Just because my wolf mom scratched Ava Shaw's favorite dress, Noah Potter called a butcher.

He punished her seriously.

I found her dying body and screamed at him.

"I told you before—I was raised by wolves. What you did to her is no different from killing my mother!"

Noah stayed cold. He covered Ava's eyes and stared at me.

"You are just a stray kid my stepmom picked up. Stop trying to fool me."

My wolf mom was still bleeding as she dragged herself toward me. I crawled to her and held her tight.

"I stayed here to repay Noah's family for helping the wolf pack. You chased me for miles because you could not let me go. I never thought I would end up hurting you instead."

That night, I held my wolf mom and knelt in front of Aunt Wendy's memorial.

"Aunt Wendy, the Potters' Zoo are everywhere now. They do not need my gift anymore. I should leave."

I was about to blow the bone whistle on my chest when my wolf mom stopped me with the last bit of strength she had.

The wolf pack always paid back kindness. The Potters had taken in the sick and the old and gave the wolves a home.

I knew she did not want me to destroy the Potters unless I had no other choice.

The vet looked at her injuries and shook his head.

"There is nothing I can do."

"She used to be the fastest wolf in the forest. She shouldn't die this way!"

I screamed through my tears. My wolf mom wanted to wipe my tears for me, but she didn't have the strength. Her body curled up in pain and shame.

I stayed with her all night. I cried myself to sleep.

A loud bang woke me. The door was kicked open. The butler dragged me into the grand hall of the Potters' estate.

Ava lay weakly on a soft chair. She had even put on makeup to look more pitiful, like she was barely hanging on.

I tried to stand up, but Noah slapped me hard across the face.

"Ava went into the wild for research and got attacked by those animals you protect! Tell me—did you order them to do it?"

He pointed to a metal cage nearby. Inside, I saw a few wolf pups. They were barely breathing.

I held back the pain and crawled to the cage, trying to open it, but the butler dragged me back several feet.

Noah's voice turned ice cold as he said, "All you care about are these beasts but not the person who got hurt by those? Fine. I’ll punish them."

I dragged myself back toward the cage. One of the pups had a band around its leg—one I had made myself.

I was there when they were born. I helped deliver them in the forest.

Their soft paws touched my hand, as if to tell me not to worry. Still, their quiet, hurt whimpers broke my heart.

I clenched my teeth and glared at Noah. "They didn't hurt Ava! They told me Ava was kidnapped, and they scared the man away and saved her!"

Noah froze. Doubt flickered in his eyes.

Ava's tears suddenly flowed. She stepped forward and grabbed his hand.

"They hurt me, Noah. Why would I lie to you?

"She's lying again! Nobody can understand what animals say!

"If she could, would she let her snake bite you? That only proves she wanted to hurt you!"

Noah looked at me with rage, then ordered people to carry the whole cage to the back of the mountain.

I had been bitten by that snake while trying to find a cure for Noah. My body was covered in wounds. Still, every test showed the snake was not poisonous.

That snake had always been gentle. Why did it suddenly attack him? I still had no answer.

Before I could speak, Noah grabbed me by the throat. He squeezed like he wanted to kill me.

"Then how did I get poisoned? Even your lies should make some sense! If Ava hadn't brought the antidote, I'd be dead by now."

I broke free from his grip, arched my back like a wolf, and leaped onto the cage, baring my teeth. Everyone stepped back in fear.

"You want to hurt them? Over my dead body!"

Noah saw my strange posture, and his gaze flickered. His tone softened.

"I really don't get you. Why do you care so much about these animals and even imitate them?"

My heart ached with bitterness.

He used to allow me to keep all kinds of animals in the villa because I loved them, even saying I was cute like a little wolf.

After he got bitten by the venomous snake, however, all those animals were sent away. Only my wolf mom stayed by my side.

Yet now, he said he could not understand me.

I refused to let them come near. Suddenly, I felt a heavy blow on my head. Everything went dark.

When I woke up, my scalp throbbed as if it was breaking apart. I rubbed my head hard.

A cold, familiar voice came from nearby.

Did you hit her too hard? Why is she still not awake?"

The butler bowed and apologized repeatedly. When he saw I had woken up, he quickly reminded Noah.

Noah hurried to my bedside. He was about to sit but stopped, then sneered.

"Now you have a headache, huh? You were so stubborn just now. Those animals are dead now. Go apologize to Ava properly. Let this end."

I grabbed his sleeve, my voice trembling. "Noah, why did you do this to me?"

Coldness flashed in his eyes as he shook off my hand.

"Wendy was the mistress who killed my mother, and you're the stray kid she brought back. You even set a poisonous snake on me to steal my family's fortune. How else should I treat you?

"I told you: if you behaved, I'd let you live well in the Potters. But you keep defying me for those animals."

"Aunt Wendy was never a mistress! After your mother's suicide, she met your father because of their love for animals—"

Crash!

Noah swept everything off the table, cutting me off.

"Stop telling me your crazy story about being raised by wolves again! I was crazy to ever believe you!"

He slammed the door and left.

I watched his back, feeling hopeless.

Years ago, Aunt Wendy stopped a hunter who tried to shoot me in the wild.

She carefully approached, shocked to see a shirtless girl snarling like a wild animal. Nonetheless, she reached out her hand.

From then on, she taught me to read and walk upright. With the Potters' wealth, she expanded a large habitat for the wolves.

I used my unique gift of communicating with animals to help her gather rare data. The Potters became a world leader in animal research and won many patents.

She brought me to the Potters. Years later, I fell in love with Noah. He held my hand and promised he would marry only me.

That was until his childhood friend, Ava, returned from abroad with photos showing his father cheating with Aunt Wendy. All of a sudden, she was poisoned.

