Chapter 1

“After drinking the potion, your wolf scent will be completely altered and your mate bond will be broken. Are you sure you want to do this?” The witch looked at me in surprise.

"I'm sure." I nodded calmly and drank the potion without hesitation.

My Alpha mate, Lucas, marked me three years ago but never held a formal mating ceremony because he spent three years designing a wedding dress for me himself.

That was until a week before the ceremony, when I watched Lucas with my own eyes as he draped that Luna gown over my sister, Seraphina—who had been missing for three years.

Even my beloved Beta twin brothers, who doted on me the most, were gathered around Seraphina.

Seraphina and I were twin sisters.

I had a crush on Lucas for ten years, but I knew Lucas had always loved her.

However, three years ago, when the pack was on the verge of extinction after an attack by rogue wolves, Seraphina ran away, abandoning everyone.

When everyone was in despair, I fought with all my might to protect everyone until Lucas and my brothers returned.

I almost died in that battle.

Lucas, trembling, held my hand and asked if I would be his mate. He said I had saved the entire pack, that I was the bravest she-wolf.

My brothers also swore that Seraphina, that coward, had been banished from the family. They said that from now on, I was their only sister.

Until two days ago, when Seraphina returned.

She claimed that she didn't run away but left to lure away a more vicious pack of rogues.

She said she had been poisoned with silver toxicity during the fight and only had a month to live.

Lucas and my brothers believed her without hesitation.

To make up for the three years they "owed" her, and to fulfill Seraphina's "dying wish," they decided—to give my Mating Ceremony to her.

After drinking the potion, I sent a message to the Alpha King of the Northern Territory: I am willing to join the Northern Territory. Help me stage a fake death in a week.

Chapter 1

I have secretly loved Lucas for ten years. He marked me three years ago, but we still hadn't held the official Mating Ceremony.

He told me I deserved the best, so he spent three years personally designing a wedding dress for me.

Every she-wolf in the pack envied me, and I truly believed I had finally found my happily ever after.

That was until a week before the ceremony, when I watched Lucas with my own eyes as he draped that Luna gown over my sister, Seraphina—who had been missing for three years.

Seraphina leaned weakly against Lucas’s chest, her voice trembling with tears. "Lucas, I know I shouldn’t have come back right now... and I know you only agreed to give me Ella’s Mating Ceremony because I have silver poisoning and only a month left to live. But I still have to ask..."

She looked up at the powerful Alpha with tear-filled eyes, looking utterly pitiful. "For the past three years, while you were designing this dress... the person in your mind was actually me, wasn't it?"

Lucas remained silent for a long time. Long enough for my fingernails to pierce my palms.

"Yes." His voice was low and husky.

Seraphina instantly broke into a smile through her tears and threw herself into his arms.

Standing in the shadows, I felt like my heart was being carved out with a knife.

Suddenly, two identical, handsome men strode over. It was my twin Beta brothers, Ron and Reid.

They had heard the news of Seraphina’s return to the pack and rushed back from the border.

"Seraphina! Where have you been all these years!" Ron’s face held a look of affectionate reproach, his hands cradling an exquisite crystal box.

I was trembling all over.

Just a few days ago, these were the same brothers who had patted my head with smiles, promising to walk me down the aisle at the ceremony...

"Ron! Reid!" Seraphina cried out, turning to throw herself into their arms. "I thought... I thought after I lured those rogues away back then, I’d never see you again... I was so scared..."

The twins exchanged a look filled with pain and regret.

Reid’s eyes were red-rimmed as he tenderly wiped away her tears. "Silly girl, it was our fault for not protecting you. We won't let you suffer ever again."

Ron opened the crystal box in his hand like he was offering a treasure. "Look. This is the ‘Moonflower’ prepared for your Mating Ceremony. It’s what you’ve always wanted."

Seraphina covered her mouth in surprise, laughing through her tears again, and linked arms with both brothers.

Lucas stepped forward too, taking off his jacket to drape it over her shoulders. The four of them walked out in a cluster, a picture of warmth that stung my eyes.

Throughout the entire scene, not a single person noticed me.

It wasn't until their figures disappeared at the end of the hallway that I stumbled, grabbing the doorframe for support. A rough wooden splinter pierced my palm, but the pain was nothing compared to the agony in my chest.

Growing up, Seraphina was always the one surrounded by stars.

We were identical twins, yet everyone’s eyes only ever lingered on her.

I had loved Lucas for ten years, but I knew he had always liked Seraphina.

That is, until three years ago when the pack faced a surprise attack by rogues and was on the brink of destruction.

Seraphina ran away the night before our defenses collapsed, leaving everyone behind.

I was the one who stepped up when everyone else was in despair. I fought with everything I had, covered in blood, and held the line until Lucas and my brothers made it back.

That battle left me on the verge of death; I lay in the infirmary for three full months.

Lucas and my brothers knelt by my bed, weeping.

Lucas held my hand, trembling as he asked if I would be his Luna.

He said I saved the whole pack, that I was the bravest she-wolf.

My brothers also swore that Seraphina, that coward, had been removed from the family tree. From then on, they said, I was their only sister.

That night, Lucas marked me before the Moon Goddess.

