I followed Ronan as he rushed back into the autopsy room.

The healer, with trembling hands, used forceps to part the rotten flesh on my chest, revealing the stark white bone beneath.

"There's a mark on the skin over the chest!"

Next to the heart, on a small, inch-long patch of relatively intact skin, was a tiny, crescent-shaped birthmark.

In that instant, Ronan's blood ran cold. He recognized that mark.

It was the Moon Mark I was born with, once considered a blessing from the Moon Goddess herself.

In the entire pack, only he and our deceased parents knew its true meaning.

Not even Kian knew the real significance of this mark.

Ronan snatched the car keys from the table and bolted outside like a madman.

His fingers trembled so violently it took him three tries to finally start the engine of his SUV.

I sat in the passenger seat, my gaze sweeping over the crude, wooden wolf head hanging from the rearview mirror.

I had carved it myself, insisting he hang it there back when he first became an enforcer and bought his car.

Back then, I was the spoiled mate of the Alpha. Though I hadn't yet had my Luna ceremony, everyone in the pack knew that was my destiny.

I remember standing there with my hands on my hips, playing the part of the spoiled Alpha's mate. "Brother, I carved this wolf to look just like mine. That way, I'll always be watching you!"

"If you get hurt on another mission, you'll have me to answer to!"

Now, looking at my brother's haggard face, sleepless for what must have been days, a tearing pain shot through my soul. I wanted to cry, but a wisp of a soul has no tears.

The screech of tires shattered the tranquility of the sacred plaza, pulling me from my memories.

The mating ceremony was still in progress, the ground covered in flowers, the air filled with sacred hymns.

Kian was holding a wine glass, accepting toasts from the elders, while Sienna nestled in his arms, her smile blissful.

In front of everyone, Ronan landed a solid punch squarely on Kian's jaw.

"Kian! Do you dare swear to the Moon Goddess that my sister truly betrayed the pack and ran off with another?"

The surrounding guards swarmed forward but hesitated, held back by Ronan's status as Head Enforcer.

Kian's head snapped to the side from the force of the blow, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

He wiped his lip, his eyes dark and menacing, radiating the terrifying pressure of an offended Alpha.

"Ronan, are you insane? You saw the video. Would I joke about something that brings such shame to an Alpha?"

Ronan's fists were clenched so tight his veins bulged on his neck. "Then why does the corpse from the marsh, the one tortured beyond recognition by wolfsbane, have the same crescent birthmark on its chest as Wren!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the wine glass fell from Kian's hand, shattering on the ground and spilling its contents.

As he stood there, stunned, Sienna walked over gracefully.

She feigned surprise as she took Kian's arm, her eyes darting nervously. "Goodness, what's happened? On such a joyous day..."

Seeing Sienna, a sliver of hope rose in my desperate heart.

I remembered it clearly. The day I disappeared, I had just had a huge fight with Kian over some trivial matter and ran out of the house in tears.

Sienna was the first one to call and comfort me.

"Wren, Alphas can be so dense sometimes," she had said gently over the phone. "You're angry right now. Don't stay in the pack. Why don't I take you to the marsh at the border to clear your head?"

I hesitated, remembering how Kian had repeatedly warned me it wasn't safe there.

But Sienna had chuckled on the other end.

"Oh, my girl, this is the perfect way to test how much he really cares. Just close off your mental link for a bit so he can't sense you. The moment he panics, he'll come running to find you. Then you can just graciously forgive him. Wouldn't that be perfect?"

At the time, I actually believed her nonsense. Wanting to make Kian worry, I foolishly blocked my scent and did as she said.

So she had to know something!

If she just spoke up, my brother would know the body was mine, and he could take me home!

But her next words were a bucket of ice water, dousing the last of my hope.

"Ronan, don't let your imagination run wild. Wren sent me a postcard just the other day."

"She said she's having a great time in the south, traveling all over, and that the Rogue Alpha is treating her very well. How could she suddenly be dead?"

