Another line of pack members walked in at that moment.

In their hands were moonflowers, carved silver vases, and cupcakes made with morning dew and berries.

Every single item was something Layla loved.

Seraphina stared at the scene, feeling as if an invisible hand had clenched around her heart.

What Damien prepared for Layla far surpassed what he had done for her during their own bonding ceremony.

"Damien…" Seraphina looked at him, her voice trembling slightly. "Care to explain?"

Damien opened his mouth but didn't speak.

Layla suddenly reached out toward Seraphina, her voice choking up and her eyes turning red.

"Sera, this is all my fault. I just felt like I didn't have much time left and wanted to know what it felt like to be a real mate. That's why I begged Damien to play along and act it out with me.

"I swear I won't steal him from you. The moment the ceremony ends, I'll give him back to you. Alright?"

She swayed as she spoke, looking like she was about to collapse.

At that, both Damien and Leo looked alarmed.

"Layla, are you okay? You don't look well."

"Aunt Layla, be careful. Nothing matters more than your health."

Just then, Bryan and Miriam walked in.

Seeing Layla with red eyes, Miriam rushed forward in distress. "Layla, what's wrong?"

Bryan shot Seraphina a cold look and stepped forward without hesitation.

A sharp crack echoed as his palm collided with her face.

"Seraphina, why did you push Layla over the edge again? You know she's weak, so why make her upset?"

The blow was brutally hard. Seraphina stumbled and fell to the ground.

Only Blaze rushed over to her side, licking her burning cheek and using its warm life force to ease the pain.

Everyone else gathered around Layla instead.

Her parents, her mate, her son.

Seraphina looked across all of them and finally let out a self-mocking smile.

It didn't matter. Soon, she would forget them all, and she would never appear before them again to bother them.

Seraphina pressed a hand to her cheek and slowly stood up. "Blaze, let's go."

Damien froze, a sudden and inexplicable sense of unease rising in his chest.

He released Layla's hand and called out, "Sera…"

Layla immediately collapsed into his arms. "Damien, it hurts so much…"

Damien's expression tightened. Without hesitation, he lifted her and rushed toward her room.

Bryan, Miriam, and Leo hurried after him.

Seraphina didn't look back at their panic. She no longer cared.

When she left, she would let Damien truly become Layla's mate, and Leo would become Layla's son.

Back at Afterglow Lodge, half of Seraphina's face was already swollen.

She channeled the power in her body to reduce the swelling, then gently touched Blaze beside her.

"Does it still hurt where Leo hit you?"

Blaze shook its head, sadness shining clearly in its eyes.

Seraphina forced a small smile. "Are you feeling sorry for me? It's fine. I'm used to it."

She had lived like this for almost 100 years.

Even the deepest wounds eventually went numb.

When night fell, Damien returned.

Seeing Seraphina and Blaze leaning against each other, he frowned, but still softened his tone as he stepped closer.

"Sera, don't take what happened today to heart. You know Layla is weak, and her emotions are unstable.

"She said holding the bonding ceremony is her only wish. Even if it's fake, she just wants to experience it once. I have to fulfill that for her."

Seraphina quietly watched the man who once swore to protect her for life.

Suddenly, she felt a warmth blooming at her forehead. It was as if the Mooncrest was heating up.

Then she realized she could no longer remember the first time she had ever met Damien.

The Moon Goddess's words echoed again in her mind. "In seven days, this Mooncrest will sever your ties of love and erase your memories."

So the forgetting was happening slowly, little by little.

She was already beginning to lose her memories.

No wonder her heart felt so calm now.

"Sure. I don't mind."

She did not make a scene, yet Damien looked even more unsettled.

"The ceremony is just for show. It's not real."

Seraphina curled her lips faintly. "Might as well go all the way. Let's go to the Promise Stone and sever our mate bond."

Damien went rigid. "You want to sever our mate bond?"

"After your ceremony with Layla is finished, and after her condition improves, we can go back to Promise Stone and reestablish the bond," Seraphina said lightly. "We'll do it for Layla. That would make her happier, wouldn't it?"

Damien hesitated. His instincts told him this was unnecessary.

But when he thought of Layla, he took Seraphina's hand. "I knew you still cared about Layla. Does it still hurt where Dad hit you?"

"It doesn't," Seraphina replied quietly.

The pain they caused her no longer reached her heart at all.

That night, Damien left again with the excuse that Layla couldn't be alone.

Even though Layla's Moonstone Cottage was right next to Seraphina's Afterglow Lodge, and there were pack members guarding both inside and out, Damien still insisted on sitting by Layla's bedside.

Leo didn't come back either. He had most likely stayed the night with Layla.

Seraphina didn't mind. She held Blaze a little tighter.

When the next morning's light rose, the Mooncrest on her forehead began to burn again.

This time, what faded from her mind were her childhood memories with her parents.

Back then, before Layla existed, they had adored Seraphina and treated her as the pride of the pack's future.

