I had been with Cameron Stevenson for three years, yet he had never marked me.

To win back the Silver Moon Pack's Alpha, I agreed to his ridiculous request of mating in the wild.

Cameron snapped a pair of silver handcuffs on me and bound me to a tree. My pants had barely come off when his phone rang.

It was that Omega, Rebecca Anderson.

"Cameron, the pup is sick!" she cried.

He pulled out of me instantly, yanked his pants up, and ran.

"Don't worry! I'm coming!"

I struggled and shouted after him. "Cameron! The cuffs! Uncuff me first!"

He was already several yards away when he turned back with an impatient remark. "Just wait! Rebecca's pup is the hope of the entire pack!"

I waited an entire day and night.

The cold wind cut like blades. The silver cuffs ate into my wrists until skin and blood mixed.

Cameron never came back.

'Cameron… Since you couldn't let go of that low-ranked Omega, I wouldn't mind burying the two of you together. You'll never be apart for the rest of your lives!'

I was chained to the tree with my legs forced open. It was deeply humiliating.

When sunlight hit my face, I honestly thought I was already dead.

My arms were numb. Only the searing pain in my wrists proved I was still alive. I didn't know how much longer I could hold on.

Right then, I heard footsteps from somewhere deeper in the woods.

It sounded like a group of werewolves was coming my way.

My mind snapped awake. I used everything I had left and screamed.

"Help! Help!"

The footsteps sped up.

But then, I heard crude voices whispering among themselves.

"Is this the wretch Ms. Anderson told us about?"

"There's no mistake. Ms. Anderson is too kind. She knew we were in heat and even found us a wretch to play with!"

My heart sank.

Did Rebecca Anderson send these werewolves?

She would never be kind enough to send someone to free me.

I held my breath and pressed myself flat against the tree, hoping they wouldn't find me.

Alas, I had no such luck.

A few minutes later, several mean-looking werewolves stepped into view. Their eyes were filled with lust.

They grabbed at me and tried to rip off my clothes.

I forced myself to stay calm and spoke as amicably as I could. "I was chained here by someone. If you unlock the cuffs, I can give you moonstones."

The one in front looked me over from head to toe. A smile spread across his face.

They didn't answer. Instead, they lunged at me directly.

They started tearing my dress apart.

I struggled wildly, but Cameron Stevenson had locked me in a position that left me helpless. I couldn't fight back, no matter how hard I tried.

My struggling only thrilled them more, turning them even harsher.

I didn't know how I survived those hellish hours.

My wrists were torn open from fighting the cuffs, so much so that bone was showing. Every part of my body was bruised.

With what little strength I had left, I screamed at them and mentioned the title I had kept buried for years.

"This is a warning! I'm the wolf princess of the Werewolf Kingdom! Think about the consequences of hurting me!"

They only laughed.

"Wolf princess? That ruthless wolf princess from back then? You expect us to believe she turned into a wretch like you?"

They ripped what was left of my dress and closed in again.

"We're in the wild. No one's coming. Let's finish this."

"I won't lie. She's got a hell of a body."

I closed my eyes and drowned in despair.

Suddenly, an SUV roared so loudly that it shook the ground and snapped me back to my senses.

With the last of my strength, I looked up.

It was William Graham. He was my former subordinate, and now, he's the Alpha of the Dark Shadow Pack.

Why was he here? How did he know I was here?

When William saw the state I was in, the swagger that always sat on his face vanished. It was replaced by pure rage.

"Princess! Who did this to you? I heard the wolf princess was up here. I came to check. Did those bastards do this to you?"

I nodded.

William leapt from the SUV and slashed the rogues ferociously.

The rogues, realizing they were outmatched, ran for their lives.

William removed his jacket and wrapped it tightly around my exposed body. He freed me from the tree and carried me to the nearest healers' den as quickly as he could.

After hours of emergency treatment, the healer said my hands would have been permanently damaged if I had arrived any later. I needed long-term care.

My hands could heal, but the trauma carved into my body and mind would stay with me forever.

William stayed by my bedside the entire time.

This werewolf once followed me through the battlefield without hesitation.

Now, he was crying like a pup.

He clenched his jaw and forced out each word.

"Princess, the pack and I will tear apart whoever hurt you!"

I opened my eyes slowly and looked at William. When I spoke, my voice was cold.

"I'm injured, not dead. As for revenge, I'll handle it myself."

When I saw William crying for me, I suddenly had a flashback from five years ago.

Back then, I had just met Cameron.

During a clash, Cameron stepped in to shield the Alpha King, my father, from a rogue ambush.

He blocked the attack with his own body and took the full hit of wolfsbane.

I had knelt beside Cameron's bed just like this, sobbing day and night while I took care of him.

I fought battle after battle and even negotiated alliances for Silver Moon Pack's safety.

I scrubbed the tattoos off my back and hung up my leather jacket.

I put on elegant dresses, cooked Cameron's meals, cleaned his home, and waited to be his mate.

Foolishly, naively, I thought we would have a lifetime of happiness.

And yet… How long did that last?

After leaving the healers' den, I went straight to Rebecca's place.

Cameron wasn't there. Rebecca, meanwhile, was lying on her bed, relaxed, and putting on a facial mask.

When she saw me, her eyes went wide.

"Zendaya? You're alive!"

I smiled at her coldly and mercilessly. "Sorry to disappoint you."

Her panic was instant. I walked toward her one step at a time, forcing her into the corner.

She screamed and grabbed her phone before calling Cameron in a frenzy.

I didn't stop her. I simply watched her put on her little performance.

