I volunteer to be the mate of Carl Wood, the Alpha of the Nightfall pack, as a direct measure to resolve the conflict between our two packs.

He marks me on a full moon night. His gaze is so fervent in that moment that I interpret his look as a genuine sign of his attraction.

Carl personally leads the elite fighters across the border two years later. He grabs my head, making me witness the gruesome dismantling of my mother, father, and brother by the pack; his gaze is alight with vengeful satisfaction.

"Did your father show mercy during our youth when he destroyed my pack, Aria? Do you truly believe that having you here is enough to make up for this vengeance?"

Carl assumes the position as the most powerful Alpha of the northern region, with Selena Hall established at his side as his Luna.

I am kept barely alive, imprisoned in the depths of the dungeon in the pack. If I attempt to end my life, Carl retrieves the bones of a relative from the cemetery and incinerates them right in front of me, bellowing with bloodshot eyes, "You're not allowed to die unless I allow you to, Aria!"

I immediately cease all resistance after that.

Carl's heart was pierced by a silver-tipped arrow during his escape years ago. I had to implore the dark witch to use dark magic and substitute my sound heart for his.

There are only three days left before the poison completely takes hold of me.

Aria's POV:

It was on Selena Hall's birthday that Carl Wood, in an unprecedented act, granted my release from confinement in the dungeon.

I raised my head and noticed the crown resting on Selena's head atop the platform, leaving my heart with a stinging pain.

"How dare you not bow before Alpha Carl and Luna Selena!"

It was then that the Beta fighter beside me brutally shoved me, sending me stumbling to the ground before I performed the required bow mechanically.

Carl, without allowing me to rise, asked flatly, "Why did you take two hours when it only takes half an hour to walk from the dungeon? Did you have no desire to attend the birthday celebration for my Luna?"

I didn't try to defend myself. It was extremely cold and damp in the dungeon during winter, so my legs had long been frostbitten and infected, leaving me barely able to walk. I merely bowed my head and apologized obediently.

Carl seemed slightly taken aback before letting out a mocking laugh. "You have become considerably more docile now, Aria."

I had indeed become more docile, as my previous defiance had resulted in him throwing me into a silver cage for an entire night of torment, and on the following day, I was covered in festering wounds, but he had various remedies procured, deliberately sustaining my life while refusing to let me succumb to death.

"You should get up, Aria. You were once the dignified heiress of the Silver Moon pack, after all. You shouldn't reduce yourself to a mere attendant just because the Silver Moon pack has been annihilated," Selena said as she reached out to assist me; though she spoke kindly, her speech deliberately struck at the core of my sorrow.

Selena suddenly spotted the beaded bracelet on my wrist, a look of admiration flickering in her eyes. She immediately declared that she wanted it as her birthday present.

I glanced at Carl and noticed that his gaze was cold and obscure, successfully masking any emotion he might have harbored.

It was the day of our graduation from Lumina Academy, and we were about to go our separate ways when Carl personally put the bracelet on my wrist under the Moonlight Tree.

He had told me it was a cherished family heirloom, with each bead crafted from premium medicinal herbs that could soothe discomfort, ease pain, and grant the wearer a longer life.

I had been frail since I was young, and upon giving me the bracelet, he expressed his hope for my lifelong safety and well-being. I thought it no longer served me any purpose now, so I took it off with a smile and presented it to Selena, saying, "I'll give it to you since you like it, Luna Selena."

I thought I caught a glimpse of Carl's body stiffening out of the corner of my eye. I quickly shook my head in response, dismissing the possibility that it was anything more than my imagination.

Selena commanded her maid to bring over a tray. She made sure her last phrase was heavily emphasized—her expression was cheerful, yet a sharp, calculating look flashed in her gaze—saying, "You can consider this wine my token of gratitude for the bracelet, Aria. You must drink every last drop of it."

Selena had been present at the border of Umbra Forest when I swapped my heart with Carl's. She knew, without a doubt, that the heart now beating inside me was Carl's—the one pierced by a silver arrow. She was aware that alcohol could harm me, yet she deliberately insisted on offering the drink.

Selena, noticing my hesitation, quickly feigned a teary look. "If you didn't want to offer that bracelet as a birthday present, I'll return it to you, Aria."

She was just about to remove the bracelet when Carl's hands held hers firmly. "You don't take back a gift once it's given. You are my Luna, so that bracelet was rightfully yours from the very beginning. You are just retrieving what's yours, Selena."

He then turned to look at me, his gaze dripping with sheer contempt while bellowing, "How could you repay Selena with such disregard when she extended her kindness by offering you some wine?"

"You shouldn't make this difficult for a humble maid like me and just accept it, Aria!" Selena's maid hastily presented the wine glass to me, only to intentionally release her grip just as my hand came to take it.

In that instant, the inexplicable boiling wine splashed across my numb, frozen fingers, immediately causing red blisters to rise. I let out an involuntary cry of pain, and the glass dropped, shattering on the floor.