They gave her all the finest pelts, the richest hunts, and the most sacred ceremonial weapons.

Later, when Layla was born, her parents didn't favor one over the other. Whatever Seraphina had, Layla had, too.

So even now, Seraphina couldn't understand why Layla had thrown herself into Thornfrost Grove that year and then blamed it on her.

But none of that mattered anymore.

Five days remained until she would forget them completely.

At noon, a pack member came to call Seraphina to eat at the communal longhouse.

When she arrived, everyone else was already eating with Layla.

Miriam was gently blowing on the spoon before feeding Layla soup, while Bryan was cutting the most tender slices of roasted meat for her.

Damien held a soft cloth, ready to wipe her mouth. Leo sat nearby, reminding Layla not to eat too fast.

When Seraphina walked in, only Damien paused.

Layla smiled sweetly and waved at her. "Sera, you're here. Come on. Sit down and eat with us."

Seraphina's gaze fell on Layla's chest.

There, a crystalline stone shaped as a wolf's fang glowed faintly, protecting Layla's heart.

Seraphina would never mistake it. It was the Shadow Wolfheart Damien had given her when they bonded as mates.

She remembered his vow. "Seraphina, in this lifetime and the next, my wolf spirit howls only for you."

The powerful Shadow Wolf Pack would refine part of their own wolf spirit essence into a Shadow Wolfheart and give it to their chosen mate.

After Seraphina gave birth to Leo, she had temporarily passed her Wolfheart to him, to keep him safe until his own guardian light awakened.

And now, that Shadow Wolfheart was on Layla.

Was it Damien's choice, Leo's, or a decision they had made together?

Damien noticed where she was looking and opened his mouth to explain. "Sera…"

Seraphina calmly walked over and sat down.

"Dad. Mom."

She picked up her wooden bowl and took a sip of soup, showing no intention of asking questions.

When Layla saw Seraphina ignoring her, her face turned pale. She spoke pitifully. "Sera, I'm so sorry. I ruined your birthday—"

Before she could finish, she broke into a fit of hard coughs. Bryan and Miriam hurried over to pat her back and comfort her.

Watching this, a sudden ache stabbed through Damien's chest.

He hesitated, then reached out for Seraphina's hand.

She quietly avoided his touch and spoke softly, "It's fine. I don't mind."

She was saying that to both Layla and Damien.

Only then did her parents realize once again that they had left Seraphina out.

But they never felt guilty toward her. Miriam said coolly, "It's only a birthday. After Layla and Damien's ceremony in five days, we'll hold a party to celebrate."

Seraphina paused. 'Five days, huh?'

Everything really lined up. In five days, Layla and Damien would hold their bonding ceremony.

And she would forget everything, sever every bond, and remain forever on Howlpeak.

Bryan nodded as well. "Yeah. Layla's health matters most. You're the elder sister. You should understand."

That line again. She was the older sister. She owed Layla. She should understand.

Seraphina had heard it so many times that her ears had gone numb.

Then Leo spoke up. "When Aunt Layla and Dad complete the ceremony, does that mean Mom can trade her life for Aunt Layla's?"

Seraphina froze.

She lifted her head. Everyone looked at her, waiting for her answer.

The food in her mouth instantly turned tasteless and stuck in her throat.

Seraphina clenched her fist and forced the bitterness down. "It's true that the Sunfire bloodline lets me go through Ember Rebirth. But what if my life essence isn't enough, and I fail to come back?"

Before her words even settled, everyone spoke at once.

Bryan said, "You carry the Sunfire bloodline. How could your life essence possibly be insufficient?"

Miriam said, "We'll be right by your side, guarding you. Nothing will happen to you."

Leo said, "Mom, don't use that as an excuse to avoid saving Aunt Layla."

Seraphina turned to Damien. After a moment of silence, he sighed. "Sera, I've prepared many rare moon herbs for you. Once you are reborn, they will help your wolf spirit become even stronger than before."

Seraphina smiled, and as she did, her eyes turned red.

"Alright. I'm willing to trade my life for Layla's."

She was willing to trade lives. But five days later, once she went to Howlpeak, she would never be able to leave again.

Whether they could ever find her then was their problem.

The moment Seraphina agreed, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They instinctively tried to treat her a little better, but they had been good only to Layla for so long that their concern for Seraphina now felt stiff and awkward, no matter how they went about it.

Miriam cut a piece of roasted meat for Seraphina and forced a dry laugh. "You should eat more. You've gotten so thin lately."

Miriam then nudged Bryan on the elbow. He finally picked up a bowl and served her some stew. "Yeah, eat more. I think you like this one, right? Here, while it's hot."

Ever since Layla accused her of pushing her into the Thornfrost Grove, Seraphina had never once received her parents' affection again.

She didn't expose their act. She only noticed that out of all the dishes on the table, not a single one was her favorite dish.

She took the bowl of stew and ate it quietly, one bite at a time.

The stew was already cold, just like her heart, which had long since gone numb.

