After half a month of recovery in the neutral zone, I was finally starting to feel human again.

Harrison had reached out once through our mind-link, but after I didn’t respond, he went silent.

As the day to meet my mother drew near, I forced myself to return to the pack's territory to gather my things.

But the moment I pushed open the door to our home, I stumbled into the middle of a party.

Harrison and his friends froze, their faces a mixture of shock and irritation. I’d clearly just crashed a private welcome-home party.

Harrison's face twisted with uncertainty, but he still strode forward, his brow furrowed.

“Elara, I reached out through our mind-link. Why didn't you answer?”

My gaze drifted past him to the girl standing behind him—Victoria Blackwood.

Long hair, a white dress, the picture-perfect image of a future Luna.

When she caught me staring, Harrison rubbed his nose like a guilty pup.

“Victoria came back earlier than expected,” he muttered.

“Since I just ‘recovered,’ I didn't want to make a big deal of it. It’s just a small welcome party. You’re not really going to throw a fit over this, are you?”

I clutched the hem of my dress.

For the five years I was with Harrison, Victoria had always been a shadow between us.

Just hearing her name was enough to make my wolf restless.

But now? None of it mattered.

I gave a slight nod.

“Welcome back.”

“Don't let me interrupt. I’m just here to grab a few things.”

My composure seemed to unnerve Harrison; a deep frown creased his brow.

He used to bring up Victoria’s name just to get a rise out of me, to watch my inner wolf thrash against my control.

But now? I was too calm, and it clearly caught him off guard.

As I turned to leave, Victoria’s voice, dripping with false fragility, cut through the room.

“Elara, I forgave you for what happened back then a long time ago. Why are you still being so cold? Won't you stay and celebrate with us?”

Of course, Harrison couldn't stand to see her upset.

He grabbed my arm, pulled me to the table, and pushed me into a seat.

“Victoria said she doesn't blame you, so stop acting like a ghost and keep her company.”

The moment I sat down, his inner circle crowded around me.

“If you’re truly sorry, Elara, you’ll drink this!”

I almost laughed at how predictable they were.

They knew how weak I was after the ritual, yet they handed me a drink laced with wolfsbane. How utterly vile.

The old me might have deluded myself into thinking this was their twisted way of showing they cared.

I shoved the glass away.

“The healer said I can’t drink.”

“Oh, come on. A little bit won't hurt!”

They ignored me, grabbing my arms and forcing the liquid down my throat.

The wolfsbane burned through my insides. I choked, coughing violently.

As I tried to back away, someone shoved me forward—and my face slammed into a silver platter.

A sharp, searing pain shot through my cheek.

A chorus of mocking laughter erupted around me.

I finally pushed myself up, my face wet.

Through my blurry vision, I looked down—and froze.

It was a platter made of pure silver.

Victoria was practically doubled over, breathless with laughter.

One of the men looked at me without a hint of remorse.

“Sorry, Elara. Who knew your face would be so clumsy and run into it on its own?”

Someone muttered that I deserved it, and then they all burst out laughing again.

I wiped the liquid from my face, choked back my fury, and prepared to leave.

But Victoria wasn't done.

She grabbed a handful of my hair, her eyes glinting with triumph, and waved the others over.

“Elara's upset! Let’s help her wash her face so she won't go complaining to Harrison.”

They all grinned as if it were just a big joke and rushed toward me.

Icy panic seized me.

I couldn't breathe.

When I was a child, I was kidnapped by a rival pack. Because I wouldn't stop crying, they held my head underwater, and I nearly drowned.

Ever since, the feeling of being submerged has been my nightmare.

No matter how much I fought, Victoria dragged me to the bathroom.

They twisted my arms behind my back and forced my head into a tub filled with water.

The icy water, laced with the bitter scent of wolfsbane, rushed over me, suppressing my wolf. I screamed, choking and gasping for air.

They just held me down tighter, laughing as if it were a twisted game.

“Scrub her clean! A vile woman like her doesn't deserve to be here!”

My vision blurred, and darkness began to close in.

I was seconds from passing out when Harrison's voice cut through the chaos.

“Enough! All of you, stop!”

They released me instantly, and I collapsed to the floor, coughing and trembling.

