Elena's POV

This was it—the biggest day of my life. At least, it would be in a few hours.

I stood in front of the mirror, gently running a brush through my hair, trying hard to hold back the huge smile on my face.

Pheisar had promised. Tonight, during the Blood Moon ceremony, he was going to announce us as a couple.

My heart hammered against my ribs, a thrilling, hot beat of pure excitement.

Inside my mind, my wolf paced restlessly, letting out soft, eager growls.

The Moonstone ring on my finger shone in the light—our unbreakable promise.

I'd pictured this moment a thousand times: swearing our vows before the Moon Goddess, finally acknowledging each other as mates, letting her witness our eternal mating bond. It was finally happening.

I slipped into the pure white gown Pheisar had specially commissioned for me. I studied my reflection, imagining the look of surprise and adoration in his eyes when he saw me.

It was time. I started toward the Great Hall, forcing myself to walk slowly, trying to appear graceful and calm.

Pack members were gathered inside, their attention fixed on the center of the room. No one noticed me come in.

A sudden, sharp wave of anxiety squeezed my heart. What was that?

My wolf, Lyra, stirred uneasily inside me. Her growl was low and sharp, "I smell something that shouldn't be here."

"This is our time, Lyra. I'm his destined mate," I whispered, trying to soothe her, pushing her sharp warning back down. "It's just pre-ceremony nerves," I told myself.

I walked into the massive banquet hall. The Moon Goddess Altar glowed brightly under everyone's gaze. The Priestess and Elders stood on both sides, their low, solemn chanting echoing like a hymn.

But when I really focused on the Altar, my world shattered. Lyra snapped her head up inside my consciousness, letting out a shriek of sheer, terrifying fury. It slammed against my chest.

Standing right there was Pheisar, the man who'd promised forever, and his arm was around another she-wolf—Selene.

She wore a silver-white ceremonial dress. Her silver hair shimmered in the light. Her eyes were full of soft affection and devotion.

What froze me completely was the silver-white pendant hanging on her chest. It was my lost silver wolfbone amulet, the one my parents left me.

Pheisar had promised to find it.

Now, it was on Selene's neck.

Lyra went ballistic, her roar deafening in my mind. "Why is that damn she-wolf standing in our place?"

The fury of my wolf burned away my sanity. I barely managed to keep the growl from tearing out of my throat.

All the noise around me vanished. All I could hear was my own ragged breathing.

My eyes cut through the crowd, locking onto Pheisar. He saw me. His expression flickered with a brief panic, but it was quickly replaced by a cold, harsh finality.

Then, Selene turned. She saw me. A flash of triumph crossed her eyes, which she instantly masked with an innocent look.

She gently raised a finger, touched the amulet on her chest, looked at me, and sighed softly.

My ears twitched. I caught a familiar voice.

Alpha Victor was leaning down, whispering to someone next to him with a sneering laugh. "Look who showed up. Isn't that Elena? She's wearing the Luna's white gown. Guess she got the wrong idea about her status."

I ignored Victor. I had to know the truth.

Ignoring everyone, I marched straight for the Altar.

"Pheisar!" My voice was hoarse, like broken glass, but it cut right through the Priestess's chanting.

He didn't turn around. He simply took Selene's hand gently and lowered his head toward the Moon Goddess Altar.

"I, Pheisar, swear to take Selene as my one and only mate. May the Moon Goddess bear witness for us." The light of the Blood Bond grew between them, sacred and brutal.

The glow of the Moon Goddess shone down on them, a chilling mockery aimed straight at me.

"Stop! Why are you doing this?" I rushed to the base of the Altar, clenching my skirt so hard my knuckles turned white. My tears finally broke through, my voice burning with anger.

He turned. His eyes were utterly cold and calm, as if he were looking at a total stranger.

Selene then slightly pulled back, shrinking into his embrace. She whispered in his ear, "Pheisar, who is this young woman? I sense her pain, but we're in the middle of our vows. Is there... a misunderstanding?"

Her voice was quiet, but loud enough for everyone near the Altar to hear. She sounded sympathetic, yet she held onto Pheisar tightly, making sure everyone knew her place.

"You don't belong here," his voice was soft, but it sliced through my heart like a knife. "Go back. Don't ruin my ceremony."

"You know I was the one chosen by the Moon Goddess..."

I didn't finish. A massive surge of his Alpha aura exploded from him. The sheer force, channeled through our mating bond, choked me. I couldn't make a sound.

"Get out. Don't make me say it again." His tone was icy, his eyes devoid of warmth.

He lowered his head and kissed Selene's forehead.

