What Kael Hartwell didn't know was this—if tonight's pre-bond ceremony had proceeded smoothly, he would have gained wealth and power beyond anything his pack had ever known.

So the one truly suffering loss wasn't me. It was him. Because I was never some scheming fortune-hunter trying to claw my way into a powerful bloodline.

If not for him, I would never have lingered in this territory for three long years.

The disappointment and crimson fury burning in my eyes meant nothing to Kael. He dismissed them with a curl of his lip.

"Why the tears? If you knew this day would come, why steal in the first place? Of all things you could have done, you chose to be a thief."

"You've damaged everyone's relics tonight. Have you figured out how you're going to pay for them?"

"I didn't steal those things. You gave them to me."

I ground my teeth and glared at Kael, but no one believed me.

"Ha! Do you even know who Kael Hartwell is? And who are you?"

"Why would he ever gift a timepiece relic worth millions to someone like you?"

"As if you're worthy?"

I wrenched myself free from the wolves holding me and stalked forward, grabbing Kael's wrist with a fierce grip.

"Tell me. Why are you doing this to me? Why set this trap?"

Kael's expression darkened instantly. "What do you think you are? You're not even worth the effort of trapping."

"You thought being with me for a few years gave you the right to act however you pleased? You knew I cared for Lily. You knew how much I treasured her. Yet you deliberately sent her away to be humiliated."

I said nothing. I just stared at him coldly, my gaze catching on the bite mark hidden beneath his collar—a mating mark, fresh and deliberate.

We hadn't shared heat in a long time. So where had that mark come from?

My eyes drifted to Lily. She smiled back at me, bold and shameless.

The truth hit me then. Kael's heart had already shifted.

He was no longer worthy of my love.

I released his wrist and stepped back, a cold laugh escaping my throat.

"You've bedded her, haven't you?"

Kael stood there with that distant coldness, not answering directly. But the heated glances he exchanged with Lily told me everything.

My hands clenched into fists. I slowly closed my eyes.

No wonder Grandfather had warned me not to rush bringing Kael home. He'd insisted I court him for three years first—a test of his true loyalty.

I never expected to discover his betrayal right as that three-year trial ended.

"Hey! Gold-digger!"

"You broke our things. You owe us tribute!"

"Stop standing there feeling sorry for yourself."

"Exactly. If you can't pay what you owe, you're finished."

Hearing those words, I turned to face the gathered wolves with ice in my veins.

These so-called precious relics? I could easily afford to replace them all. But the items weren't stolen by me—they'd been planted on me deliberately.

I had no way to prove my innocence. No one would believe me.

Was I supposed to accept being branded a thief? I pulled out my Moonstone Comms Sigil, preparing to summon the pack authorities.

I would let proper investigation clear my name.

But before I could activate the connection, Lily kicked the sigil from my hands.

"You want to call for help?"

"Let me tell you something—even if enforcers come, they can't save you. Everyone here knows who holds power in this den. They know exactly whose side to take."

"If anyone's making a report, it'll be us. Because you're the thief. When they arrive, you'll be the first one seized."

The moment she finished speaking, everyone regarded me with contempt and disdain, as though I were some ignorant pup who didn't understand how the world worked.

But their scorn couldn't touch me.

Because my precious comms sigil—priceless beyond measure—had just been shattered by Lily.

"What a worthless device. It's barely breaking. Someone bring me a hammer to smash it properly."

I tried to stop her, but it was too late. The sigil was destroyed.

That wasn't an ordinary communication device. The enchantments and moon-crystals embedded within it—the pack artificers had poured years of effort into crafting them.

Money alone couldn't settle this debt. I retrieved my Moonstone Comms Sigil and found it shattered beyond repair.

"I can pay tribute for what you claim I took, but you destroyed my sigil. You owe me restitution as well."

"Ha! That worthless little trinket? Worth maybe a thousand silver at most? I could toss scraps at you like feeding a stray omega." Lily Hartwell's lips curled with contempt.

"But what you owe us isn't just a thousand—it's ten million in blood-price!"

The pack hall erupted in mocking laughter.

They thought I had no resources to pay, and that I was foolish besides.

"You're wrong. My sigil isn't worth ten million. It's something wealth alone cannot purchase."

"Listen to this!" someone howled. "The gold-digger claims her broken trinket is priceless!"

"She's completely moon-touched."