Harrison walked over and brushed the wet hair from my face.

“I'm sorry, baby. You must have been so scared.”

I pushed his hand away, my voice hoarse.

“I'm fine.”

Ignoring his feigned look of hurt, I turned and retreated to the bedroom.

Outside, I heard Harrison's inner circle complaining.

“It was just a joke, Harrison. Why are you suddenly so sensitive?”

Harrison's voice grew low; he was struggling to stay calm.

“Elara has been afraid of water since she was a child. How could you joke about her greatest fear?”

One of them scoffed.

“Consider it a lesson for her.”

“Victoria's back—don't you want to have your bonding ceremony with her sooner?”

“Yeah, you've done worse before. What's one more thing?” another chimed in.

Something in Harrison snapped.

He kicked the table hard, his voice icy.

“She just sacrificed half her life force. What if the sacrificial wound ruptures completely?”

Victoria's face darkened.

She glared at him, her voice trembling.

“Has your heart really changed in just four years apart?”

“Never,” he said instantly.

“You are the only one I've ever loved, and that will never change.”

His friends egged him on, fanning the flames.

“Harrison and Victoria are fated mates! If Elara hadn't gotten in the way, you two would have been together long ago. She's shamelessly sticking around, so we should give her one last lesson—show her what happens when you steal someone else's place. She sabotaged Victoria’s promotion ceremony, so crippling her legs is only fair!”

The others nodded as if this made perfect sense, but Harrison hesitated.

“No. Elara's body can't handle that kind of ritual right now.”

A silence fell.

Then Victoria burst into tears.

“Harrison, you told me you were only apart from me to get revenge on her. Now that I’m back, why are you still protecting her?”

“You saw the agony I was in when my wolf went wild. All I want is justice—is that too much to ask?”

Flustered, Harrison pulled Victoria into his arms and kissed her.

After a long, tense moment, he spoke to his friends in a hoarse voice:

“Just don't actually kill her. I don't want to owe her anything.”

A sharp pain lanced through my chest.

He would destroy me without a second thought for Victoria's happiness.

Fine. If that's what he wanted, I would make him pay.

I took out my communication rune and sent a message to my mom.

Harrison’s friends left boisterously, still reveling in their cruel scheme.

A few minutes later, Harrison slipped into the bedroom and sat by my bed.

Perhaps seeing me curled up under the covers, pale and in pain, made him feel a shred of guilt.

He leaned in to kiss me, but I pushed him away.

His hand froze for a second before he forced a gentle smile.

“Baby, I'm sorry you had a bad day,” he said.

“I've booked your favorite spot at Moon Goddess Cliff. Meet me there at noon tomorrow. I have a surprise for you.”

My heart felt like a block of ice, but I managed a slight nod.

“Okay.”

The next morning, he claimed he had to handle pack business and told me to drive there myself.

As he handed me the car keys, I asked in a low voice:

“Harrison, if you had another chance… would you still choose me?”

A strange flicker crossed his eyes—maybe regret—but he plastered on a smile and ruffled my hair.

“Don't overthink it. You're my only mate.”

As he walked away, I gave him a faint smile.

It was his last chance.

I went to the garage, got into the car, and started the engine.

The car sped out of the territory and onto the path leading to Moon Goddess Cliff.

A sacrificial array flashed into view by the roadside, but I barely gave it a glance.

In the villa, Harrison and his inner circle were using an eagle-eye spell, their focus locked on my car.

Just before the final turn, the car didn't slow down. Instead, it accelerated, the tires screeching like claws on rock.

Inside the car, a hidden magical conch transmitted my terrified screams directly back to the villa.

“What’s happening?”

“The car’s out of control! Harrison, where are you? I’m so scared! I don’t want to die!”

They fed on my fear like wolves, laughing uproariously.

The car careened off the road, crashing into the center of the sacrificial array at the cliff’s edge with a sickening surge of magical energy.

Harrison led the applause.

“When she crawls out of that array, I'll tell her we're finished.”

But things didn't go as planned.

The preset array activated, the energy of mixed silver dust and wolfsbane erupting instantly.

Thick smoke and silver flames shot up, and before they could react, a violent magical explosion ripped through the center of the array, scattering debris and leaving nothing but a pile of smoldering ash.