After being forced to go to rogue wolf territory to exchange my mate's kidnapped childhood sweetheart while three months pregnant, I was tortured to death.

Before my death, my eight-year-old daughter begged her father three times.

The first time, my daughter took her father's hand and said, "Daddy, mommy is pregnant with my little brother. She can't go to the rogue territory."

The alpha wolf let out a cold laugh: "How dare your mother teach a pup to lie."

Then he had his beta guards drive my daughter out of the pack house.

The second time, my daughter grabbed his sleeve and told him the rogue wolves were torturing me with silver.

The alpha frowned: "These rogues were hired by your mother to kidnap Willow. How could she really be tortured?"

The guards stepped forward and once again pulled my daughter out of the room.

The third time, my daughter lay on the floor, desperately clutching his pant leg, crying that I was dying in the rogue wolf territory.

The alpha finally lost his temper. He slapped her away with force.

"I told you, Ava won't die. She's strong. If you come running back here to disturb Willow's rest again, I'll definitely throw both of you out of the pack territory."

To save me, my daughter gave her most precious possession to the most powerful warrior in the pack—the healing gemstone I had given her for her birthday.

"Please, can you use this to help save my mother? I don't need protection anymore. I just want my mother to live."

The warrior took her healing gemstone, but before he could leave to rescue me, Willow stepped in his way.

"Sorry, little pup," she smirked. "The warrior needs to stay here to protect my dog. Your father was afraid I would be sad if anything happened to my pet."

1

After being forced to go to rogue wolf territory to exchange my mate's kidnapped childhood sweetheart while three months pregnant, I was tortured to death.

I lay dying in the rogue territory, my body broken by silver torture while Willow's dog received protection back at the pack.

As the powerful warrior was stopped from leaving, my daughter still clutched the healing gemstone case, now empty.

She clenched her small fists, now turning purplish, and begged Willow again and again.

"Please, let the warrior come save my mom?" her small voice pleaded.

"Miss Willow, please, I'm begging you, let him go!"

My daughter's childish voice echoed throughout the entire pack house, but it couldn't move Willow who was busy fussing over her pet dog—the animal she claimed needed the pack's strongest warrior for protection.

The louder my daughter cried and shouted, the more Willow seemed determined to ignore her as she cooed and fawned over her dog.

"Good doggy, these big bad rogues aren't anywhere near us, but you still need protection," Willow's voice sang sweetly.

My daughter's voice gradually grew hoarse.

This child who used to cry for me to hold her whenever she got even the slightest scratch.

Now she just used the hem of her shirt to carelessly wipe away the tears streaming down her cheeks.

With anger in her eyes, she said bitterly:

"Selfish witch! I traded my healing gem for help. The warrior is supposed to save my mother!"

Then suddenly, my daughter's small body began to shake violently.

I felt through our fading bond as my eight-year-old daughter's body contorted, bones cracking as she transformed into a tiny silver wolf pup right there in the pack house.

With a desperate growl, she charged at Willow, who had turned her back slightly.

Willow stood there, holding her dog protectively, startled by the sight of the small wolf. My daughter tried to dart past her to the warrior, her tiny new wolf form lunging forward with determination.

Before she could reach him, Willow's foot shot out cruelly.

She pinned my little wolf to the ground with her heel, pressing down hard enough to make my daughter whimper in pain.

"What do we have here? Shifting so young?" Willow smirked, positioning herself between my daughter and the warrior. "Too bad it won't do you any good."

She made sure my daughter could see as she instructed the warrior to stand guard over her already safe pet.

"There you go, my precious. These pack warriors might seem scary, but they'll keep you safe."

My daughter struggled beneath Willow's foot, her small wolf body trembling with effort as she tried to break free.

I tried to howl through our bond, to reach out, to do anything to comfort her. But my strength was fading fast.

The silver burning through my veins grew more intense.

Through fading consciousness, I watched through our pack bond as my brave little wolf was cruelly restrained while trying to save me.

I'm so sorry, my fierce little pup.

Mommy failed to protect you from this cruelty.

I'm so sorry.

So very sorry.

2

The rogue wolves circled closer, their silver weapons glinting in the dim light of their territory.

My daughter's voice touched my mind again through our bond.

