I was thrown out of the main house and moved into the place Julian had arranged for us. It was a run-down shack on the edge of pack territory.

Wind whistled through gaps in the walls. There was only one torn mattress.

Meanwhile, Linda became the most honored woman in the pack. Because she had no werewolf abilities, Julian ordered everyone to accommodate her.

"Mommy, it's cold..."

Kyle was sick. Between the shock from last night and the wind howling through every crack in the walls, his small body couldn't take it.

His body burned with fever. The decrepit wooden house let in drafts from every direction. I wrapped our only blanket around him and even took off my jacket to layer on top, but I still couldn't stop his teeth from chattering.

He mumbled "Daddy" over and over, each word like a knife carving out a piece of my heart.

Werewolf pups had poor healing abilities. A high fever could kill them.

I had nothing, not even a single coin to buy a fever reducer from the clinic. I had no choice but to use the mind-link that existed in name only.

"Julian."

I tried to keep my voice steady, trying not to sound like I was begging.

"Kyle has a fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. You're the Alpha. Even if you won't come yourself, can you at least have a Beta bring over some medicine?"

The link stayed silent for a full ten seconds before background noise filtered through. There was soft violin music, rustling of fabric, and a woman's laughter.

"I'm busy." Julian's voice came through like he was brushing off a telemarketer. "Linda's trying on evening gowns. This one's a bit tight around the waist. She's upset."

I looked down at my pup convulsing with fever in my arms. My nails dug into my palms.

"Julian! Kyle is your pup! He's burning up and going into convulsions! Just come see him. Please, just bring some medicine!"

"Shut up."

He cut me off, his voice dripping with disgust. "Ella, this attention-seeking tactic is pathetic. Linda's right. You always use Kyle as a bargaining chip. Stop bothering me, or I'll block you."

I didn't have time to deal with the pain stabbing through my head. I grabbed Kyle and rushed out of the shack.

The commercial district blazed with lights. Glass storefronts reflected my pathetic image back at me. My hair was disheveled, my eyes bloodshot, and my arms wrapped around my half-dead pup.

When I passed the steakhouse, my feet stopped as though weights had been tied to them.

Candlelight flickered through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Julian sat at the head of the table, carefully cutting into a medium-rare steak.

Linda wore that supposedly "too tight" designer gown, her cheeks flushed as she opened her mouth to accept a piece of meat Julian fed her. That tender and juicy piece of meat probably cost half a year of my living expenses.

Linda said something that made Julian laugh indulgently. He'd given me the same kind of tenderness three years ago too. Now he saved his warmth for that human and left nothing but cruelty for his own flesh and blood.

I didn't go inside to humiliate myself further. Instead, I turned toward the pharmacy and begged the clerk to accept my expired spirit stone ring in exchange for the cheapest fever reducer they had.

The next morning, someone knocked on our rickety door. Julian and Linda stood on the doorstep.

Julian wore a tailored suit, his brow furrowed, as if the stale air might contaminate him. Linda clung to his arm with an elegant pastry box in her other hand, her expression perfectly guilty.

"Ella, yesterday was my fault." Linda's voice was sweet and soft.

"I didn't know Kyle was so sick. If I had, I would've made Julian come right away."

She held out the pastry box. The logo of the most expensive bakery in the commercial district was printed on top.

"Julian specially bought this Black Forest cake. We thought since Kyle's sick and everything probably tastes bitter, something sweet might help."

I stared at the box. All I wanted was to throw it into the mud.

"Take it." Julian's tone was flat. "Linda's being kind. Don't be ungrateful."

With that, he wrapped his arm around Linda and turned to leave. He didn't even glance at Kyle, huddled in the corner of the bed. That retreating figure was so final, as if we weren't his family but trash waiting to be disposed of.

I wanted to throw the cake away.

"Mommy..." A weak voice called from behind me.

Kyle's fever had barely broken. He stared at the pretty box, swallowing hard.

Ever since we'd been thrown out, he hadn't had a decent meal. My nose stung. All my pride crumbled in the face of my pup's hunger.

"Go ahead. Eat."

Kyle devoured the cake, cream smeared across his mouth, showing his first smile in days.

After he finished the last bite, Kyle licked his fingers reluctantly. Then he carefully reached under the mattress and pulled out the flower crown, half-burned and blackened, the woven grass barely holding together.

He held it like a priceless treasure, his eyes bright as he looked at me. His voice was small but full of hope.

"Mommy, Daddy bought me cake. Does that mean he forgives me? When I get better, I'll fix the broken parts and give him the crown again.

"I'll tell him these are my favorite flowers. Daddy will accept it this time, right?"

As I looked into Kyle's innocent, trusting eyes, my throat tightened. My heart felt like it was splitting open. He had no idea that in his beloved father's eyes, he was worthless.

All I could do was hold back my tears and lie with a nod.

Midnight brought a nightmare. Kyle suddenly started convulsing, but this wasn't the trembling from fever. These were violent spasms.

