The Pack healer rushed in with his assistants. When they saw the wound on my arm, everyone gasped in shock.

The cleaning process felt like torture.

Each time the moonlight herb solution touched the festering, infected wound, my whole body spasmed. Cold sweat soaked through my hospital gown.

I bit down hard on my lower lip. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, barely keeping me from crying out in pain.

Just then, the infirmary room door was gently pushed open. Elara stood at the entrance with red-rimmed eyes.

When she saw the wound the Pack healer was treating, she immediately covered her mouth with her hand. Tears streamed down her face like broken pearls.

"How could this happen? I followed the healing steps from the ancient texts exactly - cleansing with moonlight herbs, applying healing salve, bandaging. I was so careful with each step. How could the infection get this bad? Damien, I really didn't mean for this to happen. I just wanted to make Sera more comfortable."

She cried with such genuine emotion, as if she had suffered tremendous injustice and guilt.

She stumbled toward Damien and grabbed his sleeve, trembling all over.

"Damien, you have to believe me. I really don't know why this happened. I only wanted to help Sera. Am I just useless? I can't even do such a simple healing right."

The Pack healer had just cut away a small piece of dead, rotting flesh. Hearing this, he looked up as if he wanted to say something.

But his gaze swept between Damien's dark expression and Elara's pitiful crying. In the end, he just offered flattering agreement.

"Miss Elara, don't blame yourself too much. These frostbite infections from improper wilderness treatment are very complicated. You meant well. And looking at this bandaging technique, it was indeed very professional. It might be Miss Thorne's own constitution or some other issue."

Damien's face was so dark it could drip water.

He stared at my horrible-looking arm. His brows were knotted tightly, his jawline tense.

For once, he didn't immediately agree with Elara. He didn't blindly blame me like he usually did. He just stayed silent, the pressure around him frighteningly low.

Elara's crying gradually quieted down. She glanced at him uneasily.

Finally, the Pack healer finished applying new moonlight herb salve and bandages. After giving a long list of care instructions, he left. Only the three of us remained in the room. The atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.

Damien finally spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"You'll be fine. Tell the healer if you need anything."

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked me.

"Does it hurt?"

I felt a bit dazed.

The high fever made my brain feel like mush. Many memories were blurry and unclear.

But his almost gentle attitude at this moment made me instinctively feel a strong sense of discomfort and wariness.

I unconsciously shrank back.

My reaction seemed to hurt him.

He pressed his lips together, his tone becoming stiff.

"Rest well. Don't cause any more trouble."

Just as I expected.

He paused, as if suddenly remembering something.

"You're badly injured this time. Let Elara go accept the Vanguard's Crest at next month's Northern Territory Warriors Assembly in your place."

I jerked my head up, unable to believe my ears.

That crest was one of the highest honors in the werewolf warrior world. It was complete recognition of my career. I had earned it with countless hours of sweat and scars.

It wasn't just a medal. It was acknowledgment of all my years of effort and sacrifice.

"Why?"

My injured vocal cords made my voice extremely hoarse.

Before Damien could answer, Elara timidly tugged at his sleeve.

"Damien, don't do this. That crest is very important to Sera."

She said this, but her eyes held a barely detectable hint of provocation as she looked at me.

"Although I've never stood on such a prestigious stage, I am a bit envious. And Sera is so badly injured now, it wouldn't be convenient for her to attend that kind of ceremony. But since she's unwilling, I can't force her to give it to me..."

Damien patted her hand soothingly.

"Elara is right. How can you go in your condition? Besides, Sera, you're going to be marked as my mate eventually. You'll be my Luna. The Luna of the Blackwood Pack doesn't need to show her face in public for these empty honors. Let Elara accept the crest for you. "

I almost wanted to laugh. My chest felt stuffy and panicked.

"I fought for my life to earn that..."

"Your life belongs to me!"

Damien interrupted me, his tone suddenly urgent.

"From now on, you'll stay by my side. You won't need to go anywhere or do anything. I'll take care of you. You can tend the pack gardens, read books, chat with me and Elara. Wouldn't that peaceful life be good?"

But I felt cold all over.

A dull pain came from the back of my head.

I looked up in a daze. The dull pain in my chest gradually faded.

I could barely remember what that boy used to look like - the one who would celebrate when I performed well in warrior training.

Elara finally stepped onto the awards stage.

