Lucas's outstretched hand stopped abruptly in mid-air.

The worry in his eyes solidified instantly, then transformed into monstrous rage.

Yes.

In the wolf world, even a pup would instinctively shift in a life-or-death situation. Yet I had no reaction.

The only explanation was that I was "gambling."

Betting my life on whether they would abandon Seraphina.

"Ella..."

Lucas withdrew his hand, looking down at me from above, his eyes as cold as if looking at a lunatic.

"You are simply hopeless!"

Veins bulged on his forehead as he roared at me, "Just out of jealousy, you actually used your life to gamble for sympathy? If the patrol had been a step later, you would be dead! Do you hate Sera that much? Hate her enough to use this kind of self-harm to get revenge on us?"

I wanted to explain.

I wanted to say it was the silver poison, that the whipping had made it impossible for me to shift.

But looking at those eyes filled only with disgust, my throat felt like it was blocked with cotton; I couldn't say a single word.

"So disappointing." Ron walked over, his eyes full of disappointment. "Reflecting in the dungeon wasn't enough. Playing mind games in a life-and-death situation like this is unreasonable."

"Guards!" Lucas ordered coldly. "Send her back to the Pack House! Get a doctor to bandage her up, don't let her die!"

Several warriors stepped forward and rudely hoisted me up.

Blood flowed freely from my shoulder; every step was agonizing pain. But I didn't cry, nor did I shout in pain.

I was dragged away just like that, watching Lucas turn around to gently hold Seraphina and comfort her, watching my brothers surround her with concern.

Before leaving, Seraphina looked back through the car window.

Seeing me in such a wretched state, the corner of her mouth hooked up into a victor's cold sneer. Naked mockery.

And Lucas, from beginning to end, never looked back once.

Watching their retreating figures, I suddenly couldn't feel the pain anymore.

I looked up at the aurora shimmering faintly on the horizon.

It was truly beautiful.

I closed my eyes and made a final wish in my heart:

May I, and Lucas, and these brothers...

Never meet again in this life or the next.

……

Two days later, they returned from their trip, and the Mating Ceremony was held as scheduled.

The Pack House had been transformed into a fairytale world. White roses, flown in by air, carpeted the lawn, their scent cloyingly sweet.

Seraphina stood before the vanity mirror, looking breathtakingly beautiful in the Luna wedding dress that was originally mine.

"Ella," she said in a sugary, cooing voice. "Even though this is just a fake ceremony, I still hope to get your blessing."

With a single glance from Ron and Reid, two maids stepped forward and forcibly stripped off my clothes, shoving me into a dusty, ill-fitting gray bridesmaid dress. The tight fabric dug into my unhealed wounds, causing stinging pain.

I was like Cinderella, shoved into the corner, becoming the most eyesore background character at this grand wedding.

At the climax of the ceremony, Lucas walked Seraphina down the red carpet.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming to my wedding." Seraphina took the microphone, tears welling in her eyes, her voice choked with emotion. "Actually, as you all know, I am a dying woman. This wedding dress... originally belonged to my sister, Ella."

A murmur of sympathy rippled through the crowd.

Seraphina wiped away her tears, her gaze landing precisely on me in the corner. "I was selfish. I stole my sister's ceremony. I feel so sorry towards her... In this sacred moment, I want to give Ella a hug. I hope to earn her forgiveness. If I can't get her forgiveness, I won't be able to die in peace."

All the spotlights instantly swung onto me, blindingly bright.

Ron and Reid walked over with smiles on their faces.

"Silly girl, why would Ella blame you?" Ron said loudly, his tone full of doting affection. "She is the most sensible sister. She forgave you long ago."

After saying that, they didn't give me a choice. They grabbed my pale, trembling arms and forcibly dragged me in front of Seraphina.

"Come on, Ella. Give Sera a hug," Reid said, pressing down on my head, forcing me to bow.

Seraphina opened her arms and hugged me tightly.

Just as everyone thought they were witnessing a touching scene of sisterly reconciliation, Seraphina leaned into my ear. In a voice only the two of us could hear, she whispered coldly:

"Go to hell."

In the next second—

Schlick!

Seraphina suddenly pulled out a silver dagger hidden in the folds of her dress and plunged it viciously into her own abdomen!

