Leo, my mate, wanted to spend Valentine's Day with Cheryl, his first love, on the night Victor and Vera, his parents, were abducted.

But this time, instead of stopping him, I contacted the Werewolf Enforcement Bureau to help.

After all, when I tried to stop him in the last life, Cheryl ended up dying a horrific death, her heart gouged out by the Feral Rogues, a group of werewolf gangsters.

"You killed her! Cheryl wouldn't have died if it weren't for you!"

Without hesitation, Leo threw me into a cave where a pack of hungry wolves tore through my body, along with the child I was about to bring into the world.

"You don't deserve to live after what you've done… I'm going to stand here and watch you endure all the pain she felt as she died!"

Surprisingly, rather than staying dead, I woke up on the exact day when Victor and Vera were abducted once more…

I woke from my nightmare, reborn to the day my father-in-law and mother-in-law were abducted.

Leo Ulric, my mate, was holding a bouquet and about to leave the house when the Feral Rogues, the ones responsible for my in-laws' abduction, called.

"We have Victor Ulric and Vera Wolfram. Bring 4,125,000 dollars to the Moonshines Winery in two hours. Notify the Enforcement Bureau, and I'll gouge their hearts out!" yelled the abductor through the phone's loudspeaker.

Leo stopped immediately and looked at me, a sneer twisting his face. "You got Mom and Dad to cook this up just to stop me from spending Valentine's with Cheryl?"

Refusing to engage in an argument, I said, "It's not a scheme. They really have been abducted, and the ransom is real. You need to go to the bank and get that money, now!"

Leo shook his head, still in disbelief and full of disdain. "I finally see you for who you truly are, Lyra. Now that you're my Luna, you want my wealth, since that's all that matters to you."

Then he hesitated, turning away.

We were a pack of werewolves, led by Leo, our Alpha—and my childhood friend.

Years ago, I risked my life climbing a cliff to harvest the Moonfang Herb and save his life after he was poisoned with a venom deadly to our kind.

Because of that, both our parents agreed that Leo would marry me and make me his Luna when we came of age.

I knew Leo was madly in love with Cheryl Faolan, his first love. But his parents forbade their relationship from becoming anything more.

As such, I asked Leo whether he was entering this marriage willingly before I allowed myself to be marked as his Luna. If he didn't love me and didn't want to be with me, he could go to the Southlands and be with Cheryl.

His response was that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. But only two days after we exchanged vows and were bonded as mates, he left for the Southlands on "business."

When he returned, he brought Cheryl with him. He helped her remove her coat, carried her luggage, and did all sorts of things for her right in front of me. Worst of all, he wiped off the lipstick smeared on her lips!

It was at that moment I realized he had never truly loved me.

Despite everything, I still loved him and didn't want to lose either him or this family. So, I overlooked his hurtful actions and played the role of his Luna and wife to the best of my abilities.

But now, as I saw him about to leave again, my voice turned cold. "I've never coveted your wealth, and I don't need it—I make more than you. I didn't scheme this with your parents.

"We could go to the Enforcement Bureau right now if you still don't believe me, or are you trying to tell me that your own parents' lives matter less than your lover's?"

Leo stood there, stunned, perhaps because of my calmness or because it was the first time I had ever spoken back to him.

After a moment, I ignored him and headed for the door, only to find Cheryl standing behind it, waiting for Leo.

I chose to walk away, unwilling to deal with either of them.

As I passed Cheryl, she bumped into me, causing me to fall to the floor.

"Ow! My shoulder…"

"I'm sure she didn't mean to bump into me, Leo. Please don't blame her for this," Cheryl said.

Both Leo and Cheryl looked at me.

Leo turned to Cheryl, a worried look on his face. "Are you okay? Come on, let's get that shoulder checked out."

He looked at me again. "How could you be so careless, Lyra? Hurry up and get me some medicine!"

But I stood up and replied, "We don't have any."

Leo scowled, his patience thin. "How could you be so selfish and petty?!"

He then helped Cheryl into his car, leaving me behind.

A sudden jolt of pain reminded me that I had bruised my hand during the fall, but I ignored it and looked at the clock inside the house. There was only a little more than an hour left.

After some careful consideration, I decided to call the Werewolf Enforcement Bureau despite the abductor's warning.

The ransom he demanded was substantial and in cash. More importantly, he could not guarantee that he would release Victor and Vera after receiving the money.

After I made the call, David Ulric, Leo's cousin, contacted me before the bureau arrived.

As usual, he rudely yelled, "How could you plot something like that with Victor and Vera and even make a fake police report afterward?!"

With a frown, I asked, "Leo told you again, didn't he?"

Victor and Vera were the only members of the Ulric family who treated me kindly. The rest treated me as though I were nothing.

"You're a member of the bureau, David. When you receive a police report, you should be out there saving someone, not questioning me!" I berated him.

"You think you hold authority over me just because you're the Luna, huh? You wouldn't have gotten that position if Cheryl hadn't been forced to leave, you know!" he rebuked.

