They left me alone in a stinking, damp, cold, pitch-black dungeon.

I’m afraid of the dark. I feel like I can’t breathe in the darkness, and all my senses go numb.

Logan knows I’m afraid of the dark, but he still locked me in a dark cell.

I cried out. “Get me out of here! Please get me out of here!”

No one came for two days. No one brought me food.

I curled up, hugging myself in the darkness, trembling with fear in my mind.

My body began to fail.

The image of my mother appeared in my mind.

I haven’t even visited her in the past five years. Logan and Madam Freya have kept me locked up in the pack. I don’t even know which hospital my mother is in.

My mother is the only reason I’ve endured all the oppression in this pack.

“Lena, I don’t want to die. I want to see my mother.”

“Calm down, Mia! They won’t let you die here. Please hang in there a little longer. Everything will be okay.” Lena calmed me down, then played back memories of my mother.

The image of my mother’s smiling face shone like sunlight in the midst of pitch-black darkness.

When I cried because of a nightmare in the middle of the night, Mom would rock me to sleep on her lap. Her gentle hands would stroke my head.

“Sleep, my little star. As long as I’m here, no one will hurt you.”

Tears streamed down my cheeks.

I have to get out of here, find my mother, and take her far away from this utterly repulsive Wildfire gang’s extortion.

That resolve is what keeps me going.

The cell door creaked open. The light of a torch dimly illuminated the dark cell.

Logan’s figure appeared in my line of sight. His face remained cold.

“Have you reflected on your mistake?”

I just stared at him blankly from the dirty floor.

Though I desperately wanted to scream at him, I knew better than to lose my temper if I wanted to get out of here.

I pretended to admit my mistake.

“I... I admit my mistake...”

After that, I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I was already in my warm bed with an IV in my arm. Someone was holding me tightly from behind, whispering softly in a hoarse voice.

“Mia... as long as you stay by my side, I’ll never hurt you. You mustn’t leave this pack. I’ll give you anything you want.”

My eyes closed again. He only showed this tenderness when we were in bed, purely because he felt satisfied, not out of genuine affection.

Logan ordered the doctors and maids to take care of me until my body recovered and to stay by my side. He relieved me of my duty to serve Olivia.

He was so attentive, reminding me of my childhood.

I fell ill at the start of winter. Logan’s face was filled with panic then. He never left my side and cared for me himself, even skipping work.

A few days later, my body recovered.

Logan returned to his usual demeanour.

“Go cheer Olivia up. She’s in a bad mood because I’ve been taking care of you for days. Whatever she does to you, you have to endure it, understand?”

I bowed my head, answering indifferently. “Yes, Alpha.”

Before leaving, Logan suddenly pulled something out of his pants pocket and tossed it onto my lap.

“Wear this during the Moonlight Birth Fest.”

A ruby necklace, a family heirloom passed down through the Sinclair family.

I pursed my lips, ignoring the necklace on the table, began packing my belongings into a box, then sent it out discreetly and called Alpha Asher to ask for his help in retrieving those items.

***

Kneeling before Olivia, I pulled the basin to wash her feet.

“You must be so happy,” Olivia glared at me with eyes full of hatred. “I heard Logan talking to the pack elders about making you his second mate.”

My eyes widened as I stared at her. The blood seemed to drain from my face.

Logan wants to make me his second mate? To bind me to the pack forever?

No!

I shook my head. “I don’t want to be his second mate.”

“Don’t play dumb! You accepted that necklace! You must’ve loved showing off that necklace at the party, right? To tell everyone that Logan dumped me? Let me tell you, Logan only made you his second mate—and I’m still Luna!”

The wine glass in her hand was hurled at my face.

It shattered against my head. The thick mixture of my blood and wine felt warm as it trickled down the side of my head.

My hands clenched into fists, trying to restrain myself.

“Luna Olivia, I never wanted the position of Second Mate. If I could, I’d leave this place and never come back.”

“You want to leave this place? There’s only one way you can leave here.” Her eyes flashed with cruelty and extreme hatred toward me.

“I know a place that’ll welcome you with open arms: an omega auction house that specializes in breeding.”

My body tensed, staring at Olivia in disbelief.