"Ahhh—!"

Seraphina let out a blood-curdling scream and collapsed into a pool of blood in agony.

Clutching the wound that was spurting blood, she looked at me in disbelief and cried out, "Ella... why... I already have less than a month to live... do you hate me that much... do you want me to die that soon?!"

The crowd went into an uproar.

Lucas's rationality snapped instantly. He let out a beast-like roar: "Sera!!"

Instinctively, he slammed his palm hard into my chest.

Crack!

The powerful force of an Alpha shattered my ribs. I was sent flying backward, smashing into a stone pillar and vomiting a mouthful of blood. In my hand, I was still clutching the blood-stained dagger Seraphina had shoved into my grip.

"Sera! Sera, stay with me!"

Ron and Reid rushed over like madmen, scooping up the blood-soaked Seraphina. Seeing the gruesome wound on her abdomen, the brothers' eyes instantly turned red, looking as if they were about to bleed.

They turned their heads, glaring death at me as I lay paralyzed on the ground.

"Ella!!" Ron roared. "If anything happens to Sera, you will pay with your life!!"

I opened my mouth, wanting to defend myself, but I could only cough up more bloody foam.

"Call the Healer! Quickly!" Lucas's hands were trembling.

The Head Healer examined her for a few seconds, his face turning pale.

"This is bad! The dagger was coated in high-concentration liquid silver!"

The Healer shouted in terror, "The toxin has already traveled through her blood to her heart! Combined with Miss Seraphina's previous condition... we must immediately perform a total blood transfusion using the blood of an immediate family member to flush out the silver poison. Otherwise, she will die for sure!"

"Then do it! We are her brothers. Take our blood!" Ron rolled up his sleeves without hesitation.

The Healer immediately began drawing blood.

Bright red blood flowed through the tubes into Seraphina's body.

However, after only a few minutes, the Healer shook his head in despair. "It's not enough... still not enough... The silver poison is too aggressive. The flow rate from just the two of you is too slow; it can't purify it in time..."

Seraphina's breathing grew weaker and weaker.

Lucas and my brothers whipped their heads around, looking at me, pale and broken on the floor. A flicker of hesitation appeared in their eyes; they didn't give the order immediately.

Leaning against the stone pillar, chest screaming in pain, I actually felt a ridiculous spark of hope.

Would they spare me, remembering that I was their sister, their fiancée?

But a second later, Lucas looked at Seraphina's pale face, and his eyes held only cold resolve.

"Drain her."

He spat out the words coldly. "She stabbed the knife. This is how she atones for her sin."

"But Miss Ella is also critically injured..."

"I said drain her!!" Lucas roared. "Just use the most expensive drugs to keep her alive."

The guards rushed over, roughly pinning down my hands and feet, nailing me to the floor.

"Let me go..." I struggled weakly.

Ron looked at me, a flash of unbearable pain in his eyes, but he ultimately looked away. "You owe this to Sera..."

The thick needle pierced ruthlessly into my vein.

"Ugh..."

Bright red blood flowed out continuously, flowing into Seraphina's body.

My life force was draining away rapidly.

I watched the men who had once sworn to protect me. Right now, they were like vampires, ruthlessly draining me dry for another woman.

Between the blood loss and my heavy injuries, darkness swallowed me.

The moment the needle was pulled out, I fell into a complete coma.

...

When I woke up again, the surroundings were dead silent.

Lucas and my brothers weren't there. They hadn't even left a single servant for me.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. The screen lit up. Seraphina had just posted an Instagram update.

In the photo, she looked rosy-cheeked, nestling in Lucas's arms, while Ron and Reid were smiling as they fed her fruit.

The caption read: Thank you to my superhero Alpha and the best brothers in the world for pulling me back from hell with their love. It feels so good to be reborn.

There were thousands of likes underneath.

I touched the shocking, bruised needle marks on my arm.

That was my blood.

It turned out my life was nothing more than fuel for Seraphina to show off how much she was "loved."

My heart was filled with irony and ice.

I hope that after tomorrow, you can all still love her this much.

I took out my diary and continued to write.

