Alyssa's expression immediately turned sour, but she couldn't lash out in front of everyone. She forced a smile.

"O-Oh, sure."

I hadn't expected the marking ceremony I prepared so diligently to end like this.

But my work was finished. I could leave now.

I had just stepped out the door when Alyssa ran over and blocked my path.

"Lara, you're feeling pretty pleased with yourself, aren't you?" Alyssa grabbed my wrist tightly. Her nails nearly dug into my flesh. "Do you think Erwin suddenly gave up the marking because of you? Dream on! The only thing he feels toward you is hatred!"

I looked at her calmly. "I never thought that. He said he would mark you, and I've already wished you both well. What else do you want?"

"I want you dead!" Alyssa suddenly lowered her voice. Her eyes gleamed with malice. "Tell me, if Erwin sees you trying to kill me, do you think he'll finally kill you?"

Before I could react, Alyssa suddenly let go and fell backward.

"Ahh!"

Alyssa tumbled down the tall stone steps and hit the ground hard. Blood quickly pooled beneath her.

In the healer's den, the operating room light was on.

Erwin grabbed me by my throat and slammed me hard against the wall.

"Who said you could hurt Alyssa?" He uttered through clenched jaws.

"Your dad caused my dad's death. Are you trying to follow his example and murder someone too? Did you forget the lesson I taught you?"

I could barely breathe, and I didn't even have the strength to struggle anymore.

Right then, the operating room door opened. The healer said urgently, "The patient has lost too much blood. She needs a transfusion right away!"

Erwin immediately released me and shoved me forward.

"Use hers. They have the same blood type. As long as she doesn't die, take as much as you need!"

Just like that, I was dragged into the operating room.

A thick needle pierced my vein. Bright red blood flowed out through the tube.

My vision slowly blurred. At the final moment, it seemed like Erwin stepped forward quickly, but then he abruptly stopped himself and turned to ask about Alyssa's condition instead.

When I woke up again, the ward was empty.

I struggled to sit up. Just as I was about to get out of bed, Erwin pushed the door open.

He strode over and grabbed my wrist. He gripped so hard it felt like he would crush my bones.

"Since you're awake, come with me!"

I stumbled as he dragged me forward. The needle was yanked out from the back of my hand, leaving a trail of blood.

Instinctively, I struggled. "Let go!"

Erwin ignored me completely and dragged me through the long hallway.

Barefoot, I stepped on the cold floor tiles. My hospital gown became all scrunched up from being pulled.

The pack members we passed all lowered their heads and avoided looking at us. No one dared glance twice.

"What are you doing? Erwin!" I used all my strength to try to shake off his hand. My nails left scratches across the back of his hand.

Erwin suddenly turned around and slammed me against the wall.

"Alyssa almost died because of you. I want you to apologize to her right now."

My whole body trembled as tears spilled uncontrollably. "I didn't push her."

"The guards saw everything!" Erwin suddenly raised his voice. He then immediately lowered it again. "You were standing at the top of the stairs. When she fell, you were the only one there!"

Suddenly, I laughed. Tears streamed down my face. "Then kill me."

My voice was hoarse. "Let me die before you just like your dad died before mine. Kill me!"

Erwin's pupils contracted. His grip tightened even more.

Pain made my vision go dark, but I stubbornly lifted my chin and stared back at him.

At that moment, a weak cough came from inside a nearby ward.

Erwin's expression froze. He dragged me straight into the ward.

"Apologize," he said coldly.

I bit my lip hard and said nothing.

Suddenly, Erwin grabbed the back of my neck and forced me to look at Alyssa on the bed.

Alyssa lay there with bandages wrapped around her forehead. When she saw me, she shrank back and hid behind Erwin.

"Don't be afraid, Alyssa." Erwin gently touched her face. He then turned to me and barked, "Apologize!"

My vision blurred.

Seeing the way Erwin protected Alyssa, I suddenly recalled that ten years ago, when my wolf spirit had been badly hurt, he stayed by my bedside the same way. He'd stayed up all night to take care of me.

"I–" I opened my mouth, but something felt stuck in my throat.

Erwin impatiently tightened his grip again.

The pain finally crushed the last bit of stubbornness in me.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto my knees.

"I'm sorry." My tears dropped onto the floor. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have pushed you."

Alyssa smiled smugly and leaned further into Erwin's arms.

After saying that, I braced myself against the bed and slowly stood up. I staggered toward the door.

The hospital gown hung loosely on my body, revealing the ugly scar across my collarbone.

Erwin stared at my back as I left and suddenly felt a strange heaviness in his chest.

'When did she become this thin?' he wondered.

"Erwin." Alyssa weakly tugged at his sleeve. "My head hurts."

Erwin immediately looked away and bent forward to check on her wounds.

By the time he looked up again, I had already disappeared from the doorway.

After I returned home, I was so weak I could barely stay on my feet.

I leaned against the doorframe to catch my breath for a long time before I finally made it into the bedroom.

Those few short steps made my vision go black several times. I nearly collapsed on the floor.

The entire day, I stayed in the room sorting through everything related to Erwin.

There were photos, gifts, and journals. Every single thing that carried our memories ended up in the yard.

When it came time to light the fire, my hands trembled so badly that I dropped the match three times before the flame finally caught.

Through the fire, I saw a photo we had taken at Moonlight Lake.

In the picture, Erwin stood behind me with his arms wrapped around me. His chin rested on my shoulder. His smile was so gentle and endearing.

"When we're old, we'll show these photos to our pups."

I suddenly laughed. As I laughed, my tears fell into the fire.

On the final day of my life's countdown, I forced myself to go to the cemetery.

It was only a mile away, yet it took me three full hours to get there.

