Charlotte's POV

After that day, I never spoke to Layson again. I had nothing left to say, but he probably thought I was just playing hard to get.

Things remained tense between us all the way to the Full Moon Celebration hosted by the Black Forest pack.

I still remembered the Full Moon Celebration when I was 18 years old, the night I awakened my wolf for the very first time. Layson had been standing right beside me. When violent power surged through my blood, pushing my sanity to its breaking point, he used his Alpha power to keep me firmly under control.

Layson became my guide. From that time on, he taught me how to control my wolf, how to find the balance between hunting and restraint, and how to become a true warrior. He taught me everything except how to make him love me.

I used to believe that we were a perfect match.

Before I turned 18, he doted on me and indulged me. After I turned 18, he made me endure his wolfish desires under him every night. I thought that was the intimacy between mates, that he needed me, longed for me, and wanted to meld me into his body night after night.

Yet as it turned out, he behaved the same way with Grace.

At tonight's celebration, everything I once had was given to Grace instead.

The nobles of the Black Forest bowed to her, and the elders gathered around her with whispered blessings.

Layson's mother, Margaret Carter, even placed the family's heirloom necklace around Grace's neck.

That necklace had been passed down for generations, worn by each queen before her coronation. In my previous life, I had never even set eyes on it.

At the celebration, I watched Layson and Grace dance together. I slipped away to hide in a quiet room.

"Charlotte, you should leave."

Margaret followed me in, her tone calm but carrying no effort to hide her dislike.

"You know Layson stayed unmarried for so long because of you. But now, he's engaged to Grace, and their wedding is next month. So, tell me, is there any reason for you to stay here besides making trouble and embarrassing yourself?"

She had once treated me kindly, but that warmth disappeared the instant I confessed my feelings to Layson. Everyone regarded me as ridiculous and berated me for having no shame.

I drove my nails into my palms, forcing my emotions down, and spoke slowly.

"Don't worry. I'll be leaving."

I pulled a stack of papers from my bag and handed them to her.

"A few days ago, I called my father and told him I'm willing to study abroad. He has already arranged for me to attend an academy in Silvermoon City and has also set up a marriage with Carlson from the Blazing Sun pack.

"Once my permit is approved, I'll leave immediately. After that, I'll have nothing more to do with His Majesty."

Margaret glanced through the papers. After a moment, a satisfied expression crossed her face. "You'd better do exactly as you said."

"Don't worry. I'll stay far away from him."

She turned and left, and only then did I slowly unclench my fist.

Just as I was putting the papers away and getting ready to go, a tall figure stood silently in the doorway. It was Layson.

"Who are you trying to stay away from?"

"No one. You misheard."

I didn't want him to know I was leaving. As I turned around, his voice reached my ears.

"If you don't want to go abroad, then don't. After I marry Grace, you don't have to move out. I'm your father's good friend, and I've watched you grow up all these years. I can take care of you for the rest of your life."

Charlotte's POV

I didn't take Layson's words to heart that day.

I simply waited quietly for my documents to be approved so I could leave.

The next day, Grace behaved very differently. She enthusiastically insisted on taking me to the werewolf pack's marketplace.

However, the moment we boarded the carriage, I caught a whiff of something strange. A wave of dizziness rushed through me, and then everything went black.

When I opened my eyes again, icy winds whipped around me, and waves crashed against the jagged rocks nearby. My wrists were chained to a wooden stake. Not far away, Grace was also chained up. I struggled to ask her why, but my mouth was gagged, and all I could produce were muffled whimpers.

Grace seemed to understand my question and smirked coldly.

"Charlotte, I don't want to do this to you. But you've always been a threat. I heard what Layson said that day, and it unsettled me. I need to prove who matters more to him."

I never imagined Grace would go to such extremes.

Before long, I heard the sound of familiar footsteps.

Layson arrived. He wore a black coat, his gaze was cold, and he was followed by several werewolf guards. Yet as he approached, a few shadowy figures emerged from either side of the cliff. They were rogue werewolves.

Exiled from their packs, they roamed the forests and wastelands in a life of looting and banditry. Grace had spent a fortune to bring them here.

Layson directed his guards to place two chests of gold before them.

"Here's your money. Let them go!"

One of the rogue werewolves sneered, glancing at Layson with a mocking grin. His voice was rough as he said, "So, the Alpha of the Black Forest, the Wolf King of the North, really does keep his word. Too bad we're not here for money."