"I promise to spend my life with you. I will never betray you." His words were tender, but to me, they were a colossal crash, jolting me awake from all my ridiculous fantasies.

My heart sank into a dark, bottomless pit.

The surrounding noise rushed back. People cheered for their vows. Applause roared.

I stood there, a clown in the cold glow. My heart had completely frozen, turning to dead silence.

I spun around abruptly. Lyra's roar ripped through my consciousness, "Let me take over! I'll tear that she-wolf apart with my claws!"

I used my last ounce of strength to force her down.

I fled the banquet hall. The air outside was bitingly cold. The moonlight poured down, like a sheet of deep, chilling frost.

When I got back to the Nightshade Manor—the place Pheisar and I had shared—my phone rang. It was my foster mother, Martha.

"Elena, stop roaming around like a rogue. Get back to the pack," Martha's voice was clear and severe through the phone. "Our Alpha has decided: you will take my daughter's place. You will be Alpha Zander's mate."

Alpha Zander. The wolf from the Blackthorn Pack who was in a deep coma, maybe never waking up.

I let out a self-mocking laugh.

Martha spoke again, "If you refuse, don't blame me for what happens..."

"I agree," I said, and hung up.

My mate betrayed me. He betrayed the Moon Goddess's choice. So, what was the point of holding onto our mating bond anymore?

Elena's POV

Late at night, the wind howled down from the tower and the door to my room was flung open.

Pheisar stood in the doorway. The moonlight cut his dark hair into hard, cold lines. He wore his long, dark trench coat draped over his shoulders.

"Why did you cut the Mind-Link?" His voice was low, carrying an undeniable command. He was trying to control me again.

I didn't turn around. My back was to him. My voice was utterly flat, like still water. "I don't want to hear your voice anymore."

His brow furrowed slightly. His tone instantly froze. "Because of the ceremony tonight? Stop being dramatic."

I spun around abruptly and looked up at him, my eyes sharp as knives. "You swore an oath in front of the entire Nightshade Pack, in front of the Moon Goddess! You exchanged a Blood Bond with her using our ring! I'm not being 'dramatic.' I'm accepting reality!"

His body stiffened. His gaze darted away, refusing to meet mine.

"Selene was critically injured. She had to complete the Alpha Joining before the Blood Moon, or her wolf would fade and die. I had no choice."

"No choice?" My voice started to tremble. "You had plenty of choices. You could have gone to another Alpha. You could have begged the Witch Doctor and the Elders for a solution. But you didn't."

"Don't lie to me. Don't lie to yourself, too. If you remembered when you were critically injured and I used my wolf soul, my life force, to save you—and the promise you made then to never betray our mating bond—you wouldn't have done this."

I looked up at him. Tears finally broke free, but they weren't from love. They were from white-hot fury and the pain of ultimate betrayal.

"She was sick, so you had to sacrifice me? You had to let her stand in my place, let her wear my pendant, and exchange vows with you?" I challenged him.

He finally looked at me, a flicker of tired helplessness in his eyes. "She really liked that pendant..."

I gave a bitter laugh. "That was the only thing my parents left me. You know how important it was. Are you still going to lie to me?"

He sighed. His voice was still cold, laced with condescending pity. "She's dying. Can't you just—"

"Can't I just what?" I cut him off, my voice raw. "Can't I question you? Can't I be sad? Or can't I refuse to be the price you pay to save her?"

A crack appeared in Pheisar's composure for the first time. A flash of shame, perhaps, but he didn't try to defend himself.

I slowly lifted my chin, feeling Lyra's painful whimper inside. I spoke every word clearly. "If that's the case, I reject you, Alpha Pheisar..."

"Don't you dare!" Rage instantly flashed in his eyes. His powerful aura crushed me again. He looked at me coldly. "You're too emotional. Calm down for a few days."

With that, he turned and left without a backward glance.

He hadn't given me the chance to finish the rejection vow. Why? He had already chosen Selene.

That night, I stayed awake until dawn.

The next morning, I started packing up my things in the Manor. No nostalgia. No tears. Just an unprecedented calm.

I didn't take much that belonged to the Luna of Nightshade. A wolf bone dagger, broken in a fight. A few manuscripts I had personally written. Some unremarkable antiques. And the deed to the apartment Pheisar had bought me downtown years ago to thank me for saving his life. That was my only asset I could liquidate.

Before leaving the room, my gaze swept over the silvery lamp on the fireplace mantle—the Moon Thorn Lamp.

It used to symbolize our bond, sharing the same flame. No matter how late he came home, I always lit it, telling myself, "As long as the light is on, I'm still here."

