In the past, whenever I ran away after a fight with my father, Richard would hunt me down. He’d drive through the night, find me no matter where I hid, and carry me home on his back.

“What’s the tantrum about this time?” he’d always mutter, half annoyed, half amused.

Back then, as I clung to him, breathing in the crisp cedar on his skin, I used to think maybe—just maybe—he liked me.

How naïve I was.

Because now I know. No one could be crueler than him.

After touching me with that same body, after holding me, after making me believe I mattered—he would go back to his study, sit in front of Lynn’s picture, and look at her with a tenderness that made me sick.

And of all people… it had to be her.

“Let go!” I hissed, eyes burning. I sank my teeth into his hand.

He only frowned, silent, and started the car.

By the time we reached the villa, his expression was carved from stone. He carried my suitcase inside and spoke with that cold finality of his.

“Stay here, like always, until you decide to stop this nonsense.”

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. “I’ll only stay two weeks. After that, I’m gone. I’ll pay you rent if you want. But I won’t bother you again.”

Slowly, Richard lifted his gaze. His green-brown eyes were bottomless, like a deep pit I’d never climb out of.

“Stop bothering me?” His lips were curled, cruel. “Ann, do you really think you’re capable of that?”

The words sliced straight through me. Because he was right. He saw it all.

From the first day I hated him, to now—when I loved him to the point of self-destruction.

And him? He let me drown while keeping another woman in his heart.

“Lynn…” My voice shook. “She’s my stepmother’s daughter. Did you know?”

Richard was stilled for only half a second as he loosened his tie. “I found out today.”

I bit down hard on my lip, but the question still clawed its way out. “And… what is she to you?”

His answer was effortless, rehearsed. “A junior from school. We went to the same academy. She once saved me in a car accident. Later, her health failed, so she was sent abroad.”

Then he looked straight at me, his gaze sharp and warning. “I know you hate your stepmother. But Lynn has nothing to do with that. Don’t take it out on her.”

My chest caved. I wanted to scream Do you love her?!

But what was the point? His protection of her said it all.

I turned on my heel and slammed the guest room door.

That night, he didn’t come after me. Not once.

I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling until my vision blurred. One thought circled in my mind like a countdown.

Thirteen days left.

Thirteen days until Bloodmoon claimed me—or until I vanished overseas. Either way, I’d escape this torment.

The next day, I slept late, hoping he’d already gone.

But when I opened my door, he was still there. Sitting casually on the sofa, flipping through a magazine, his aura calm and suffocating at once.

He glanced up lazily. “Awake?”

I hesitated. “Aren’t you busy with pack affairs?”

“It’s the weekend,” he said simply.

I muttered something under my breath, grabbed a slice of cheesecake from the fridge, and made for my room.

“Change,” he said suddenly, not even looking up. “You’re coming with me to a party.”

Every instinct in me wanted to refuse. But being trapped in the villa with him was worse. At least outside, I could breathe.

So, I changed and followed.

When we arrived, my stomach dropped.

It wasn’t just a party. It was her party.

A grand welcome celebration—for Lynn.

I turned to leave immediately, but Lynn’s hand snaked around my arm. Her smile was sweet, almost angelic, her blonde hair glowing under the lights.

“It’s so good you came,” she cooed. “Don’t fight with Daddy anymore. He was so worried about you leaving—he didn’t eat all day.”

My laugh was sharp, humorless. I yanked my arm free and strode into the private room.

From the corner of my eye, I saw her lower lip tremble. Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked helplessly at Richard.

His jaw tightened. He shot me a look so cold it froze me in place. Then, without hesitation, he turned to her.

His hand threaded gently through her blonde hair. His voice dropped to something only she could hear—soft, tender words that pulled a shy laugh from her.

The sound gutted me.

I grabbed the nearest glass of champagne, tipped my head back, and swallowed until the burn drowned out the ache in my chest.

The private room spun with clinking glasses and raucous laughter, Alphas and Betas drinking like the world belonged to them.

I sat curled in a corner, invisible, my glass clutched tight.

Richard stood in the center of it all, commanding the room without effort. Yet his green-brown eyes never once strayed to me. No, every look, every subtle smile, every small act of tenderness—twisting a cap, handing over a drink—belonged to her.

To Lynn.

All the things I had longed for, he gave so easily to her.

I tilted my head back and drained the wine in one go, the burn cutting down my throat.

“He was never ours,” Lily snarled in my head, her voice icy and merciless. “Stop deluding yourself.”

My heart twisted, like a dull blade carving into flesh. Maybe she was right. Maybe the bond between us was just instinct. Maybe every whispered word, every tender moment I thought was love—was nothing more than me projecting my own desperate hope onto him.

A shout erupted across the room.

“The bottle landed on Richard!” someone cheered.

They shoved a tablet into his hands. “Come on, Alpha. Let’s play ‘This or That.’ Tell us who stirs your blood more.”

The screen lit up with two photos: a famous actress and Lynn.

Richard didn’t hesitate. “Lynn.”

The room roared with laughter and applause. Lynn’s cheeks flushed pink, her smile glowing under the attention.

I gripped my glass harder until it nearly cracked.

Then, the next round lit the screen—and my blood froze.

Two pictures. One of her. One of me.

The room went wild. “Now this is interesting! Ann’s the most beautiful she-wolf in Silver Fang. If Richard still chooses Lynn, well… that says it all!”

