I watched Connor closely, searching his face for the slightest trace of regret.

But all I saw was mild annoyance.

"What did you say?" His voice was cold, distant. "Clara is dead?"

Duncan kept his head lowered, not daring to meet Connor's gaze. "Yes… Luna… she was trapped in that well for over ten days. No food, no water… she… she didn't make it."

Connor scoffed, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke. "Oh, she's still bluffing. Fine. If she's really dead, then call the priest for a ritual. Toss her corpse into the sea and let her see where playing dead gets her."

His cruelty sickened me. I desperately sought to elevate my soul, to distance myself from him. However, an unseen tether held me fast, dragging me inexorably back.

And then I realized—the force binding me wasn't Connor himself, but the wolf-spirit bracelet he wore.

The bracelet, woven from wolf bone and silver thread, was an ancient relic of my father. More than that, it was the token of love I had once given Connor.

I used to be like Cinderella, that pitiful girl.

My father had been the Alpha of the Starlight Pack. But after my mother's death, he remarried and brought another woman and her children into our home. When Dad left for campaigns, those children tormented me for sport.

When I was 12, they cornered me yet again, taunting and laughing. That was the day Connor happened to pass by and save me.

After that, I began sneaking into Blackclaw Pack territory just to catch a glimpse of him. That was when I realized he, too, was bullied by his siblings.

I fell for him completely.

So when the Moon Goddess prophesied that we were fated mates, I was overjoyed. My heart nearly burst with happiness, too blinded by love to notice the flicker of displeasure in his eyes as we sealed our bond.

I didn't know then.

I didn't realize the only reason Connor married me was for the wolf-spirit bracelet.

With it, he could win the trust and loyalty of my father's warriors.

Until I handed it over, he played the role of the perfect mate. He left water by my bedside each night and brought me fresh flowers when he returned home.

I fell even deeper for him. Without hesitation, I gave him the bracelet.

With the power of the wolf-spirit bracelet, Connor quickly crushed his siblings and claimed the title of Alpha of the Blackclaw Pack.

But was I truly just a pawn to him?

I didn't think so.

I wasn't naive.

The small, fleeting smiles he let slip when he thought no one was watching, the quiet care he still showed me, even after obtaining the bracelet—these were all signs—signs that, despite everything, Connor was slowly falling for me too.

Connor's lips curled into a mocking smirk. "You really think she'd die that easily? I know better than anyone how tough she is."

Belinda laughed, her voice dripping with amusement. "That's right. Our Luna is the kind of woman who could stomach a live snake. She may have gone days without food or water, but I believe she'll survive."

The gathered maids giggled at the remark, but Connor's smile faltered for just a second.

Watching his expression stiffened, I felt a flicker of satisfaction. "So, you do feel a little guilty after all."

I remembered the day when Connor had been captured in a battle against the rogues. To save him, I infiltrated their base camp alone.

By the time I reached his cell, I was bleeding, barely standing. But when our eyes met, there was no mistaking the shock and gratitude in his gaze.

We disguised ourselves as low-ranking rogue soldiers, blending in to make our escape. It might have worked—until the rogues handed out food—snakes and centipedes—still raw, crawling, and alive.

We hesitated. Even as werewolves, we weren't feral. We weren't like them. We had standards. Nobility did not stoop to eating like the mindless beasts we fought against.

Connor's hesitation drew suspicion, making them question our identities.

I had no choice. Before anyone could question us, I tilted my head back and swallowed those filthy creatures, earning the rogues' trust.

Connor appeared shocked.

Later, after we successfully escaped, some of the witnesses spread the story. Over time, rumors began to circulate that I had eaten raw snake flesh just to survive.

But within our pack, the mere mention of it drew Connor's furious ire; he wouldn't tolerate a single word of it.

For a while, things between us were good. I saw it in the way he looked at me, in the rare softness of his smile. For the first time, I thought I had finally cracked through the ice around his heart.

But then Belinda returned.

She was his childhood sweetheart, the girl who had once comforted him when he was at his lowest.

Three years of marriage, three years of effort—shattered the moment she stepped back into his life.

I snapped back to the present just as Connor waved Duncan off impatiently. "Tell her if she doesn't come out now, she can rot in that well for another month."

Duncan visibly flinched but did not move to follow the order.

Connor's voice sharpened, laced with undeniable authority. "Why are you still standing there? Or do you want to join her too?"

Duncan trembled and backed away quickly as Connor turned, slipping a possessive arm around Belinda's waist.

"Belinda, don't go easy on her when she comes out. Make her apologize to you. I don't care if she's Luna. She needs to learn what happens when she crosses someone I care about."

"Clara… you really think this little stunt will fool me?" Connor's words were barely audible, and within them, a subtle, almost swallowed hesitation.

As the minutes passed, his patience began to wear thin.

"Why is it taking so long? Is she still testing me?" A sharp edge crept into Connor's voice, betraying his annoyance.

"I'll see what she's doing," he stated, his voice a chilling blend of coldness and suppressed rage. Connor then marched toward the well. But as he neared the well's edge, a revolting odor assaulted his senses.

His brow creased in disgust, and his golden eyes flashed with revulsion. "What is that stench?"

Connor's tone turned sharp and demanding. "Clara, what are you doing? I'm letting you out, and you're still refusing? What, planning to live down there forever?"

He stepped closer, peering into the darkness. Moonlight streamed in, illuminating the bottom.

And then he saw it.

My lifeless body lay there, still and broken—like a discarded, ruined doll.