I looked at it quietly, then walked over. I didn't light it. Instead, I brushed my fingers gently across the cold metal stand and pushed it over.

"The lamp is out," I whispered to myself, then turned and walked away without looking back.

I didn't go straight to the apartment. I went to the back garden first.

I called Mira, the omega, and asked her to deliver a message to Pheisar.

"Mira, please tell Alpha Pheisar," my voice was almost cruel in its flatness, "that I burned the garden."

I had. Not the whole garden, but the section where he had personally planted the moonglow flowers for me. They once symbolized our flawless love.

Now, they were dead on the window sill, and I didn't want them to rot under his and Selene's gaze.

Flames licked the dry stems. Ash scattered on the wind, leaving a scorched patch.

It was my final goodbye to my old life.

I checked into a hotel downtown. During the day, I contacted a real estate agent and urgently listed the apartment for sale. I priced it at three million, twenty percent below market value.

When I woke up, Lyra gently stirred in my mind, softly murmuring, "You finally didn't dream about him."

I smiled faintly. "Yeah."

Today, I had to go to the Nightshade Group Headquarters for the final job handover.

For years, I had been his Chief Assistant, advising him and taking countless hits for him.

The elevator chimed, signaling the top floor for the CEO's office. I headed toward the conference room but caught a whiff of an unfamiliar, sharp she-wolf pheromone near the half-open door.

Then, I heard a familiar voice—soft, with a submissive, clinging quality.

It was Selene.

"Pheisar, my ankle hurts again," the voice had a delicate, whining lilt. "Did you bump it accidentally when you carried me back to the room last night?"

I froze. My blood turned to ice.

I peered through the crack in the door. Selene was leaning against Pheisar, her silver hair spilling over his shoulder. And he, the Alpha I had loved, was gently holding her waist.

Pheisar leaned in slightly, his tone mild. "Be careful." His movements were soft, and he made no move to push her away.

Selene took the opportunity to settle onto his lap, tilting her head up. Her lips almost brushed his chin. Her smile was innocent yet sharp.

"Pheisar, if I move closer, will you pull away?" she whispered, a sweet, sly hint in her voice.

Then the kiss landed. Soft. Close. Undisguised.

I stood in the doorway, watching the nightmare unfold.

Their scents began to merge—the she-wolf was releasing mating pheromones, so thick it made me sick.

Then, the agonizing pain of the mating bond tearing ripped through my chest.

Elena's POV

I stood outside the main office, frozen stiff like an ice sculpture. The file folder in my hand felt heavy, like the past I was about to abandon.

Just then, Kalen stepped out of the elevator, holding a stack of papers. "Elena—" But the word died in his throat as he froze next to me.

I knew. He saw the intimate scene playing out inside, too.

Pheisar, the always distant, ruthless Alpha of the Pack, was half-crouching on the floor.

His posture was careful, almost subservient. In front of him was Selene, in a pale silver gown.

Her skirt trailed on the ground. Her ankle was bare. She bowed her head slightly, her voice soft as an injured kitten. "Pheisar, gentle."

Pheisar didn't speak. He just gently raised his hand and meticulously adjusted the hem of her gown.

He looked up at her, and the tenderness in his eyes nearly froze me solid.

He had never looked at me like that.

I barely registered Kalen. An old memory resurfaced, unstoppable.

Years ago, on my first patrol with Pheisar, I fell from my horse, tearing a huge piece of skin from my calf.

The pain from the wound healing after the nightly medication kept me awake.

I tried to reach him through our MindLink, just for a small bit of comfort.

It was laughable. His response was always cold and formal, "Elena, a minor scratch like that is nothing for a werewolf. You can heal yourself."

Back then, I thought it was fine. He was the Alpha, the leader. Of course, he wouldn't care about "minor scratches." Now I knew the truth: he did care. His concern was just reserved for someone else.

A massive wave of humiliation and heartbreak washed over me.

My body trembled slightly. I mechanically took a step back, turned, and left that suffocating space.

"Elena!" Kalen chased after me, calling my name, his breath uneven from running.

I stopped. My tone was flat, like dead water. "What is it?"

"Don't overthink this," Kalen swallowed hard, trying to play the mediator. "Alpha Pheisar... he just feels sorry for Selene being hurt. She's..."

"He feels sorry for her?" I gave a small, bitter laugh. The sound was cold enough to cut, like metal scraping.

"He feels sorry for her, so he swore an oath on my amulet during the Blood Moon ceremony? So he holds her in his arms?" I looked up, staring right at Kalen's poorly hidden panic. "Kalen, I'm not an idiot."