With that, she pulled a postcard from her handbag and shoved it in Ronan's face.

Ronan stared at the familiar handwriting, his once-firm gaze beginning to waver.

It was my handwriting. Even the habitual flourishes were perfectly imitated.

Kian's expression, however, grew even darker. He stared coldly at Sienna.

"You've been in contact with that traitor all this time? Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Sienna giggled, leaning her head on his shoulder in an exaggeratedly coy manner.

"Oh, Wren specifically asked me not to tell. She was afraid it would upset you."

"Don't be angry, my Alpha. Tonight belongs to us."

I floated in the air, watching this scene, my fingertips turning to ice.

The handwriting on that so-called postcard was a perfect forgery. I had no idea where Sienna had gotten it.

Looking at my best friend, smiling so triumphantly as she nestled against Kian, I suddenly understood.

In the past, whenever Kian and I argued about pack matters, Sienna was always the one to play peacemaker.

She would always tell me to be more understanding and considerate of an Alpha's pressures, then turn around and console Kian, telling him I was too willful and immature.

I had always thought she was my true friend, treating her like my own sister.

Only now, seeing the unconcealable greed and possessiveness in her eyes, did I finally realize.

From the very beginning, she had coveted my position.

She didn't just want Kian; she wanted my title as Luna.

And three months ago, it was this "best sister" who had sent me to hell with that same innocent expression.

All that talk of deep friendship was a lie!

From start to finish, I was the only fool being played.

Even more tragically, the Alpha I loved had completely fallen for her act.

Kian wrapped his arm around a trembling Sienna, his gaze toward Ronan filled with disgust.

"Had enough? Ronan, take your madness and get out of my ceremony! Don't force me, as your Alpha, to banish you!"

Even my only hope, Ronan, was starting to waver now.

An indescribable weakness washed over me. I looked down at my hands.

My form was beginning to turn transparent.

The altar bells began to toll, counting down the final hours.

Of the forty-eight hours the Moon Goddess had given me, only eight remained.

"Wren, betrayed by your kin, your obsession fades. Eight hours remain until your soul dissipates."

"Ronan! Brother! It's a lie! She's lying!"

I screamed desperately, trying to grab Ronan's sleeve, but could only watch as my hand passed right through his arm.

Just as I was on the verge of despair,

The enforcer communicator in Ronan's pocket let out a series of urgent beeps.

The voice of a forensic technician crackled over the communicator.

"Enforcer... the moonstone is too damaged. We can't fully restore the audio or video just yet."

The veins on the back of Ronan's hand bulged as he gripped the phone, ready to explode, but the voice on the other end suddenly rose in pitch.

"But! We restored the insignia it projected! It's the 'Silver Moon Wolf Sigil'!"

Ronan nearly staggered. The communicator clattered to the stone ground, its screen shattering on impact.

The Silver Moon Wolf Sigil.

It was my personal crest, a one-of-a-kind design from my father for my eighteenth birthday.

Ronan stared at the shattered device on the ground, his eyes instantly turning red.

After a long moment, as if his soul had returned to his body, he bent down to pick it up.

But Sienna, standing beside him, let out a scoff.

"Enforcer, how hard is it for a Rogue Alpha who specializes in illusions to fake a magical sigil?"

She clutched Kian's arm, her nails digging into the fabric of his ceremonial suit, her expression innocent but laced with venom.

"Wren was willing to abandon her family's honor to elope with him. She might have even given her personal sigil to that Rogue as a trophy."

Hearing this, the flicker of doubt in Kian's eyes hardened once more.

"Ronan, stop disgusting me with this ambiguous nonsense. Not unless you have ironclad proof."

Ronan gritted his teeth, forcing himself to maintain the composure of an enforcer.

"Then use the Bloodline Resonance!"

Ronan's voice thundered. "The moonstone she swallowed... if that stone has been soaking in her spiritual essence inside her body, it will react to kin blood! I want definitive proof of her bloodline!"