He opened his mouth wide, trying to breathe, but his throat made a sound like a broken bellows. Then he vomited up a mouthful of black-purple blood.

Mixed with the metallic tang was a strange scent of bitter almonds. My blood ran cold.

The fever medicine wouldn't go down. I hoisted Kyle onto my back and ran barefoot toward the healing center in the middle of pack territory.

The elder on duty took one look at Kyle's deathly pale face and his expression changed. He pried open Kyle's eyelids, glanced inside, and immediately shouted, "It's Wolfsbane! Get the Alpha! Only Alpha blood can neutralize the poison!"

Wolfsbane. A deadly poison to werewolves, especially pups. Even a trace amount could be fatal.

I collapsed to the floor, clutching Kyle's ice-cold little hand. Julian arrived ten minutes later.

He'd just gone to bed. One button on his shirt was fastened wrong, and his face was full of irritation.

The elder handed him a small knife. Julian didn't hesitate. He sliced open his palm and let the bright red blood drip into Kyle's mouth.

The powerful force of Alpha blood worked quickly. Kyle's breathing steadied. His face was still pale, but the deathly blue-purple tinge gradually faded.

Julian casually wrapped gauze around his palm and stared coldly at me. "What kind of mother are you? How could you let Kyle get his hands on Wolfsbane?"

"He didn't eat anything today!" I scrambled up from the floor, my nails digging into my palms.

My voice was hoarse. "Nothing except the cake you two brought!"

A startled gasp came from the doorway. Linda stood there wrapped in a coat, her face full of shock.

"Ella, what are you saying?" She covered her mouth as tears sprang to her eyes.

"Wolfsbane? I've never even heard of it. We bought that cake from a legitimate bakery. I ate a slice myself. How could it be poisoned?"

"It was you!" I lunged at her, but Julian shoved me aside.

I slammed hard into the medicine cabinet. Glass bottles shattered everywhere.

"Enough!" Julian shielded Linda. "Linda's human. She doesn't know how to identify herbs, let alone extract high-purity Wolfsbane. Ella, you'd poison your own pup just to frame her?"

"I poisoned Kyle? What kind of mother would poison her own pup?" I stared at him in disbelief. "Julian, has this woman blinded you? She's human, but that doesn't mean someone isn't helping her!"

The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the quiet healing center. My face whipped to the side, and I tasted iron in my mouth.

"Shut up." Julian lowered his hand. "If I hear you slander Linda one more time, I won't just exile you to the edge of pack territory."

Linda pressed herself into his arms. Her lips curved into the briefest smile before she quickly transformed back into a frightened rabbit.

"Don't hit her, Julian. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding. But how am I supposed to show my face in the pack now?"

Just then, Kyle stirred on the bed. He'd barely regained consciousness and was still desperately weak. He forced his eyes open, and his little hand trembled as it reached toward Julian.

"Dad... Daddy..." Kyle's voice sounded like it had been scraped raw, thin but full of longing.

He remembered the warmth from before he passed out. He knew Julian had given him his blood. His father had saved him.

The little pup fumbled under his pillow for a long moment before pulling out the charred, half-burned remains of the flower crown. It was the treasure he'd been clutching the whole time. He hadn't let go even when he was unconscious.

"Daddy... I fixed it..." Kyle forced out a pleading smile and held up the clump of dried grass toward the tall man.

"I'm not hurting anymore. Don't be mad, Daddy. It's for you..."

Julian's gaze landed on the blackened thing. A flash of impatience crossed his eyes.

He didn't even reach for it. Instead, as if he'd seen something filthy, he instinctively stepped back.

"Get that away from me!" Julian knocked the crown out of Kyle's hand.

"This is a healing center! You're making a mess everywhere. You have no manners!"

Kyle's little hand froze in midair. The faint light in his eyes shattered bit by bit.

"Don't pay attention to them." Julian wrapped his arm around Linda and turned to leave. "Let's go."

I watched their retreating backs, then turned to look at Kyle, who sat there in a daze. That slap had completely destroyed my last illusion about Julian.

That shout of "Get that away from me!" had shattered the image of a father in Kyle's heart. Julian wasn't the charming, strong werewolf I'd once been infatuated with anymore.

Maybe he'd always been like this. I just hadn't wanted to believe it. The Alpha I'd loved for so many years had never loved me back.

Whatever love I'd had left for Julian turned to ash in that moment.

I decided to leave. There was no place for us in this pack anymore. I gathered our few pieces of clothing and lifted Kyle, who'd just recovered from his fever, onto my back.

The door swung open, and Linda walked in. She held a red apple in one hand and an elegant silver knife in the other.

"Ella, I heard you're leaving?" Linda smiled and settled into the rickety chair. She began peeling the apple slowly and deliberately. "What a shame. I haven't had my fill of fun yet."

"Get out." I stared at her coldly.

"Don't be so mean." Linda toyed with the silver knife. The blade glinted cold and sharp in the moonlight.

