It was her father’s name-day festival, the annual celebration held beneath the high banners of the Sterling Moon-Claw Clan.

Midway through their ride, as the carriage rumbled over the moonlit forest path, Narissa softly asked,

“May we stop for a moment? I… wish to offer a gift for my father.”

Drake’s expression remained carved from cold stone.

“There is no time. A gift is not what matters right now.”

With that, he flicked the reins, giving her no further chance to speak.

When they arrived before the carved stone steps of the Great Hall, Drake leapt down to tend the horses himself. He sent her a rune-etched message stone moments later, instructing her to enter alone.

Narissa stepped through the towering doors of the banquet hall, where silver wolf-flutes played slow, soothing melodies. Torches flickered against the stone walls, illuminating carved family crests and the moon sigil of the Sterling line.

But she barely made it two steps inside before Bella appeared—Bella, the daughter of a rival noble den, who had always been openly hostile toward her. Bella approached with several clan-born maidens behind her, forming a loose circle that trapped Narissa in place.

Bella pinched her nose with exaggerated disgust.

“Narissa, how shameful. Did the Sterling Clan run out of moon-silver? You dare come to the Alpha’s feast wearing nothing—no adornments, no clan jewelry? You disgrace all noble daughters.”

The maidens behind her broke into derisive giggles.

“She calls herself the first daughter of the Sterling line? She isn’t even fit to be compared to her sister.”

Bella sneered and leaned closer, voice dripping with venom.

“It’s truly funny. You’re the daughter of Astrid, the famed Moon-Dancer beloved by the entire territory. Yet look at you—you turned out worse than the daughter of a mistress. No wonder your father strayed.”

Narissa’s chest tightened painfully.

Her mother, Astrid, had been the most celebrated wolf-dancer of the southern courts, blessed with grace and adored by the packs. When Narissa’s father first met her, he had pursued her tirelessly until she agreed to become his mate.

Astrid had given up her entire career to bear Narissa and join the Sterling Clan.

But when Narissa was sixteen, her mother died in a tragic cliff-fall.

And later—when Narissa was framed—her father had been seen in intimate situations with several women. One of them turned out to be Wilde, Liora’s mother.

Narissa once asked him, voice trembling,

“Why are you doing this? Can you face Mother?”

His reply had been ice and poison.

“If I ever owed your mother anything, I should never have raised you. I should have let you die the night you were born. If not for you, how would she have perished?”

That sentence still sliced her heart open whenever she remembered it.

Her father blamed her for her mother’s death. Everyone did.

And Narissa carried the guilt silently, a wound that never healed.

To the world, she would endure anything—humiliation, hatred, exile.

But her mother was the one person she would never allow anyone to insult.

So even though she knew Bella meant to provoke her, Narissa could not stop herself.

Her palm cracked across Bella’s cheek in a sharp, echoing slap.

“Silence. I will not allow you to speak of my mother that way. And whether or not I remain a Sterling, I still hold a seat on the Council. You have no right to address me like this.”

Bella’s eyes instantly filled with tears of rage.

“You filthy half-beast—how dare you strike me! My father will not forgive this!”

Narissa’s gaze turned ice-cold, a dangerous smile lifting her lip.

“I will be waiting for him.”

At that moment, a gentle voice floated from behind—elegant and soft, yet poised like a dagger under silk.

“Narissa… what are you doing here?”

Narissa froze mid-breath.

Her pulse faltered.

Her throat tightened painfully.

Her eyes stung.

Slowly, she turned around.

And in the very moment her gaze landed on the newcomer, her blood ran cold, seizing her heart in a grip of ice.

The one who appeared was dressed in a moon-white ceremonial mantle, woven with silver threads that shimmered like frost. His features were carved with the noble sharpness of their bloodline, his eyes soft as drifting snow when they landed upon Narissa.

It was her elder brother—Evan Sterling, heir of the Moon-Claw Alpha line.

Behind him stood a group of pack youths, among them Liora, clad in a flowing white gown embroidered with star-petals. Her delicate posture and sweet, gentle expression made it easy to believe she was soft-hearted and pure.

But Narissa’s gaze drifted further—

to Drake, the male who had once vowed to be hers, now standing protectively beside Liora.

He leaned toward Liora, whispering something that made her lips curve in shy sweetness.

Narissa’s mind turned blank. Her breath caught in her throat.

Before she could speak, Bella—the she-wolf she had just slapped—rushed dramatically to Liora’s side, tears brimming.

“Liora, your sister is vicious!” Bella wailed.

“I merely asked why she wore no clan jewels to the Moon Feast, and she struck me! And she… she called me the daughter of a mistress. Does my mother’s blood make me deserving of violence?”

Narissa inhaled sharply.

She opened her mouth—

But Liora spoke first, eyes turning red with wounded innocence.

“Narissa… even if Bella spoke wrongly, you cannot hit people.”

Bella spoke wrongly?

Narissa’s nails dug into her palm.

She stepped forward and said coldly,

“If she had not insulted my mother, I would not have touched her.”

At Narissa’s words, Drake’s brows drew together, irritation flickering across his handsome features.

“Narissa,” he said, voice low with disapproval,

“Bella is Liora’s companion—and the daughter of the Thorne Elders. Even if she was at fault, you should not strike her before the entire clan.”

The hall was full of watching eyes—curious, condemning, whispering.

Narissa’s chest tightened as loneliness washed over her.

Just as she was about to respond, a shadow stepped before her.

Evan.

His expression was warm, smile gentle—yet it felt like a blade wrapped in silk.

He bowed his head slightly toward Bella.

