During a skirmish with the rival Thorne Pack, we were ambushed. I sacrificed myself to save my packmates.

My reward was a silver dagger to the gut—one laced with a shadow curse that began consuming me from the inside out.

When I collapsed, no one rushed to my side.

They all crowded anxiously around my adopted sister, Gritte, who had sustained nothing more than a few superficial scratches.

To my utter despair, my mate, Kael—the Alpha of my own pack—used the precious moonfall ceremony on a frightened Gritte without a moment's hesitation. It was the one ritual that could have purified the curse ravaging my wolf.

That day, I dragged my broken body to the pack infirmary alone and received the verdict: "Her wolf has been corrupted by the shadow curse. It will dissolve completely within seventy-two hours. The process is irreversible."

In the last three days of my life, I let go of the desperate, foolish hope for my family's love.

I signed over my business empire, Apex Holdings, to Gritte;

I agreed to Kael's outrageous request to sever our mate bond, all so he could better “comfort” a supposedly traumatized Gritte;

I allowed my brother, Asher, to give his office in the pack building to her;

I even stood by as my own son, Finn, began calling Gritte his "new mother."

Everyone was relieved, satisfied with my sudden magnanimity.

As they celebrated the life Gritte had stolen from me, no one bothered to ask why I had suddenly given it all away.

As the final seconds of my life ticked away, a single thought consumed me: When my wolf finally faded and my body grew cold, would their cheers turn to ash in their mouths?

————————

1

Under the healer's sympathetic gaze, I swallowed the suppressants meant to dull the agony ripping through me. Three days. That was all the time I had left.

I dragged my curse-wracked body to Gritte's luxurious private room in the infirmary. The scene inside was one of sickening domestic bliss. My father was carefully peeling an apple for her, my mother's smile impossibly warm as they laughed, their faces glowing with adoration for the adopted daughter playing her part so well.

The laughter died the moment they saw me.

"Evelyn," Father's voice was sharp as ice. "Are you done with your act? Can't you see Gritte is the one who's truly suffering?"

My mother pursed her lips in disgust, her voice dripping with exasperation. "You're always so jealous of Gritte! How dare you try to steal her moonfall ceremony on the very day she was injured?"

"I never thought a daughter of mine could be so petty!"

"Whatever tricks you pull, you won't fool us. Gritte will always be the better daughter."

I glanced at Gritte. A triumphant smirk flickered across her lips, perfectly hidden from my parents' view.

I was so tired of hearing their accusations. Once, I would have argued, screamed, told them Gritte was the one lying.

Not anymore. It was pointless.

"Evelyn, we need to talk," my father began.

I forced a smile. "Of course, Father. I have something to say as well."

"I've decided to transfer all my shares in Apex Holdings to Gritte."

"After all," I added with a chilling sweetness, "it's what she's always wanted."

The room fell dead silent.

My father froze, and my mother's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You're what?" Father sputtered. "So... you agree?"

I nodded. Of course, they were shocked. For years, they had begged, demanded, and even tried to force my hand, but I had never relented.

But now, I was dying.

"Oh, Evelyn!" My mother's face instantly lit up. "This is the right choice! Gritte is far more capable than you."

"Under her leadership, our pack will be more prosperous than ever!"

The door was thrown open.

"What's going on?"

My brother, Asher, strode in, holding a bouquet of Gritte's favorite white roses. He turned to me, his eyes shining with an excitement I had never seen directed at me.

"She agreed," Father announced, his voice thick with a pride I hadn't earned in years.

"Finally," Asher breathed a sigh of relief, as if I had been the unreasonable one all along. Without a single glance in my direction, he strode to Gritte’s bedside and thrust the flowers into her hands.

"Congratulations. I always knew you were the one who deserved Apex Holdings."

My inner wolf howled in agony. On the surface, I maintained my smile.

"This is the blood-oath contract." I pushed the document toward Gritte, my voice steady. "Sign it, and everything I've built is yours."

The scratch of the pen on paper was deafening.

"Oh, Evelyn," my mother cooed, her voice thick with false warmth. "You've finally learned. This is what family is all about."

Asher squeezed my hand, his gaze gentle. "I'm proud of you. I'm glad you're not so selfish anymore."

Only when I sacrificed everything for Gritte did they offer me this flicker of warmth.

That evening, I returned home to find Kael and my son, Finn, laughing in the backyard.

When Kael turned and saw me, his smile vanished. "Evelyn... when did you get back? Aren't you supposed to be at the infirmary?"

I said nothing, my gaze fixed on him. His shirt was unbuttoned, his sweat-dampened chest radiating the potent, aggressive scent of an Alpha learning to temper his power. That scent was meant to be a comfort reserved for his mate—for me. But he was practicing for Gritte, learning how to temper its potent edges into something gentle and soothing.

In our six years as mates, he had never been so dedicated, had never done anything for me that wasn't required by his duties as Alpha. And now, for another she-wolf, he was exploring the most sacred territory of our bond.

A dull ache throbbed in my chest. My mate, my own son... they didn't seem to think his actions were a betrayal.

In the past, I would have screamed, would have demanded an explanation. But now, I just turned and walked back into our cold, empty bedroom.

"Evelyn..." Kael followed me inside.

For a split second, a foolish flicker of hope ignited in my chest.

"I need you to do something for me."

My heart stopped. He had never asked me for anything.

"It's about Gritte."

The hope shattered.