Carl anxiously rose to his feet, preparing to move closer to inspect the situation.

Selena, however, quickly positioned herself in front of Carl, putting on a distressed expression.

She then clutched her chest and wailed dramatically, asking, "Is your hatred for me so deep, Aria? I distinctly remember your frequent drinking, and this Silverlight Brew was personally distilled for me by my mother—there is only one pitcher in existence.

"I wanted to treat you to this wine, even pairing it with the finest Silverlight glass, yet you broke it right before my eyes."

I widened my eyes in disbelief as she spewed all those lies—a lie that Carl had full knowledge of, as I abstained from alcohol entirely. In the past, even a single sip of alcohol would leave me incapacitated for a whole week.

I looked at Carl, holding my stinging hand, and noticed the flicker of distress in his gaze earlier was replaced by sheer frigidity. "You have squandered Selena's goodwill! You're being so ungrateful, Aria!"

He then ordered, "Get me ten jars of Blazefire Spirit!"

I knew that Blazefire Spirit, the most potent liquor the Nightfall pack brewed, was far beyond what my critically compromised body could endure. I couldn't even tolerate ordinary alcohol, let alone a fiery spirit of that caliber.

Carl asked coldly, "Do you want to drink it yourself, or should I get someone to help you, Aria?"

I thought about Carl's brutal ways and eventually managed a wry, painful expression as I asked, "Can I leave once I drink all of it?"

Carl nodded indifferently, replying, "I'll definitely let you go, Aria. You can just regard this as a bit of added entertainment for the Luna's birthday celebration."

I instantly fell silent. I simply raised the massive jar and began to guzzle the contents. I felt a ferocious burn instantly filling my throat, and my body convulsed with an involuntary retch, fighting desperately to expel the liquid.

I suppressed the wave of nausea and continued to ingest the spirit, gulping down the burning liquid relentlessly.

Those present settled in to observe the unfolding spectacle, while Carl's countenance began to steadily cloud over.

I was on my fifth jar when Carl finally snapped and bellowed, "That's enough! Are you intentionally behaving this way just to solicit pity from me, Aria?"

"I wouldn't dare," I replied as I lowered my head, but no sooner had I finished speaking than I violently spat forth a mouthful of blood.

Carl was about to step forward to help when Selena's voice rang out from behind him. "Why are you coughing up blood again, Aria? I'll have the healer attend to you without delay! You have been coughing up blood for ten years now, so we have to determine the cause!"

Having heard that, Carl's fleeting sympathy disappeared completely, giving way to sheer contempt. He then scoffed and asked, "You've been doing it for ten years, huh? You certainly know how to put on a convincing spectacle, Aria! You would have successfully misled me yet again if it weren't for Selena!"

I suddenly felt a swarm of sharp, prickling pain spread across my chest before I collapsed to the ground. I instinctively curled up, trembling as blood poured from my lips.

In the moments before total unconsciousness claimed me, I perceived the skepticism in Carl's eyes dissolve, twisting into outright terror. I then heard his voice echo toward me, growing clearer. "You're not allowed to die without my permission, Aria! You'll stay alive to atone for your sins!"

I doubted I would ever have the chance to complete the requested atonement, as I was certain my life would end in just two more days.

I regained consciousness to find the scalding injuries on my skin already tended to. I then realized that I was not in the dungeon but in a tidy room.

"You're finally awake, huh?" Carl asked, proceeding with a vacant expression. He seized my jaw and then forcibly forced a bowl of intensely bitter herbal medicine down my throat. He was so rough that I choked until tears streamed down my face.

He then said with a sneer, "You should stop looking at me with that pathetic gaze, Aria. You may not have been the one to do it, but the atrocity was committed by your father and your pack, and it is your duty to settle the score!"

He'd killed every single member of the Silver Moon pack on the day the stronghold was breached. He didn't even spare the pup in my belly—his own flesh and blood. He chose, however, to let me live.

I couldn't comprehend his motive, wondering if he did it because he loved me or despised me. I then concluded that it had to be because he despised me.

I wiped away the herbal medicine from my mouth and had not yet spoken when the thrilled voice of a Beta came through the door. "Luna Selena's pregnancy has just been confirmed, Alpha Carl! You must hurry to her at once!"

Carl was momentarily stunned, then jumped to his feet in excitement. "Is it really true that Selena is pregnant?"

I watched him with a fixed, unblinking stare, observing the sudden, unmistakable joy of impending fatherhood bloom across his face.

I suspected the Silver-Tipped Poison had taken hold, as a deep, excruciating pain shot through my chest.

That afternoon, the maids' and attendants' voices carried every detail of Carl and Selena's actions to me, covering the winter path with roses and setting off fireworks in celebration, which all seemed like trivial displays. He even topped it all by arranging a surprise for Selena every five minutes.