The live broadcast of the ceremony flickered on the LCD TV in the infirmary room.

She wore a gorgeous gown that clearly wasn't her usual style, yet it fit her surprisingly well. She stood under the spotlight.

Her face glowed with a shy yet excited blush, her eyes slightly moist.

"I'm truly surprised to receive this award. Actually, I haven't done nearly enough. I've only persisted until now because of my love for mountain warfare and my desire not to disappoint certain people."

She paused at just the right moment. Her gaze seemed to drift toward the camera, as if speaking directly to someone far away.

Damien sat on the chair beside my bed, watching with complete focus.

He even had a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

He seemed to have completely forgotten that I was the one lying in this infirmary bed, barely able to lift my arm. I was the one who should truly be standing on that stage.

Just as Elara began thanking him, Damien's phone rang sharply.

He frowned, his tone impatient.

"What is it?"

I couldn't hear what the caller said, but his relaxed smile instantly froze, then turned dark.

"Hot search? What hot search?"

He quickly switched out of the call and opened his social media app.

A few seconds later, his face turned ashen. He slammed his phone screen down hard on the table.

"Sera!"

He turned toward me, looking like he wanted to tear me apart.

"Did you do this?! You just can't stand seeing Elara do well, can you?!"

On the TV broadcast, the camera had switched to the audience.

The previously harmonious scene was now in chaos. Many people were looking down at their phones.

They whispered to each other, their faces showing shock and disgust.

I could faintly hear someone shouting loudly.

"Liar! Thief! Give the crest back to Sera!"

Then, from somewhere, a water bottle flew toward the awards stage.

"Get off the stage! Homewrecker!"

"Stealing someone else's honor! Have you no shame!"

"Disgusting!"

The chaotic shouting came through the microphones.

Elara on stage clearly hadn't expected this sudden turn of events. Her smile completely froze, and her face turned pale as paper.

She looked down at the audience in panic, but saw only chaos and countless accusing stares.

Her body swayed. She clutched her chest and softly collapsed on stage.

The live signal cut off abruptly. The screen went black.

"Elara!"

Damien cried out, his face overflowing with anxiety and heartache.

He whipped around to glare at me. The disappointment in his eyes was so thick it seemed almost solid.

"How did you become like this? So vicious! Using such underhanded methods to destroy someone!"

I looked at him calmly. My dry lips moved slightly.

"It wasn't me."

He didn't believe me at all. He stepped closer, one step at a time.

"Besides you, who else would hate her this much? Who else would scheme so carefully?! Sera, I stayed here to keep you company because I saw how badly injured you were. I thought you had finally learned your lesson. I never expected you'd never change! What is your heart made of?!"

"Fine. Very well. You want to ruin her, don't you? You want to destroy her? Let me tell you - you're dreaming!"

He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number, barking orders into it.

"Send two people up here immediately to watch this room! Without my permission, she's not allowed to step one foot outside! No visitors allowed! Confiscate all her communication devices!"

Soon, two pack guards in dark clothing walked in. They stood by the door expressionlessly, like two guardian statues.

Damien gave me one cold glance. That look held none of his earlier gentleness. Only complete coldness and disgust remained.

"Stay here and think about what you've done!"

With that, he stormed out of the room. He was probably rushing to comfort his frightened savior.

The infirmary room fell completely silent.

I slowly picked up my phone.

The screen lit up automatically, showing the latest news headline.

【Blackwood Pack Alpha Damien Speaks Out: Officially Clarifies Relationship with Sera Thorne】

My finger paused for a moment. Then I tapped on it.

It was a brief statement posted from the Blackwood Pack's official account. The wording was cold and heartless.

"Regarding recent false online rumors, I, Alpha Damien Blackwood, hereby officially clarify: My relationship with Ms. Sera Thorne is limited to past acquaintance. There is no mate bond between us. Ms. Thorne was seriously injured in a mountain accident. According to professional medical diagnosis, her warrior condition cannot be recovered. She will be unable to continue as a warrior in the future. Furthermore, regarding the Vanguard's Crest, it was a misunderstanding by the organizers based on humanitarian considerations. Ms. Thorne's actual skill level does not match this award. Please do not spread false information. All official information should be taken as authoritative."

Below was an attached photo that seemed to have been taken while I was unconscious.

In the picture, I lay pale in the infirmary bed, my left arm wrapped in thick bandages.