Kalen was stunned speechless.

I slowly handed him the file folder. "Right, this is my resignation. I won't go in and bother them. You can give it to him for me. And—"

I paused, then took a small silver chain from my neck. It held a ring engraved with the northern wolf mark.

He had put it on me himself. It symbolized my honor as a Northland Guardian and... another unspoken identity.

"Please give this back to him, too." I placed the ring on the seal of the file folder.

"You... you're leaving?" Kalen was utterly shocked. "Are you serious about this? Alpha Pheisar, he won't—"

I cut him off, my voice slightly cool. "He won't let me go?"

I turned away, my back straight. But only I knew it took every ounce of strength I had to maintain that composure.

"Kalen," my voice was light as a feather, yet filled with absolute resolve, "I'm done."

I fled the headquarters and threw myself onto the unfamiliar hotel bed.

Only in this dead silent room could I barely manage to suppress Lyra's nearly insane restlessness and struggle deep inside my mind.

The silence was broken by the sudden vibration of my phone on the sheets. Kalen's name lit up the screen.

I hesitated for a second but answered.

"Elena, help," Kalen's voice was low and frantic. "Alpha Pheisar just blew up because the coffee tasted wrong. How do you usually handle it?"

I closed my eyes. All the minute details, once muscle memory, flooded back instantly.

"The water is too hot," I said into the phone, my voice so calm it felt strange even to me. "Keep the temperature at 90 degrees..."

"Wait, let me write that down—" Before Kalen could finish, I heard a steady, familiar sound of footsteps on his end—a sound that still choked me.

Then, that cold voice that made my soul tremble came through the line, sharp and clear.

"Where is Elena? Why hasn't she brought the coffee yet? Tell her to see me. Skipping the morning meeting and now nowhere to be found. Tell her there's a limit to throwing a tantrum."

My breath hitched.

My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand.

In his eyes, all my struggles, all our arguments, were just a woman's way of seeking attention—a mere "tantrum."

The phone line went deathly silent. I could only hear Kalen's slightly strained breathing.

"Alpha Pheisar..." Kalen's voice was dry. "Elena... she quit. That's her resignation, it's on your desk."

"Quit?"

A snort of laughter followed, so dismissive it was like hearing a bad joke.

"Where is she going? She can barely survive without the Nightshade Group." Pheisar's voice was cold and certain, as if discussing a runaway pet. "So childish. Kalen, don't indulge her drama. Tell her that if she's not in my office before tonight, she'll face the consequences."

My fingers trembled on the screen, icy cold.

"Elena, did you hear that? Alpha Pheisar..." Kalen was still trying to say something.

"I'm not going back. He can do whatever he wants." I ended the call.

Elena's POV

The hotel room was too quiet. Even the low hum of the air conditioning sounded jarring. The only loud sound was my own quick, ragged breathing.

After hanging up, I was curled up at the foot of the bed, my fingers digging into the carpet fibers, my palms slick with sweat.

The phone, tossed onto the bed, vibrated again.

The screen lit up—it was Pheisar's private number.

I stared at the display, my head buzzing. My instinct was to just turn it off.

I hesitated for two seconds, then hit the answer button.

"You want to quit?" he asked slowly. "Fine."

I was stunned. I pushed myself up from the floor. "What did you say?"

"I said, fine." Pheisar's tone instantly sharpened like a knife's edge. "You want to use your resignation to threaten me? I'll allow it. But you have to come to Nebula Nightclub."

My heart plummeted.

Nebula Nightclub—that was Pheisar's favorite private spot, where he and other Alphas and corporate elites went to unwind.

The women who showed up there were all working girls.

He wanted me to go to that place. He just wanted to kick me one last time.

"Tell your assistant," I said coldly, "I'll mail you the signed documents."

He let out a cold laugh. "I'm not asking for your opinion. You have thirty minutes. If you don't show up at Nebula—I'll destroy the pendant."

Then, he hung up.

The phone vibrated again the next second.

I clicked on the message. It was a photo.

The background was the dim light of a VIP booth. A large, well-defined hand rested casually on a leather sofa armrest, fingers toying with a pendant.

It was my last remaining memento of my bloodline and wolf soul, left to me before my parents died.

Now, he was using it as leverage to force me out.

Half an hour later, I pushed open the door to the Nebula booth. The strong smell of alcohol mixed with the suffocating pheromones of high-ranking wolves instantly hit me, making me instinctively recoil.

"You came?" Pheisar swirled the crystal glass in his hand. Ice clinked against the glass. His voice carried a certain careless mockery. "Elena, you actually learned to threaten me with quitting."

