The collar was a constant reminder of my shame. My wolf was suppressed by the silver; I could barely breathe.

That suffocating feeling of being trapped washed over me again.

I fought back the urge to vomit and whispered, "I understand. I will."

They wouldn't let me go. I knew that now.

But I had to find a way to escape.

As I was trying to figure out a plan, Tristan walked in again.

No. That faint, strange scent.

It was Ronan.

He'd taken a scent blocker again. He smiled as he walked toward me.

His eyes landed on the collar. His gaze darkened, and for a second, I saw a flash of regret.

He smiled as he walked toward me.

"I'm sorry, Lucia. You probably don't know that we grew up with Arabella. She's like a sister to us. You've suffered."

Then he took my hand, his face a mask of affection.

"After all, We still need to try on our ceremony outfits together. Don't be sad, okay?"

I didn't know why Ronan was acting like this.

They both clearly despised me.

The next second, when I felt his hand wander to my waist, trying to pull off my clothes, I understood.

Just like he said, he liked my body.

He just wanted to have sex with me.

My expression froze. I pushed him away instinctively.

"Let's wait for the ceremony, okay? I'm not mad. If this is what Bella wants, I'll cooperate."

My feigned obedience seemed to please him.

He kissed my ear. "Alright, baby. I'll see you three days after."

He left, but the predatory hunger in his eyes promised he’d be back for more. But I was focused on what he'd said—trying on the ceremony outfits.

Yes. Maybe I could escape during the fitting.

The next day, stylists swarmed around me, holding the pure white Luna ceremony gown.

I let them move me like a doll. The collar around my neck was painfully obvious in the bright lights of the dressing room.

The stylists exchanged nervous glances, but no one dared to ask.

"Perfect," the head stylist said with a forced smile. "You'll be the most beautiful Luna."

The most beautiful joke.

Just as I was about to change, the dressing room door was pushed open.

Tristan walked in, with Arabella clinging to his arm like a venomous snake.

She had changed into a pale gold dress that made her glow.

As if she was the one in charge here.

"Tristan," she purred, pulling on his arm. "The jewelry exhibition is about to start. You promised you'd help me pick a necklace."

Tristan didn't even look at me. He gently smoothed her hair. "Of course. Only the most precious jewels are worthy of you."

"In that case, I want the Moon Goddess Necklace," Arabella's voice grew sweeter.

The Moon Goddess Necklace.

The sacred artifact worn by every Luna at her coronation.

It was priceless, a symbol of supreme power.

I stood there, a clown in a ridiculous costume, watching my fated mate prepare to hand over my honor to another woman.

"But... Lucia is still trying on her dress," Arabella said with fake concern, her eyes full of provocation.

"She doesn't matter."

Tristan turned his back to me, his voice cold.

This was the Tristan I recognized.

I used to wonder why Tristan was so passionate in bed but so cold during the day.

I thought it was just his Alpha authority.

I never imagined they were two different people.

But I had no time for heartbreak.

A smile touched my lips as I feigned obedience. "Arabella just got back. You should spend more time with her."

Tristan nodded, satisfied, and left with Arabella.

The fake smile on my face vanished.

The entire pack was busy with the ceremony, just two days away. The Alpha was gone. This was my chance to run.

The second the fitting was over, I ran to my room, grabbed my car keys, and ditched my suitcase. I bolted for the garage.

Tristan never actually forbade me from leaving. If I could just get the car on the road, no one would stop me.

Just as I left the room, my phone lit up.

It was a picture from Arabella, a social media post. Tristan himself was fastening the gleaming Moon Goddess necklace around her neck.

They looked so intimate. Like true mates.

"Looks like your destined mate only loves me, little healer. I'm so looking forward to your bonding ceremony. Whatever you've found out, you can't escape."

I scoffed. Let the bastards have each other. It had nothing to do with me anymore.

But the next second, my phone buzzed violently.

Unknown number.

"Is this Miss Lucia? This is St. Mary's Sanatorium."

The frantic voice on the other end hit me like a hammer to the chest.

"Your mother's vital signs are failing! Her wolf soul is fading! The doctors say she won't make it through the night! You have to come immediately!"

Mom.

My only family in this world.

In my last life, I was trapped in the basement. I never even got to see her one last time.

No.

It won't happen again!

I flew from my room, no longer a person, but a primal animal fighting for her young. I ripped off the corset, threw on a coat, and bolted downstairs.

I needed a car.

I'd crawl to the sanatorium if I had to.

I burst into the garage and found my old car.

But the moment I pressed the unlock button, despair washed over me like a tidal wave.

All four tires.

Completely flat.

They had been slashed neatly with a sharp blade, the rubber curling back in a grotesque grin.

Stuck to the driver’s side window was a pink sticky note. A smiley face was scrawled on it in her handwriting:

"Good little dogs aren't allowed to run off, you know."

"No... No!"

The nightmare of Arabella came crashing back.

It was the Academy all over again. She relished every moment of my torment.

I’d been afraid she would run straight to Tristan about the study. But now I understood. She was sure I couldn't escape, and she wanted the pleasure of breaking me all to herself.

Fighting back would only feed her cruelty.