"Dad, Mom." I gasped for breath as I gripped on gravestones and slowly climbed up. "Wait for me a little longer. I'll be there soon. I'll come and keep you company."

By the time I finally reached halfway up the hill, my legs gave out and I dropped to my knees.

I saw something I couldn't believe. Alyssa stood there with several workers. They were digging up my parents' graves.

The gravestones had been pushed over. The burial mounds were already dug open. Alyssa was even holding my parents' urns.

"What are you doing?" I lunged forward and tried to grab them.

Alyssa stepped aside easily. She smirked as she shook the urns in her hands. "I wasn't satisfied with your apology yesterday. Since Erwin can't bear to punish you, your parents can take the punishment instead."

I dropped to my knees with a thud. My forehead slammed against the gravel.

"I'll apologize again. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

"Please give the urns back to me."

Blood streamed down past my brows into my eyes, but I kept slamming my head against the ground. "Please. I'm begging you."

"Fine," Alyssa suddenly said with a smile. "I'll give them back."

She smiled cruelly.

Under my horrified gaze, she slowly tilted the urns.

"No!" I screamed and lunged forward, but I caught nothing.

I watched helplessly as my parents' ashes spilled into a feeding bowl. The wolfhound wagged its tail excitedly and began licking its mouth.

At that instant, it felt like the world was falling apart.

I used every ounce of strength I had left to slap Alyssa's face.

She stumbled and fell to the ground, but there was a satisfied smile on her face.

Sure enough, the next second, Erwin ran over and shoved me away violently.

"Lara!" His furious roar echoed through the cemetery. "You've got a death wish!"

The back of my head slammed against a cracked gravestone. Blood immediately gushed out.

Ignoring the pain, I clutched the small handful of ashes left in my hand and screamed hysterically. "I do have a death wish! I wish I could kill her!

"Do you know what Alyssa did? She dug up my parents' graves and fed their ashes to a wolfhound!"

Erwin bent down and lifted Alyssa into his arms. His gaze was cold. "Well done."

He wiped the blood from the corner of Alyssa's mouth and added coldly, "Even if Alyssa hadn't done it, I would've come to dig them up myself. When your dad caused my dad's death, you should've expected this day to come."

I collapsed into the mud and watched helplessly as Erwin carried Alyssa away.

His fur coat shielded her from the rain. It was just like the way he used to hold an umbrella over me years ago.

The cold rain struck my face and mixed with my warm tears.

I lowered my head and looked at the tiny bit of ashes left in my palm.

Suddenly, I laughed until a mouthful of blood gushed from my lips.

It kept going on until my blood splattered across the gravestones.

My vision began to blur, yet I stubbornly traced my parents' names on the gravestones with trembling fingers.

"Dad, Mom." My voice was barely louder than a whisper. "Wait for me. I'll be with you soon."

When I opened my eyes, I realized I was lying in Erwin's guest room.

The wound on my forehead had already been bandaged, and my soaked clothes had been replaced with a clean fur robe.

I lifted a hand and touched my chest. I could barely feel the heartbeat of my wolf spirit.

Suddenly, the door swung open. A guard stood in the doorway and said coldly, "You're awake? Alpha Erwin said he and Alyssa are going to visit her parents today. You're to stay here and behave."

I didn't answer. I simply stared quietly out the window.

Today was the final day before my wolf spirit shattered completely. It was also the last day of my life.

With that thought in mind, I smiled.

Slowly, I sat up. My wolf spirit gave off a faint buzzing sound. It was like the final countdown.

"I want to go out," I said softly.

The guard frowned. "No. Alpha Erwin said–"

"I'm just going to buy a few things." I cut him off calmly. "You can come with me."

The guard hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

After all, Erwin had only told them to prevent me from killing myself. He never said I couldn't leave the house.

The sunlight felt great on my skin today. First, I went to a human portrait studio.

"A memorial portrait?" The artist looked at the young, beautiful shewolf in surprise. "Miss, are you sure?"

"Yes." I nodded and even smiled. "I'll need it today."

After the portrait was finished, I went to the cemetery and chose the simplest coffin and a burial plot.

The plot was right beside my parents' graves.

I lifted my hand and brushed my fingers across the two cold gravestones in front of me.

"Dad, Mom. I'll be there soon to keep you company."

Finally, I walked to the third empty grave. A coffin had already been placed inside it.

With a smile, I calmly lay down inside.

Sunlight fell across my pale face as I closed my eyes. I felt my wolf spirit growing weaker and weaker as the life-exchange curse took hold.

"Alpha," one of the guards said with a trembling voice as he called in. "Lara is lying in a coffin."

Erwin's cold voice came through the phone. "Put her on the line."

The guard held the phone to my ear.

"Lara, what game are you playing this time?" Erwin's voice carried suppressed anger. "Do you think lying in a coffin means you can kill yourself? What are you planning? Smashing your head against it, or suffocating yourself in there?

"I'll tell you this one last time. There are guards watching you. You'll never get to die."

I could feel my wolf spirit fading further and further as the curse fully took effect. Even breathing was becoming difficult.

I chuckled softly. "Erwin, you might be disappointed this time.

"I'm going to die, and you won't be able to stop it."

Erwin sneered. "Go ahead and try."

I slowly closed my eyes and smiled. "Then I'll try. Just watch."

Erwin's voice was still coming through the phone. He seemed to be mocking me about something, but I could no longer hear it.

My wolf spirit's heart stopped beating. My consciousness faded away.

The guards' pupils contracted in shock as they rushed forward in panic to check on me, only to realize that I was no longer breathing.

The sunlight still shone warmly across my peaceful face, as if I were only asleep.

This time, no one would be able to wake me again.