【October 17. I really had silver poisoning... it hurts so much. I only used one bottle of the potion; I really didn't take the others. But today, my brothers pointed at my nose and called me a vicious woman. My palm is rotting from the silver corrosion; it hurts so bad... But why does no one believe me? Where did the Lucas who said he'd protect me forever go? 】

【October 20. The dungeon is so cold, the water is so dirty. I didn't use the silver dagger to kill Seraphina. Forget it, explaining is useless. You were once good to me, and I have repaid that with my blood. Goodbye, my love. Goodbye, my brothers. I hope in my next life, I won't have to be a replacement, and I can have a real family. 】

……

Early the next morning, while I was still leaning weakly against the headboard, the door was kicked open.

Lucas, Ron, and Reid stormed in, bringing a gust of cold air with them, looking like grim reapers coming to collect a soul.

Before I could react, Lucas charged at me.

"Speak!" Lucas's eyes were bloodshot, his roar deafening. "Where did you hide your sister?!"

"What..."

"Still playing dumb?!" Ron was furious. He slammed a bloodstained, scrawled note onto my face.

As the paper fluttered down, I read the words on it:

Rogues... Ella let them... help me...

I froze.

Apparently, when the servants went to give Seraphina her medicine this morning, they found her missing. The room was a mess, leaving only this suggestive note behind.

"Look at me right now..." I pointed to my arm, which was still seeping blood, and forced a sarcastic smile. "I can't even get out of bed... How could I kidnap her?"

"Stop making excuses!"

Reid sneered and pulled a stack of printed documents from his jacket, throwing them in my face.

"We just intercepted these transfer records! The recipient is a notorious Rogue mercenary group!"

"To have the Alpha all to yourself, and to get revenge on your sister, you actually colluded with Rogues to kidnap her! Ella, are you completely heartless?!"

Looking at the seamlessly forged "evidence," I suddenly felt that explaining was pointless.

Seraphina's move was truly brilliant.

It got rid of me and made them hate me to the bone.

"Throw her back in the dungeon!" Lucas looked at me with cold, cruel eyes. "Lock her in the water cell! Fill it up to her neck! No food, no water! Don't let her out until she tells the truth!"

"Let's go! To the border to keep searching!"

With that, they didn't even spare me another glance before turning and rushing out.

They were off to play the heroes, off to save the princess in their hearts.

I was thrown into the dungeon once again.

This time, it was the water cell.

The bone-chilling, filthy water rose to my chest, smelling of rot. It stung the fresh needle punctures from the blood draw and the whip wounds on my back like crazy.

But I didn't panic, and I didn't cry.

I looked at the clock on the wall. The potion would take full effect very soon.

From a hidden inner pocket, I took out the spare phone I had kept concealed.

I sent an encrypted message: Do it.

A few minutes later.

Muffled thuds came from outside the dungeon—the sound of guards hitting the floor.

Immediately after, the iron door was opened silently.

Several fully armed warriors in black tactical gear walked in.

"Miss Ella."

The leader bowed to me. "We are here to pick you up."

He waved his hand, and his men immediately stepped forward, efficiently cutting the chains binding me and supporting my weak body.

"Let's go."

We retreated to a safe hill a few kilometers away from the Pack House.

The mercenary leader pulled a red detonator from his vest and handed it to me.

"Miss, this is a gift from the Alpha King."

I took the detonator and looked at the towering castle in the distance.

That was my home.

It held all my love, all my hate, all my youth, and all my blood and tears.

"Goodbye. Never again."

I whispered softly.

Then, without hesitation, I pressed the button.

BOOM—!!!

A massive fireball instantly shot into the sky, dyeing half the horizon red. The entire dungeon, along with the west wing of the Pack House, was reduced to ruins in an instant.

At the same time.

Dozens of miles away in the border forest.

Lucas, who was frantically searching for Seraphina, suddenly let out an agonizing scream. He dropped to his knees, vomiting a massive mouthful of fresh blood!

"Lucas! What's wrong?!" Ron and Reid were horrified.

Lucas clutched his chest, suffering from excruciating pain, his face as pale as paper.

His eyes widened in terror. The Mate Bond that connected him to me—

Had completely snapped.

"Ella..." An immense panic swallowed him. "No... impossible..."

When a Mate Bond snaps, there is usually only one explanation.

That means—his Mate is dead?!