I sank to my knees, a raw scream tearing from my throat as the sky ripped open, unleashing a merciless downpour.

No car.

The packhouse was on a remote mountainside. It was nearly impossible to get a cab.

But I couldn't stop.

Mom was waiting for me.

I wiped the rain from my face, scrambled up, shifted into my wolf form, and charged into the dark, stormy night.

Even if I died on the way, I had to see her.

The rain hit my face, cold and sharp.

Every breath was like swallowing razor blades.

I ran barefoot on the muddy mountain road, falling more times than I could count.

My knees were scraped raw, my palms torn by gravel, blood mixing with the muddy water.

But I couldn't feel the pain.

There was only one thought in my head: Faster. Go faster.

"Hey! Isn't that the future Luna?"

A few werewolves stepped out from the trees, blocking my path.

I recognized them. Arabella’s thugs.

"Move," I gasped.

"It's dangerous to be out here alone so late," the leader grinned. "Why don't we escort you back?"

"I said, move!"

"Such a temper," another man stepped forward. "I hear you're becoming Luna soon. Why not practice how to obey an Alpha?"

I tried to run past them, but they immediately surrounded me.

"Don't be in such a hurry."

"Play with us for a while."

Arabella's voice came through the comms on their necks, "Careful now. You can play with her, but don't kill her. I want to watch her kneel at the ceremony."

My sanity snapped.

I roared, slamming my palm into the nearest man's chest. He screamed as he flew backward.

The others froze.

I took the chance to break through their circle and kept running.

The rain fell harder.

The road became a river of mud, and I almost slipped several times.

Blisters formed on the soles of my feet, but I didn't dare stop.

Mom was waiting.

Finally, I saw the mountain road leading to the sanatorium.

But just as I turned onto it, a deafening roar came from above.

A mudslide.

A torrent of earth and rock crashed down toward me.

I scrambled to the side of the road, but my foot slipped, and I went tumbling down the mountainside.

The world spun.

Sharp rocks tore at my skin, branches whipped my face.

The back of my head slammed against a rock, and everything went black.

Am I going to die?

Just like last time, a meaningless death?

No! My baby! My mom!

Just as the darkness was about to swallow me, a powerful hand gripped my wrist.

It was a large, warm hand.

Then, a flash of gold sliced through the darkness, forming a shimmering barrier against the crushing wall of mud. This was no mere Alpha. This was the power of a Lycan King.

I was pulled from the mud and into a solid chest.

The rain blurred my vision. All I could see were his eyes—deep pools of liquid gold. They held no contempt, no indifference. Only raw, heart-stopping concern.

"Hold on to me."

The man's voice was deep and strong, a lighthouse in the storm.

He held me with one arm, while the other created a shield out of thin air, blocking the falling debris.

After what felt like an eternity, the shaking finally stopped.

He carried me to a black luxury car waiting in a safe spot.

The moment the warm air from the heater hit my skin, I started to shiver violently, my body finally succumbing to the shock.

The man wrapped a soft blanket around me, but he didn't let go.

His hand remained pressed against my back, his gaze growing impossibly deep.

“This power…” he murmured, his voice tight with disbelief, as if he’d just stumbled upon a sacred relic. In that brief moment of contact, the raging storm inside me quieted, soothed by his touch.

It was a perfect resonance between our powers.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Lucia..." I answered weakly. "Please... take me to St. Mary's Sanatorium... my mom..."

He glanced at me, asked no more questions, and gave the order to his driver.

"To St. Mary's. Full speed."

"Yes, Lord Maxim."

The car shot through the rain like an arrow.

Maxim.

The name exploded in my mind.

The legendary Alpha King who ruled the strongest pack in Europe?

What was he doing here?

When we reached the sanatorium, the hallway was silent.

A long, piercing beep came from the heart monitor.

The flat line on the screen was a knife, severing all my hope.

"Mom!"

I threw myself at the bed, gripping her hand. It was still warm, but she was gone.

Her eyes were half-open, but the light was gone.

A crumpled note lay on her pillow. The handwriting was shaky.

"Lucia, my daughter... leave this place. Go out into the world... be the healer you want to be... you must be happy..."

"Aaaahhh—!"

I collapsed to the floor, a heart-wrenching sob tearing from my throat.

The healing energy inside me spiraled out of control from the grief.

A raw, golden power exploded from my body. It shattered the windows. The lights in the hallway burst. And still. I couldn't save her.

I was a healer, and I was utterly useless.

Just as I was about to pass out, that warm power enveloped me again.

Maxim knelt in front of me, ignoring the flying glass, and enveloped me in his power, forcibly taming the storm that was tearing me apart.

He looked at my tear-streaked face, a flash of pain in his eyes.

"You're not useless, Lucia."

He gripped my shoulders, his voice cutting through my grief.

"Your power could shake the entire continent. The Silver Moon pack is blind. They don't deserve you."

He looked directly into my eyes and made an offer that would change my life forever.

“Come with me,” he commanded, his voice a lifeline. “Be my Royal Healer. And I will give you the world you deserve.”

Seeing my hesitation, he continued.

