Silence settled between us.

Finally, I broke it.

“Today is the anniversary of our son's death,” I said quietly. “The day the avalanche buried everything... the day you never came back.”

His expression faltered.

For the briefest moment, I caught something in his eyes.

Regret.

Maybe guilt.

At that point, I couldn't tell the difference anymore.

I glanced at the mango cake still in his hands.

“And one more thing,” I added. “I'm allergic to mangoes.”

His face drained of color.

“Lillian... I...” His voice stumbled. “I didn't know. I thought—”

“No,” I interrupted gently. “You never thought about it.”

“You're wrong.” He took a step toward me. “Please don't walk away like this. We can talk. I know you're hurting, but don't push me away.”

I slowly shook my head.

“I'm not angry anymore.”

I looked at him one last time.

“I'm simply tired of talking.”

Without another word, I walked past him.

I ignored him calling my name.

I ignored Celeste's quiet sobs.

And when Rowan's voice softened as he turned to comfort her instead, I kept walking without looking back.

...

The moment I reached my room, I closed the door and shut the rest of the world outside.

Sleep eventually claimed me.

I had no idea whether I'd been asleep for hours or nearly the entire night.

A faint noise downstairs pulled me awake.

Voices.

Soft footsteps.

I slowly opened my eyes.

Rowan was sitting beside my bed.

He watched me with the same gentle expression he used to wear years ago.

“My love,” he said quietly after noticing I was awake. “You're finally up.”

I offered no reply.

I only looked at him.

“I made something for you.” His voice was careful, almost hesitant. “A strawberry cake. It's your favorite. Will you eat a little?”

When his fingers reached for mine, I quietly pulled my hand away.

“I'm not hungry.”

His hand remained suspended awkwardly before he lowered it with a sigh.

“Don't pretend,” he murmured. “You're still upset with me, aren't you?”

I remained silent.

After a long pause, he tried again.

“Once things settle down at the pack, I'll take you out. Your favorite orchestra is performing soon. We can go together, just the two of us. Doesn't that sound nice?”

I turned my face toward the window instead, refusing to answer.

He pressed his lips together before taking my hand again.

This time he didn't let go.

“Celeste prepared something especially for you,” he said. “She arranged an animal performance because she wants to apologize properly. Just come see it. Please.”

“I don't want to.”

The words came quietly.

He ignored them.

Naturally.

Without asking again, he slipped one arm beneath my knees and lifted me into his embrace before carrying me downstairs.

The cold night air struck me the moment we stepped outside.

I wore nothing but a thin nightgown.

The freezing wind instantly made me shiver.

My body trembled uncontrollably.

Rowan either didn't notice...

Or he noticed and simply chose not to care.

My eyes followed him as he picked up several warm coats nearby.

For one foolish second, I thought one might be for me.

It wasn't.

Every piece belonged to Celeste.

He walked straight to her, carefully helping her into a thick protective outfit. He adjusted every strap himself, gently settled the padded jacket over her shoulders, pulled gloves over her hands, then carefully fastened a safety helmet beneath her chin.

His every movement was impossibly patient.

As though she were something precious that might break.

When he finished, he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“Don't overwork yourself,” he told her softly. “You and our baby matter more than anything else. Nothing is more important than keeping both of you safe.”

The wind carried every word to where I stood.

A moment later, Celeste pulled away the heavy cloth covering a large iron cage.

I immediately froze.

Inside paced two enormous beasts.

A fully grown black bear.

A shadow lynx.

Their claws scraped violently against the metal bars as restless growls echoed through the clearing.

The instant the cover disappeared, both animals stopped moving.

Then...

They looked directly at me.

“ROAR!”

The bear's thunderous roar shattered the silence.

Its dark eyes remained fixed on mine with terrifying intensity.

My heart nearly stopped.

Why...

Why were they staring at me like that?

Almost instinctively, I backed away.

Then a strange scent drifted through my memory.

The lilies.

The bouquet Celeste had given me earlier.

That overpowering smell...

A chill raced through my body.

No...

Surely not...

I swallowed hard before forcing myself to speak.

“Rowan...”

My voice shook.

“I don't feel well. Can we leave? Please... I really don't want to stay here.”

Once upon a time, he would've rushed to my side without hesitation.

He would've carried me inside.

Asked if I was hurting.

Made sure I was alright before anything else.

Now...

His brows drew together impatiently.