Although we didn't hold the ceremony immediately, he put the ring symbolizing the Luna’s authority on my finger.

"Ella, I will give you the best wedding in the world. I’m going to design your dress myself."

I believed him. I thought I was finally being seen. I thought that as long as I was brave enough, I could be loved.

For these past three years, Lucas doted on me.

He built a garden on the pack's most fertile land because I loved the scent of flowers; whenever I woke up from a nightmare, this arrogant Alpha would gently hold me and lull me back to sleep.

My brothers changed too.

Ron personally prepared nutritious meals for me every day. Reid would run through the entire forest to find my favorite wild fruits just because of a casual complaint I made.

They always smiled and said, "Our Ella is the best sister in the world."

Until two days ago, when Seraphina returned.

She was covered in scars, claiming she didn't run away but left to lure away a more vicious pack of rogues.

She said she was poisoned with incurable silver toxicity during the fight and didn't want to be a burden, so she chose to wander alone.

But now, with only a month left to live, she couldn't bear to part with her family and Lucas, so she came back.

Lucas and my brothers believed her without hesitation.

Guilt and pity instantly drowned them.

To make up for the three years they "owed" her, and to fulfill Seraphina’s "dying wish," they decided—to give my Mating Ceremony to her.

I looked around the empty studio and suddenly laughed out loud.

As I laughed, I bent over, large tears crashing onto the floor.

It turned out that for these three years, I was just a stand-in.

Now that the real owner was back, I, the substitute, should naturally know my place and exit the stage!

I turned around and went to the witch's hut.

"I want to buy that vial of Vanishing Potion," I said firmly.

The witch looked surprised. "Are you sure? Once you drink this, your wolf's scent will be altered, and the mate bond will be forcibly severed."

"I'm sure," I answered without a shred of hesitation.

"It will take effect in one week." She handed me the potion.

One week later...

Wasn't that the exact day of the Mating Ceremony?

I took the potion and drank the bitter liquid down in one gulp.

After drinking it, I took out my phone and sent a text to a number I hadn't contacted in three years: I agree to join the Northern Pack. Help me stage a fake death in one week.

A reply came quickly: Good. You finally came to your senses.

Chapter 2

When I returned to the pack house, I saw Seraphina standing in front of the fitting mirror, wearing the Luna wedding dress Lucas had designed.

The thousands of crushed diamonds embedded in the skirt sparkled brilliantly, stinging my eyes.

A designer was kneeling at her feet, speaking fawningly, "Miss Seraphina, we need to take the waist in another inch here. Your figure is much more slender and delicate than Miss Ella's; the original size is simply too large for you."

Lucas stood to the side, watching her with a deep, intense gaze.

My brothers, Ron and Reid, flanked her on either side. They held up various veils, comparing them against her face with doting smiles.

The scene looked exactly like a perfect family portrait.

And I was the intruder who didn't belong.

"Ella?" Lucas was the first to sense my scent.

He spun around abruptly. When he saw me standing in the doorway, covered in the chill of the night, a flash of panic and guilt flitted through his eyes.

The air in the great hall instantly froze.

Lucas walked quickly toward me, waving a hand to dismiss the designer and the servants.

"Why are you back so late?" He reached out as if to take my hand, but I side-stepped him without changing my expression.

His hand froze in mid-air, his brow furrowing slightly, but he quickly smoothed his expression and lowered his voice. "Ella, listen to me. It's not what it looks like."

I looked up, calmly meeting the eyes of the man I had loved for ten years. "Then what is it? My fiancé is dressing my sister in my wedding gown?"

A trace of pain crossed Lucas’s eyes. He took a deep breath. "Seraphina doesn't have much time."

"The healer said the silver poison has invaded her heart and lungs. She... only has one month left."

I listened without expression.

"It’s her only dying wish!" Lucas’s tone turned urgent. "She just wants to wear this dress once and hold a ceremony with me. There will be no witness from the Moon Goddess, no binding of the Mate Bond. It’s just an act so she can leave this world without regrets."

He spoke with such sincerity, as if refusing him would make me a cold-blooded sinner.

At that moment, Ron walked over, holding an exquisite box.

He opened it to reveal a gemstone necklace radiating a healing glow—"Life's Tear." It was a legendary artifact said to heal all old injuries.

"Ella," Ron said, his voice laced with an attempt to please as he looked at me cautiously. "Reid and I spent a fortune getting this from the auction house. Your shoulder always hurts when it rains. With this, your old battle wounds will finally heal."

Reid hurried over to add, "And didn't you always want to vacation in the Aurora Forest? We’ve arranged it. Once... once this ceremony is over, the two of us and Lucas—the four of us will go with you. Just you. No one else."

They looked at me, their eyes filled with expectation and a hint of pathetic begging.

This was my family.

A slap in the face, followed by a piece of candy.

The old me might have cried out in grievance, questioned them, or gone hysterical.

But the current me felt only a dead, icy silence.

I only had one week left anyway.

I looked into Lucas’s nervous eyes, smiled calmly, and nodded. "Okay, I agree."

Instantly, I heard three men let out a sigh of relief in unison.

