Killian’s voice rang in my ears, every word slicing into me like a jagged knife.

My fingers curled into fists, my nails digging into my palms. Fury burned through the haze of weakness gripping my body. I wanted to confront him, to scream in his face, to demand how he could be so cruel.

But as I moved to push the door open, my body betrayed me.

A sharp, searing pain shot through my veins, like fire licking beneath my skin. My vision blurred, my legs buckled, and before I could catch myself—

I collapsed.

The impact sent a jolt of agony through me, the cold floor unforgiving against my trembling limbs. My breaths came in shallow gasps. The dizziness worsened, the room spinning around me like a cruel joke.

I reached out, trying to grasp onto anything—anything to pull myself up. But my fingers only met emptiness.

How long I lay there, I didn’t know.

No one came.

No one even noticed I was still on the damn floor.

My heart pounded, but not from pain.

From rage.

With a shaky breath, I forced myself onto my hands and knees, my muscles screaming in protest. I clenched my jaw, dragging myself toward the door, one painful inch at a time.

I couldn’t stay here.

Not in this place where Celeste’s blood had been spilled.

Not in this pack that had already decided I was nothing.

Killian was somewhere in this building, probably with her. The woman who had stolen everything from me.

Aurora.

That name burned my throat like acid.

Gritting my teeth, I reached the hallway. My fingers gripped the wall for support as I stood, my legs wobbling beneath me. Every step felt like I was walking on shattered glass, but I pushed forward.

I needed to see her.

I needed to see who Killian had chosen over my sister.

The moment I stepped into the room, I saw them.

Killian stood beside the bed, his arms crossed, his golden eyes watching over her like a devoted lover. Aurora lay there, her face pale but peaceful, her body wrapped in silk sheets like a queen.

A queen who had stolen a life to keep her own. My life. Celeste’s life.

Aurora’s eyes fluttered open as if she felt my presence. And then she smiled. Slowly, with deliberate arrogance, she lifted her left hand. A massive diamond glinted on her ring finger.

My breath caught. A ring. An engagement ring.

Before I could process the shock, Killian turned to me, his face void of remorse.

“Y-you… you killed my sister!”

"Sienna?"

"I hate you!"

You should be grateful, Sienna." His tone was cold, detached. "Your blood saved her life."

"You promised me you’d save Celeste!" My voice cracked with the force of my rage.

His expression didn’t change. "Aurora is more valuable to the pack than Celeste ever was."

A hollow, sick feeling twisted in my gut. "More valuable? She—she threw Celeste to the rogues! She—" My voice caught, but Killian just sighed, like I was a child throwing a tantrum.

"Aurora has a rare disease," he said, his voice eerily calm. "The pack doctor told me there was only one cure—your blood."

The ground felt like it was tilting beneath me. My blood. That’s why he did this?

Killian leaned forward, his gaze locking onto mine. "I tried to lure you before, to get your blood willingly. But I knew you wouldn’t agree. So I did what I had to do."

His next words made my breath catch.

"I ordered Aurora to throw Celeste to the rogues."

My body went cold. The air was sucked from my lungs. I could only stare at him, my entire world fracturing apart.

"You…" My voice came out as a whisper, shaking with disbelief. "You let her die? You—you sacrificed my sister for her?"

Aurora smirked, tilting her head as she admired the ring on her finger. "Oh, don’t look so heartbroken, Sienna. It’s not like she was going to be Luna."

I lunged at her. I wanted to tear her apart, to rip that smug look off her face, to make her suffer the way Celeste had suffered. But before I could reach her, Killian’s hand shot out, gripping my wrist with bruising force.

"Enough," he growled, his grip tightening. "You will not touch her."

His golden eyes, once filled with warmth when he looked at me, were now ice.

"You don’t understand, Sienna," he said, voice low and cruel. "Aurora is everything to me. She is the only future this pack needs."

I yanked my wrist free, my breathing ragged.

"So that’s all I ever was to you?" My voice trembled. "A blood source?"

Killian didn’t deny it. He just smirked. And that was the moment I knew—I was nothing to him. Nothing but a tool.

Despair wrapped around my chest, suffocating me. The walls of the room closed in, and suddenly, I couldn’t breathe.

I stumbled backward, my vision blurring, my heart pounding against my ribs like it was trying to escape. I had nothing left. No sister. No Alpha. No home. No reason to keep breathing.

***

I don’t remember leaving the pack house. I only remember the sound of the rushing waterfall, the deafening roar of the current below.

The wind was cold against my skin as I stood at the edge of the cliff, staring down at the violent waters beneath me. The moon cast a silver glow over the churning waves, their depths dark and endless.

If I jumped, it would be over. No more pain. No more betrayal. No more anything. I took a deep breath, my body swaying forward.