In his eyes, everything I did, even breaking up, was just a means to get his attention.

"Since you want to leave so badly," he leaned forward, his Alpha aura instantly turning sharp. "I'll let you go. Kalen, give her a pen."

"Sign it," he commanded coldly. "Sign this, and you're completely out of the Nightshade Group. After this, even if you beg me on your knees at the door, I won't let you back in."

"Okay." I took the pen without any hesitation. I signed my name at the end of the rows of cold clauses.

I pushed the document back and looked straight into his eyes. "Give me back my pendant."

Pheisar's pupils suddenly constricted. The confident mockery froze on his face, quickly morphing into a raw, offended fury.

"Fine," he gritted out, sweeping the signed document onto the floor. "Since the business is finished, let's settle our personal accounts."

He slammed the pendant he had been toying with down hard on the table.

He pointed at the frail-looking Selene in his arms, his voice sharp. "Apologize to Selene for ordering those rogues to attack her! That was a vicious act!"

"I didn't." I stared fiercely at the amulet, my nails digging into my palms.

"Still lying!" Pheisar's patience was completely gone. My immediate signature must have stung his arrogant pride. He desperately needed another way to regain control and humiliate me.

"Those bastards confessed that you ordered them after they were caught! If Dominic hadn't happened to pass by and rescue Selene, she could have been sexually assaulted! And you're still playing innocent?"

Selene whimpered appropriately in his arms. "Pheisar, it's okay... Elena probably just hates me too much... Just give her back the pendant..."

"See, she's even pleading for you!" Pheisar laughed in furious disbelief.

He pointed at a row of unopened bottles of hard vodka on the table. "You don't want to apologize? Fine. Drink all of these, and I'll consider it atonement. You can take your pendant."

I looked at the bottles of liquor—enough to be lethal. My stomach already started cramping with phantom pain.

He knew it. Four years ago, I took a serious hit to the stomach shielding him from a drink. The doctor said hard liquor could kill me. Back then, he held me and swore to protect me. Now, he was the one pushing it toward me.

I laughed, tears stinging my eyes.

Lyra let out a sound of pure, desperate anguish deep in my mind, but I blocked the pain.

I walked up, grabbed a bottle, and tipped it back.

The fiery liquid burned my esophagus like lava. But I didn't stop. One bottle. Two bottles...

Just as I reached for the third, Pheisar seemed to snap, enraged by my defiance. He violently swiped the bottle from my hand. "Take your junk and get out!"

He grabbed the pendant from the table and threw it hard at me.

The sharp edge of the silver amulet cut my temple. Blood instantly streamed down, blurring my vision.

I ignored the pain. I frantically lunged forward, grabbing the amulet and clutching it tightly in my hand, as if holding onto the last bit of my life.

I stumbled to my feet. I didn't even dare wipe the blood that ran into my eye. I searched for the door through my blurry vision.

In that fleeting moment, I actually saw a look of pain in Pheisar's eyes. He took a step toward me.

"Ah! Pheisar..." A panicked scream from Selene suddenly erupted behind me.

Elena's POV

Pheisar instantly turned his head. I didn't care. I was ready to leave.

Just then, my foot caught on something—it was Selene's outstretched leg.

I lost my balance and crashed hard onto the floor, my forehead hitting the sharp marble table corner.

"Bang!" The agony was blinding. The warm liquid gushed faster, instantly staining the carpet red.

"What happened?" Pheisar's voice barked from above.

I was sprawled on the floor. Through my blood-red vision, I saw him rush toward me.

He saw my blood-soaked face. His dark eyes tightened, and he instinctively reached out for me.

"It hurts so much... Pheisar, I think I broke my foot..." Selene's voice cut in right on cue. She collapsed next to the sofa, shivering and fragile.

Pheisar's hand froze halfway.

He looked at Selene, who was sobbing and clutching her ankle. Then he looked at me.

After a moment's hesitation, he picked Selene up.

"You're bleeding..." Kalen looked at me, sounding panicked.

Pheisar paused for a fraction of a second.

He looked down, his brow severely furrowed. "Your wolf is healthy. That little cut will heal itself. Selene's wolf is weak. I need to take her to the hospital."

In his eyes, I was the female wolf who could always pick herself up and handle any trouble. Selene was the rare treasure who would break without him.

Thinking he had neatly sorted out my situation, he strode over me with Selene in his arms, leaving without a backward glance.

As they left, the scent of blood filled the room. Only Dominic and I were left in the booth.

Dominic. That name echoed through the entire Northern wolf territory.