The technician fell silent for a few seconds before being forced to admit the truth.

"We need more time, Enforcer. The moonstone was shattered into fragments. We are trying to fuse the pieces back together. Only when it is whole can we test the resonance with your blood."

I watched Ronan take a deep, frustrated breath and walk away.

I floated in the air, feeling helpless.

My memory drifted back to the day my wolf first awakened.

I had excitedly shown my brother. "Brother, I'm going to be the sharpest blade in the pack!"

"I'm going to protect the pack just like you, and tear apart all the darkness that tries to invade our territory!"

The moonlight was beautiful that night as I clung to his strong arm, pleading playfully.

"If I ever die in some unseen corner of the world, you have to bring my soul back to Moon Goddess Mountain!"

Back then, Ronan had just affectionately ruffled my long hair.

"Silly girl. With your brother around, who would dare touch you?"

But later, I didn't become a revered guardian, but a traitor condemned by all.

I didn't make him proud of me. Instead, I left him clinging to a blurry sigil, deceiving himself in his despair,waiting for a healer's report that would either be my death sentence or the proof of my innocence.

I watched his dejected figure, my heart twisting in agony.

"How could this rotten piece of meat possibly be Wren, that pampered little princess?"

A mocking voice broke my thoughts. I realized Kian and Sienna had followed him.

The healer responsible for the autopsy was pulling off her blackened gloves, her face as pale as a sheet.

"Enforcer, it's too horrific! I've been doing this for thirty years, and I have never seen such a cruel method of torture and murder."

She lifted the white sheet covering the body, revealing the gruesome hands.

"While the victim was alive, the nails of all ten fingers were ripped out. They used a blunt instrument, prying them off piece by piece."

"The main tendons in her limbs were severed with a blade soaked in concentrated aconite. To prevent healing, the wounds were packed with crushed, toxic wolfsbane root."

"She was thrown into the pool of corrupting wolfsbane while she was still alive. She was conscious as the venom slowly dissolved her skin."

"And what's even more horrifying..."

The healer paused for a second. "While fully conscious, she forced herself to swallow that moonstone to hide it."

"Her throat was shredded by its sharp edges."

The werewolf warriors present drew in a collective gasp.

Even for werewolves, renowned for their resilience, such agony would cause them to pass out in under three seconds.

But she had held on, swallowing the intel with her last breath.

A sudden, jarring applause broke the heavy silence.

Kian stepped forward, his face blank as he clapped his hands.

"A brilliant story. Truly tragic."

"But what does that have to do with your thrill-seeking, pack-betraying sister?"

He let out a dry laugh, as if trying to convince himself.

"Don't try to attribute this honor to that bitch. One moment she was vowing to protect the pack, the next she was warming some Rogue Alpha's bed."

"She's probably enjoying herself in some filthy den right now. She wouldn't have the guts to endure this kind of suffering."

"You!" Ronan trembled with rage, his fists clenched.

Suddenly, Sienna, who had been observing from the entrance, let out a cry of surprise.

"Alpha! Enforcer Ronan! Look!"

She pointed outside the camp, where a group of warriors were escorting a prisoner back, her voice shaking with excitement.

"They've caught a rogue! He claims to have news about Wren!"

Sienna kicked the bloodied rogue, sending him sprawling at Ronan's feet.

"Tell us! Did you see Wren in the rogue encampment?"

The prisoner grinned, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth, his mocking gaze shifting between Kian and Ronan.

"Saw her? Of course I saw her. She's our Alpha's favorite little pet."

"She's our new Luna now. Lives in the fanciest den, with servants waiting on her hand and foot."

Ronan lunged forward and grabbed his collar, pressing a silver-bullet pistol to his head. "Wipe that smirk off your face! If a single word you say is a lie, I'll blow your brains out!"

"You don't believe me, Enforcer?" The prisoner shrugged, spitting a mouthful of bloody saliva. "She shattered her own moonstone. Said she was sick of the pack's rules and didn't want you tracking her!"

