The sharp scent of healing herbs and moon elixirs dragged me back to awareness. I opened my eyes to a stone ceiling, the steady hum of healing crystals vibrating near my cot.

Stella's voice reached me first. "You really are stubborn. I can't believe those sea hunters actually pulled you out alive."

Turning my head, I saw her standing by my side.

Her sweet, pack-sister act was gone. Instead, she reached out and crushed my throat with her claws, squeezing with supernatural strength. "Why will you not just die, Abigail? If you were dead, I could finally be the Luna of the Barnes Pack."

"Can you not see it? Vladimir does not love you. You are like a stray omega clinging to a title you stole. Pathetic."

"It only took one whisper from me for him to exile you to that island, knowing your wolf is terrified of deep water. Do you still not understand who his heart truly beats for?"

Her grip tightened. She was not bluffing; she fully intended to choke the life out of me right there.

I could not draw a breath, and my shifting instincts surged, forcing me to claw at her to push her away.

Suddenly, she released me and threw herself backward, crashing into a tray of medical tools that clattered across the stone floor. A sharp dagger cut across her palm, leaving a deep, bleeding gash.

Stella let out a high-pitched howl. "Luna Abigail, why did you attack me?"

Before I could respond, Vladimir appeared in the doorway.

Tears immediately welled in Stella’s eyes. "Alpha, I was only checking on Abigail’s recovery, and she … "

She did not need to finish. The lie hung in the air like poison.

Vladimir did not even ask for my version of the truth. His jaw set, ready to roar at me.

But when he saw how pale my face was, for once, he stayed silent. Instead, he scooped up the bleeding Stella and rushed her out of the chamber.

Ten minutes later, he stormed back in with the fury of a True Alpha. Without a word, he yanked me off the cot.

I stumbled on weak legs. "Let go! What are you doing?"

"Stella's essence is fading because of you. She is losing too much blood. You are the same rank and type. You will give her a transfusion of your life force." His voice was low and freezing.

I froze. I had never heard of her having any wasting sickness. And after barely surviving the cold waters of Moon Cliffs, my inner wolf could hardly stand.

I struggled desperately. "I will not do it! Let me go!"

However, Vladimir gripped my wrist even tighter. "You have no choice in this pack."

He shoved me toward the healers.

One of them looked at me with hesitation. "But Alpha, she is severely drained after the exile. Forcing a blood bond transfusion now could cause her soul to shatter."

Vladimir's face remained like ice. "Stella's life comes first. Do it."

The needle directly pierced my skin. My blood drained into the vials, leaving my entire body aching, especially my lower belly.

Without knowing, something warm trickled beneath me. It was sticky and burning, but it was not my monthly cycle.

A cold sweat broke out on my brow. I clutched my stomach as a sharp pain tore through me, and then the world went dark.

When I woke again, the healer was sitting beside me with a heavy expression. "Luna, I am so sorry. After the trauma your body suffered, you lost the pup."

I went numb. "The pup?"

She nodded slowly. "You were only one moon along. With your weak condition and the massive blood loss, the little one could not survive."

I placed my hand over my empty stomach, unable to find my voice.

The tiny life I had not even known was growing there was gone. Perhaps the Moon Goddess intended this fate.

Outside, loud booms suddenly shook the sanctum, followed by a chain of magical explosions.

It was the fireworks. Those giant bursts of light painted the afternoon sky with brilliant colors, visible even in the bright sun.

A group of young pack girls crowded by the window, whispering with excitement. "Did you hear? The Alpha Barnes ordered this display to celebrate his mate's pregnancy. It is so romantic."

"If I had a mate like that, I would be the happiest wolf in the woods."

"He is planning a massive feast for the whole pack next week. Whoever the Barnes Luna is must be so lucky!"

If I were not the Luna of Barnes myself, I probably would have been moved by such a grand gesture of love. Unfortunately, I was her.

My mind drifted back to a year ago.