“Lillian,” he said with obvious annoyance, “don't start making trouble. Celeste has been preparing this for days. Can't you stay for a few minutes instead of spoiling everything?”

Spoiling everything.

The words stung far more than they should have.

I forced another breath.

“I'm not trying to ruin anything. I honestly don't feel well. Can we please leave afterward... or even now?”

He let out another sigh.

“You're worrying over nothing. Nothing bad is going to happen. Just watch the performance. It'll be finished soon.”

Watch?

I nearly laughed.

Celeste stepped into the performance area while carefully holding the control chains attached to the animals.

“I practiced every day for this,” she said nervously. “I really wanted to make it up to you. Please... let me do this.”

I couldn't bring myself to answer.

The performance began.

The bear and the lynx obediently leaped through flaming hoops before balancing across narrow wooden beams. Everything appeared perfectly under control.

“That's right...” Celeste encouraged shakily. “Slowly... good... just like that.”

Rowan applauded proudly.

A bright smile spread across his face.

“You're doing wonderfully,” he praised. “I knew you could.”

His eyes never left her.

Not once.

Not even for a second.

He had completely forgotten that this performance was supposedly arranged for me.

But even that wasn't what frightened me most.

My breathing became uneven.

My hands wouldn't stop shaking.

Because no matter where they moved...

The bear and the lynx kept looking at me.

Again.

And again.

Every time our eyes met, something inside their gaze seemed darker.

Hungrier.

Like they were waiting for the perfect moment.

I quietly stepped backward.

Then another step.

I have to leave.

Now.

No one noticed me.

Of course they didn't.

I had almost slipped beyond the edge of the clearing when—

“Ah!”

Celeste screamed.

I spun around.

She had lost her balance on the raised platform.

Her body tipped sideways.

The control chains slipped from her hands.

Everything happened at once.

The bear and the lynx became completely still.

Then deafening roars erupted from both of them.

“Celeste!”

Rowan shouted her name without a second's hesitation.

He sprinted straight toward her.

“Celeste! Are you alright? Talk to me!”

He reached her first.

Not me.

Never me.

The two beasts slowly turned their heads.

Toward me.

My breathing stopped.

“No...”

I stumbled backward.

“Please...”

Too late.

They charged.

Everything happened in a blur.

A crushing force slammed into me.

Agonizing pain exploded through every part of my body as claws tore into my flesh. It felt as though my bones were breaking apart one by one.

“Aah!”

My scream echoed through the night.

The pain was unbearable.

I couldn't think.

Couldn't breathe.

I collapsed onto the ground as blood spread beneath me, warm and endless.

Through my fading vision...

I searched for him.

Rowan.

He was holding Celeste tightly in his arms.

He never looked my way.

Not even once.

When I came to again, the first thing that greeted me was the sharp scent of disinfectant mixed with the metallic smell of hospital equipment. Above me, the ceiling was blindingly white.

Pain flared through my chest the moment I tried to breathe. My legs felt unbearably heavy, as if they had been crushed beneath a mountain. A faint groan escaped my lips.

"Easy," the nurse said at once, gently pressing me back onto the bed. "Don't try to move. You have three fractured ribs and your liver suffered internal bleeding. Honestly, it's a miracle you survived the night."

I blinked several times, struggling to bring her face into focus.

She continued while checking my chart, unaware that every sentence weighed on me.

"Things were a mess last night. Dr. Bennett was the only doctor on duty, and another patient's family kept demanding he see their pregnant daughter-in-law before anyone else. They caused quite a scene."

Pregnant.

My fingers twitched beneath the blanket.

Seeing my expression, the nurse quickly smiled.

"But don't worry. Her injuries turned out to be minor, so Dr. Bennett came to operate on you right afterward. You received treatment just in time."

Of course.

After a brief pause, she asked gently, "Hasn't anyone come to visit? Your family? Your mate? Someone should really be here with you."

I lowered my eyes to the blanket covering me.

"I don't have anyone."

The words scraped painfully against my throat.

She fell silent. I didn't have to look up to know she pitied me.

A moment later, voices drifted in from the hallway.

"Rowan..." Celeste sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I don't know why those animals suddenly went wild. They were calm during practice. Miss Brightman got hurt because of me."

Rowan answered almost immediately, his tone full of concern.

"Stop blaming yourself, Celeste. None of this was your fault. You were injured too. You shouldn't even be standing here."