Layson narrowed his eyes, his tone suddenly turning cold. "What do you want?"

The rogue werewolf dug his claws into my shoulder, slicing my flesh and drawing blood.

"I hear these two women are dear to you. One is the daughter of your loyal beta, Arthur Winston, and the other is your fiancée. You can only save one. The other will be thrown into the sea for the sharks."

With that, they forced both of us to the cliff edge. The rocks beneath my feet shifted, and the roiling tide below seemed to await my fall.

Grace struggled in terror, her voice trembling. "Layson, save me! I don't want to die!"

Layson's expression changed in an instant. "Don't touch Grace!"

The answer was clear.

Grace, who had been deathly pale only a moment ago, let out a sigh of relief.

When Layson looked at me, I kept my face calm. He probably expected me to feel hopeless and beg for help. But I stayed silent.

I could see his panic. He started toward me, but in the next moment, Grace threw herself into his arms with tearful eyes. "Layson, my dear Majesty, thank goodness you got here just in time..."

He instinctively hugged her.

Right then, the ropes binding me came loose. The rogue werewolves threw me straight into the crashing sea.

"Charlotte!"

His cry for me grew fainter, and the water was so cold it stabbed like knives, dragging me down into the depths. I struggled as hard as I could, but my body was turning rigid, and my mind was slipping away.

In the end, everything went dark...

Charlotte's POV

I thought I was dead. But when I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a bed I knew well.

Rain was falling outside the window, a fire crackled in the hearth, and the air was filled with Layson's distinctive herbal scent. He was sitting next to the bed, his clothes rumpled and his chin covered in stubble. His bloodshot eyes made it clear he had been keeping watch over me for days.

When he saw that I was awake, relief flickered across his face.

"Charlotte, you're finally awake! Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

I only looked at him in silence. After a long pause, I said quietly, "Your Majesty, you don't have to stay with me. Go be with Grace. She needs you more than I do."

"Are you still upset with me?" he asked.

I gave a slight smile and said, "I can take care of myself."

He was a bit stunned, looking as though he couldn't quite understand. His expression was complicated as he stared at me.

"I'll arrange for the maids to be here around the clock. If you need anything, just call them."

With that, he got up and left.

…

Three days later, I was almost fully recovered. During that time, I hadn't seen Layson at all.

I wanted to go outside, but the maids kept coming up with excuses to stop me from leaving my room.

When I slipped out through a side door, I discovered the real reason—it happened to be Grace's birthday that day, and Layson clearly didn't want me around. He was throwing her a grand party, and countless expensive gifts were piled in the corners.

He held Grace in his arms and spun her around the dance floor while romantic music played.

A large screen showed their sweet memories on a loop. The guests were moved to tears by their love story.

Suddenly, the screen went dark.

Then, one by one, handwritten letters, childish drawings, and photos of me and Layson over the years appeared for everyone to see.

"I'll do my best to become the kind of woman you love."

"I hope that one day, you'll proudly say I'm your mate."

"I love you, Daddy. I'll grow up exactly how you want me to."

The whole place fell dead silent, and my face went pale in an instant. Those things... I had torn them up long ago. Why were they here now?

Everyone in the werewolf pack seemed stunned, and the whispers around me grew louder and clearer.

"Layson has already chosen his future Luna Queen, but she still clings to him. How shameless."

"She brought out these love letters at Grace's birthday party. Is she trying to provoke her?"

"They're 20 years apart. This is practically incest. Charlotte has no shame!"

"She's been trying to crawl into the Alpha King's bed since she was a kid by using her father's connections."

"Poor Grace..."

The chattering was so loud it drowned out the music.

On the dance floor, Grace definitely heard what people were saying. She looked up at the images on the big screen, and her face went deathly pale. She trembled from head to toe, tears flooding her eyes.

She pushed away from Layson's arms, her eyes rimmed red, and ran from the banquet hall in her gown.

"Grace!"

Layson's chest tightened. He immediately went after her. But as he passed by me, he suddenly stopped. In the next second, he raised his arm and slapped me hard. My ears rang, and the hall went quiet.

Layson's eyes were dark with anger, and he growled in a low, furious voice, "Charlotte, so that's why you've been acting all docile. You were just waiting to humiliate me!"

He had hit me so hard that I fell to the floor, my cheek burning and my ears buzzing.

He stood over me, his voice cold as ice. "Charlotte, remember this. I'm never going to like you. It'll never happen between us!"