"I knew it!" Lucas looked ready to hug me in his excitement. "I knew my Ella was the most understanding, sensible Luna. Don't worry, I’ve already marked you. This is just a show."

By now, Seraphina had changed out of the wedding dress. She walked toward me carrying a tray with a bowl of hot soup.

"Ella..." Her face was pale, her voice weak. "Thank you... thank you for making my dream come true. I know I’m being selfish, but I really... don't have much time left."

She stood in front of me, lifting the bowl with both hands. "I made this venison soup myself. I remember it was your favorite when we were little. My body is weak now, so it took a lot of effort to make this. Please, take it as my apology, okay?"

Lucas urged me gently from the side, "Take it, Ella. It’s your sister’s heart."

Under everyone’s gaze, I reached out.

The moment my fingertips touched the bottom of the bowl—a piercing, agonizing pain shot through my palm!

The bottom of the bowl was coated in high-purity liquid silver!

The pain forced me to let go.

Crash!

The porcelain bowl shattered on the floor. Scalding soup splashed everywhere, most of it landing on Seraphina’s feet.

"Ahhh—!!"

Seraphina let out a shrill scream, collapsing to the floor and clutching her ankle while sobbing. "It hurts! It burns... Ella, if you don't want to forgive me, just say so! Why did you burn me on purpose?..."

The shift happened too fast.

The smiles on Lucas and my brothers' faces vanished instantly, replaced by shock .

Reid and Ron rushed over instantly to check her burns, and I was slammed against the wall.

Caught off guard, I stumbled backward, my back slamming heavily against the hard wall. The pain made my vision go black for a second.

I leaned against the wall, trembling from the pain, unable to utter a single word of defense.

"Lucas... my foot hurts so much... am I going to die?" Seraphina curled into his chest, crying pitifully. Yet, over his shoulder, she shot me a look of pure triumph.

"Don't be afraid, I've got you." Lucas’s voice was anxious and tender.

He carried Seraphina and strode toward the medical room upstairs without even glancing at me.

They left in a clustered rush, leaving me alone in the messy hall, black blood dripping from my hand.

"Ugh..."

I slid helplessly to the floor, nearly fainting from the pain.

It was liquid silver specifically designed to harm high-ranking werewolves. The wound wasn't healing; instead, it was corroding my flesh.

If I didn't treat it immediately, I would lose this hand.

With no other choice, I gritted my teeth and called Lucas.

"Lucas..." My voice was weak. "Help me... there was silver on the bottom of the bowl... I dropped it because I was poisoned by silver... my hand..."

Through the phone, I could hear Seraphina’s pained moans.

"Lucas, does Ella really mean that someone like me—someone infected with silver venom who only has a month to live—would use silver venom to hurt her? Oh my God, she must be extremely resentful about my return to frame me like this."

Seraphina’s voice was delicate and weak, thick with tears. "Lucas, maybe... we should cancel the ceremony... cough... Ella must hate me because she loves you too much. I don't blame her, really... it’s my fault, I shouldn't have come back..."

"Don't talk nonsense!" Lucas’s voice was a mix of suppressed anger and heartache. "This isn't your fault. "

"But..." Seraphina sobbed. "Ella acted like that just now... does she think I’m stealing her dress? I’ll take it off and give it back to her, okay? As long as she’s not angry... my foot hurts so bad, will the wound get infected? Will I... not make it to next week?"

"You won't die! I forbid you to say that!"

Listening to their conversation felt like being sliced by a thousand cuts, but my hand couldn't wait. I didn't want to lose my ability to fight for the rest of my life.

"Lucas!" I shouted, enduring the agony. "Send the healer to me. I have silver poisoning."

Lucas’s voice came through the phone, ice-cold:

"Ella, Stop messing around."

"This is the Pack House! The tableware is strictly inspected. Where would silver come from?!"

"Your sister is dying of silver poisoning because she saved us years ago. You not only burned her on purpose but now you invent such a ridiculous lie to slander her? When did you become so malicious and jealous?"

Click.

Lucas hung up.

I collapsed on the floor, staring at my charred, blackened palm, and the dam finally broke.

He didn't believe me.

Even though I was in enough pain to die, he didn't believe me.

Just as my consciousness began to blur, an elderly figure rushed over.

"Oh my Goddess! Miss Ella!" It was Hans, the old butler.

When he saw the wound on my hand, his face went pale with fright.

"This... this is a corrosion wound from high-purity silver! How did this happen?! Wait here!"

Hans left for a moment and quickly returned with a small vial. It was "Moon's Essence," a priceless antidote that could neutralize silver poisoning.

After drinking it, the excruciating burning sensation in my palm finally began to subside. The corrosion stopped. Although the flesh looked gruesome, at least the bone was saved.

I gasped for air, breathing heavily.

"Thank you... thank you, Hans," I said weakly, clutching his sleeve. "This potion... it's too expensive. I... I'll transfer the money to you."

A potion of this grade cost a normal werewolf a year's income.

Hans looked at me, his eyes full of pity. After hesitating for a moment, he sighed. "No money needed, Miss. There is plenty in the house."

I froze. "What?"

