pay you to fake the records?” He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper. “Do you know how many years you’ll get for falsifying medical documents?” Dr. Peterson’s knees practically buckled. “Mr. Cross, this is an automatic system entry! Look at the certificate number. You can verify it with the State Department of Health.” “Shut up.” Theodore slammed the laptop shut and strode toward the door. “I’ll check this myself. And if I find out you’re all in on this…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but Dr. Peterson looked like a dead man walking. I knew exactly why he was terrified. He was the one who’d injected my mother with the fatal dose of sedative. Theodore’s hands were shaking so hard he could barely grip the wheel when the car started again. He called Serena, but his voice came out oddly tender. “Don’t worry, darling. I’ll find the old woman. Elena always does what her mother tells her.” I drifted in the passenger seat, watching the affection in his eyes. The hatred in my soul surged like a tide. If I could still cry, my tears would be made of blood.

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Four years after my death, my husband tried to force me to donate a kidney to his mistress. He showed up at my workplace clutching a consent form. But every single coworker he asked told him the same thing. They’d never seen me. Frustrated, he finally went to my HR Director. “Erin? Didn’t she pass away four years ago?” “Complications from the last surgery. Coagulation disorder. The wound never healed. She bled out.” My husband didn’t believe it. He turned it around and accused them of taking bribes from me. Of conspiring against him. He jabbed a finger in the HR Director’s face. “Don’t think I don’t know she paid you off to lie to me.” “You tell Erin Hayes she has until tomorrow afternoon. If she doesn’t show, I will use my authority as Emily’s legal guardian to dump her right back into the foster system.” What he didn’t know. His mistress had already taken my little sister. Dragged her away for a live organ harvest. Emily died on that operating table. *** Footsteps pounded down the hallway. I drifted above it all, watching Derek Walker storm into my company. The address he’d dug out of his phone’s email trash folder. Three years old. The last trace of me he had. He clutched a document. ORGAN DONATION was printed across the top. “Erin Hayes. Where is she? Get her out here.” He shoved the office door open. Several coworkers looked up. Exchanged glances. Finally, someone answered in a small voice. “Erin? She hasn’t been to work in a long time…” “How long?” Derek’s lip curled. His gaze swept across every face. “Don’t play dumb with me. Is she hiding?” No one dared speak. The office went so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat. Derek clicked his tongue in disgust and turned toward the private office. He didn’t knock. Breezed right in and slapped the document onto the desk. “Hey. Where’s Erin? I’ve got urgent business with her. Don’t tell me you don’t know.” Mr. Wilson looked up. His brow creased so hard it could trap a fly. “Who are you? This is a workplace. Show some respect.” “Respect?” Derek snorted. “I’ve got every right to find my own wife. What the hell do I need respect for?” “It’s you people acting all shifty. Did she pay you off? Are you helping her lie to me?” Mr. Wilson was Operations Director. Hearing someone sling that kind of accusation made his face go dark. “Erin Hayes passed away four years ago. You’re her husband, and you didn’t know?” His hand was already hovering over the security call button. Two tall guards appeared in the doorway. “Sir, you are illegally trespassing—” The guards seized Derek’s arms. He thrashed against them. “Bullshit! Stop putting on this little show for me!” “You think I don’t know her? She chickened out over donating a piece of her liver. That kind of coward doesn’t just die!” Mr. Wilson gave up trying to reason with him. He pulled up a file on his computer. “Her termination date is four years ago. Marked as deceased.” At Wilson’s signal, the guards released Derek. The instant he was free, he spun the monitor around. Scanned it. Laughed. “Pretty convincing forgery. How much did she pay you to cover for her like this?” “Sir, respect the facts. Erin Hayes developed a coagulation disorder after surgery. Massive hemorrhaging. She did not survive resuscitation. This is a legal hospital document. What do you mean, ‘cover for her’?” “A liver donation surgery?” Derek’s brow furrowed. Then he roared. “That makes even less sense!” “Olivia told me it was a minor procedure. How the hell could anyone die from that?” “Enough. You pass this message to Erin. If she doesn’t show by tomorrow afternoon, I will personally throw her sister back into the foster system to rot.” Even I thought that was insane. And I was the dead woman he was talking about. Mr. Wilson clearly agreed. He shot to his feet. His voice came out tight with suppressed fury. “Sir, Emily Hayes has been missing for a long time. You intend to threaten a dead woman with someone who has already vanished?” Derek froze. For half a second. Then he rolled his eyes. “Keep it up. All of you. Really committed to the act.” “Forget it. Play your games. When the deadline hits and she’s not there, don’t blame me for what happens.” He snatched the document and stalked out. The door slammed so hard the glass panels hummed. I was dragged along behind him, staring at his stiff, self-righteous back. Bitterness filled my chest. Right. In his eyes, me donating part of my liver was nothing. Now he wanted my kidney. Still nothing. But when Olivia had nothing more than a fever, he panicked like the world was ending. Never left her side. I guess love versus indifference really is that obvious. Outside, Derek pulled out his phone and called Olivia. His voice softened instantly. “Liv, that bitch Erin is hiding again. Don’t worry. I’ve got plenty of ways to smoke her out…” I looked down at my translucent body. I thought of my sister Emily’s desperate eyes in her final moments. A dull ache spread through what was left of my soul. Derek, you don’t know. I’m already dead. You definitely don’t know what your precious love did to my little sister.