"I was planning to leave the country, but Leo talked me out of it, saying he wants me to become his Luna," I retorted.

"That's only because you saved his life once! You would still be a lowly Omega if not for that!"

Refusing to argue further, I hung up and called the bureau again.

While at it, I also lodged a report against David.

-

The sheriffs arrived soon after and interviewed me to assess the situation. Their expressions grew serious as they heard the abductor's demands, which I had recorded on my phone.

They attempted to dial the abductor's number, but it had been disconnected. Their only option was to wait for him to call back.

Meanwhile, I was on the phone with my personal finance advisor.

"How much cash can I mobilize right now? Approximately 2,300,000 dollars? Alright, get that amount ready."

Afterward, I called Kael Ulric, Leo's uncle, who was shocked upon learning about the abduction.

"Is this real? Is Leo there with you?" he asked.

"Leo's not here. He's out with Cheryl to celebrate Valentine's. The sheriffs are here with me," I replied.

After a brief pause, Kael asked, "Then why are you calling me?"

"The abductors want 4,125,000 dollars in cash as ransom, but I don't have enough. How much can you gather? I'll pay you back in a week," I assured him.

"How much do you need?"

"About 1,800,000 dollars," I replied.

"I'll do my best. He's my older brother, after all."

-

One hour later, the abductor called back as promised.

I answered immediately and was greeted by a stern voice. "Time's up. Have you delivered the money?"

"I'm still gathering it. Please give me more time," I pleaded. I don't have that much cash on me, and Leo's not here."

"I told you I'd gouge their hearts out if you couldn't deliver the money, didn't I?"

"Don't hurt them, please! It's money you want, isn't it? Killing them won't be good for you—you won't get the money, right? Please, just give me another half hour, and I promise I'll have the money by then."

At that moment, I could hear Victor and Vera's desperate screams from the other side of the phone.

The abductor's voice turned eerie as he said, "I'm taking five teeth per person every half hour, so go ahead and stall all you want!"

Flashes of the pain Vera must have been enduring flooded my mind. She was so intolerant to discomfort that she couldn't even drink a hot beverage without someone cooling it for her.

Just as I took a deep breath to calm myself, my phone buzzed again—Kael was calling.

Before I could ask if he had managed to gather the ransom money, he yelled, "How could you come up with such a heinous lie just because Victor and Vera adore you?!

"I swear I was about to have a heart attack if Leo hadn't told me the truth!"

My heart sank.

"Did Leo really say I made all of this up?" I asked, barely able to form the words.

Kael sighed. "I know you're angry at Leo for not spending Valentine's Day with you, but he's already bonded to you for life. It's just one day—why can't you let it go and let him be?"

"Kael, this has nothing to do with Valentine's Day!" I snapped. "Victor and Vera have been abducted!"

"Lyra, please…" His tone softened, but his disbelief was palpable. "You really mustn't lie about things like this—or anything, for that matter.

"Victor and Vera are the only people in the Ulrics who genuinely care for you. I thought I'd show you a bit more kindness since you seemed so pitiful, but I never imagined you'd repay it by coveting such a small amount of money."

I felt the devastation settle in my chest. Gathering the ransom money in time seemed almost impossible.

"The sheriffs are with me right now," I insisted. "You should hear it from them."

"There's no need to drag this farce any further by involving someone pretending to be a sheriff," Kael shot back.

"I know you love Leo, but he's already chosen someone else, and she's back with him now. Honestly, Lyra, you should consider annulling your bond with him if your marriage isn't working out," he suggested.

I hung up, unable to stomach his words any longer.

Moments later, David appeared at my doorstep, his face pale. He had just confirmed with his colleagues that the abduction was real.

Without hesitation, he called Leo.

"Leo, you need to get back here right now," David said urgently. "I think your parents may have really been abducted by the Feral Rogues."

To our surprise, Cheryl's voice came through the receiver instead. "Seriously? You're ruining my Valentine's Day!"

"Cheryl, this is serious! The abduction is real!" David pressed.

"Lyra's just being a jealous woman." Cheryl scoffed. "She's been keeping tabs on Leo all day. Can't she give him a little freedom? Even criminals deserve a holiday now and then!"

"Cheryl, put Leo on the phone right now!" David demanded, his voice tight with frustration.

"Are you in on this with Lyra?" Cheryl accused. "Leo's roasting a chicken right now, but fine, I'll ask him if he wants to talk to you."

After a pause, Leo's voice came through the line. "That crazy woman can't let me catch a break. Hang up!"

David's frown deepened as the call abruptly ended. He turned to me, his concern evident.

Helpless, I sighed. "The abductors want me to deliver the money to Moonshines Winery, but I've only managed to gather about half of what they're demanding. Maybe I should take what I have and deliver it while you figure out the next steps."

A female sheriff standing nearby interjected, "I'll drive you there, ma'am."

I shook my head. "If the abductors recognize you, we'll all be in trouble. I need to handle this myself."