Layla then spoke through teary eyes, full of emotion, "Sera, thank you so much. I don't even know how to repay you for this."

The soft cloth Damien had been clutching at last had its use.

He wiped Layla's tears and spoke gently, "Why talk about repaying anything? Sera owes you. Once you trade lives…"

Seraphina didn't let him finish. She set her wooden bowl on the table and stood up. "I'm full. Enjoy your meal."

She turned and walked away.

Before she had taken two steps, she heard Leo speak in the Primal Tongue. "Dad, Mom is acting so rude and uneducated."

This time, Damien answered sternly in the same language, "She is your mother. Watch your tongue."

What Seraphina didn't expect was Layla calmly joining in, also in the Primal Tongue. "Leo, your mom is just more free-spirited. Don't talk about her like that."

Since when had Layla learned the Primal Tongue?

Seraphina smirked, unable to tell whether she felt more bitter or more amused.

Not long after she returned to Afterglow Lodge, Damien came in, too.

Seeing her unhappy expression, he went over and wrapped her in his arms, speaking softly.

"Sera, I know asking you to trade your life for Layla is unfair to you. Layla is weak, so it makes sense that Dad and Mom dote on her more. But you still have Leo and me.

"You must remember, no matter what happens, we'll always be by your side."

Seraphina looked at him quietly.

They were talking about trading lives. She would trade her life for Layla's and go through an agonizing rebirth through soul fire.

And he simply called it "unfair".

She pushed Damien away. "If there were a chance for you to swap lives with Layla, would you do it?"

Damien did not hesitate at all. "Of course, I would."

"You would do it voluntarily?"

"Yes, I would!"

The room fell into sudden silence.

Damien stared at her calm expression for a long moment before suddenly realizing something.

"Sera, I would trade my life with Layla's, but not for her sake. It would be for you. If I could suffer in your place this once, I'd be willing!"

Seraphina asked quietly, "If you really care about me that much, why not spare me from suffering at all?"

Damien froze. "Isn't this what you owe Layla?"

Seraphina remained silent for a long time.

At last, she nodded. "Yes. I owe her."

When her parents found Layla dying back then, they believed her the moment she pointed at Seraphina.

After that, they kept bringing it up again and again, until even Damien believed it completely.

Seraphina took a deep breath and walked out.

Damien paused, then hurried after her. "Where are you going?"

"I want to see the human world," Seraphina said without stopping.

After all, in five days, she would never be able to leave Howlpeak again.

Damien grasped her hand. "I'll go with you."

Seraphina hesitated.

Many years ago, after they had bonded as mates, they had gone together to the human world and lived quietly as an ordinary married couple in a small town.

Maybe going back to that old place with him was a good thing. She would let him help her bury those memories once and for all.

But just as they reached the pack's barrier, Layla called out after them.

"Sera, Damien, where are you going?"

Layla had always called Damien in an affectionate tone. At first, Seraphina had corrected her, but her parents had been displeased. "She can call him whatever she likes. Are you afraid she'll steal your mate?"

Now, Layla truly was trying to take her mate, and yet not a single person scolded her. No one thought she was wrong.

Damien answered, "To the human world."

Layla immediately stepped forward. "I want to go, too. I'm so bored staying here every day. I've never been to the human world. Take me with you, okay?"

Damien hesitated. "But you're weak…"

Layla's eyes reddened at once, as if she were about to cry.

Damien sighed and looked at Seraphina. "How about we bring Layla along?"

Seraphina's expression was indifferent. "If something happens to her, will you blame it on me again?"

"What are you talking about? As long as we take good care of Layla, nothing will happen," Damien said.

Seraphina didn't argue anymore. "Do whatever you want."

With that, she cast a teleportation spell and disappeared.

-

The human world, a place called Diluna Town.

At the center of the town stood an ancient stone bridge. At the end of it was the Promise Stone, where lovers carved their vows as a symbol of eternal devotion.

Back when Seraphina and Damien lived here disguised as humans, they had stood hand in hand in that very spot. Beneath the moonlight, they had shifted into wolves and howled to the sky, declaring each other as mates for life.

"I, Damien Norman, bind my wolf spirit to Seraphina Grant's for all eternity."

The vow still echoed in her ears, but everything else had changed.

Seraphina turned her head and saw Damien supporting Layla by the bridge.

Layla spoke in the Primal Tongue. "Damien, I wanna wish to be with you forever."

Damien only froze for a moment before smiling gently at her. "Sure. Then I'll wish that you'll recover and never suffer from illness again."

After that, the two of them carved their new vows into the Promise Stone together.

Seraphina watched the scene, her fists clenched tight.

In the next second, she walked straight to the vow she and Damien had carved all those years ago.

Flames flared to life in her palm.

At the same time, the Mooncrest on her forehead began to glow.

As the old promise melted into ash in the fire, every beautiful memory she had ever shared with Damien in that small town vanished from her mind forever.