"Mom? Are you okay? "

I could feel her fear and confusion through our connection.

I knew I was dying.

The silver poisoning had spread too far in my system, and the baby's heartbeat was growing fainter inside me. My mate had made his choice, and there would be no rescue.

But I didn't want to frighten my little pup.

Using my last bit of strength to keep my mindlink steady, I weakly replied:

"Sweetheart, I'm fine. Just feeling a little pain from the journey. Could you help me? I need some pain-relieving herbs from the pack therapist."

My daughter hesitated for two seconds, then eagerly replied:

"Yes, I'll go find some right away for you! When will you be back?"

"In two days, love. The exchange is taking longer than expected. The herbs will help me when I return."

"Mom, you promise you'll come back? You promise?"

As I felt her determination through our bond, my consciousness began to fade.

"I'm sorry, my sweet pup. Mom can't keep that promise."

When my spirit separated from my body, I found myself following alongside my daughter back at the pack house.

My smart daughter knew the pack territory well. She ran straight to the therapist's quarters located at the far end of the compound.

The old wolf therapist was grinding herbs when she burst through the door.

He looked up, surprised by the sudden intrusion.

My daughter stood there, trembling but determined. The tiny healing gemstone she'd managed to hide from Willow clutched tightly in her small palm.

"Sir, please give me pain-relieving herbs for my mother! She's in the rogue territory and says she's hurting. She'll need them when she returns in two days."

She held out the gemstone with shaking hands.

"This is all I have left. Please, will you give me the herbs for this?"

The therapist's eyes softened as he looked at my desperate daughter, her face streaked with tears, her small form trembling with urgency.

"Put that away, little one," he said gently, already gathering herbs into a small pouch.

"This month marks the 10th anniversary of Alpha and Luna’s mating bond," he explained. "Your father has waived all herbal fees in the pack this month."

"Our Luna wanted to help sick wolves in the pack," he continued as he worked quickly.

"If you really want to thank someone, thank Alpha and Luna," the therapist said kindly. "Our Luna is a very good mate who has helped many wolves. I hope Luna and Alpha can always be together happily."

My daughter's tears fell silently, remembering when her father once took her and me to run in the moonlight, where he had turned into his massive wolf form to let her and me ride on his back.

Her small shoulders trembled as the memories washed over her.

"I know," she whispered through her tears. "I will thank Dad well... Alpha Kieran."

My spirit felt more painful now than my body had under silver torture.

Watching my daughter's dull, gray eyes, I remembered the past.

In truth, Kieran had once loved me and our daughter very much.

When I was pregnant with her, he would drive an hour every day just to buy the food I was craving.

After our daughter was born, he proudly declared he would give her the whole pack, making her the most precious Alpha heir.

He would buy out entire toy stores as birthday gifts for her.

But all of this ended the day Willow returned from overseas.

She used her kidnapping by rogues as a weapon, setting traps for me and my daughter time after time.

Playing helpless, acting pitiful, she won Kieran's sympathy.

Then she tricked my daughter into telling a scout where Willow was being held, causing her captivity to worsen dramatically when the rogues moved her deeper into their territory.

From that day forward, everything changed.

In the therapist's quarters, the old wolf looked at my daughter with concern, continuing to gather his herbs.

"By the way, where is your father? Why isn't he with you?"

My daughter lowered her head. Her voice was so small it was almost inaudible:

"My father... he's dead."

3

My daughter raced back with the therapist at her side.

They had just reached the main entrance of the pack house when they encountered Willow blocking their path.

When Willow spotted my daughter carrying pain-relieving herbs, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Without warning, she shifted into her wolf form—a sleek, tawny beast with gleaming yellow eyes. She lunged forward, knocking my small daughter violently to the ground.

Her razor-sharp claws dug into my daughter's tender skin, tearing four deep gashes across her shoulder and chest. Blood immediately soaked through her thin shirt.

"You worthless little runt," Willow snarled, partially shifting her face back to human form to speak while keeping her claws extended. "Know your place."

My daughter cried out in pain but refused to let go of the herbs in her small hands.

Willow turned her attention to the trembling therapist.

"Didn't Alpha Kieran order all healers to help treat me after I was kidnapped? Why are you wasting time with this brat instead of protecting the pack from rogues?"