That night, Vladimir came home reeking of moon wine. He pinned me down, his Alpha strength overwhelming me as he claimed me without marking me or using protection. The next morning, he tossed a handful of wolfsbane-laced pills onto the bed.

"A lowly omega like you has no right to carry my heir. Even if an accident happened, I would tear the pup from your womb myself."

Well, his cruel wish had been granted.

He had forced me to give my blood to heal his mistress, and that sacrifice had killed my unborn pup. Now, he was lighting the ceremonial fires across the kingdom to celebrate Stella's pregnancy.

I cried in silence. Once the healing herbs finished dripping into my veins, I signed the release scroll and went back to the den.

I walked to the backyard and stood beneath the wisteria tree. Its purple flowers were glowing with moon magic. I sat there for hours, lost in the scent of the petals.

By dusk, Vladimir arrived with Stella at his side. He stopped when he saw me.

Stella's eyes glimmered as she said sweetly. "Alpha, this tree holds so much lunar energy. We should cut it down to carve a protection amulet for our pup. But ... I heard Luna Abigail planted this tree herself."

She looked at me with a fake smile. "You wouldn't mind, would you, Abigail?"

This tree was the last scrap of peace in our bond. My foster father had planted it for his mate as a symbol of their eternal pack bond. Four winters ago, I moved it here from my old territory, digging the earth until my hands bled.

Vladimir had told me that a tree that had been moved from its home would die. So, I used that moment to make a plea. "If I can make it bloom in your soil, will you try to love me?"

He was silent for a long time before answering. "I will think about it."

That was the only hope he had ever given me. Since then, I have protected that tree more than my own life.

Once, his eighteenth chosen woman plucked a single bloom, and I fought her like a wolf defending its last ground. Anyone who dared suggest destroying it would have faced my fury.

But now, facing Stella's provocation, I smiled faintly. "Go ahead. Cut it if you want."

Vladimir squinted, looking annoyed by my lack of spirit. As I tried to walk away, he blocked my path.

"You planted it," he said coldly. "So you cut it. I do not want you bringing this up later and blaming Stella for it."

He wanted me to destroy my own sanctuary. Though I had expected this, my heart still trembled.

A guard handed me a heavy silver saw, and my hands shook as I forced the metal into the thick wood.

My private den, my mother’s memory, my lost pup, and even my faith in him. Everything I had loved had become nothing more than a toy for Stella.

Vladimir looked at her with indulgence. "Choose the piece you favor. I will have it shaped into a charm for you."

Stella carefully selected a slender branch no thicker than a finger.

After that, Vladimir turned to the guards. "Burn the rest. Throw the ashes in the waste pit."

Ashes. That was all my devotion was worth. I dropped the saw and walked to my room like a ghost.

That night, Darius sent me a message through the crystal communicator. [A month is too long. I have crossed the border already. I will come to take you away in three days.]

I looked out at the scarred, empty garden and sent my reply back to him. [Okay.]

Three days. That was all the time I needed to leave this pack forever.

The dawn of the first day brought a cold sense of liberation. I wasted no time in selling off the pack equity agreement that Vladimir had signed with his own hand.

Five winters of suffering. This was what he owed me.

The next day, with the gold in my keeping, I went to the healing house to arrange my brother's move. There were healers across the sea with ancient knowledge who could mend his shattered spirit. I intended to carry him away from this cursed territory forever.

But as soon as I arrived, I was met with chaos. The pack caregiver rushed over, fear clear on her face. "Luna, where have you been? Your brother's condition has turned for the worse!"

My chest tightened as if claws had sunk into it. "What do you mean? He has been stabled all this time. What happened?"

Too bad, the caregiver could not give me a clear answer.

Not long after, the elder healer came out from the healing den, his face dark. "Luna, we've stabilized him for now, but his situation is critical. His state could fall at any moment. This place does not have the power for this kind of fight. I strongly urge you to move him to the Moon City healing sanctums at once."