On the other end, Cameron's voice was even more frantic than hers.

"Don't panic! I'm coming right now!"

After hanging up, Rebecca straightened up. She smirked at me.

"Zendaya, you can't beat me. Cameron wants a Luna who's pure and sweet, like me. If he hadn't needed you to rebuild the pack five years ago, he never would've staged that rescue or forced himself to be intimate with a filthy she-wolf like you for three whole years!"

She looked me up and down in disdain.

"And besides, Cameron promised to crown me as Luna in the marking ceremony in seven days. You're an outsider. You don't deserve to be loved by the pack!"

She ran her fingers over the ring symbolizing Luna's status.

I recalled how I had once led more than a hundred Dark Shadow Pack werewolves into battle to secure alliances for the Silver Moon Pack.

We won that battle.

In return, I was betrayed and lied to.

Seeing how arrogant Rebecca was, I smiled.

"In that case, you can die with Cameron."

With that, I flipped my wrist. A silver knife appeared in my hand. In a flash, I jabbed it into Rebecca's abdomen.

"Aaaah!"

Her scream echoed through the entire house.

She stared at me in disbelief. She didn't expect me to actually hurt her.

I twisted the knife cruelly while it was still inside her.

At that moment, Cameron burst in with bloodshot eyes. He saw Rebecca collapsed in a pool of blood, then looked at the silver knife in my hand.

He kicked me hard and slammed me against the wall.

My already-injured hands smashed against the wall. Fresh blood soaked through the bandages instantly.

Leaning against the wall, I laughed bitterly and stared at him.

His pretty eyes flickered with hesitation for a second. And yet, he still clenched his jaw and spoke coldly.

"Zendaya, why would you hurt someone in my pack out of jealousy? Explain!"

I held his gaze and forced the words out one at a time. "Rebecca hired a group of filthy rogues to assault me."

Cameron threw a fit. He stormed forward, grabbed my hair, and slammed my head against the wall.

"Do you think everyone is as disgusting as you?

"Rebecca is gentle and pure. All she ever cares about is the pups of our pack!

"How could someone like her know any rogues, let alone send them to hurt you?

"Zendaya! I can't believe you'd lie like this just because you're jealous! I really misjudged you!"

He let go and didn't even spare me another glance.

He picked up the moaning Rebecca and ran out with her in his arms.

'This is perfect, Cameron. Since you and that low-ranked Omega are so inseparable, I don't mind granting you your wish. I'll bury the two of you together. You'll spend the rest of eternity with each other!'

I went to the nearest healers' den to get my wounds taken care of.

The moment I stepped into the lobby, I froze.

I saw Rebecca lying on an emergency cot, her face pale. Beside her, Cameron looked on restlessly.

The healer spotted me and jumped. "Ms. Sullivan! Are you hurt again? I just bandaged you this morning!"

Cameron heard that and turned. The anger he had barely contained flared right back up.

"Zendaya! Can you just stop? You've chased us all the way into the healers' den now?"

The healer stopped him quickly. "Alpha Cameron, Ms. Sullivan is also a patient. When she was brought in this morning, her wrists were nearly ruined by silver handcuffs, and…"

I finished the sentence for the healer. "And I was attacked by a group of rogues. I was badly injured."

The healer looked startled that I said it myself and gave me a sympathetic nod before trying to pull me inside for treatment.

Hearing the healer confirm my injuries, Cameron was stunned into silence. His pupils contracted.

"That's impossible. Were you really…"

Before he could finish, another healer burst out of the emergency room.

"Ms. Anderson's abdomen has been completely shredded by silver! She's lost her self-healing ability!"

Whatever flicker of guilt Cameron felt toward me vanished instantly.

Rage swallowed him whole again. He lunged at me, grabbed my arm, and roared at the healer.

"Use her blood! She's a wolf princess. Her blood carries natural healing!"

The healer rushed to stop him. "Alpha Cameron! She's a patient, too! She's already lost a dangerous amount of blood. You can't ma…"

Two Betas who had come with Cameron shoved the healers aside roughly.

Cameron forced me into the blood-drawing chair himself and pinned me down. He forced the healer to insert the thick needle.

I struggled with everything I had, but I was too injured. I couldn't break free from two strong warriors restraining me.

Cameron was still giving the healer orders through clenched jaws. "Draw her blood! However much blood Rebecca needs to recover, take it from her!"

I could only watch as my blood drained out of me. It slowly filled the huge blood bag.

When my vision began to blur from blood loss, I heard footsteps outside the healers' den. William shifted to his wolf form and walked straight toward us.

Cameron, usually arrogant, loud, and untouchable, felt it instantly. For the first time, he sensed that primal, soul-deep fear an Alpha felt when facing a stronger Alpha.

William kicked the healer away from me with one blow.

He gently pulled the thick needle out of my arm.

He looked at my mangled wrists. My bones were even visible through the shredded skin. Then, he looked at my pale face.

The killing intent in his eyes was obvious.

He stood up slowly and walked to Cameron, who had gone stiff with terror.

In a voice so calm it was terrifying, quiet enough for only the two of them, William said, "Alpha Cameron, the last one who dared hurt our princess had his corpse torn apart and offered to the wolf king."

Cameron's entire body trembled. Sweat drenched his shirt in seconds.

Only now did he finally realize the truth. The gentle, obedient she-wolf had always had the full strength of the Werewolf Kingdom behind her.

William lifted his hand. He was ready to tear apart Cameron and Rebecca, the latter still being resuscitated in the emergency room.

I used the last bit of strength to shake off my weakness.

"William, this revenge is mine."