"If you don't believe it, go check. See if the moonstone wasn't destroyed by force."

My soul shot toward the rogue. I wanted to tear out his throat.

That story was clearly fed to him by Sienna!

But his words broke my brother.

Ronan's hands fell away, the broken communicator in his grasp feeling like it was burning him.

The pack's specialists had just said the moonstone was severely damaged, as if it had been smashed against something hard.

"Did you hear that, Ronan?" Sienna patted her chest, letting out an exaggerated sigh of relief.

"Wren was always like this, throwing tantrums over the smallest things."

She turned to Kian.

"My Alpha, do you remember that day three months ago? She fought with you and blocked her mental link out of pure spite, so no one could find her. So selfish, thinking only of herself. How could someone like that ever be our Luna?"

"I tried to talk her out of it back then, told her not to make you worry, but she wouldn't listen. She said she wanted to make you anxious, make you regret it."

"Looking back now, she probably didn't block her link to make you worry. It was to make it easier for her to run off with that rogue!"

Kian stared at the prisoner, the last glimmer of hope in his eyes extinguished.

He twisted his lips into a sneer. "I knew it."

"She'd rather roll around in the filth with strays than be my Luna."

"Wren, you were always such a disappointment."

Ronan remained silent.

But the fists at his sides were clenched so tight they were cracking.

Sienna was still prattling on, parading her supposed "sisterly love," trying to cement the lie that I was still alive.

I floated in the air, my soul feeling like it was being ground to dust.

No...It wasn't like that!

The bloody night from three months ago flashed through my mind with painful clarity.

That day, I had listened to Sienna's advice to "go clear my head," blocking my link and walking alone into that desolate marsh.

I thought it was just a heart-to-heart between friends, but instead, I stumbled upon the Rogue Alpha using dark magic to break through our defensive wards.

There was no "elopement," no "pampering."

Only a cold dagger coated in wolfsbane and fangs pressed against my throat.

He tried to force me to reveal our pack's defensive layout so he could slaughter the elders on the full moon.

I was terrified.

But I knew that if I let him in, Kian would be in danger, and the entire pack would descend into hell.

"In your dreams," I had refused flatly.

And so, the torture began.

When he wasn't looking, I desperately tried to activate my moonstone, wanting to record his face and voice to send to my brother.

But I failed.

He saw what I was doing, stomped on my hand and shattered the bones, then snatched the moonstone and smashed it against a rock.

"Trying to send a message? Since you love this rock so much, you can take it to hell with you!"

He forced me to swallow the jagged shards of the stone.

Its sharp edges tore through my esophagus, and blood choked my airway.

But now, the secret I had died to protect was being twisted by Sienna into "ironclad proof" of my betrayal.

I finally understood. Sienna had planned all of this from the start.

She wanted me dead, my name branded in shame, so she could take everything that was rightfully mine.

My body began to flicker violently, becoming more and more transparent.

"Wren, your soul will dissipate in seven minutes."

The Moon Goddess's voice echoed once more.

I leaned weakly against Ronan's shoulder.

I had no weight, yet my heart felt as heavy as a mountain.

The honor I died to protect had become a joke to them.

The Alpha I loved was cursing me with the most venomous words.

Is this how it ends?

But I refuse to accept it.

Kian, brother... please, just look back!

I'm right here, watching you from inside this ravaged body!

Just as my soul was about to dissolve into specks of light, the doors to the infirmary compound were thrown open.

A sweat-drenched warrior stumbled in, holding a small tray covered with a velvet cloth.

He didn't even have time to salute. "Alpha! Enforcer! The Bloodline Resonance ritual is complete!"

"The Grand Elder repaired the moonstone shards! When we dropped Enforcer Ronan's blood onto it... it glowed crimson!"

"This only happens when the stone is stained with the soul of a direct blood relative! The deceased... is 100% Miss Wren..."