After that, Noah changed. He saw me as an enemy.

Aunt Wendy's assistant came in with a grave expression.

"Ms. Walker, I've completed the investigation. You should prepare yourself."

She handed me documents.

One photo after another nearly made me collapse.

When we married, Noah swore the Potters would only place abandoned cubs or injured animals in zoos and never train them for dangerous shows.

The documents showed otherwise.

The Potters built zoos nationwide, claiming to care for animals but actually capturing them to expand their collections.

They had never treated those animals properly.

Many of those poor beasts were my childhood friends. I remembered running free with them in the forest. In these photos? Their eyes only showed fear.

A forest fire destroyed their homes and left them badly hurt.

I thought the Potters' zoos would be a safe place. Instead, I sent them straight to hell.

The wild habitats were developed into rich men's hunting grounds.

People held their guns proudly to the camera in the photo.

I felt sick and vomited.

This was all my fault.

The assistant held me up.

"Ms. Walker, protecting animals was Wendy's life mission. It's on you now."

I gritted my teeth and nodded.

I would take my wolf mom and blow the bone flute. The Potters would suffer the consequences, and I would be the deliverer.

I locked my wolf mom in a secure room. Limping, I went to the door but saw blood trailing from inside toward the back of the estate.

I panicked and ran.

Before I left the yard, I heard Noah's voice in the room.

"I'll find another wolf for you. Why bother with this one—"

Ava pouted and complained, "That old wolf dragged those little beasts into the house and left blood everywhere! I was scared when I stepped outside! I have to get some semblance of revenge.

"Noah, do you think this bikini looks good on me?"

Noah's voice turned thick and sticky as he said, "You little imp—you look best when you're not wearing anything."

I kicked the door open.

Ava was wearing a fur bikini, twisting her body while hanging on Noah's waist.

I went crazy, limping forward to tear off her clothes, but I froze when I saw the bone flute hanging on her chest.

My eyes were bloodshot as I grabbed her by the neck.

"Ava! What is that on your neck?!"

Ava's veins bulged, and she could not speak.

Noah pulled me down. "Are you crazy, May? It is just a dying old wolf. I can catch another one for you, okay?"

The bone flute on Ava's neck was made from Wolf Mom's bones—the same as mine.

That bone flute could command animals. Wolf Mom had broken her tail on purpose to let me make it.

I had only ever told Noah about this.

Yet, he had told Ava and allowed her to kill my wolf mom.

Ava pretended to be out of breath on the soft chair but smiled slyly as she raised her eyebrows at me.

My instincts took over. I ignored all the human postures I had learned over the years. I dropped to the floor and let out a howl. My nails scratched the ground until they bled.

Noah was so frightened that he staggered back a few steps.

Ava came closer and pinched my chin, studying my face.

She turned to Noah and said, "It's bad. May is cursed by the wolf spell. That's why her behavior is so wolf-like."

I grabbed Ava's wrist angrily and tried to take the bone flute off her neck.

Noah hesitated, but when he saw my hand leave red marks on Ava's wrist, he immediately ordered someone to restrain me.

Ava winked at me.

"This curse removal isn't difficult. I learned it from the elders in the tropical rainforest before."

They forced me into a dark room. The piercing noise exploded in my ears. I screamed, covering my ears in pain.

A bright light stabbed into my eyes like a sharp sword.

I was raised by wolves from a young age. Throughout the years I lived with them, my senses became a hundred times more sensitive than normal people's, almost like a wolf's.

Noah had always known my condition. He once pretended to be a ghost and shouted near my ear, causing my eardrum to rupture. I was sent to the hospital and remained for seven days.

He was so remorseful that he slapped his face until it swelled and cried bitterly in front of me.

All that, and he treated me so ruthlessly because of Ava's baseless talk.

My eyes hurt so much that I could not open them.

"You know I can't stand bright lights or loud noises, Noah!" I shrieked. "Do you really believe in her nonsense?!"

A cold voice whispered in my ear, "No, I don't. But you left red marks on Ava's hand, so that's your punishment."

The loud noise crashed wave after wave.

The butler roughly held my eyelids open, forcing me to face the bright light.

Noah supported my collapsing body and saw the blood dripping from the corners of my eyes and ears. He pressed his lips tight.

"Help Madam to bed."

He gently massaged Ava's wrist, blowing on it softly.

Noah took Ava to the hospital to check the wound on her neck.

…

After Aunt Wendy died, Noah's father, John Potter, lost his spirit.

His health was just recovering when he walked in trembling on a cane. Seeing my miserable state, he was shocked and knelt with a thud.

"May… I've wronged you and Wendy!

"I know you can command animals, so they stayed obediently in their habitat.

"Those animals were kind to us because of your command. That helped us gather experimental data and maintain the Potters' position in research and business."

I sucked in a cold breath and spoke through the pain, "Aunt Wendy is gone now, and the wolf pack has been harmed. I'm not staying here anymore."

"It's all my fault, May. The Potters can't be destroyed by Noah's hands! I'll expel Noah and forbid anyone from helping him. Please stay, alright?"

I spat out blood and touched the bone flute on my neck calmly.

"Ava made a bone flute with my wolf mom's blood and bones. Go beg her instead. After all, Noah said she's a hundred times better than me."

I no longer listened to his persuasions.

A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

I blew the bone flute with all my strength.

A loud wolf howl pierced the sky.

John's face turned pale. "It's over…"

A few minutes later, loud thuds hit the front gate.

Bang, bang!

The gate was broken open.

Through a cloud of yellow dust, a pack of wild wolves appeared—all of them towering over men, howling in fury.