The therapist's face turned ashen. He stammered, "M-Miss Willow, all the senior warriors are patrolling the borders. The pack is safe. I'm just a therapist, I wouldn't be much help in a fight—"

Willow's claws extended further, threatening. "Are you saying I'm not worth protecting? Is that what you're saying?"

"No! Of course not!" The therapist took a step back, but my daughter still clutched the herbs tightly.

Willow's attention snapped back to my daughter. With a savage growl, she raked her claws across my daughter's back, shredding her clothing and leaving bloody furrows in her skin.

My daughter screamed in agony but held on tighter to the herbs.

"Please," she begged through her tears. "My mother needs these. She's in pain."

Willow shifted fully back to human form, but her movements were no less vicious. She grabbed my daughter by her hair and slammed her face against the stone floor.

"Willow?"

Kieran's incredulous voice suddenly rang out, freezing everyone in place.

My daughter's dull eyes suddenly brightened, and she called out weakly through her split lips:

"Daddy..."

Kieran started to walk over, but Willow spun around and intercepted him.

"Kieran, I was just looking for you," she cooed.

Willow signaled to her beta friends to block my daughter from view, then laughed softly as she threw herself into Kieran's arms.

Kieran sensed something was wrong and frowned:

"Willow, is that Emma on the ground? Did you hurt her?"

Willow's eyes flickered, and tears immediately began to flow:

"Kieran, I'm sorry, but when you weren't here, Emma came up to me and accused me of lying about being kidnapped by rogues."

"I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but then she deliberately ran into me,"

"You know I'm still traumatized from the kidnapping, and the therapist said..."

Kieran's expression grew increasingly dark, the doubt in his eyes gradually transforming into anger.

"Ava really doesn't know how to raise a child anymore."

"You're already so fragile after your ordeal, if she had triggered your trauma and caused lasting damage, I definitely wouldn't let them off."

My spirit stood right in front of Kieran, desperately trying to explain.

No, Emma didn't do anything wrong!

My daughter is a good girl, Willow is lying to you!

My daughter seemed to hear his words too, and painfully called out:

"Daddy..."

The beta friend immediately covered her mouth before she could say more.

Kieran heard her voice and paused, about to turn around.

"Is Emma calling me?"

Willow's expression twisted for an instant, then she pretended to be strong and released Kieran's arm:

"Then go comfort Emma, I'll be fine."

"Even though she's the one who told the rogues where to find me and nearly took me away from you forever..."

"She's still just a child, I forgive her."

Her words transformed the hesitation in Kieran's eyes into cold determination.

Kieran let out a harsh laugh, leaving Willow behind as he strode away.

"Since her mother can't control her, Willow, you can help me discipline her properly."

"Without proper punishment, Ava will eventually ruin her."

"I'll wait for you upstairs."

Watching his retreating figure, my daughter struggled more violently against the betas.

Willow walked up to my daughter and slapped her hard across the face several times.

My daughter's face was completely swollen now, her lips split open, streams of blood flowing down.

Yet no matter what happened, she refused to let go of the pain-relieving herbs clutched in her small hands.

Willow wasn't satisfied yet. She extended her claws and dragged them across my daughter's eye, leaving deep scratches.

"Little mongrel, just as worthless as your mother."

I frantically tried to strangle the violent Willow, but my ghostly hands passed through her.

I fell to my knees, sobbing and banging my head against the floor in desperation.

Begging Willow to spare my child, to remember she was just a little girl.

It was useless.

I felt such hatred—hatred that I died too early, that I couldn't protect my own child.

The violence continued until Willow's pet dog whimpered nearby.

"Baby, did that scare you?"

Willow stroked the dog's smooth fur, asking softly.

Then, as if she'd finally grown tired, she signaled the betas to release my daughter.

But before letting her go completely, Willow snatched the pain-relieving herbs from my daughter's bloody hands.

"Oh, what are these? Pain-relieving herbs? How perfect!"

My daughter tried to grab them back. "No! Those are for my mother! She needs them!"

Willow laughed coldly. "Look at my poor dog. He just scratched his claws while playing. He's injured and in such pain."

She knelt beside her pet, cooing softly. "Your father couldn't bear to see me so sad about my dog's little injury, so he just told me to use any herbs I need from the pack's supply."