"Ever since Miss Seraphina returned, Alpha Lucas has been frantically buying this potion from the black market at high prices," Hans lowered his head, his voice strained. "They stockpiled thirty bottles. They are keeping them upstairs, saying it's to extend Miss Seraphina's life..."

Chapter 3

Thirty bottles.

It wasn't that this house didn't have the antidote.

They had hoarded thirty bottles of life-saving medicine for Seraphina.

Yet just now, Lucas scolded me for lying and left me downstairs to writhe in agony. He wouldn't even come down to check on me, let alone give me one of the bottles right at his fingertips.

If not for Hans, my hand would have been ruined tonight.

"Ha..."

I suddenly laughed out loud. Tears streamed down again, mixing with the bitterness at the corner of my mouth.

Fine. If that's how it is, I'll leave you all one final gift before I go.

I took out my daily journal and wrote, word by word:

【October 15. My sister came back today. Lucas gave her the wedding dress he spent three years designing. I knew I was a stand-in. I always knew. But I thought three years of companionship would earn me at least a tiny bit of sincerity. Even just a little bit... Turns out, I was just being greedy. 】

……

After staying in the hospital for two days, Seraphina was discharged.

On that same day, a grand pre-wedding party was held at the Pack House.

Seraphina wore a pure white cocktail dress, nestling in Lucas's arms. She smiled coquettishly and told everyone, "Although the ceremony in a few days is fake, I am dying. I want to experience every process a Luna should go through. Even if it's just a dream, I want to make it a complete one."

Lucas and my brothers naturally indulged her every whim.

The entire Pack House was decorated with dazzling lights, and the champagne tower was stacked higher than a person. Countless werewolf nobles came to congratulate Lucas and Seraphina.

I sat quietly in the shadows of a corner, watching Lucas gently tuck a stray lock of hair behind Seraphina’s ear, watching Ron and Reid act like her knights, blocking drinks for her.

If this were the past, seeing this scene would have made my heart bleed. I might have even rushed up to question why they were so biased.

But now, I just found it noisy.

I just had to endure five more days, and the potion would take full effect.

Let them act out this farce to their heart's content.

Perhaps my silence was too unusual, because Lucas's gaze landed on me.

Seeing me huddled alone in the corner, pale-faced, a trace of guilt actually surfaced in his eyes.

He strode toward me. "Why are you sitting here? Won't you go get something to eat?"

I shook my head. "I'm not hungry."

"Ella," his voice was pitched low, carrying a hint of ingratiation. "I know you're angry. I was too rash that day."

He tried to take my hand, but I coldly avoided him.

Lucas didn't look embarrassed. Instead, he looked at me with deep affection. "You have to remember, the ceremony is just to fulfill Seraphina's dying dream. I won't actually mark her. A werewolf only has one mate in a lifetime. Both I and my wolf belong only to you."

"After she's gone... I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

Looking at his soulful expression, I felt nothing inside. I even wanted to laugh.

You see, this is a man.

He wanted to satisfy the regrets of his old love without losing the loyalty of his new one. He thought a few sweet words would make me wait for him with tears of gratitude.

Unfortunately, he didn't know that I wouldn't be in the rest of his life.

"Mmh, I know," I responded indifferently.

Just then, Ron and Reid walked over.

"Ella," Reid held a glass of pink sparkling drink, wearing a rare pleasant expression. "This is your favorite cherry sparkling water. I had them save it especially for you."

Ron also softened his tone, which was rare. "I was impulsive that day. Once we're done with these busy few days, I'll take you to pick up that sports car you like."

If this were five days ago, hearing such apologies would have moved me to tears, thinking my brothers finally cared about me.

But now, I only felt the irony.

Crash!

In the center of the hall, Seraphina, who was cutting the cake, suddenly went stiff. The knife fell from her hand to the floor.

In the next second, her face turned deathly pale, and she violently coughed up a mouthful of black blood, falling straight backward!

"Sera!"

Lucas moved as fast as lightning, rushing out instantly to catch her.

"It hurts... it hurts so much... the silver poison..."

Seraphina convulsed violently, black bloody foam spilling from the corner of her mouth.

"Doctor! Call the doctor!" Lucas roared, his eyes instantly turning red.

Ron and Reid rushed over like madmen too.

"The medicine! Get the medicine!" Ron looked up sharply, roaring at the stunned servants. "Go to the upstairs storage room! Bring down all dozen bottles of 'Moon's Essence' we stockpiled a few days ago! Hurry!"

Mary, the maid who served Seraphina, scrambled up the stairs.

I remained sitting in the corner, watching this scene with cold eyes.

Less than three minutes later, Mary ran back down, pale-faced and empty-handed.

"Alpha..." Mary was trembling all over. "The storage room... is empty."

"What?!" Lucas's roar shook the entire hall. "There were thirty bottles of potion in there! Who moved them?!"

Mary was so scared she dropped to her knees, her trembling finger pointing straight at me in the corner. "It was... it was two days ago... I saw with my own eyes that Miss Ella asked the butler to move all the medicine boxes... to her room."

The room fell into dead silence.

Lucas turned his head in disbelief, staring dead at me. "Ella..." He gritted his teeth, enunciating every word. "You took them?"

I spoke calmly. "I only took one bottle. I really had silver poisoning that night..."