She sniffled.

"I don't care about my injuries. I just feel terrible. I need to apologize to her. If I don't tell her I'm sorry, I'll never forgive myself."

My fingers slowly curled into a fist.

Another apology.

Rowan sighed softly.

"You're carrying our baby. You shouldn't upset yourself like this. Go back to your room and rest. I'll take care of everything."

"I don't want to leave." Her voice cracked with tears. "Please... let me see her. I have to apologize in person."

Something inside me finally broke.

Without thinking, I grabbed the glass beside my bed and hurled it across the room.

It smashed against the wall with a deafening crash.

The hallway instantly fell silent.

Seconds later, hurried footsteps approached.

Rowan burst into my room.

"Lillian!" His face was filled with worry. "What's wrong? Are you thirsty? Does something hurt? Tell me what you need."

I quietly looked at him.

Really looked at him.

His concern appeared so genuine.

Just like it always had.

And suddenly...

I felt exhausted.

Too exhausted to argue anymore.

"I want to ask you something."

He nodded immediately.

"What is it?"

"Did you investigate the bear and the shadow lynx?"

His expression froze for the briefest moment.

"They suddenly lost control," I continued. "Did anyone find out why?"

Something unreadable flickered through his eyes before disappearing.

"It was simply an accident," he replied without missing a beat. "Wild animals become unpredictable sometimes. There's nothing unusual about it."

I held his gaze.

"Nothing unusual?"

He calmly pulled the blanket higher over my shoulders as though everything were perfectly normal.

"You're thinking too much again," he said gently. "Right now, your only job is to recover. Stop worrying about things that don't matter."

At that moment...

Whatever hope remained inside me quietly died.

I stared at him while an ache spread through my chest that had nothing to do with my injuries.

Six years earlier...

The memory surfaced as vividly as if it had happened yesterday.

I'd gone alone to inspect the pack's outer border during a storm when several rogue wolves surrounded me.

Their expressions were twisted.

Their intentions even worse.

One of them grabbed my wrist and dragged me toward the trees while the others laughed.

I was terrified.

No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't break free.

Then Rowan arrived.

I'd never forgotten the look on his face.

Pure fury.

"If any of you touches her again," he'd said in a voice that made the ground tremble beneath our feet, "I'll make you beg for death."

The rogues laughed.

So Rowan made good on his promise.

He destroyed them.

"Leave them alive," he calmly instructed the warriors after the fight.

Then his eyes turned cold.

"But make sure they regret ever laying a hand on her."

Their screams echoed through the forest for hours.

Blood stained the earth.

Not a single ounce of mercy was shown.

In the end, none of those rogues ever returned.

That was the man who once protected me without hesitation.

Yet now...

I had nearly been killed before his eyes.

I was mauled by two beasts only a few steps away from him.

And he never questioned it.

Never wondered why they suddenly attacked.

Never even considered that Celeste might somehow be involved.

The emptiness inside me was overwhelming.

"I understand," I murmured quietly before turning my face away.

He hesitated.

"Lillian..."

Before he could continue, frantic voices echoed from the hallway.

Doctors and nurses hurried past the room.

"Alpha!" someone shouted. "The Luna's condition has changed!"

Rowan stood instantly.

"I'll be back soon," he promised in a rush. "I'll bring you something to eat too. Just wait for me."

I never answered.

...

He never returned.

At first, I waited.

Minutes blurred into hours until I eventually stopped caring.

The pain drained every bit of strength from my body.

Eventually, I drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Even then, I couldn't truly rest.

Something heavy continued pressing against my heart.

A sharp sting suddenly jolted me awake.

Pain shot through my arm.

Looking down, I saw thick bandages wrapped around it. Fresh blood had already begun seeping through the white gauze.

"W-What are you doing?" I asked weakly.

The nurse continued working without looking up.

"I'm changing your dressing. You just underwent a skin graft, so it's normal for it to hurt. Try not to move."

I stared at her in confusion.

"A... skin graft?"

She finally looked at me.

"You didn't know?"

My silence answered for me.

"The Luna in the room next door scraped her arm yesterday. Alpha Ashcroft approved using a section of your skin for the graft."

For several seconds, I couldn't hear anything except the ringing in my ears.

The nurse sighed.

"Honestly, her wound wasn't even serious. But that's just how life is, I suppose. Some people have everyone rushing over a tiny scratch..."

