I stepped back, avoiding Alexander's touch, and flipped open my suitcase. One by one, I threw out the bundles of herbs he had once given me.

My chest burned. Emotion choked me, and the dormant wolfsbane in my blood flared to life. Pain seared through me as I clutched my heart and fell to my knees.

Inside her ward, Lilith stirred. A glass shattered, followed by a soft, pitiful cough.

Alexander dropped everything and rushed to her, dragging the healer in after him.

The healer glanced at me and whispered to him, "Lily's condition is worsening. The wolfsbane has relapsed. She needs those herbs urgently."

He hesitated only a moment before replying, "Lilith is pregnant. Two lives are at stake. She comes first."

The healer faltered, caught between duty and guilt.

I laughed softly and shook my head, forcing myself upright despite the pain.

"It's fine. I'll find medicine on my own."

Alexander looked at me and let out a short, frustrated laugh. Just as he reached out to take my hand, Lilith whimpered from the room. "I'm scared… it hurts."

He turned away instantly, leaving me standing there alone.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a ward at the infirmary.

Sitting up, I saw Alexander across the room, conducting an online meeting.

The moment he noticed I was awake, he cut the call, poured out a bowl of broth from a thermos, and brought it over.

I took the spoon and bowl from his hands. "No need. I can still move my arms."

He watched in silence as I ate, and when I finished, he asked, "Any discomfort? Still hurting?"

I ignored him and got to my feet. I needed to go to the Sacred Spring Pack, to Edgar.

My silence caught him off guard. He reached out instinctively.

"Where are you going?"

"To get my things."

A subordinate handed me my phone. The moment it powered on, it lit up with dozens of missed calls and unread messages.

Alexander's face darkened. "Who is it?"

For the first time, he showed genuine interest in my affairs—and it irritated me.

"Just a friend," I said lightly, then added, "You don't know him."

Alexander chuckled without humor, removing his gold-rimmed glasses. His gaze turned cold.

"Lily, patience has its limits. If you keep this up, I won't bother caring anymore."

Once, even a hint of displeasure from him would have been enough to make me apologize and fix myself. But now, I simply nudged my chin toward the doorway.

"She's here for you."

Lilith stood there, eyes red, hands on her belly.

Alexander's expression softened instantly. Without another word, he brushed past me and wrapped her in his arms, leading her away.

My phone buzzed again, insistent this time. It was Edgar.

"Did he hurt you? Do you need me to—"

"I'm fine," I interrupted. "Something came up, but I can handle it."

There was a pause, then he said, "All right. But if you ever need me, I'm just a call away."

I hung up just as Alexander returned.

Seeing the faint smile on my lips, irritation flickered in his eyes. But Lilith was still waiting for him to cook her dinner himself, so he swallowed his temper, grabbed his laptop, and said curtly, "I'm busy. I'll be back later."

"Later" stretched into days.

During that time, Lilith was busy flaunting their happiness online. She tagged me in every post—photos of their shopping trips, their matching smiles, their intertwined hands.

When the healer finally cleared me to leave, I opened the pack's family chat just in time to see Alexander introducing Lilith to everyone—his profile picture changed to a couple's photo.

I typed only one line: [Wishing you both lasting happiness.]

Moments later, a private message arrived from him. [Did you have to provoke Lilith? Do you enjoy embarrassing us?]

I didn't reply. I left the group chat and deleted him from my contacts.

Outside the infirmary, I saw them together—Alexander and Lilith surrounded by packsmen offering blessings.

"Wow," someone gushed. "Our Alpha is so devoted—baking moonberry cake for Lilith himself and never leaving her side. Lilith is so lucky!"

Their eyes glowed with envy.

I lowered my gaze. My palms were a patchwork of scars—the burns from the laboratory fire. Someone had tampered with my formula that day, sabotaging my experiment. The lab exploded.

Exhausted and panicked, I'd called Alexander twenty times for help. But all I heard, when the call finally connected, was Lilith's breathless laughter.

"Lily, Alexander's baking me a moonberry cake! He said he won't take any calls tonight!"

I'd stared at the flames devouring my life's work and hung up.

He called back later—not to ask if I was alive, but to demand a recipe.

"Lilith loves your moonberry cake. Make another and deliver it to her room by six."

When his men told him about the explosion, he hesitated only briefly before sneering, "Failed again? You can't even mix a potion right? Lily, are you completely useless? Stop wasting air—just die already."