On the phone, Derek kept cooing at her. “Liv, relax. Erin wouldn’t dare disobey… We still have her sister.” He floored the gas pedal. The city blurred past the window. And my mind was dragged backward. Three years ago. Olivia claimed her condition had suddenly worsened. She needed a second kidney transplant. Matching donors were nearly impossible to find. I was dead. She couldn’t find me. So she turned her sights on my sister. Emily. I remember that night. Emily had just finished her night shift at Dunkin’. She was walking home with a stack of thick review books in her arms. A black van screeched to a halt in front of her. The door slid open. Two men jumped out and dragged her inside. She kicked and clawed. Her review books scattered everywhere. Her SAT score report—top percentile—fluttered into the gutter. I screamed and lunged at them. My hands passed right through her body. I couldn’t grab anything. I howled as the van peeled away. The only things left behind were her ruined textbooks and one lonely canvas sneaker. They took her to a hospital. The operating room lights were blinding white. Cruel. Emily was strapped to the table. A gag stuffed in her mouth. Tears streaked down her face. Her thin body shook with terror. The restraints cut bloody welts into her wrists and ankles. Olivia stood off to the side. Mask on. Eyes cold as a butcher sizing up meat. That was when I understood. Olivia was never sick. Her “illness” was a front for an organ trafficking operation on the dark web. She wanted Erin’s kidney because a buyer had offered a fortune. “Don’t worry. It’ll be over soon.” She patted Emily’s cheek. Her tone was light. “Blame your sister for disappearing. Otherwise, we wouldn’t need you.” Emily shook her head desperately. Muffled sobs choked from her throat. Tears fell in huge drops. I knelt beside the operating table. Screaming. Trying to untie the restraints on her wrists. My hands passed through. Again and again. Nothing. “Emily… Emily!” My soul felt like it was being ripped apart. I watched the anesthetic push into her vein. Her struggle faded. Slower. Weaker. Until only her lashes still trembled. The moment the scalpel broke her skin, I shattered. A shriek tore out of me no one could hear. Ghosts don’t get heard when they cry. *** “Liv, Emily’s tuition is due. Remind her to register for classes on time.” Derek’s voice yanked me back. I spun around. Stared hard at his phone screen. Olivia’s reply popped up fast. “Already handled it. The girl’s been very well-behaved lately.” Well-behaved? My Emily was ash. Discarded in the Arizona desert badlands. And this fool Derek was still wiring money to Olivia every month. Calling it “supporting my sister’s education.” Every cent went straight into Olivia’s accounts. Fuel for her spending sprees. I watched him live inside a three-year-old lie. Sending money to a dead girl. “Right,” Derek said, as if just remembering. His voice dropped low. “If Erin still doesn’t show, get ready to send Emily to the border. Let’s see if she dares keep hiding then.” Olivia sent back a hesitant emoji. “Is that really okay?” “Why wouldn’t it be? If we don’t scare her, she’ll think we’re bluffing.” I hovered above the car roof. My soul trembled with rage. Derek, you keep saying you have Emily. You don’t even know she’s been dead for three years. You’ll never know the money you sent for “your sister” every month bought Birkin bags and club tabs for your mistress. You’ll never know the hostage you used against me was already a cold corpse. The car stopped at a red light. Derek adjusted his hair in the rearview mirror. Humming. All I could see was Emily. The look in her eyes as she searched the empty air in those last moments. Looking for me. She died waiting for a sister who never came.