"Only one bottle?" Before I could finish, Ron interrupted me in a rage.

He charged over, grabbed me by the collar, and lifted me off the ground.

"You liar! Mary said the boxes are all empty! To prevent your sister from living, you actually hid all her life-saving medicine?!"

"How can your heart be so vicious?!"

I was being strangled and couldn't breathe, suddenly feeling incredibly pathetic.

Not a single one of them believed me.

Before I could say anything else, Reid gave the order. "Go search Ella's room!"

A few minutes later, a guard ran down holding a large box.

"We found it..." The guard didn't dare look up. "In Miss Ella's bathroom."

Lucas snatched it open—

All empty bottles.

"Where is the medicine?!" Lucas grabbed an empty bottle, glaring at me with red-rimmed eyes.

The guard swallowed and whispered, "We found a large amount of residue in the drain... It seems... it was all poured down the sewer."

Boom—

The whole crowd went into an uproar.

Poured away.

She would rather pour the life-saving medicine down the sewer than give it to Seraphina.

The surrounding guests began to whisper, looking at me with eyes full of contempt and fear.

"Goddess, that is too malicious..."

"To fight over a man, she'd even kill her own sister?"

Seraphina was still twitching in Lucas's arms. Hearing this, she struggled to open her eyes, looking at me with tears. "Ella... do you hate me that much... hate me enough... to want me dead..."

After saying that, her head tilted to the side, and she fainted completely.

"Sera!"

Lucas let out a desperate roar, then suddenly stood up and charged in front of me.

Slap!

A heavy slap landed hard on my face.

Chapter 4

The force was so great that my ears rang, and blood instantly spilled from the corner of my mouth.

"You have disappointed me too much." Lucas looked at me, his eyes cold as ice. "That is a human life! You are simply hopeless!"

I covered my face. I didn't cry, nor did I defend myself.

Because I knew this was a setup by Seraphina.

But would explaining help?

"Now is not the time to lecture her!" the doctor shouted anxiously. "The patient is fading! We must inject new medicine immediately!"

Lucas immediately pulled out his phone and yelled into it, "I'm offering a ten million dollar bounty! Buy 'Moon's Essence' from the black market all over the city! If anyone has stock, I don't care about the price, send it to the Pack House immediately! Hurry!"

My twin brothers were pacing anxiously. Ron looked at me, his eyes filled with a chilling disappointment. "Guards! Throw Ella into the dungeon!"

"Without my permission, no one is allowed to let her out! Let her reflect on herself in there. She can come out when she realizes her mistake!"

...

Late at night, Pack House Dungeon.

Lucas and my brothers had all gone out.

They heard news of medicine in the black market, so for Seraphina's sake, they went to get it personally overnight.

Just as I was dozing off, the iron door opened.

Seraphina walked in wearing Lucas's coat. Her face was rosy, her eyes full of triumph. Where was the weakness of a dying person?

Behind her were a few of her loyal guards.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

She walked up to me, using a finger with an exquisite manicure to lift my chin. "My dear sister, look at you now. You really look like a stray dog."

"You aren't poisoned?" My voice was hoarse.

"Of course not." Seraphina chuckled lightly, even twirling in place. "If I didn't act realistically, how could I make Lucas's heart ache? How could I make them give up on you completely?"

She leaned into my ear, whispering viciously, "I poured those thirty bottles away myself. Watching them go crazy for me, watching them hit you for me... this feeling is truly wonderful."

"You are disgusting," I spat out coldly.

Slap!

Seraphina backhanded me across the face. "Disgusting? The winner takes all!"

"Lucas and our brothers, they only love me. It was like this since we were little, and it's like this now."

"For these three years, no matter how you tried to please them... the moment I came back, as long as I crooked my finger and shed a few tears, they abandoned you without hesitation."

"You will always just be my replacement."

Her words stabbed precisely into the most painful part of my heart.

Yes.

She was right.

No matter how hard I tried, it wasn't worth a single tear of hers.

"Alright, catching up is over."

Seraphina took a step back, a cruel smile appearing on her face. "Since our brothers put you here to 'reflect,' then as your sister, naturally I should help you."

She stepped back and took a long whip that glinted with cold light from a guard.

It was a torture device soaked in high-concentration liquid silver.

"Beat her." Seraphina sat on a chair to the side, as if watching a good show. "Just don't kill her. I want to make sure this mouth of hers can never speak again."

"Yes!" The two guards grinned hideously and swung the whips.

"Argh—!" I couldn't hold back a scream. The silver poison instantly invaded my blood.

It hurt too much.

Snap! Snap!

The whip shadows fell like rain. My clothes shredded, and flesh flew.

I bit my lip hard, swallowing my wails. I stared at Seraphina, my eyes filled with absolute hatred.

Want me to beg for mercy? Dream on!

"Still daring to glare at me? Hit harder!" Seraphina shrieked.

I didn't know how much time passed.

My consciousness gradually blurred, and darkness swallowed me like a tide.

……

Two days later, I was released.

Over those two days, Seraphina had arranged for the guards to use medicine to heal my external wounds. From the outside, there was no trace of the torture.