Lifeless. I did indeed look pitiful and useless.

The statement had been posted just ten minutes ago.

He couldn't even wait to get back to his pack house. He was so eager to distance himself from me that he did it on the road.

I lifted my right hand, the only one I could still move, and slowly pressed it to my chest.

This should hurt terribly.

Strangely, it didn't.

As my memories faded, my love for him was disappearing too.

I tried hard to remember, but my mind was foggy. Only occasional fragments of memory flickered through.

That was fine.

I slowly looked away and opened my phone.

Because of Alpha Damien's statement, public opinion online had completely flipped.

Message after message and notification after notification popped up on my phone screen. They came one after another, covering almost the entire interface.

"Go die! You scheming witch!"

"How do you still have the nerve to live? Stealing other people's credit!"

"Worthless! You deserved to have your arm ruined!"

"Stay away from Alpha Damien! You disgusting woman!"

Each message that popped up was more vicious and harsh than the last.

But as I looked at them, my heart felt strangely calm.

It was as if those curses and insults were directed at someone else who had nothing to do with me.

I slowly swiped away those pop-ups and opened my phone's photo gallery.

The first folder was named "D."

It was packed full of photos.

Most were candid shots taken from tricky angles, but they all focused on the same figure.

There was Alpha Damien leaping during combat training, Alpha Damien frowning while reading pack reports, and Alpha Damien's unguarded profile as he dozed during council meetings.

There were also a few photos we had taken together, ones he had reluctantly agreed to.

In those photos, I always looked like a fool, grinning widely.

And him? He either had no expression at all, or showed obvious impatience.

I selected them one by one. My finger hovered over the red delete button. Without hesitation, I pressed it.

"Delete selected photos?"

Confirm.

The screen flickered. A bright smiling face and a cold profile both dimmed and disappeared.

With each photo I deleted, I felt the heavy weight pressing on my heart lift a little more.

Next were the chat records.

The pinned conversation still showed my 99th missed call as the last message.

Scrolling up, it was almost entirely me talking to myself.

"Damien, the weather at the mountain training grounds is really nice today."

"You have stomach problems. Remember to eat on time."

"I made it to the finals!"

His replies were few and far between.

Usually just a simple "mm."

Or sometimes he wouldn't reply for days, then just send a question mark.

I selected the entire conversation.

"Delete this conversation? This action cannot be undone."

Confirm.

The long record of my ten years of humble love vanished in an instant.

The screen was completely blank.

Then I deleted content from my social media apps.

With each step, I felt my body grow lighter. The images and feelings about that person in my mind grew more blurred.

That Alpha who had once been so vivid and dazzling in my memory.

The way he smiled, how his brow furrowed when angry, his occasional merciful gentleness...

They all faded like traces on a beach after the tide goes out, quickly erased by new waves.

Finally, I deleted all the notes and reminders about my fiancé.

When the last word was deleted, I leaned back against the headboard and let out a small breath.

It was over.

My heart felt empty, but also incredibly light in a way I'd never experienced before.

Outside the window, the sound of the clock tower chiming drifted over.

Dong—Dong—Dong—

Twelve times total.

It was midnight.

I blinked my dry eyes. My gaze fell on my phone, which had automatically returned to the home screen after being idle for so long.

The wallpaper was a photo of Alpha Damien that I had secretly taken. It was rare—he actually had a slight smile.

I stared at that face for a long time.

My brow furrowed slightly as a strange confusion washed over me.

Who was this person?

He was quite good-looking.

But...

Why was my phone wallpaper a picture of someone I didn't recognize?

How strange.

My finger unconsciously swiped across the screen.

That handsome face with its gentle smile disappeared. It was replaced by the phone's default starry sky image.

I looked at it for two seconds, then casually tossed my phone onto the infirmary bed.

The phone hit the soft bedding with a muffled thud. The screen flickered twice, then went completely dark.

Looking at my heavily bandaged arm, I sucked in a sharp breath.

I couldn't understand it. Had I lost my mind? Why would I destroy my livelihood just to save someone?

As for who I had saved...

I thought about it for a long time but couldn't remember. I gave up.

Whatever. It must have been someone unimportant.

Looking at the two pack guards standing by the door like guardian statues, I felt confused.

But instinctively, I didn't want to disturb them.

Looking at the thick snow outside the window, I climbed out through the window.

Without hesitation, I turned and walked away.