Derek rushed to the hospital. Olivia was propped against her pillows. Face pale as paper. IV tubes ran into her arm. The heart monitor beeped its steady rhythm. I sneered inside. If anyone deserved an Oscar, it was Olivia. Where was all that arrogance she’d had while texting? Derek didn’t see it. The moment he saw her like this, his voice crumbled. He cupped her face, aching. “Why do you look so terrible? Is the pain back?” Olivia gave him a weak smile. She held his hand. “I’m okay. Seeing you makes it better… Did you find Erin?” Her eyes held his, expectant. Derek’s expression stiffened. He shook his head. “Not yet… But she can’t hide much longer.” Olivia dropped her gaze. A long, slow sigh. “Forget it. Stop looking… Maybe this illness is just God’s plan for me.” “No.” Derek cut her off. His voice shot up. “I am not giving up. You can still be treated. We just need a compatible donor…” “But Erin is still missing.” “So what?” He was nearly shouting. His eyes glistened, like he was terrified she’d vanish any second. “She’s just hiding. Her sister is still in our hands. She wouldn’t dare stay away.” Olivia didn’t argue. Her expression flickered, unreadable. She closed her eyes. Her fingers traced lightly over the back of his hand. “It’s okay, Derek. Having you with me all these years… I’m already content.” Derek’s tears fell. He bent over and held her. His voice cracked. “Don’t say things like that. I will save you.” I hovered in the corner of the room. Watching. A dull ache spread through my soul. How long had it been? How long since Derek had looked at me like that? From the moment Olivia moved back from Paris, I vanished from his eyes. Even when I agreed to give her part of my liver. Right before they wheeled me into surgery. He stayed planted at Olivia’s bedside. Not a single tear for me. Even now. The only one who could make his eyes go red was Olivia. What a joke. Derek cared for her with painstaking devotion. He didn’t leave until she had fallen asleep. He slipped out of the room quietly. He went straight to the doctor’s office. “Dr. Rodriguez. Olivia’s condition… How much time does she have?” The doctor pushed up his glasses. His face was grim. “At this rate of deterioration… It’s hard to say. Without a matching donor, she might not last a week.” “A week?” Derek’s lips trembled. “And… if we find one?” “Then surgery should happen as soon as possible.” The doctor sighed. “But a suitable living donor is rare enough. A second transplant makes it even harder.” Derek didn’t say anything else. He nodded. Turned and left. The hallway lights stretched his shadow long and lonely. He stood at the window. Dialed a number. “Send more people. Tear the whole city apart looking for Erin Hayes. I want proof. Dead or alive.” “Also. Book me a flight to San Francisco. Soonest available.” San Francisco. Where Emily was supposed to be “at school.” My soul jolted. He was going after Emily himself?

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They took me. Two men. Zip ties. A warehouse. My husband, the sheriff, sent every deputy he had to save his first love. She’d swallowed a bottle of pills. She was dying. I didn’t call him. I let them hurt me. Last time, I called. He came. His team took the kidnappers down. I walked out alive. The next morning, Hannah Brooks was dead. She’d called him seventeen times while he was saving me. He never answered. He told me he didn’t regret it. I was his wife. I was carrying his child. Saving me was the only choice. I believed him. The night I gave birth to our daughter, he dragged me out of the hospital. Fresh stitches. Still bleeding. Our newborn in her carrier. He drove us to Hannah’s grave. Snow howling. Wind like a knife. He kicked me to my knees on frozen ground. “The kidnappers never touched you. You let her die because you were jealous.” He was laughing. “Hannah was so pure. So gentle. How could you let her die?” He poured ice water over my head. Left us there. I held my baby as my body turned to stone. Her cries got quieter. Then stopped. I died in the cold with my daughter in my arms. Then I opened my eyes. The warehouse. The zip ties. The same two men. I didn’t call him this time either. *** They shoved a phone in my face. “Call your husband.” I kept my mouth shut. The beatings started. I still didn’t speak. Frustrated, they dialed his number themselves. The one with the scar across his face held the phone to my ear. “Marcus Kane? We’ve got your wife. You want her alive, come alone. Old warehouse. Dockside. We need to talk.” Marcus sounded annoyed. “Olivia. Really? Hannah’s in trouble. I’m taking my team out there right now. Can you not do this today?” A string of accusations. Then the line went dead. He didn’t believe me. Hannah had spent months telling him I was unstable. Dramatic. Desperate for attention. He’d been primed to see me as the villain. I listened to his verdict. A knowing smile settled on my lips. The scarred man lost it. “You useless bitch.” His backhand sent my skull cracking against the wall. Blood flooded my mouth. He hauled me up by my collar. Spit flying. “What the hell is wrong with your husband? Make him believe it. Or I swear to God, I’ll end you right now.” I knew he wouldn’t kill me. I’d lived this before. I just hadn’t expected to land in this exact moment when I came back. I looked at his furious face. I let tears well up. “Just kill me. I don’t want to live anymore.” They froze. Scarface recovered first. “Don’t play games with me.” His hand connected with my cheek again. I broke down. Sobs tearing out of me. “Save me? He wants me dead. He mortgaged our house. Our joint house. To buy that whore presents. My baby. I lost my baby. Because of him. All of it. Because of him.” “He’s scum. He won’t come for me. God. What’s the point of living.” I started out pretending. Then last life’s grief took over. Real howling. Real tears. Scarface glanced at the bald one. Baldy walked over. Kicked my chair over. “Shut your mouth. Shut up.” He dialed Marcus again. Ten calls. All rejected. On the eleventh, the line went to voicemail. Marcus had decided I was lying. He only cared about his precious first love. Scarface was pacing. “What the hell is wrong with this guy? His wife is missing and he doesn’t care?” He shoved a filthy rag in my mouth. Oil and mold. I was barely three months pregnant. The smell made me retch. Baldy stayed calm. “We wait. By tomorrow, the sheriff’s office will notice their boss’s wife is gone. Then they’ll care.” Scarface spat in my direction. “Useless.” They dragged me to a corner. Ate microwaved pasta. My stomach burned. I couldn’t eat. Morning came. No Marcus. Even Baldy started sweating. Then he kicked me in the stomach. Pain tore through my abdomen. My face went white. Scarface pointed. “She’s bleeding.” Baldy’s expression flickered. “Hey. What’s wrong with you?” I could barely whisper. “Help me. Please. I’m going to die.” Sirens wailed outside. Baldy looked at the blood pooling beneath me. Looked at the cop cars through the window. “We’re out of here. Let this be a lesson to Marcus.” The sirens got closer. My stomach kept cramping. Was I going to lose this baby too? Tears slid down my face. Please. Please hold on.