In the main hall, Lucas and my brothers looked at my pale face. They assumed I was just scared from being locked up for two days, and a fleeting trace of guilt passed through their eyes.

"Since you're out, don't make any more trouble," Ron said with a stern face, though his tone had softened. "As long as you don't target Sera, you are still the sister we love."

Lucas stepped forward to support me, but I turned sideways to avoid him.

His hand froze in mid-air, then he whispered, "Sera isn't feeling well. The healer suggested she go out to relax. She wants to go to the Aurora Forest... You've always wanted to go, so let's go together this time."

I had indeed always wanted to go, but for three years, they were always busy with pack business and never had time to go with me.

But now, I didn't want to go with them anymore.

Just as I was about to refuse, Ron and Reid stepped up, grabbed me, and stuffed me directly into the car.

I was poisoned with silver; I had no strength to resist at all.

...

Just as we were nearing the Aurora Forest, dozens of huge black shadows suddenly burst from the dense woods, slamming into the convoy like madmen!

It was a pack of high-ranking Rogues!

"Damn it!" Lucas slammed the steering wheel, and the vehicle spun out of control, crashing into a large tree.

"Protect Sera!"

Almost the instant they landed, Lucas and my brothers completed their shifts simultaneously.

A huge black Alpha wolf and two grey Beta wolves shielded Seraphina tightly behind them, not exposing even a strand of her hair.

I, however, was thrown out of the car by the massive inertia, slamming heavily onto the gravel ground.

Before I could climb up, a rogue wolf reeking of stench locked eyes on me. Saliva dripped from its mouth, its scarlet eyes full of killing intent as it opened its bloody maw and lunged at me!

"Ella!"

Lucas turned back amidst the chaotic fight, letting out a deafening roar: "Shift immediately! Protect yourself!"

I had always been a strong she-wolf; he took it for granted that I could protect myself.

But the silver poison in my body made me incredibly weak. Let alone fighting, I didn't even have the strength to shift.

Roar!

The rogue's sharp teeth instantly bit through my shoulder!

"Ah—!"

Blood sprayed, staining my vision red. Like a broken rag doll, I was clamped by the beast and flung into the air.

Just when I thought I was dead for sure, the pack's patrol guard arrived.

They worked together to drive back the rogues. I fell heavily to the ground, my shoulder a mess of blood and flesh, my consciousness scattering.

The battle ended.

Lucas turned back into human form and rushed toward me, ignoring the blood on his body. "Ella!"

There was a panic in his voice that I had never heard before.

However, just as his hand was about to touch me—

Seraphina, who had been protected without a scratch, suddenly burst into terrified crying.

She collapsed to the ground, pointing at my blood-covered body and crying out, "Ella... are you crazy?"

"It was so critical just now, why didn't you shift? Did you do it on purpose to force Lucas and our brothers to ignore me and run to save you?"

"Did you want me to die in the rogue's mouth that badly? To fight for attention, do you not even care about your own life?"

Chapter 5

Lucas's outstretched hand stopped abruptly in mid-air.

The worry in his eyes solidified instantly, then transformed into monstrous rage.

Yes.

In the wolf world, even a pup would instinctively shift in a life-or-death situation. Yet I had no reaction.

The only explanation was that I was "gambling."

Betting my life on whether they would abandon Seraphina.

"Ella..."

Lucas withdrew his hand, looking down at me from above, his eyes as cold as if looking at a lunatic.

"You are simply hopeless!"

Veins bulged on his forehead as he roared at me, "Just out of jealousy, you actually used your life to gamble for sympathy? If the patrol had been a step later, you would be dead! Do you hate Sera that much? Hate her enough to use this kind of self-harm to get revenge on us?"

I wanted to explain.

I wanted to say it was the silver poison, that the whipping had made it impossible for me to shift.

But looking at those eyes filled only with disgust, my throat felt like it was blocked with cotton; I couldn't say a single word.

"So disappointing." Ron walked over, his eyes full of disappointment. "Reflecting in the dungeon wasn't enough. Playing mind games in a life-and-death situation like this is unreasonable."

"Guards!" Lucas ordered coldly. "Send her back to the Pack House! Get a doctor to bandage her up, don't let her die!"

Several warriors stepped forward and rudely hoisted me up.

Blood flowed freely from my shoulder; every step was agonizing pain. But I didn't cry, nor did I shout in pain.

I was dragged away just like that, watching Lucas turn around to gently hold Seraphina and comfort her, watching my brothers surround her with concern.

Before leaving, Seraphina looked back through the car window.

Seeing me in such a wretched state, the corner of her mouth hooked up into a victor's cold sneer. Naked mockery.

And Lucas, from beginning to end, never looked back once.

Watching their retreating figures, I suddenly couldn't feel the pain anymore.

I looked up at the aurora shimmering faintly on the horizon.

It was truly beautiful.

I closed my eyes and made a final wish in my heart:

May I, and Lucas, and these brothers...

Never meet again in this life or the next.

……

Two days later, they returned from their trip, and the Mating Ceremony was held as scheduled.

The Pack House had been transformed into a fairytale world. White roses, flown in by air, carpeted the lawn, their scent cloyingly sweet.

Seraphina stood before the vanity mirror, looking breathtakingly beautiful in the Luna wedding dress that was originally mine.