“Are you crazy? Do you think you can sell people like goods? Does Logan know what you’re doing?!”

“Logan? He loves me. For my sake, he made the foster sister he raised into my servant. It wouldn’t be any different if I auctioned you off to an auction house.”

I clenched my fists and stood with a cold expression. “Take your crazy actions elsewhere. Even if you’re Luna Pack, I’m not your slave or this pack’s slave.”

I turned and walked away.

I’m done humiliating myself in front of Olivia. If I have to fight the entire pack and Olivia, I’ll do it rather than be humiliated at an auction like livestock.

Olivia’s expression was icy. She stood up and grabbed my hair from behind.

“I don’t need your consent. I have a way to make you obey like a slave.”

Before I could fight back against Olivia, the servants rushed to grab my arms and hold me down. They forced me to kneel in front of Olivia.

Olivia poured a liquid from a small bottle into my mouth and slapped my face. “Be a good slave if you want to stay alive.”

My head began to spin. My vision grew blurry.

I shook my head vigorously to shake off the effects of the anesthetic.

Olivia was going to smuggle me into the auction house without anyone knowing if I lost consciousness here.

‘Lena, I need your help.’

‘Gladly, Mia. I’ve wanted to teach that bitch a lesson for a long time.’ Lena roared.

In an instant, the room was filled with the maids' echoing screams as my wolf form roared, flinging their bodies one by one.

Olivia was shocked and furious.

The door burst open.

Logan appeared with a worried look on his face and shouted,

“Mia, stop!”

Due to the effects of the wine, I began to lose consciousness.

When I woke up, I was in the hospital, and Dr. Joseph’s face filled my vision.

“Mia, you’re awake.”

“Ugh….” I tried to sit up, but Dr. Joseph held my shoulders, pushing me back down.

“Stay lying down. The drug’s effects were so strong that you were unconscious for two days. Luna Olivia really went too far. The anesthetic she used could knock out an elephant.”

“Ahem.” Someone cleared their throat behind Dr. Joseph.

“Alpha,” Dr. Joseph greeted Logan. “I’ll leave the two of you alone.”

He then left, leaving Logan and me in the pack’s hospital ward.

Seeing that I was awake, the cold expression on Logan’s face softened for a moment.

“Mia, thank goodness you’re awake.” He paused for a moment, “What Olivia did… I hope you never bring it up with anyone. She didn’t mean to send you to an auction house. She was just joking. Don’t blame her, okay?”

“And don’t transform in front of Olivia. She’s having a panic attack. This is the last time I’ll forgive your werewolf ways.”

I covered my eyes with my hands, holding back a scornful laugh from escaping my lips.

All of Olivia’s misdeeds are considered minor mistakes, and Logan will always protect her.

My retaliation, however, will be seen as rebellion and blown out of proportion.

“Mia, are you listening to me?” Logan frowned.

I glanced at him, putting on a sweet smile. “Fine. I’ll never blame her. Even when she holds a knife to my throat, I’ll have to stay sweet and let her slit my throat. I get it—after all, this isn’t the first time.”

Logan tensed. “Mia, why are you being so sarcastic?"

“I’m joking. Please leave me alone.” I turned my back on him.

Don’t provoke him today.

I have to get out of here; it’s better to keep pretending to be submissive.

I felt his presence slowly retreat and disappear behind me.

The next day, Logan sent a lot of gifts to my room as compensation for Olivia’s actions. No apology.

“Miss Klein….” A maid slipped a small bottle into my hand as she delivered Logan’s gifts. She then left without saying a word.

I stared at her back suspiciously. I’d never seen her in the Wildfire pack. My gaze shifted to the small bottle containing a dark blue liquid.

Aconitum potion.

A potion that creates a false death for whoever drinks it, making their heart seem to stop beating for just two days.

It’s extremely rare.

The phone on the bedside table rang. A call from Alpha Asher.

I hurried to answer it.

[“Miss Klein, have you received the Aconitum potion?”]

“Yes. I received it from a servant.”

[“Good. Everything is ready. Your death will be staged during the Moonlight Birth Fest.”]