He was the prospective heir of the most powerful Obsidian Pack. He not only possessed a terrifyingly pure Lycan bloodline but was also the empire's ruler, controlling countless business empires.

In the world of werewolves, bloodline was law, and he was the king at the top of the pyramid.

He and Pheisar had grown up together, true friends through thick and thin.

Dominic had been expanding business overseas for years and only returned home six months ago.

That was the same time Pheisar had been kicked out of his pack, stripped of his inheritance, and became a fallen Alpha.

Dominic didn't know how I had spent four years struggling with Pheisar in the mud to survive. He only saw the outcome: Pheisar had regained power, and Selene was back.

The Nightshade members looked down on me because they didn't believe I was the future Luna.

Dominic despised me because he treated Selene like a family.

"Elena, you actually dared to have those shameless rogues attack Lina. You're looking for death."

I was staring blankly in the direction Pheisar had left, clutching the blood-stained amulet tightly.

Lina?

The "Lina" Dominic referred to was clearly Selene.

It was a strange coincidence. My late mother had given me a nickname, too—Lina.

Other than my deceased family, only the older brother who was trapped with me in the silver mine collapse ten years ago knew my nickname was Lina.

Sadly, that werewolf was gravely injured and couldn't speak.

I didn't even know his name.

He gave me a moonstone amulet to calm my mind.

But in the chaos after the rescue, that amulet disappeared, and my connection with him was completely severed.

Now, Dominic looked down at me.

He picked up a glass of iced whiskey from the table, flicked his wrist, and viciously threw the entire drink on my face.

"If you ever touch Lina again, I will make you regret the day you were born!"

"I didn't hurt her!"

The pain was overwhelming. Not just the physical wounds, but the crushing shame of having my dignity trampled on.

But stubborn blood ran through my veins. I bit down hard, forced myself up from the floor, gathered every last bit of my strength, and raised my hand—

A loud, resounding smack landed hard on Dominic's face.

The air in the booth instantly froze.

"You are only listening to Selene's side of the story!"

I was panting, glaring fiercely at this arrogant, self-important man. My voice was hoarse but steady, "Even if this goes to the Werewolf Council, no one has the right to privately condemn me without solid proof!"

"And Dominic, stop your disgusting arrogance! You have no right to throw liquor in my face!"

"Elena!"

Dominic stood frozen for a good thirty seconds before he found his voice.

His icy blue eyes instantly turned a dangerous gold. A powerful wave of dominance rattled the air.

My spine instinctively chilled. It was the biological fear a prey feels facing a top predator.

I watched him warily. "You struck me first. You deserved that slap!"

My sheer audacity and "ridiculous argument" actually made Dominic laugh in anger.

His face was dark. He picked up another glass of liquor. I stood tall, my back straight.

His gaze searched my face, finally stopping on my eyes. I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, but a flicker of doubt crossed Dominic's expression.

After that moment of distraction, he slammed the drink down hard right next to my feet. Glass shards scattered everywhere. "Stop bothering Pheisar!"

"Becoming Pheisar's Luna is Lina's only wish. If you try anything else, I swear, I will personally exile you to the wilderness and let the rogues tear you apart!"

He threw down the threat. As if to hide that moment of unexpected mercy, he didn't linger. He violently slammed the booth door shut and stormed out.

"Jerk..."

I looked at the closed door and swore weakly.

Four years ago, Selene was the one who abandoned Pheisar because she looked down on him for losing his pack inheritance and flew away.

It was only after she left that I found a dying Pheisar and brought him home on a rainy night.

But none of that mattered now.

The only thing I wanted was my parents' memento back.

I had drunk too much liquor, and the severe head wound. The blood loss made me dizzy.

I collapsed onto the sofa. After recovering for a while, I went to the nearest werewolf hospital.

Elena's POV

The werewolf hospital was busy that night.

I waited a long time outside the emergency room. When my turn came, the on-duty therapist called me into a small consultation room.

The one examining me was an older male werewolf, his temples graying, but his presence was steady.

He first pressed my occipital bone and neck with his fingertips, checking to make sure I didn't have that frantic scent of a "wolf nearing loss of control." Then, he lowered his head to check the cut on my temple.

The cold disinfectant stung. His movements were quick and precise. He cleaned the wound and put in three stitches.

Finally, he wrote a line on the chart, "Mild concussion, three stitches external trauma."

"If you follow my advice, spend a little extra time in the Runic Chamber."

He placed two small tubes of ointment in my palm, his tone kind. "Apply this every night. Your face is very beautiful; it would be a shame to leave a scar."

I thanked him and left the treatment room, following the signs out to the werewolf-only exit.