When I came back to my senses, Alexander was already standing in front of me.

"What are you spacing out for?"

I lowered my eyes, instinctively murmuring an excuse. "It's nothing. The treatment just ended. I'm a little lightheaded. Sorry for disturbing you both. I'll be leaving now."

"Where to?"

Before I could step aside, he caught my wrist.

Lilith narrowed her eyes, hostility flashing beneath her innocent façade. Tugging lightly at his sleeve, she tilted her head and smiled sweetly.

"Lily," she said, her voice soft and sugar-coated, "thank you for the herbs. Without them, the pup and I would still be suffering."

Then she puckered her lips at Alexander and deliberately tilted her head, revealing the red marks scattered along her neck. When she noticed my gaze, she feigned shock, quickly pulling her collar closed and diving into his arms.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Lily. They're just mosquito bites."

Alexander slipped off his jacket to cover her shoulders, but his eyes darted toward me, watching, waiting for a reaction.

When he realized I wasn't even looking at them—my attention fixed on my phone instead—a surge of irritation darkened his face. He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and sneered.

"Lily, we're standing in front of you. Have you no manners? You're just going to stare at your phone?"

His tone wavered slightly. "Who are you chatting with, anyway? You seem so happy. Mind introducing them to me?"

I sent the last message, locked the screen, and said, "An entertainment blogger. Look them up yourself."

My answer only deepened the furrow between his brows. His patience frayed; anger simmered just below the surface.

In a flash, before I could react, he snatched the phone from my hand.

"The passcode," he demanded.

"The date you promised to hold our marking ceremony."

He tried every combination he could think of. By the time his guards arrived with the car, the phone had automatically locked. He never cracked it.

Without another word, he returned the phone and pulled me into the vehicle.

The ride was silent, broken only by Lilith's soft whining and endless cooing.

Once we reached the estate, Alexander carried her inside and laid her on the sofa. At the door, he turned back briefly.

"Buy out the herbs at the neighboring auction," he told his guards. "Deliver them to Lily's room."

I entered the hall at an unhurried pace, scanning for my luggage. The maid gave me a strained smile and pointed toward the reeking drainage ditch.

My suitcase half-floated in the filthy water, stinking beyond description.

I retrieved it, cleaned it off, and prepared to leave—only to find Lilith blocking the doorway.

"Lily," she said mockingly, "you really picked that up? It's filthy. Then again, you've always liked playing with dirty things, haven't you? Why else would you still be clinging to Alexander?"

Her smile widened cruelly.

"Oh wait, I almost forgot—your brother, the Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack, can't… perform anymore, right? No wonder you're desperate to keep Alexander for yourself."

As she spoke, she pulled something from her bag—a necklace strung with wolf fangs.

"When Alexander said you needed herbs for your recovery, your brother didn't even hesitate before ripping out his own fangs. I suppose he's drinking broth for life now."

That was the last straw.

I tore the necklace from her hand and slapped her—once, twice, hard enough to sting my palm.

Lilith's smile twisted. She pressed a hidden button.

A sharp blast followed—windows shattered, flames roared to life. The explosion tore through the room, heat searing the air.

The wolfsbane inside me surged violently. I couldn't shift, couldn't move. Smoke filled my lungs as I collapsed, barely conscious.

Then came hurried footsteps—Alexander's voice, raw and panicked. "Lily! Where are you?"

The fire alarm blared. His men tried to hold him back.

"Alpha, the rescue team is on their way! You're still injured. You can't go in!"

"Out of my way!"

He shifted mid-step, fur rippling across his skin, and leapt into the burning house. He found us both amid the flames—scooped us into his arms, ready to carry us out.

Then Lilith screamed, "Alexander! My stomach… it hurts!"

In an instant, he stopped. Adjusting his hold, he secured her gently, shielding her belly as he rushed her to safety.

Half an hour later, once the medics confirmed Lilith and the pup were fine, he finally remembered me. But by then, the firefighters had scoured every corner of the estate. There was no sign of me.

…

At Moonlight Manor, I handed the evidence of the explosion—every trace of Lilith's sabotage—to my lawyer.

My phone buzzed and then went black as Edgar forcibly powered it down. He arched an eyebrow, his emerald eyes glinting with quiet amusement as he steered me toward the treatment chamber.

"Leave everything to me," he said. "Focus on healing."

I slipped the SIM card from my phone and tossed it into the trash. "All right."

"Alexander, from this moment on, you and I are done." I said to myself.