Overnight, I lost the husband who loved me and the child I carried for ten months. Marcus Kane shredded every scrap of love that night. All that remained was bone-deep hate. Now, maybe God took pity on me. I woke up back on the day of the kidnapping. I made the kidnappers wait an hour longer than last time before they called Marcus. They wanted him to release one of their crew from county jail. They weren’t killers. Last time, they barely touched me. I was cooperative. This time, I’d made them angry. I watched Scarface’s face flush red. I let tears fall. “Just kill me. I really don’t want to live.” Scarface slapped me again. I wailed. Spilled my misery. “Save me? He wants me dead. Our house. Our joint house. He mortgaged it. For that whore. Gifts for that whore. My baby. I lost them all. Because of him.” He was scum. He wouldn’t come. God, what was the point. The words poured out. Real grief bleeding through fake tears. Scarface looked at Baldy. Uncertainty in his eyes. Baldy’s face was grim. He strode over. Kicked my chair. “Shut it. Shut your mouth.” He kept dialing. Ten calls. All rejected. On the eleventh attempt, the line went dead. Disconnected. Marcus had made up his mind. I was lying. His precious Hannah was all that mattered. Scarface was losing it. “Is this guy brain-damaged? His wife is in trouble and he’s not worried at all?” Baldy stayed cold. “Wait. The sheriff’s office will notice by morning. Then they’ll care.” They ate their microwave pasta. I sat in the corner. Rope biting my wrists. Dawn came. No Marcus. Baldy’s composure cracked. Then he kicked me in the stomach. Agony. White-hot. My vision swam. Scarface pointed. “She’s bleeding. A lot.” Baldy’s face shifted. “Hey. What’s wrong.” I couldn’t form words. Barely a whisper. “Help. Me. Please. I’m going to die.” Sirens screamed outside. Baldy looked at the blood. Looked at the cops. “We leave. Now. Let Marcus deal with this mess.” The sirens closed in. My body was failing me. Again? I was going to lose my baby again? Tears dripped off my chin. Baby. Please. Just hold on a little longer.

The door burst open. Uniforms flooded in. No Marcus. Of course. He was with Hannah. Holding her hand. Stroking her fragile, trembling fingers. My heart clenched. Then nausea rose. Every ounce of pain he gave me. Every drop. I would make him taste it all. A small figure shoved through the cops. “Olivia!” Jessica. Jessica Lynch. My best friend. My only friend. She’d called the police. “Olivia, what happened? Oh God. Paramedics. Someone get paramedics. She’s dying. Please. Help her.” Her frantic voice followed me into the ambulance. I woke up in a hospital bed. Everything hurt. Lashes across my back burned. I ignored them. My hand went to my stomach. Jessica stirred beside me. “You’re awake.” She saw my hand. Her face crumpled. “Olivia. You need to rest. Don’t be too sad, okay? The baby must have really wanted to be an angel. God just called her back early.” I closed my eyes. Tears slid into the pillow. I couldn’t keep you either. Jessica squeezed my hand. “Thank you, Jess.” “Don’t be stupid.” She wiped her eyes. “Let me get the doctor.” She walked out. A familiar voice stopped at the door. “Olivia. Really committing to the performance, aren’t you.” Marcus. Jessica spun around. “Marcus, you bastard. What the hell are you talking about?” He smirked. “Still playing victim? You took it all the way to the hospital. You know you’re wasting emergency resources, right?” I didn’t get a chance to answer. Jessica exploded. “Are you insane? Your wife was kidnapped. You’re the sheriff. You didn’t lift a finger. You took your entire office to rescue some bitch pretending to die. Now your wife just had a miscarriage and you have the audacity to blame her?” A figure in a hospital gown stepped out from behind Marcus. “Miscarriage? Really, Olivia? I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.”

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