"The ambush left her deeply traumatized," he continued, his voice tight with feigned concern. "The healer said the only way to soothe her wolf is with an Alpha's constant presence."

A long, heavy silence stretched between us.

"Your parents suggested we temporarily sever our mate bond so I can comfort her."

The clothes slipped from my fingers, scattering across the floor. I stood frozen, my heart a stone in my chest.

When I finally found my voice, it was a fragile whisper.

"So you agreed?"

Kael's patience was already wearing thin. "Evelyn, this is just to help her wolf heal!"

"Gritte is family. Can't you care about her for once? You're still my fated mate."

I opened my mouth, but Finn's voice cut me off.

"Mom, Gritte is a good person. We all love her."

"Why can't you just try? She's suffering in the infirmary!"

After six years of love and sacrifice, I was the one they deemed disposable. Abandoned by my parents and brother, and now by my own mate and child.

I met Kael's gaze, my voice terrifyingly calm.

"Fine. I agree."

He drew in a sharp breath. "You... you're serious?" Then, he clumsily grabbed my hand, hastily petitioning the Moon Goddess to sever the bond, as if terrified I would change my mind.

"Merciful Moon Goddess, I petition you to allow us to sever our mate bond..."

My wolf bled within me, the curse's power flaring as our bond tore apart. It felt as if my wolf's own spirit was being torn in two. Tears blurred my vision as I hoarsely repeated the vow.

Six years of a sacred bond, gone in an instant.

After the ritual, I turned to leave, but Kael grabbed my wrist.

"Evelyn... you did the right thing."

"As soon as Gritte is better, I'll re-establish our bond. I promise."

Finn threw his arms around me, his smile radiant. "Mom! I'm so proud of you! You're finally being selfless!"

Their happy faces tore the last shred of hope from my heart.

I prayed for death to come quickly.

I stood up, my throat parched, intending to get a glass of water from the kitchen, but darkness swallowed my vision as I crumpled to the floor.

"Evelyn?"

Kael's voice sounded distant. When I forced my eyes open, their looks of disgust pinned me down.

"See, Dad?" Finn said with a sneer. "There she goes again with the theatrics. Just another pathetic attempt to make us feel guilty."

Kael scoffed. "We have an agreement, Evelyn. The bond stays severed until Gritte has recovered. Did you really think this pathetic act would change my mind?"

I grabbed a chair and hauled myself to my feet. My reflection in the mirror showed no sign of my decay—a cruel trick of the suppressants—but the dying whimper of my inner wolf echoed through my bones.

"If you're done wasting our time," Finn snapped, "we're going to see Gritte."

"I'll go with you," I said, my voice cold as ice. "There's another document she needs to sign."

Kael said nothing. My parents must have already told him.

In the pack infirmary, Gritte was holding court from her bed, a triumphant queen attended by her devoted subjects.

"Evelyn! How sweet of you to visit me." Her sickeningly sweet tone couldn't mask her glee.

"Oh, Evelyn!" my mother gushed. "Aren't you lucky? Gritte is taking all that tedious work off your hands!"

I slowly placed the deeds to all my personal properties on the bedside table.

"These are my personal lands," I announced to the room. "I want Gritte to have them, too."

The room once again fell silent.

"Evelyn..." Kael's voice was surprisingly hesitant. "Are you really giving Gritte everything? Your company... even your personal lands?"

This was my former mate, the man who had always insisted Gritte deserved more. And now he was hesitating?

My father broke the silence, his voice full of approval. "Evelyn, you've finally become the kind of sister you were always meant to be!"

"I'm so relieved to see you're not so selfish anymore."

Asher offered me a smile he hadn't given me in years. "Yes, Evelyn. Family is supposed to take care of each other. I'm glad you finally understand that."

Their joy should have sliced me to the bone, but by now, I only felt a hollow numbness.

Would they still be so pleased when the truth finally came out?

Then, a trickle of black blood, flecked with silver, oozed from my nose, instantly staining my white shirt a deep crimson.

"Evelyn?!" My mother's voice was sharp with panic.

I wiped away the blood, my own voice surprisingly calm.

"Mom," I asked quietly, "if my wolf were to fade completely... would you even miss me?"

She recoiled as if I'd struck her. "Don't say such dreadful things! Your wolf is the strongest in this family."

Dad nodded, his attention already drifting back to Gritte. "Your mother's right. We should be worried about Gritte. Her wolf is the weakest."

Finn rushed to Gritte's side. "Exactly. Mom always recovers quickly, but Gritte needs our care."

Something inside me shattered.

I turned to Finn, my voice as soft as a whisper. "You've always wanted Gritte to take care of you, haven't you?"

A heavy silence fell.

"Congratulations. From now on, she's your surrogate mother. I'll never get in your way again."

Finn’s face lit up with pure joy. "Really? That's amazing, Mom! I can't believe you finally agree!"

I smiled gently. "Yes, Finn. From now on, you can call Gritte 'mother'. She'll always be with you."

His face lit up. "You're the best, Mom! I love you!" He eagerly planted a kiss on Gritte's cheek, his laughter echoing in the room like a victory cry.

My parents exchanged a look of smug satisfaction. Asher approvingly ruffled Finn's hair, while Kael fussed over Gritte as if she were a precious treasure.

I stood apart from them, an invisible ghost.

What a perfect family portrait—warm, whole, and united. And I was just the inconvenient shadow they were desperate to cut out.

So I left.