As my daughter watched in horror, Willow crushed the herbs and mixed them with water, feeding the mixture to her perfectly healthy dog.

"There you go, precious. It might taste bitter, but it will make your scratched claw feel all better."

Willow then raised her foot and stomped hard on my daughter's bruised face, wearing an expression of false pity.

"Look, your father doesn't want you anymore."

"How sad."

4

The pack house door slammed shut.

Leaving only my daughter's tiny body curled into a ball on the cold stone floor.

I knelt beside her, knowing it was futile, but still trying again and again to pick her up.

It was useless, all useless.

The pack's healing center had long been closed. Without Kieran's command, no one dared help my child.

The blood at the corner of my daughter's mouth had already congealed.

She moved her eyelids slightly but couldn't open her eyes.

Only the small packet of pain-relieving herbs in her arms, what little Willow hadn't taken, made a faint rustling sound.

The healing gemstone she had worn around her neck was gone, lost somewhere in the struggle.

Only a thin mark remained on her skin, evidence that she was once a treasured child, protected and loved.

I don't know how long I knelt there, how long I cried.

I only knew that the pain in my chest had numbed, and my tears had completely dried up.

Just when I thought everything was over, Kieran came down.

His custom leather boots made sharp sounds against the stone floor.

Kieran walked to the center of the hall, staring at my daughter's motionless form, his eyes dark and unreadable.

"Haven't you played enough?"

"Is this how Scarlet taught you to fake sympathy?"

"You don't actually think I'll soften my heart just because you're playing the victim?"

"Dream on!"

Kieran's icy voice rang out, each sentence like a blade repeatedly stabbing my heart.

I wanted to ask him: Are you even a wolf?

How dare you maliciously doubt my pup?

She's so good, so sensible, so...

Tears fell in streams, landing on my daughter's face.

Perhaps it was my imagination, but my daughter's eyelashes suddenly twitched.

Meanwhile, Kieran continued his harsh words, but noticing my daughter's lack of response, the man finally showed some unease.

He lifted his foot and walked step by step toward my daughter.

"Emma?"

"Why aren't you speaking?"

"I've seen through your act, stop pretending."

Kieran's tone grew heavier with each sentence, his walking pace quickening with each step.

Just as he approached my daughter, a warrior came: "Alpha! The Rogues wolves sent Luna back."

Kieran froze mid-step.

The panic on his face immediately transformed into anger at being deceived once again.

"I told you your mother is a liar. Look—she's back, just as I said she would be. And still she teaches you to lie about being in danger."

After that, Kieran left without hesitation.

My daughter stood up immediately, a desperate hope filling them despite her injuries.

"Mom's back? She's alive?"

The warrior's face remained carefully neutral as he carried her toward the pack's border.

That's when she saw my broken body lying on a stretcher at the border.

She was stunned when she saw my tortured form, covered in silver burns, my skin gray and lifeless.

She hobbled forward, taking out the few remaining pain-relieving herbs that were tightly held in her small hand.

With trembling fingers, she tried to feed them into my mouth.

"Mom, eat this. The therapist said it helps with pain. You won't hurt anymore after eating this."

Her small voice cracked with desperation.

"Mom? Can you hear me? The herbs will make it better."

After saying this, she collapsed into unconsciousness.

Just then, another warrior who had been examining me screamed out.

"Alpha! Luna Ava is dead! The silver torture marks are real—they're all over her body!"

Chaos erupted at the border as warriors crowded around, voices rising in shock and alarm.

Kieran, who had come to the border for normal patrol, stopped abruptly.

"What foolishness is this?" he growled, turning back. "I told you all that—"

"Luna is dead! And she was pregnant!"

Another warrior called out in horror after examining my body more closely.

All the guards at the border grew noisy with panic and grief.

The Alpha heard the commotion and pushed the crowd away irritably.

"What are you doing here? If you disturb Willow's recovery with this nonsense, each of you..."

Alpha's words suddenly stopped.

He saw the woman lying on the stretcher, silver burns covering her body, her stomach slightly swollen with pregnancy.

And he saw his daughter lying across me, barely breathing, her small body covered in claw marks and bruises.

His face immediately turned pale.