"Ella," she said in a sugary, cooing voice. "Even though this is just a fake ceremony, I still hope to get your blessing."

With a single glance from Ron and Reid, two maids stepped forward and forcibly stripped off my clothes, shoving me into a dusty, ill-fitting gray bridesmaid dress. The tight fabric dug into my unhealed wounds, causing stinging pain.

I was like Cinderella, shoved into the corner, becoming the most eyesore background character at this grand wedding.

At the climax of the ceremony, Lucas walked Seraphina down the red carpet.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming to my wedding." Seraphina took the microphone, tears welling in her eyes, her voice choked with emotion. "Actually, as you all know, I am a dying woman. This wedding dress... originally belonged to my sister, Ella."

A murmur of sympathy rippled through the crowd.

Seraphina wiped away her tears, her gaze landing precisely on me in the corner. "I was selfish. I stole my sister's ceremony. I feel so sorry towards her... In this sacred moment, I want to give Ella a hug. I hope to earn her forgiveness. If I can't get her forgiveness, I won't be able to die in peace."

All the spotlights instantly swung onto me, blindingly bright.

Ron and Reid walked over with smiles on their faces.

"Silly girl, why would Ella blame you?" Ron said loudly, his tone full of doting affection. "She is the most sensible sister. She forgave you long ago."

After saying that, they didn't give me a choice. They grabbed my pale, trembling arms and forcibly dragged me in front of Seraphina.

"Come on, Ella. Give Sera a hug," Reid said, pressing down on my head, forcing me to bow.

Seraphina opened her arms and hugged me tightly.

Just as everyone thought they were witnessing a touching scene of sisterly reconciliation, Seraphina leaned into my ear. In a voice only the two of us could hear, she whispered coldly:

"Go to hell."

In the next second—

Schlick!

Seraphina suddenly pulled out a silver dagger hidden in the folds of her dress and plunged it viciously into her own abdomen!

"Ahhh—!"

Seraphina let out a blood-curdling scream and collapsed into a pool of blood in agony.

Clutching the wound that was spurting blood, she looked at me in disbelief and cried out, "Ella... why... I already have less than a month to live... do you hate me that much... do you want me to die that soon?!"

The crowd went into an uproar.

Lucas's rationality snapped instantly. He let out a beast-like roar: "Sera!!"

Instinctively, he slammed his palm hard into my chest.

Crack!

The powerful force of an Alpha shattered my ribs. I was sent flying backward, smashing into a stone pillar and vomiting a mouthful of blood. In my hand, I was still clutching the blood-stained dagger Seraphina had shoved into my grip.

"Sera! Sera, stay with me!"

Ron and Reid rushed over like madmen, scooping up the blood-soaked Seraphina. Seeing the gruesome wound on her abdomen, the brothers' eyes instantly turned red, looking as if they were about to bleed.

They turned their heads, glaring death at me as I lay paralyzed on the ground.

"Ella!!" Ron roared. "If anything happens to Sera, you will pay with your life!!"

I opened my mouth, wanting to defend myself, but I could only cough up more bloody foam.

"Call the Healer! Quickly!" Lucas's hands were trembling.

The Head Healer examined her for a few seconds, his face turning pale.

"This is bad! The dagger was coated in high-concentration liquid silver!"

The Healer shouted in terror, "The toxin has already traveled through her blood to her heart! Combined with Miss Seraphina's previous condition... we must immediately perform a total blood transfusion using the blood of an immediate family member to flush out the silver poison. Otherwise, she will die for sure!"

"Then do it! We are her brothers. Take our blood!" Ron rolled up his sleeves without hesitation.

The Healer immediately began drawing blood.

Bright red blood flowed through the tubes into Seraphina's body.

However, after only a few minutes, the Healer shook his head in despair. "It's not enough... still not enough... The silver poison is too aggressive. The flow rate from just the two of you is too slow; it can't purify it in time..."

Seraphina's breathing grew weaker and weaker.

Lucas and my brothers whipped their heads around, looking at me, pale and broken on the floor. A flicker of hesitation appeared in their eyes; they didn't give the order immediately.

Leaning against the stone pillar, chest screaming in pain, I actually felt a ridiculous spark of hope.

Would they spare me, remembering that I was their sister, their fiancée?

But a second later, Lucas looked at Seraphina's pale face, and his eyes held only cold resolve.

"Drain her."

Chapter 6

He spat out the words coldly. "She stabbed the knife. This is how she atones for her sin."

"But Miss Ella is also critically injured..."

"I said drain her!!" Lucas roared. "Just use the most expensive drugs to keep her alive."

The guards rushed over, roughly pinning down my hands and feet, nailing me to the floor.

"Let me go..." I struggled weakly.

Ron looked at me, a flash of unbearable pain in his eyes, but he ultimately looked away. "You owe this to Sera..."

The thick needle pierced ruthlessly into my vein.

"Ugh..."

Bright red blood flowed out continuously, flowing into Seraphina's body.

My life force was draining away rapidly.

I watched the men who had once sworn to protect me. Right now, they were like vampires, ruthlessly draining me dry for another woman.