“Narissa has been pampered since she was small. I apologize on her behalf.”

Narissa froze, disbelief sweeping through her.

Then anger.

“Evan,” she hissed, “I did nothing wrong. She spoke filth.”

Evan’s smile didn’t fade—but his eyes turned cold as winter stone.

Narissa’s breath hitched. She recognized that look.

Her brother was displeased.

But why?

He turned toward her, voice mild—yet every word cut like a dull blade.

“Narissa… it’s all the same.”

All the same.

Hurt or not hurt, right or wrong—it made no difference to him anymore?

Bella’s cheeks flushed, emboldened by Evan’s stance.

“For your sake, I’ll let this foul-mouthed woman go,” she said sweetly.

Then Liora stepped forward, her voice trembling like a helpless doe.

“I know you’ve always disliked me,” she whispered,

“and you despise my mother for being a mistress… but Narissa, we never chose how we were born.”

Tears filled her eyes.

“If I could choose, I would wish to be Father’s legitimate daughter, with a brother who loves me too.”

She choked, covering her face, and fled the hall in tears.

Drake instinctively moved to follow, but paused—

his dark gaze settling on Narissa instead.

Disappointment. Annoyance. Blame.

“Narissa,” he said sharply,

“Liora was overjoyed that you were allowed to leave confinement today. Yet you greet her like this. I’ve indulged you too much… that’s why you’ve become like this.”

Without waiting for her response, he turned and strode out after Liora, cloak billowing behind him.

A wave of whispers swept through the hall like rustling leaves.

Narissa felt her fury surge hot in her throat.

Liora’s mother was the one who had seduced her father—

yet Liora dared to play the victim, as if Narissa were the intruder in her own family.

She turned to Evan, her voice trembling.

“Evan… do you also believe I’m at fault?”

Evan sighed softly, rubbing the bridge of his nose, fatigue clouding his expression.

When he looked at her, it was with a familiar softness that hurt more than cruelty.

“Narissa,” he said gently,

“we were choosing a moon-gift for you earlier. That’s why we didn’t greet you sooner.”

The tone…

The dismissal…

It felt exactly like how he used to deal with she-wolves who tried to court him—

soft rejection, polite distance.

But now that same tone was directed

at her.

Narissa’s breath hitched.

Her brother had not always been like this.

Once, he had adored her.

When they were young, his favorite wolf carved toys were off-limits to everyone—yet if she so much as looked at one, he would place it in her hands.

When he went to the Northern Academy, he returned every month just to bring her small gifts and spend time with her.

And after the accident—

when their mother threw herself over Narissa to shield her—

Evan became almost obsessively protective.

He hired guards, trained personally with her, refused to leave her side for long.

But everything changed the day Liora and her mother walked into their den.

And now…

He stood before her, looking at her not with love—

but with disappointment.

Distance.

And a coldness that chilled her to her bones.

Narissa tugged at her stiff lips and slowly said, "I understand."

Evan's expression briefly turned cold, but he quickly regained his composure.

That moment was so brief that Narissa thought she had imagined it, but then, with a slight parting of his lips, Evan said, "Since you understand, don't do it again next time."

Narissa clenched her teeth, her expression tense. "What do you mean?"

Evan's expression turned cold as he retorted, "Do you really want me to be so blunt? You know that Bella is Liora's close friend, yet you still call Wilde a moon-stealer and say you're not targeting Liora?"

Hearing this, Narissa struggled to suppress her anger and finally understood what he meant. "But, she was the one who spoke ill of Mom first."

Thinking he would understand, she was instead met with disappointment in his eyes. "Drake was right, you’ve really been spoiled."

The words struck Narissa like a blow, leaving her stunned. Even though she knew Drake would side with Liora, she hadn’t expected her brother to do the same.

In disbelief, her heart sinking, she asked, "Bella said Father strayed because Mom wasn’t good enough. Don’t you feel angry when you hear that?"

Evan stared at his proud, headstrong younger sister and replied, each word deliberate, “At that time, Liora was just a newborn cub. How could she understand anything? Liora is right, though. Her birth wasn’t something she could choose. You don’t need to blame her for it."

Narissa didn't even know how she had been targeting Liora. At this moment, it felt like she was momentarily transported back to the time before she entered the moon-cells of the private dungeon.

When Liora was attacked, her father dragged her out of bed, accusing her of deliberately hiring rogue wolves to kill her, calling her malicious.

Although she hadn't done it at all, they said someone had identified her, making her meet with countless disdainful stares. At that time, all she wanted was to explain and uncover the truth.

Her brother had stepped in, looking at her with a cold, emotionless gaze and said, "Narissa, no matter what you’ve done, I will always stand by you. But you still need to face the consequences.”

He stood by her side because she was his blood-sister, not because he believed in her.

In order to punish her, they had been eager to send her to a private pack-prison, unwilling to even listen to her explanation.

Now, Evan looked at her with a calm gaze, but a trace of disgust flashed in his eyes as he said, "Narissa, you are my sister, so no matter what, I will stand by your side without question. But I don't want to see this kind of thing happen again."

Instantly, Narissa felt unfamiliar with the tall, familiar man in front of her.

That year, she broke down in tears at her mother's moon-funeral and her brother was only seventeen at the time. He tightly held her hand, his voice hoarse and restrained, "Narissa, stop crying. Even without Mom, there's still me, your brother. I'll protect you for the rest of your life and never let anyone hurt you."

Back then, he kept his promise. No matter what happened, he would always stand by her, protect her and believe in her.

But now, though he still stood by her side, his heart had already shifted. She understood that the brother who once promised to protect her for life no longer loved her.