Kael Hartwell regarded me with open disgust, as if the years we'd spent as intended mates now made his stomach turn.

The two elder wolves had lost patience. They stalked closer, pressing me to pay.

"Worthless female, stop playing dumb. Hand over the tribute now."

"If you can't pay, I'll have someone take a blade to your fingers. That'll teach you proper submission."

Lily heard this and let out a sharp laugh.

"Cutting fingers is too simple. I want her stripped bare, a submission chain locked around her throat, and paraded through the territory like a disobedient pup."

The gathered wolves erupted with approval, clapping and howling their agreement.

"Now that's a proper punishment. Strike at the heart of her pride—it'll warn off any future thieves."

"Yes, yes! Lady Lily is so clever."

My eyes burned crimson as I glared at Lily. She merely pulled out a slim cigarette, placed it between her lips, and lit it. She drew in smoke and blew it directly into my face.

"What? Don't like looking at me?"

"Too bad. Choke on it." She laughed coldly.

Rage unlike anything I'd ever felt surged through me. But I couldn't act against her. Not yet.

Lily had made it clear—even if I called for pack law enforcement, the local authorities would side with the Hartwells.

The urgent matter was settling the tribute first.

"If we're exchanging debts, then let's settle them all at once."

"I'll pay their claimed losses. But you shattered my sigil. You must pay me in return."

Lily narrowed her eyes and looked at me sideways. "Fine. I'll pay."

She reached into her pocket and threw a thousand silver notes at my body.

"Is that enough for your precious trinket?"

I smiled coldly. "Not even close."

"I told you, its value—"

"Are you trying to test my patience?" Lily snarled, throwing her cigarette to the ground.

She signaled the pack sentries to grab me again.

"This gold-digger is wasting our time. She has nothing to pay with."

I fixed the sentries with a furious stare that made them hesitate. "Who says I can't pay? The one who won't be able to afford the debt is you."

"Me? Unable to pay you?" Lily laughed as if I'd told a great joke.

"If you can prove your sigil is some priceless relic, I, Lily Hartwell, will drink my own piss in front of everyone. Satisfied?"

"But first, you pay what you owe us."

The sentries drew their blades.

I felt no fear at their threat.

But my sigil was destroyed. I couldn't send any messages through it.

I had to borrow someone else's comms-crystal to call for help.

But everywhere I turned, wolves backed away from me. "Filthy gold-digger, get away from me."

No one would lend me their crystal. But several older males kept eyeing my body with hungry looks.

"Heh, I could let you use mine." One of them leered. "But you'd have to let me put my hands on you first."

"I've got plenty of tribute to spare, and you look quite... full-figured. If you're willing to keep me entertained, maybe if you serve me well enough, you won't have to pay this debt at all."

Before I could respond, he reached out and squeezed my thigh without my consent.

The gathered wolves burst into howling laughter.

Rage at being humiliated flooded through me. I shoved the old wolf away with all my strength.

He stumbled and fell, his face twisting with fury. "Filthy gold-digger! I offer you a way out and you spit in my face? You have ten minutes to produce the tribute. If you can't pay, I'll have you stripped bare and thrown to the pack for their amusement."

"I said I can pay. But I need to send a howl-call to have my people bring the tribute here."

Lily Hartwell sneered. "Let her make her call. Who could she possibly know? She's nothing but a common thief."

"Get the submission chains ready," she called out to the others. "And those of you who want a turn with her, start forming a line. She's pretty enough, after all!"

I forced down my fury and made the howl-call. But the moment I finished, several wolves with twisted expressions in their eyes closed in around me, their faces split with predatory grins.

"Back off!"

They didn't retreat. Instead, they surrounded me completely, blocking any escape.

"Kael Hartwell, make them back off!"

"I'm the one who ordered them to do this."

What? I stared at Kael in disbelief. He didn't have to love me, but he couldn't treat me like this.

As the time ran out, they began counting down together.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"Time's up! She doesn't have the tribute. Strip her bare—I want to see if she's worth the trouble! Ha Haha! "

Lily ordered the pack sentries to pin me down while another wolf reached for my dress.

But at that moment, the great doors of the den burst open. A squad of black-furred sentries stormed inside, moving with deadly precision.

At their head strode Raven Stormhowl—the shadow-network queen of Southport. Her face radiated killing intent as she charged forward and kicked away the wolves holding me down.

"You dare treat my pack's young lady this way? You have some nerve!"