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.

Ferocious growls erupted around me, echoing from every direction. Though the blindfold stole my sight, I could sense the wolves moving in a tightening circle, each step bringing them closer until I could almost feel their breath against my skin.

“Rowan!” I cried out, panic rising in my throat. “Please, help me!”

“Stop!” he roared, his voice raw with desperation. “I said stop! I'll make my choice!”

The wolves hesitated for only a heartbeat before creeping closer again. Sharp claws grazed my calf, sending a shiver of terror through me.

Darius chuckled. “Well, Alpha? Who will it be? Her... or the mother carrying your children?”

My chest tightened painfully.

For one foolish moment, I waited.

Despite everything that had happened, I still hoped.

“I...” Rowan began, his voice strained.

Before he could continue, Celeste broke into sobs. “Rowan... please save me. Our babies... I can't lose them. I don't want to die.”

An eerie silence settled over the clearing. Even the wolves seemed to stop moving as they waited for his answer.

Then he spoke.

“Celeste.”

Just her name.

Nothing more.

That single word quietly shattered the last piece of my heart.

The wolves attacked.

Their teeth sank into my flesh while claws ripped across my body. They dragged me across the ground, tossing me around like prey instead of a person. My screams echoed until my voice gave out, yet they showed no mercy. They would pull me away only to throw me back into the pack again, repeating the torture until I lost all sense of time.

By the time they finally dragged me out for the last time, I couldn't even lift my head. Every breath felt like it was tearing through my lungs.

“Are you trying to kill her?” Rowan shouted, fury and panic blending together. “She won't survive this!”

Darius only smiled. “Don't glare at me, Alpha. You're the one who made the decision.”

I collapsed onto the ground, my body so heavy and numb it no longer felt like it belonged to me.

“Now for the second game,” Darius announced casually. “Let's make things a little more entertaining.”

A harsh scraping sound followed as something metallic was dragged across the ground.

“A silver whip,” he said. “Ninety-nine lashes. So tell me, Alpha Ashcroft... who's taking them this time?”

Rowan remained silent for several long seconds. I could hear the uneven rhythm of his breathing while I struggled to draw air into my burning lungs. Blood filled my mouth when I coughed, and violent tremors ran through my battered body.

So this is how it ends...

Finally, he answered.

“Celeste.”

Celeste burst into tears, clutching her chest as though she'd narrowly escaped death. “Lillian has already suffered enough,” she sobbed. “I never wanted any of this to happen. I swear I didn't.”

I never looked at her.

My eyes searched only for Rowan.

“Why?” I whispered, barely able to form the word. “Why is it always her? Just tell me once, Rowan. Tell me why.”

He never replied.

The silver whip cracked through the air before slamming across my back. A blinding wave of pain shot through my body, forcing a cry from my lips. My fingers clawed desperately at the rocky ground, sharp stones slicing into my palms until blood stained the dirt beneath them.

“One!”

The second lash followed immediately.

“Two!”

I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood, but another cry escaped anyway.

“Three!”

Each strike felt worse than the last, peeling away my strength little by little until all I could do was endure.

“Rowan...” I gasped between ragged breaths. “Does watching this hurt you at all? Or have I become nothing to you?”

Only silence answered me.

By the time the count passed fifty, my thoughts were slipping away. Blood streamed down my back and soaked my clothes while my vision blurred until the world became little more than shifting shadows.

“Fifty-five!”

My knees buckled beneath me.

“Stop!” Rowan suddenly shouted. “That's enough! Can't you see she's dying? Stop whipping her!”

The chains restraining him rattled violently before snapping apart. I heard him rush toward me, and for one fragile instant I truly believed he had chosen me at last.

Then Celeste screamed.

“Rowan! My stomach!” she cried in terror. “Something's wrong! It hurts... I think I'm losing the babies. Please... help me.”

Everything stopped.

Even without seeing him, I felt the hesitation.

Then I heard his footsteps change direction.

“Celeste,” he said anxiously as he caught her. “Talk to me. Where does it hurt? Stay with me. I'm here.”

A weak laugh escaped my lips.

So this was the answer.

Another lash struck my back, forcing blood from my mouth as I coughed violently.

“Lillian!” Rowan called my name, but his voice already sounded impossibly distant.

Darius laughed with cruel amusement. “This just keeps getting better. My medical team is standing by, Alpha, but they can only save one person. Think carefully. Are you choosing her again... or will you finally make a different decision?”

The whipping continued. Blow after blow landed until the ringing in my ears drowned out everything else. I forced my swollen eyes open just enough to make out Rowan speaking to Darius. Their mouths moved, but I could no longer hear the conversation. A moment later, Darius gave a slow nod.

Without another word, Rowan gathered Celeste into his arms. He held her close against his chest, turned around, and walked away without looking back even once.

A bitter laugh slipped from my lips.

“So... this is how it ends.”

Somehow, the ninety-nine lashes hurt less than watching him leave me behind.

The setting sun painted the sky a deep crimson, as though the heavens themselves were bleeding alongside me. A white seabird fluttered down and landed beside me, its spotless feathers quickly soaking up the blood that covered my body until they turned scarlet.

“Rowan...” I whispered through trembling breaths. “You told me fate brought us together. You said our bond could never be broken. Were those promises meaningless from the very beginning?”

Every breath burned, and every heartbeat sent fresh pain through my body.

“If there's another life waiting for me... I hope I never fall in love with you again.”

The last of my strength slipped away, and darkness quietly closed over me.