"If you don't want to join my pack, I can also send you to the Healers' Guild in Europe. I can't stand by and watch your talent be buried."

My heart skipped a beat.

The European Healers' Guild.

It was the sacred place every healer dreamed of.

"Okay."

I wiped away my tears, my voice hoarse but firm.

I owed the Silver Moon pack nothing.

Mom was gone. It was time for me to go too.

I had to protect my child.

"Give me an hour," I told Maxim. "I need to go back and get my mother's things. Then we'll go. We'll leave this place forever."

Maxim gave me a long, deep look. "My men will wait for you outside the Silver Moon estate. If anything goes wrong, shatter this."

He handed me a communication crystal engraved with his family crest.

When I returned to that so-called "home," the air was thick with the nauseating smell of champagne.

The living room was brightly lit.

Tristan, Ronan, and that damned Arabella were all there.

They sat on the sofa, waiting for me like judges at a trial.

Seeing me covered in mud, a complete mess, Arabella pinched her nose dramatically.

"Gods, Lucia, did you take a roll in the mud? You're a disgrace to the Luna title."

"I'm here for my things."

I didn't look at her, heading straight for the stairs. "I'm getting my mother's things, then I'm gone. I'm not sticking around for your bonding ceremony."

"Stop."

Tristan's voice was ice. A chill shot down my spine.

Two guards blocked the stairs.

"You think you can just walk out of here?" Tristan stood, stalking toward me with a dark look in his eyes. "What do you think the Silver Moon pack is? A place you can come and go as you please?"

"I don't want to be your Luna anymore, Tristan." I looked him straight in the eye, for the first time without fear. "You can give the title to your precious Arabella."

"I don't want your scraps!" Arabella shrieked, her eyes blazing with raw jealousy. Her whole demeanor shifted. Suddenly, she looked hurt and afraid, pulling something wrapped in a black cloth from her pocket.

"Tristan... I... I haven't been feeling well today. My wolf... it feels suppressed. And then... then I found this in Lucia's room..."

She pulled back the cloth. Inside was a small wooden pendant, carved with a moonflower.

My heart stopped. That was my mother's pendant!

"Look," Arabella handed it to Tristan. She ran a finger over it, and a dark red, foul-smelling liquid seeped from the carvings. "It's... it's a cursed token. Soaked in black magic! How could you, Lucia? How could you try to hurt me with something so vile!"

"I didn't!" I lunged for the pendant, but Ronan grabbed my arm, holding me back.

Tristan looked at the pendant, then at Arabella's pale face. The last trace of doubt in his eyes was replaced by disgust. He slammed the pendant on the floor. The wood shattered into pieces.

"No—!" A desperate scream tore from my throat. That was the last thing... the last thing my mother gave me...

"Still playing the victim!" Tristan roared.

Arabella chose that moment to pick up a bowl of soup from the coffee table, her face a mask of sweet forgiveness.

"Lucia, I know you're jealous of me, but I'm willing to forgive you. Just kneel and apologize. Then drink this purification tonic to wash away the curse you put on me, and we'll pretend this never happened. Tristan will still go through with the bonding ceremony. After all... you two are destined mates, a gift from the Moon Goddess, aren't you?"

"Look at her, Lucia," Tristan's voice was merciless. "Look how forgiving Arabella is. Kneel. Apologize. And drink the tonic. This is your last chance for forgiveness as my mate."

I stared at the shattered pieces of my mother's pendant on the floor, at their ugly, twisted faces. The last shred of hope I had for Tristan turned to ash.

My child, my mother, my dignity... They were trying to take everything from me.

"No... I'll never..." I cried, ready to die before I'd bow to these monsters.

"Make her drink it!"

Tristan's patience was gone.

He grabbed my jaw, forcing it open with a sickening crack.

Pain exploded behind my eyes.

Arabella lifted the bowl, pouring the scalding, bitter liquid down my throat.

Cough... GAG...

I tried to spit it out, but Tristan clamped his hand over my mouth, forcing me to swallow every last drop.

In that moment, my world shattered.

A violent cramp shot through my stomach like lightning.

It was a thousand times worse than a broken bone.

It was the pain of life being ripped away.

I collapsed, a piercing scream tearing from my lungs.

A warm liquid trickled down my thighs.

Bright red blood stained the carpet.

My baby.

My child I would never meet.

Ronan saw it first. His face was a mask of restrained pain. "Blood... is there something wrong with the tonic?" His voice trembled.

Arabella smiled and lied. "Don't worry, Ronan. The tonic makes any wolf who's used witchcraft bleed. It's just a side effect. Proof she cursed me. Her wolf will be purified now."

Tristan looked down at me in disgust, as if I were vermin dirtying his carpet.

I curled up in a pool of my own blood, completely hollow inside.

The tears were gone.

All that was left was a cold, dark abyss of hatred. Deep enough to swallow the world.

My child was gone.

My mother was gone.

The last piece of her I had... and they crushed it with their own hands.

I had nothing left to lose.

Maxim's crystal was hot in my pocket, but I didn't crush it.

Escape?

No.

I wasn't leaving.

I would stay.

And I would return this hellish pain to these monsters, ten times, a hundred times over.