My heart was pounding with excitement; my hands clutched the bottle of Aconitum potion tightly, my last hope of escaping this place.

“Then, what about my mother?”

[“Your mother… I’m sorry, I haven’t found the hospital where your mother is being treated.”]

“I understand. I’ll figure out a way to find out where Madam Freya moved my mother. Logan must know which hospital my mother is being treated at.”]

“Who are you talking to?!”

Logan’s baritone voice made me jump in surprise; my phone slipped from my grip and fell to the floor.

Logan had been in my room for who knows how long.

“Who were you calling?!” he asked again in a cold tone.

“Just a friend.” I tried to stay calm. Secretly, my hand moved to hide the bottle of Aconitum potion in my pants pocket.

Logan picked up my phone from the floor before I could stop him. His eyes flickered with a suspicious look.

“Asher? Is he Alpha Asher from Blackwood?”

“Alpha Asher from Blackwood? How would I know that notoriously unsociable Alpha Asher? That’s the name of a former classmate of mine.” I lied without taking my eyes off him.

Logan stared at me for a long moment. “Your friend… why were you calling him? You rarely reach out to your friends.”

I looked at him, trying to recall how Olivia always managed to win Logan’s heart.

I had to ask Logan which hospital my mother was being treated at.

“Logan, it’s been so long since I’ve visited my mother. I really want to see her. So I contacted my friend to ask for his help checking on my mother.”

The suspicion on Logan’s face faded; he sighed and sat down beside me.

“If you want to see your mom, you just need to tell me. Don’t contact someone behind my back, even if it’s a friend.”

“Yes, I’ll always tell you whenever I miss my mom. So, can you take me to see her?”

Logan looked at me for a moment, then said, “Alright, I’ll take you to visit your mom tomorrow.”

I gave him a sweet smile, “Thank you, Logan.”

Logan was momentarily stunned, his intense gaze fixed on my face. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you smile like this.”

He reached out to brush my lips, but pulled his hand back.

Logan kept his promise; he would take me tomorrow after the hunt with the pack’s guests.

I waited anxiously for him to finish the hunt, pacing back and forth in the Pack’s yard. I held back my urge to run into the forest in my wolf form.

“Humph!”

My eyes widened in shock as a rough hand suddenly clamped over my mouth from behind, pulling me away. They then threw me into the cold pond.

“Drown that slut! She’s a disgrace to the pack and our Alpha!” One of the servants sneered, pressing my head underwater before pulling it back to the surface.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I regained my breath. My eyes narrowed as I glared at Olivia, who was crouching in front of me.

“Olivia, what else do you want?”

Her hand swung, striking my face.

“Oh, you’re getting bold! Are you getting braver because Logan keeps giving you gifts?!”

I pressed my lips together, my teeth chattering from the cold pool water.

“Luna, the Alpha has always loved you. There’s no point in you always being jealous of me!”

Olivia grabbed my hair. “True, but his attention is always divided between you. Did you know that ever since your body suffered from the miscarriage of the twins, Logan has been searching everywhere for the Elixir Vitae?”

“Mia, this time you have to die. Logan won’t blame me if you die here. In the end, the most important person to him is still me, not the child of a former maid." She grinned cruelly.

She glared at me furiously, then whispered in a voice only the two of us could hear.

Olivia then stood up, glancing at the maid beside her before turning to leave. The maid nodded, then announced in a loud voice.

“Mia Klein seduced Alpha Logan to betray Luna, then tempted the heir to the Moonstone Pack. She wants to disgrace our pack. This shameless, disgusting whore must be drowned so she doesn’t disgrace the pack and tarnish our Alpha’s honor. Drown her!”

One of the maids grabbed my head, submerging me in the water. I couldn’t breathe. My chest ached as water began to fill my lungs.

Am I going to die here?

‘Mia, don’t give up! You have to stay alive!’ My wolf screamed in my mind, bringing clarity to my chaotic thoughts.

My eyes opened with determination. I shook my head with all my might, pulling the maid's hand that kept pressing my head down, then clawing at it with my wolf’s nails until she released her grip.

Suddenly, someone helped pull me up, allowing me to breathe again. I coughed, spitting water from my mouth.

“How dare you try to kill Mia!”