She stopped herself before finishing.

She didn't have to.

I understood exactly what she meant.

My entire body turned cold.

So this was what I'd become.

Even my own skin...

He could take it from me whenever he wished...

...just to give it to her.

My lips trembled.

It felt as though I'd swallowed fire.

"Could you..." My voice nearly disappeared. "Could you help me transfer to another hospital?"

The nurse blinked.

"Transfer? Why would you want to—"

The door suddenly swung open.

A familiar voice interrupted her.

"Transfer?"

A pair of cold eyes landed on me.

"Where exactly do you think you're going?"

Rowan stepped into the room carrying several bags filled with fruit and food.

Everything inside had once been my favorite.

He placed them on the table, shrugged off his coat, and walked straight to my bedside.

“Why are you asking to transfer hospitals?” he asked quietly. “You're still recovering. You shouldn't be moving around.”

I said nothing.

I simply looked at him.

Like always, he gently wiped my hands and feet with a warm towel before peeling an apple with practiced care. After cutting it into small pieces, he lifted one toward my mouth.

“Eat a little,” he coaxed. “You haven't had anything since yesterday.”

I remained perfectly still.

A helpless sigh escaped him.

“Lillian... don't do this. Your body needs food if you want to heal. Don't make me worry.”

He set the fruit aside, scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it until it cooled, then held it out again.

“Just one bite.”

His patience never wavered.

His kindness hadn't changed.

And somehow...

That hurt the most.

Because I knew the truth now.

He treated Celeste with that same tenderness.

No...

He treated her even better.

Whenever they shared a meal, he always placed the best portions on her plate first.

“This piece is sweeter,” I'd once heard him tell her with a smile. “You should eat this one.”

He would kneel beside her bed for long stretches of time, resting his ear against her stomach.

“In a few more months,” he'd whisper excitedly, “our little pup will start kicking. I can't wait.”

After I fell asleep each night, he quietly slipped out of my room.

Back then, I could only guess where he went.

Now I no longer had to wonder.

I had seen him.

I watched him disappear into Celeste's room after dark.

I saw the lingering glances they exchanged.

The way his fingers naturally found hers.

The intimate marks on their skin that neither of them bothered hiding anymore.

During the day, he introduced her openly to everyone they met.

“This is my mate,” he'd say proudly. “Our Luna.”

“She'll be giving birth soon, so please take good care of her.”

Never once...

Did he introduce me that way.

I watched everything in silence.

No accusations.

No tears.

No questions.

There was no reason anymore.

When someone has truly decided to leave...

They don't waste time saying goodbye.

...

The days passed one after another.

Each one colder than the last.

Whenever Rowan stayed with Celeste, I quietly made another phone call.

“It's me,” I'd whisper. “How much longer?”

The agent's reassuring voice always answered.

“We're almost finished, Ms. Brightman. Just a little more time.”

So I waited.

Then the morning of my discharge finally arrived.

A message appeared on my phone.

Ms. Brightman, your new documents will be completed the morning after tomorrow.

I stared at the screen for a long time.

Then...

Without realizing it...

I smiled.

It was the first genuine smile I'd worn in what felt like forever.

Finally.

I was leaving.

Rowan happened to notice.

One arm was still wrapped protectively around Celeste when he turned toward me.

His expression filled with surprise.

“You're smiling,” he said softly. “Did something good happen?”

I quietly shook my head.

“Nothing important.”

“I just... feel a little lighter today.”

Before I could step away, he pulled me into his arms.

“That's better,” he murmured against my hair. “You should smile more often. Don't carry everything by yourself. I'm here for you.”

“I'll always be here.”

Always.

The word almost made me laugh.

Gently, I eased myself out of his embrace.

“I'm alright.”

He studied me for a moment, something uncertain passing through his eyes.

Then he bent down and kissed my forehead.

“If you're sure... let's go home.”

The drive back was unusually quiet.

Every few minutes, Rowan glanced in my direction.

“Are you certain you're okay?” he asked again. “You've barely spoken. If something's bothering you, tell me.”

I kept my eyes on the scenery beyond the window.

“There isn't anything left to say.”

His brows knit together.

He slowly reached across the seat, intending to take my hand.

Before he could...

“Rowan!”

Celeste suddenly screamed.

“Look out!”

A deafening crash exploded around us.

A black SUV barreled straight into our vehicle without warning.