Every eye turned to him.

For three long, suffocating seconds, Richard was silent.

And then “Ann.” His voice was cold, detached.

The crowd exploded in cheers.

But the word meant nothing. It wasn’t affection. It wasn’t choice. It was a handout, a pity answer to quiet the crowd.

I stood abruptly; my chest was hollow. The walls of the private room pressed in, choking me.

In the hallway, three drunken wolves staggered into my path.

“Hey, pretty thing,” one of them slurred, reaching for my face. “Give me your number.”

My wolf surged. My eyes glowed gold as I growled, “Get lost.”

But they only laughed, their breath heavy with alcohol.

“Why so cold?” another sneered, yanking my wrist. His grip was bruising, cruel. “Dressed like this… you’re practically begging for attention.”

“Rip them apart!” Lily howled in my mind.

I struggled against their grip, ready to shift—when the door opened.

Richard.

He stood framed in the light, his expression tight, his body coiled with power. Relief washed through me—until Lynn’s scream sliced through the air.

“Ahh!”

Richard’s head whipped around.

“I—I twisted my ankle,” Lynn whimpered, eyes brimming with tears. “It’s fine, go help Ann first…”

But before I could blink, his arm was already around her waist, steadying her, protecting her. With his other hand, he slammed one wolf against the wall by the throat.

The others backed off instantly, cowed by an Alpha’s fury.

I saw it then—his hand on her waist, her pitiful eyes locked on him. And I couldn’t breathe.

I snatched a bottle from a nearby display and smashed it against the floor, glass biting into my palm, blood spilling hot and fast.

“Get out of my way!” My voice cracked with fury and something far more fragile.

While they stared at me in shock, I slipped past and bolted.

I didn’t take Richard’s car. I couldn’t stand to. Instead, I stood in the downpour, the rain drenching me to the bone.

“Ann!” Lynn’s voice chirped from behind me.

She appeared with an umbrella, smiling sweetly as if we hadn’t just lived through hell. In her hand, she dangled keys to a brand-new sports car, flashing them like jewelry.

“Didn’t you drive? I can take you home.”

I stared at the car keys, then at her carefully polished smile—and laughed bitterly.

How perfect she looked in her glittering facade.

“No thanks,” I sneered. “I’d rather walk than ride in the car of a mistress’s daughter. It reeks of filth.”

Her expression shattered, the mask slipping. For once, her eyes burned.

“Ann! Say that again!”

I stepped closer, my words sharp as knives. “Say it a hundred times, it won’t erase your mother’s sins. That’s who she is—and who you are.”

Her face twisted with rage.

But before she could retort, headlights blinded us both.

A car, out of control, barreled toward us.

I froze.

And then—Richard lunged.

He grabbed Lynn, pulling her into his arms. Just as he reached for me—

Impact.

Pain exploded, sharp and merciless. The world spun, and then—blackness.

I hit the ground hard, collapsing into a pool of my own blood. My vision blurred; the copper tasted thick in my mouth, and I could feel my wolf’s pain echoing inside me. Weak. Broken. Dying.

Flashes of memory tore through me like knives.

The first time I met him, those greenish-brown eyes were colder than a winter storm.

The day I swapped the sugar in his coffee with salt, and he drank it without even flinching.

The first time he pinned me against his office desk—my teeth sinking into his shoulder, drawing blood, refusing to let him win.

On the night of his birthday, I decorated the entire villa with lights and roses, only to hear the news that he was with her. With Lynn.

The day I walked alone to the cemetery, heels digging into my skin until blisters bled through my stockings. He found me, took off my shoes without a word, carried them in one hand while carrying me on his back all the way home.

My tears had slipped into the hollow of his neck that night, and for one fleeting second, I thought: Maybe, just maybe, we could make it. Maybe he and I could walk through life together.

But the last image I carried into the darkness was him—shielding Lynn in his arms.

---

“Beep, beep, beep—”

The sharp rhythm of medical machines dragged me back to reality. I opened my eyes slowly, blinking at the sterile white ceiling.

A voice came in from the next room. Lynn.

“It’s all my fault,” she sobbed, her words laced with guilt. “I shouldn’t have argued with Ann by the side of the road… Richard, why did you save me first? Ann will be angry…”

Richard’s voice was low, soothing. Too soft. The kind of voice he used when he cared.

“I didn’t save you first,” he murmured. “You were closest to the car. It was instinct. Just… my first reaction.”

My chest clenched so tight I couldn’t breathe. Instinct. Just instinct. Not love. No choice.

I lay still, staring at the ceiling, listening as he continued to comfort her. His words were like silk, tender enough to wrap around her broken heart. Words I had once craved.

Finally, the door clicked shut, and silence filled the room.

When Richard turned, his gaze collided with mine. I didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Just looked at him.

“You’re awake.” His tone was calm, composed. “It’s nothing serious. Just a flesh wound. I know you’re terrified of pain, so I made sure you had the best medical team. They’ll make sure you don’t scar.”

In the past, I would have broken down, tears pouring as I demanded answers he never gave. I would have clung to the smallest scraps of affection he offered.

But not now.

“Got it. Thanks,” I said flatly. “I’ll pay you back for the medical expenses in two weeks.”

His brows furrowed, confusion flickering across his perfect features. He didn’t understand. He couldn’t.

Because he didn’t know what I knew.

Only thirteen days left.

And then I was gone.