The moment I pushed open the outer door, the cold rushed at me, like a whole pool of ice water had been dumped over me.

The night wind carried tiny ice crystals. Snow had started falling over the city center without me noticing.

I tucked my neck down, pulled my coat collar up, and was about to call a cab when a sight nearby stabbed me sharply—

Pheisar was walking across the snow from the Werewolf Emergency building toward the parking area, carrying Selene on his back.

He walked steadily, as if holding something incredibly precious, unwilling to let the wind or snow touch her.

Pheisar's back was once the most familiar place in my life.

I'd fallen asleep on it countless times after training, feeling safe in his warmth. I never imagined that image would belong to another she-wolf one day.

The streetlights in the snowy night illuminated them like a romantic movie poster.

The area over my heart felt like it was being crushed by a blade.

I instinctively wanted to turn away, but a wolf's sharp hearing made escape impossible—Selene's voice drifted on the wind.

"Pheisar... the doctor said my wolf is stable now. You don't have to carry me. I can walk."

"Stop being difficult."

Pheisar's voice was gentle in a way that was foreign to me. "The ground is too cold. Your body can't handle it. I'll take you straight home in a minute."

Selene's voice had a playful, whining lilt. "Then promise me... you can only carry me from now on. Your back is my exclusive zone. I'll be mad if you carry any other she-wolf."

My fingers, gripping the edge of my coat, trembled.

That phrase, "carry any other she-wolf," hit a spot I had been afraid to touch.

"Oh! Look over there... a strawberry tart!"

Selene suddenly squealed with delight. "I suddenly want one. Pheisar, will you stand in line with me?"

Strawberry tart.

I subconsciously looked across the street.

The twenty-four-hour dessert shop still had a line, even in the snowy night.

I had casually mentioned it a few weeks ago, "That looks delicious. I haven't had anything sweet in ages."

What had Pheisar said then?

"Elena, you're a werewolf, not a human kid. Eating that sugary junk food? A waste of life. Use that time to run a couple of laps at the training field instead."

But now, he gently settled Selene into the passenger seat.

He carefully placed the cashmere blanket I had personally knitted for him, intended for our fourth anniversary, over Selene's legs.

"Be a good girl. I'll go stand in line for you."

The whole scene was too tender to be the werewolf I knew.

He didn't notice me in the distance.

His eyes were only for the she-wolf lying warm and bundled in his car.

I wanted to laugh.

But my vision blurred into a sheet of cold water.

Four years of total devotion, and it turned out to be a self-hypnosis with only me in the performance.

I turned and walked away.

My steps in the snow were heavy and certain.

Since I decided to cut the past, I had to seriously think about my future.

I was once an honors graduate from the Royal Media Academy's Voice Acting program.

Becoming a professional voice actor was my dream before I met Pheisar.

"Tides of the Moon"—it was considered an epic masterpiece in the entertainment industry.

The role of the "Abyssal Siren" was a symbol of rebellion and freedom for countless female voice actors.

Given my current situation, this role was almost unattainable.

But I sent in my audition reel anyway.

And the production team actually called me in for a live audition today.

Outside the recording studio, the waiting room was filled with daughters of nobility and ace voice talents from major corporations.

Their backgrounds, their connections... I couldn't compete with any of it.

But I didn't care.

If there was even a sliver of a chance, I would be like the Abyssal Siren—

I would bite the throat of fate.

The air in the audition room was heavy.

Director Kieran was the head director for the series.

His hearing was sharper than the average werewolf, and his pickiness about voices bordered on obsessive.

I knew he had already auditioned over forty voice actors from different corporations this morning.

"Next one."

The assistant led in a she-wolf wearing a designer dress. The moment she spoke her lines—

Kieran pressed his temples.

His scent had a noticeable edge of irritation, like a knife tip scraping the air.

"That's enough. You can go."

He raised his hand, cutting her off. "There's only the arrogance of power in your voice, no despair or madness."

He stood up, his patience completely gone. "No more auditions. Time for lunch. There are only empty shells here, no living souls."

"D-Director... there's just one more."

The young assistant checked the list and then quickly glanced at me, sitting quietly in the corner.

Elena's POV

I had deliberately kept my scent subdued. After years of living as a shadow next to Pheisar, I hadn't drawn any attention.

"She's been waiting outside for three hours. Maybe... just let her try?"

Director Kieran frowned but didn't say anything.

"Elena, please come in," the assistant said.

My heart tightened violently. I hadn't stepped into a recording studio in years. "Can I really do this?"

But the moment I held the script, all self-doubt and anxiety vanished.

These weren't just lines; this was my soul speaking.