Between the blood loss and my heavy injuries, darkness swallowed me.

The moment the needle was pulled out, I fell into a complete coma.

...

When I woke up again, the surroundings were dead silent.

Lucas and my brothers weren't there. They hadn't even left a single servant for me.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. The screen lit up. Seraphina had just posted an Instagram update.

In the photo, she looked rosy-cheeked, nestling in Lucas's arms, while Ron and Reid were smiling as they fed her fruit.

The caption read: Thank you to my superhero Alpha and the best brothers in the world for pulling me back from hell with their love. It feels so good to be reborn.

There were thousands of likes underneath.

I touched the shocking, bruised needle marks on my arm.

That was my blood.

It turned out my life was nothing more than fuel for Seraphina to show off how much she was "loved."

My heart was filled with irony and ice.

I hope that after tomorrow, you can all still love her this much.

I took out my diary and continued to write.

【October 17. I really had silver poisoning... it hurts so much. I only used one bottle of the potion; I really didn't take the others. But today, my brothers pointed at my nose and called me a vicious woman. My palm is rotting from the silver corrosion; it hurts so bad... But why does no one believe me? Where did the Lucas who said he'd protect me forever go? 】

【October 20. The dungeon is so cold, the water is so dirty. I didn't use the silver dagger to kill Seraphina. Forget it, explaining is useless. You were once good to me, and I have repaid that with my blood. Goodbye, my love. Goodbye, my brothers. I hope in my next life, I won't have to be a replacement, and I can have a real family. 】

……

Early the next morning, while I was still leaning weakly against the headboard, the door was kicked open.

Lucas, Ron, and Reid stormed in, bringing a gust of cold air with them, looking like grim reapers coming to collect a soul.

Before I could react, Lucas charged at me.

"Speak!" Lucas's eyes were bloodshot, his roar deafening. "Where did you hide your sister?!"

"What..."

"Still playing dumb?!" Ron was furious. He slammed a bloodstained, scrawled note onto my face.

As the paper fluttered down, I read the words on it:

Rogues... Ella let them... help me...

I froze.

Apparently, when the servants went to give Seraphina her medicine this morning, they found her missing. The room was a mess, leaving only this suggestive note behind.

"Look at me right now..." I pointed to my arm, which was still seeping blood, and forced a sarcastic smile. "I can't even get out of bed... How could I kidnap her?"

"Stop making excuses!"

Reid sneered and pulled a stack of printed documents from his jacket, throwing them in my face.

"We just intercepted these transfer records! The recipient is a notorious Rogue mercenary group!"

"To have the Alpha all to yourself, and to get revenge on your sister, you actually colluded with Rogues to kidnap her! Ella, are you completely heartless?!"

Looking at the seamlessly forged "evidence," I suddenly felt that explaining was pointless.

Seraphina's move was truly brilliant.

It got rid of me and made them hate me to the bone.

"Throw her back in the dungeon!" Lucas looked at me with cold, cruel eyes. "Lock her in the water cell! Fill it up to her neck! No food, no water! Don't let her out until she tells the truth!"

"Let's go! To the border to keep searching!"

With that, they didn't even spare me another glance before turning and rushing out.

They were off to play the heroes, off to save the princess in their hearts.

I was thrown into the dungeon once again.

This time, it was the water cell.

The bone-chilling, filthy water rose to my chest, smelling of rot. It stung the fresh needle punctures from the blood draw and the whip wounds on my back like crazy.

But I didn't panic, and I didn't cry.

I looked at the clock on the wall. The potion would take full effect very soon.

From a hidden inner pocket, I took out the spare phone I had kept concealed.

I sent an encrypted message: Do it.

A few minutes later.

Muffled thuds came from outside the dungeon—the sound of guards hitting the floor.

Immediately after, the iron door was opened silently.

Several fully armed warriors in black tactical gear walked in.

"Miss Ella."

The leader bowed to me. "We are here to pick you up."

He waved his hand, and his men immediately stepped forward, efficiently cutting the chains binding me and supporting my weak body.

"Let's go."

We retreated to a safe hill a few kilometers away from the Pack House.

The mercenary leader pulled a red detonator from his vest and handed it to me.

"Miss, this is a gift from the Alpha King."

I took the detonator and looked at the towering castle in the distance.

That was my home.

It held all my love, all my hate, all my youth, and all my blood and tears.

"Goodbye. Never again."

I whispered softly.

Then, without hesitation, I pressed the button.

BOOM—!!!

A massive fireball instantly shot into the sky, dyeing half the horizon red. The entire dungeon, along with the west wing of the Pack House, was reduced to ruins in an instant.

At the same time.

Dozens of miles away in the border forest.

Lucas, who was frantically searching for Seraphina, suddenly let out an agonizing scream. He dropped to his knees, vomiting a massive mouthful of fresh blood!

"Lucas! What's wrong?!" Ron and Reid were horrified.

Lucas clutched his chest, suffering from excruciating pain, his face as pale as paper.

His eyes widened in terror. The Mate Bond that connected him to me—

Had completely snapped.

"Ella..." An immense panic swallowed him. "No... impossible..."

When a Mate Bond snaps, there is usually only one explanation.

That means—his Mate is dead?!