I did not waste a heartbeat on indecision. We summoned a carriage, and soon we were racing down the old path toward the city.

We were only two turns away when a line of dark chariots blocked the road. The coachman climbed down to speak with the sentries, but came back shaking his head. "They have claimed this whole stretch for a Luna rite. They will not let us pass."

What celebration could possibly outweigh a life hanging by a silver thread?

I kicked open the carriage door and leaped onto the cobblestones. There, leaning against a gilded carriage with a smirk on his face, stood Vladimir. His arm was draped possessively around Stella.

In that moment, a massive magical display ignited above the street. It shimmered with the words: 'Happy 24th Birthday, Stella.'

A birth rite? They blocked the healing path for a birth rite?

Fury surged through me, wild and uncontrollable, like a wolf breaking free of its chains. "Vladimir! Move your carriage! We need to get through to the Moon City healer’s sanctum!"

He looked over with lazy eyes. "You just left the healer sanctum yourself. Instead of going home to brew some broth for Stella, you are running to the Moon City healer sanctum? For what?"

"My brother!" I snarled, my voice shaking with need. "His spirit is failing. I need to get him to the Moon City healer sanctum now!"

My blood parents were long gone to the spirit lands. My brother was all I had left in this world.

Vladimir knew this truth better than anyone. For a fleeting second, his gaze softened, and he hesitated.

But Stella leaned her head against his shoulder, her eyes shimmering with false confusion. "Your brother? Is he not safe, comfortable and well cared for at the healing house as we speak?"

I was burning with fury. "I do not have time for your tricks, Stella. This is life or death. Move out of the way!"

Her lips trembled as she forced tears into her voice. "Luna Abigail, I know you are angry because Alpha Vladimir has been spending so much time with me lately. But how could you sink so low? Cursing your own brother's spirit to fail just because you are jealous?"

Then she looked at Vladimir with innocent eyes. "Alpha Vladimir could easily learn the truth with a quick crystal communicator call. There is really no need to lie, is there?"

Her soft, gentle voice struck like a claw. Hitting every one of Vladimir's weak spots.

Frowning, he made a call with his crystal communicator. After a short talk, the hesitation on his face vanished completely.

Suddenly, the bells inside my carriage began to chime frantically.

"Luna, we are losing him!" the caregiver cried out. "We need to move now!"

My palms were soaked with fear as I begged, "Vladimir, I am on my knees! Please let us through!"

Unfortunately, Vladimir only showed his teeth in a snarl. "I just sent word. Your brother is at the healing house, perfectly fine. I did not expect you to fall this low, Abigail. How much gold did you pay that actor inside the carriage? You are just jealous of Stella's coming pup, so you picked today of all days to pull this trick and ruin her birth rite."

The bells inside screamed louder, but he was too caught up in his own pride to see the truth.

Moments later, one long, flat howl rang out from inside the carriage. Chaos broke out as the healers rushed to pull his spirit back.

The elder healer soon came out, shaking his head. "I am sorry, Luna. We were too late."

My whole body shook. The tears would not stop falling.

"Vladimir!" My voice cracked. "You have finally done it. For Stella, you killed the last of my blood I had left. Are you happy now?"

For a brief moment, seeing my grief, doubt flickered across his face.

He opened his mouth to say something when Stella handed him her crystal communicator. "Alpha, I worried I might be wrong, so I called the caregiver earlier. Look. They are taking good care of her brother."

She showed him a projection of my brother, perfectly fine, being cleaned in his healing bed.

What a perfect illusion.

Whatever doubt Vladimir had vanished in an instant. Disgust twisted across his face. "You are a master of the stage, Abigail. It is a pity you did not seek a life in the theater. Today is Stella's birth rite. So I will not deal with your lies now. But tomorrow, we will finish this."

With that, he pulled Stella close and walked away without a second look. I crumbled beside my brother's cooling body, sobbing helplessly.