I thought of Selene's malicious provocation. I thought of Pheisar's condescending eyes that never truly looked at me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

When I opened them, I was no longer the subservient Elena. I was the Siren, trapped in the deep sea, vowing to tear the sky apart.

"Dearest brother... are you content to rot in this mire? But I am not you. I will never let this abyss become my tomb."

My voice was low and husky, with a gritty texture, yet the final tail of the sound curled into a spine-tingling seduction.

Director Kieran, who had been about to leave, snapped his head up and stared at me as if seeing me for the first time.

As Pheisar's friend, Kieran had seen me at a few parties.

In front of him, I had always been the useless she-wolf trailing behind Pheisar.

I ignored his shock, completely lost in the character.

"Hah, the Moon Goddess? What is the Moon Goddess's will?"

"To confine my people to this lightless sea, to let our bloodline perish—is this what you call justice?"

My voice soared abruptly, like a cornered lone wolf howling at the moon.

The raw power of the sound made the air in the recording booth slightly tremble.

I poured every ounce of my strength into that last line.

The years of suppressed pain, resentment, and longing for freedom exploded in that moment.

"I'm finished."

I pulled myself out of the character's emotion. The commanding presence instantly retreated, and I was back to being the seemingly docile Elena.

I had been away from this field for too long. Facing Kieran's long silence, the confidence I had just built started to crumble. I subconsciously gripped the script, cold sweat forming on my palm.

"Elena."

Finally, Kieran spoke. His voice was no longer tired, but energized with the thrill of finding a treasure.

"You are the Abyssal Siren I've been searching for! You were excellent. No, you're perfect."

He stood up, his eyes shining. "You can come back after 2:00 PM to sign the contract. I look forward to working with you very much."

I looked up in disbelief, meeting his approving gaze.

A huge wave of joy filled my chest, and my eyes felt warm.

"Thank you, I promise I will cherish this opportunity and won't let you down."

Since the signing was scheduled for 2:00 PM, I didn't go back to the hotel. I decided to walk around nearby and grab some lunch.

I was immersed in the ecstasy of "finally having a career again."

At 2:00 PM, I returned to the studio on time.

The assistant who had handled my morning audition saw me. He looked unusually awkward and pulled me into a small conference room.

"Elena, I'm really sorry," he stammered. "Director Kieran just asked me to inform you... the signing is canceled."

I froze, my mind blank, as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head. "Why? Kieran said this morning that I was the perfect 'Abyssal Siren.'"

"It's... because someone swooped in," the assistant said, seeing my pale face and taking pity on me. He lowered his voice. "It was Alpha Pheisar. He brought someone himself. They're inside the studio talking right now."

Pheisar?

The name hit my heart like a heavy hammer.

The assistant sighed, sounding helpless. "Pheisar directly added ten million to the investment. His only demand was to give the role to Selene. You know what that kind of money means for an effects-heavy blockbuster like 'Tides of the Moon'... Director Kieran couldn't refuse."

So that was it.

I felt all my blood freeze.

I couldn't help but walk toward the closed studio door.

As a werewolf, even through the thick soundproofing, if I concentrated, the conversation inside stabbed my eardrums like needles.

It wasn't a business negotiation as I had imagined; it was more like a unilateral sentence.

"Pheisar, are you insane?" That was Kieran's voice, filled with suppressed fury. "I confirmed the role with Elena this morning. You bring Selene here now and force a change by throwing money at me. Did you even consider how Elena would feel?"

Hearing this, I held my breath, my nails digging deep into my palms.

"She's been with you for so many years. Honestly, what you're doing to her is completely unfair."

There was a brief silence inside.

Then, came Pheisar's familiar, cold voice, "This is Selene's wish."

"What about Elena?" Kieran countered.

"Elena is only twenty-two. She's a healthy werewolf. She'll have plenty of time and opportunity to voice other roles," Pheisar's voice was utterly flat. "For Selene, missing this chance would be a permanent regret."

On his scale, my dream and my dignity were worthless compared to Selene's "regret."

Kieran was clearly enraged, his voice rising. "Aren't you afraid Elena will leave you?"

"She can't," his voice was low and absolutely certain. "She's a lone wolf, abandoned by her pack. No relatives, no friends. In this survival-of-the-fittest world, where else can she go but by my side?"

In his eyes, I was a parasite who would die without him.

My love, to him, was nothing more than an act of dependence made out of desperation.

I couldn't bear to listen anymore.

I turned and rushed toward the elevator, desperate to leave this suffocating place.

Just then, the studio door behind me was pushed open. Pheisar and Selene stepped out.