"You know what? Julian told me yesterday that Kyle's so ugly. He's like a little monster.

"He said he's grateful he never bonded with you as his Luna. Otherwise, that shame would follow him forever."

"Shut your mouth!" My whole body trembled as I shielded Kyle behind me.

"He also said..." Linda stood and moved closer, step by step.

She lowered her voice. "Once I give birth to our pup, he'll make Kyle a slave. A little horse for my child to ride."

Rage flooded my mind. I raised my hand to shove her away. The instant my fingers brushed the hem of her dress, Linda moved.

She was fast. In one motion, she sliced her own arm with the knife. Blood poured out immediately.

Then she plunged the pure silver dagger straight toward my chest. The blade sank in with a squelch.

Searing pain exploded through me. Silver was a werewolf's weakness. The wound felt like it was on fire, and my flesh sizzled and burned.

Linda let go of the knife and let out a piercing scream. "Help! Murder!"

A black shadow burst through the door almost instantly. It was Julian. An Alpha's speed was truly terrifying.

This was the scene that greeted him—me with a knife protruding from my chest, and Linda huddled on the floor in a fit of weeping as her arm bled.

"Julian! She's lost her mind!" Linda cried as she threw herself into his arms. "I came to say goodbye, and she tried to kill me! She said she hates you; that she'd kill me and then kill her own pup to frame me! Look, she even stabbed herself just to make me look guilty!"

It was such a pathetic lie, but Julian believed it. Or maybe he just didn't care about the truth. He only needed an excuse to unleash his rage.

"Ella Alcide, you vicious bitch!"

Julian exploded. He didn't even give me a chance to explain. He raised his hand, Alpha gravity gathering in his palm, and brought it down hard.

The sharp sound of breaking bone echoed through the tiny room, and my spine shattered. The pain was so intense that I lost all feeling in my lower body immediately.

I collapsed like a broken doll. Even my scream caught in my throat. Kyle stood frozen in the corner, and he didn't dare cry.

A few seconds passed before Kyle seemed to register what happened. He stumbled forward on trembling little legs, but he didn't run to me. He threw himself at Julian instead.

He wrapped his arms around Julian's leg and looked up with tears streaming down his small face. "I'll be good... Daddy, I'll be good. Please don't hurt Mommy...

"I'll behave. I won't make flower crowns anymore..."

Linda smiled and crouched down. She smeared the blood from her arm across Kyle's face, her eyes gleaming with malice.

"Being good isn't just about words, you know. Here's what we'll do. If you stand outside and watch over your mommy tonight without coming inside, I'll make your father forgive you both in the morning. He won't hurt your mother anymore."

"Really?" Hope sparked in Kyle's eyes. "If I stay outside, Daddy won't hurt Mommy anymore?"

"Of course. I promise." Linda's smile was radiant.

My heart was breaking. I shook my head desperately, trying to stop him. "No! Kyle, don't listen to her! You'll freeze to death out there!

"Please, Julian, Linda, leave Kyle alone!"

"Mannerless little bastard. He actually believes such obvious lies. Makes me sick just looking at him." Julian carefully gathered Linda into his arms.

He stopped at the doorway. "Since she wants to leave so badly, I'll grant her wish. Tomorrow, throw her and that bastard into the Borderlands."

Night fell, and wild winds howled. The temperature plummeted below freezing.

Kyle actually believed Linda's words. He stood stubbornly outside in the bitter cold, his small frame shaking violently.

"Kyle! Come inside!"

My spine was shattered, and I had no feeling in my lower body. I could only use my hands to claw at the ground, dragging myself inch by agonizing inch toward the door.

Every movement sent waves of pain through me. Cold sweat drenched my body.

I used every ounce of strength I had to reach the doorway. I then stretched out my hand to pull Kyle inside.

But Kyle stepped back, avoiding my grasp. His little face was already blue-purple from the cold. His teeth chattered, but he turned and draped the blanket over me instead.

"Mommy, go back inside..." Kyle pushed at my shoulder with trembling hands.

"I'm not cold. The lady said... if I stay out all night... Daddy won't hurt you tomorrow..."

"My sweet pup, she lied to you! Come inside!" I cried and reached for him again.

Kyle shook his head stubbornly. With his frozen little hands, he tucked the corners of the blanket around me. His gaze was heartbreakingly determined.

"I'm a werewolf. I'll protect you, Mommy... If I'm good, Daddy will come back..."

With that, he retreated into the wind and snow, standing guard at the door like a devoted little soldier. I had no strength left. I could only lie there at the threshold, watching him.

I didn't know how much time passed before that small figure outside swayed and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Kyle!" I screamed like a mad she-wolf.

I dragged my broken body over the threshold bit by bit. Ignoring the pain, I crawled desperately to Kyle's side. He'd already passed out from the cold, his body ice-cold.

I clutched him tight against me and dragged us both back inside, inch by inch.