But then—

"Child."

The voice, deep and ancient, sliced through the wind.

I turned sharply, my heart pounding.

An elder stood behind me, his long, silver hair flowing like mist. His eyes were sharp, wise, knowing.

"You cannot throw away what you do not yet understand," he said.

I clenched my fists. "I have nothing left."

He studied me for a long moment before stepping forward. "Your blood is sacred," he murmured. "But it also carries a hidden curse."

My breath hitched. "A curse?"

The elder nodded, his gaze dark. "It is why they want you. Why your blood is both a blessing and a weapon."

I swallowed hard.

What did that mean?

And why did I feel like I had only begun to uncover the real nightmare?

The elder’s words haunted me. "Your blood is both a blessing… and a weapon." I lay awake, my body weak, my mind spiraling. If my blood truly carried power, then Aurora—who received it—should be bound to me, not Killian. So why was she still devoted to him? I needed answers.

I slipped into Killian’s study before dawn, my heart pounding. The scent of old parchment filled the air, the dim candlelight flickering across the shelves. I searched through books, tore through scrolls—until my fingers trembled over a weathered script, the ink faded with time. My breath caught as I read the words. A ritual. A dark one. A way to force a blood-bound recipient into submission through magic. My stomach twisted. Killian had enslaved Aurora’s will.

But that wasn’t the worst part. Further down the scroll, I found names. Dozens of names. She-wolves who had carried rare blood. Each one sacrificed. Each one bled dry. My fingers curled into the parchment, rage shaking my entire frame. I had never been special to Killian. I was just another body to drain. Another name to add to his list.

The healer’s words echoed in my mind. "You will need your strength." I forced down the bitter medicine she had given me, my throat burning. I stayed in my room, silent, unmoving, grieving. Celeste’s burial happened without me. No one told me where, no one told me when. No one cared. They had abandoned me, left me to rot in this room while they celebrated Aurora.

A loud bang jolted me awake. My door burst open, and Killian strode in, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "Sienna, you’ve been sulking in this room all day. That’s rude. Tonight is important. You will be at Aurora’s celebration."

I forced myself to sit up, my body weak from everything I had endured. "Get out," I said coldly.

He smirked, stepping closer. "You don’t want to miss it. The pack will be there. It’s a grand event."

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. "My sister was just buried."

Killian sighed dramatically, as if I were being unreasonable. "And Aurora almost died. But your blood saved her. Doesn’t that mean something?"

I stared at him, my stomach twisting in disgust. He was mocking me. He knew exactly what he had done.

"Get dressed, Sienna," he ordered. "I want you there."

I had no choice. Not yet.

The banquet hall was filled with laughter, the golden glow of candles illuminating the faces of my so-called pack. They were celebrating like nothing had happened, as if Celeste had never existed.

At the center of it all stood Killian and Aurora. His arm was wrapped around her waist, his touch so gentle it made my skin crawl. Aurora beamed, glowing in an elegant gown, her fingers gliding across his chest as she whispered something in his ear. And then she turned.

Smirking.

My breath caught when I saw what hung around her neck.

Celeste’s pendant.

The very one I had given my sister on her birthday.

I felt my world tilt, my ears ringing, my hands shaking.

"You look pale, Sienna," Aurora cooed, tilting her head. "Are you feeling unwell? Or is it just hard to watch?"

Killian chuckled. "Don’t tease her too much, love. She’s sensitive."

My jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. My heart pounded, a sharp, violent rhythm against my ribs. The air around me felt suffocating. The weight of betrayal, of humiliation, of loss crashed over me all at once.

I forced my hands to move. They lifted to my neck. Killian’s gaze flicked to me, brows furrowing slightly—just as I dug my nails into my mark and ripped it from my skin.

A searing pain shot through me, fire burning under my flesh, but I didn’t make a sound. Blood trickled down my collarbone, staining my dress.

The room went silent.

Then—laughter.

A slow, cruel chuckle rumbled from Killian’s chest. Aurora’s lips parted in shock for a moment before she burst out laughing too, clutching his arm.

"You think that matters?" Killian taunted, shaking his head. "You were never my mate, Sienna. Just a rare resource I needed to keep alive."

Aurora held up her hand, flashing a diamond ring. "Oh, sweetheart," she drawled. "Did you really think you ever had a place beside him?"

The pack erupted into cheers. They were celebrating. Some even threw confetti in the air.

I looked around, searching for a single familiar face, for anyone who might have been on my side.

But there was no one.

I let my hand drop to my side. My voice came out eerily calm. "Enjoy your moment, Killian. Because it won’t last."

Aurora scoffed. "And what exactly are you going to do?"

I turned away without answering, without breaking, without begging.

They had taken everything from me.

Now, I would take everything from them.