Metal twisted.

Glass shattered.

The world spun violently.

...

Then everything disappeared.

I dreamed.

Or perhaps...

I remembered.

Five years earlier.

Back when I could still see.

I had loved wandering alone through the mountains, exploring the outer edges of the pack's territory.

That was where I found him.

A man lying unconscious among the rocks in a lifeless mountain range.

His leg was badly broken.

His body burned with fever.

An Alpha...

Alone...

And dying.

I remembered kneeling beside him, frightened.

“Can you hear me?” I'd asked while gently shaking his shoulder. “Don't die, okay? There's no way I can carry a dead Alpha down this mountain.”

He never answered.

So I stayed.

I shared every bit of food and water I had.

Used all of my medicine on him.

For three straight days, I barely slept while caring for a complete stranger.

On the third morning...

He finally opened his eyes.

The relief hit me so hard that I collapsed almost immediately afterward.

When I regained consciousness again, everything had changed.

This time...

He was the one taking care of me.

His wrist had been cut open.

Warm Alpha blood touched my lips.

“Drink,” he ordered hoarsely.

“You're not dying after saving me.”

I weakly pushed his hand away.

“Have you lost your mind?” I whispered. “You'll weaken yourself.”

He simply shook his head.

“I'll recover.”

His eyes never left mine.

“But you won't... unless you drink.”

He kept feeding me his blood until rescuers finally found us.

From that day forward, he refused to let me disappear from his life.

Whenever I tried to leave, he'd smile and repeat the same words.

“We survived that mountain together.”

“That kind of miracle doesn't happen twice.”

“It has to mean something.”

“Call it fate... destiny... whatever you like.”

“But I'm never letting you go, Lillian.”

Back then...

I believed every word.

Then the dream changed.

The mountains vanished.

Everything blurred into darkness.

Suddenly...

It wasn't the Rowan I knew anymore.

I watched him shove me toward a pack of savage beasts.

His face was cold.

His eyes never left Celeste.

He chose her...

Without hesitation.

“No!”

I screamed.

My eyes flew open.

My head throbbed violently.

My entire body felt unbearably heavy.

My wrists and ankles were tightly bound.

Something rough covered my eyes, plunging me back into darkness.

“Where... am I?”

My voice barely came out.

Someone laughed.

“Well, well... Alpha Ashcroft.”

The unfamiliar man sounded amused.

“You've got nerve.”

“You destroyed my pack, stole our territory, and left us with nothing.”

“Did you really think I'd simply forget?”

Rowan's voice answered immediately.

Cold.

Deadly.

“Darius Crowe.”

“The rogue Alpha.”

“You kidnapped me?”

A low growl escaped him.

“You've just signed your own death sentence.”

Darius burst into laughter.

“Death?” he sneered.

“I've already lost everything.”

“If I'm going down, you're coming with me.”

“But killing you immediately would be boring.”

Rough hands grabbed me.

I was dragged across uneven ground.

Sharp stones tore into my back, but I bit my lip to keep from crying out.

Nearby...

I heard Celeste sobbing.

“Please... let me go...”

Moments later, both of us were thrown onto the ground.

“Release them,” Rowan demanded.

“This is between you and me.”

“Leave them out of it.”

Darius ignored him completely.

His laughter carried through the darkness.

“How about we play a little game instead?”

“You like games, don't you, Alpha?”

“I've prepared several.”

“All you have to do... is decide who suffers.”

My heart sank.

“No,” Rowan said immediately.

“You want territory? Money? Power?”

“You can have it.”

“Just let them go.”

Darius clicked his tongue impatiently.

“Enough bargaining.”

“Let's begin.”

Chains rattled somewhere nearby.

Then came low...

Hungry...

Growls.

“The first game,” Darius announced cheerfully, “is called Blood Bait.”

Ice spread through my veins.

“One of your women will be covered in fresh blood...”

“Then dropped into a pit filled with starving rogue wolves.”

“They'll chase.”

“They'll hunt.”

“Don't worry.”

“I'll pull her out before she dies.”

“Probably.”

Rowan's breathing became uneven.

“You're insane.”

“Choose.”

Silence answered.

Without warning, someone seized me.

A cold, sticky liquid splashed across my body.

The unmistakable scent hit me instantly.

Blood.

“No!”

The ground suddenly vanished beneath my feet.

I fell into the darkness.