I was weakening rapidly, and my only wish was to wait for death in peace. Carl, however, unexpectedly sanctioned my departure from the room, but with the stipulation that I attend to Selena—he knew exactly how to torture me in the cruelest manner.

I was in Selena's bedroom as I picked up the bowl of medicine and, with a kind of blank apathy, ladled out a spoonful and brought it toward Selena's mouth.

Selena remained still, fixing me with an expression that was pure, undisguised hostility, free of any prior facade. "You must despise me terribly, Aria."

Selena was nothing more than a Rogue back then. Dad, seeing her being persecuted during a patrol, had generously taken her under his protection. She, however, was the first one to turn against the Silver Moon pack the moment our enemies descended.

It was when I was first incarcerated in the dungeon that Selena slipped in and explained her motive, saying, "Your brother brought this on himself by being so ungracious as to turn me down. You and the rest of the pack deserve to be destroyed since he broke my heart!"

It turned out that this was her reason for betraying the pack.

Selena held up the bracelet once more, parading it before me. "Isn't the Silver-Tipped Poison unpleasant, Aria? You likely still wonder why Carl is still so cold toward you when you were the one who saved him back in Umbra Forest ten years ago. It was because he was convinced that I was the one who had rescued him back then, Aria."

Having said that, Selena paused, hoping to revel in my shock and agony after her revelation.

Yet, my expression betrayed no change whatsoever, as the rift dividing Carl and me was a terrible landscape of genocide and generational hate—a veritable ocean of despair. What difference could one meager life saved possibly make?

I let out a mocking laugh, saying, "If I'd foreseen this outcome, I would have let him meet his end in Umbra Forest, and all of this would have been avoided."

It was then that a distinct, contemptuous laugh sounded from behind me.

I had just turned around when Carl grabbed me by my neck, his eyes looking utterly cold while asking, "Why do you hate me so much, Aria? Your father massacred my pack, then deployed your strongest fighters to pursue me.

"I was fortunate to encounter Selena after I was wounded by the arrow; otherwise, I would have perished. Your pack, seeing that I hadn't succumbed, offered you as a sacrifice. Did you honestly think I would let go of my hatred just because of you? Did you honestly believe that I lack the resolve to end your life, Aria?"

That very hand, which had once traced every inch of my body, was now clamped around my neck in a merciless grip.

I was rendered mute, struggling even to draw a breath. I suddenly felt my heart pounding violently, causing me to suddenly cough up a mouthful of blood.

Carl let go in utter astonishment, tossing me onto the floor like a piece of trash. He then scoffed and asked, "Is this your only tactic, Aria? You ought to know that the healer has already assured me that your health is just fine. Why do you persist in this elaborate charade of being at death's door, Aria?"

He wiped his hands in disgust and commanded the attendants to clean the floor. He then threw me outside and told everyone not to help me. He returned to the room after saying that, not even sparing me a glance.

I remained curled up and still, staying that way until the night arrived. I could see shadows moving inside the room and faintly hear Selena's muffled moans. I was eventually forced to quietly endure the sounds of their prolonged lovemaking.

I suddenly recalled the night I became one with Carl; we had neither performed the bonding ceremony nor the moonlight baptism. He had pinned me to the grass, where the harsh earth became our bed, and thrust into me with unchecked, savage tyranny.

I had assumed that was merely the custom of their pack, and so I repressed all my humiliation. I finally grasped the devastating reality during the Luna ceremony that Carl held Selena in such high regard and adoration.

I felt the wind sweep through my desolate chest, and before long, it was dawn. I had finally reached my last day. I thought to myself, "I'm finally dying, and the Silver Moon pack, the object of your hatred, will very shortly be completely eradicated, Carl."

I was awakened when someone threw a basin of water all over me. I opened my eyes to the sight of Selena's triumphant expression and noticed the Moonlight Bangle she was holding between her fingers, swinging it mockingly in my view.

I narrowed my eyes as I gained immediate clarity, realizing that it was a keepsake that belonged to Mom. I lunged forward to seize it, only to be held firmly by Selena's maids. I raised my head in fury, my voice shaking while asking, "What exactly do you want from me, Selena?"

Selena stifled a delicate laugh behind her hand. "You want it, right? I'd like to propose a wager with you, then—if we both happened to fall into the water, who would Carl choose to rescue first? If the outcome favors you, I'll return this bangle to you, Aria."

I followed Selena to Frost Flow, where vapor was curling above the water's surface; any average werewolf would certainly succumb to the cold within ten minutes. I was already shaking all over at that moment.

Selena, noticing my hesitation, challenged me mockingly, "You're frightened, huh? Have you given up on the bangle, Aria?"

I gritted my teeth as I recalled Mom's brutal death before plunging into the water.

Selena remained unmoving, smiling at me from the edge of Frost Flow. She then drew her cloak around herself and turned, her voice dripping with mockery while hissing, "I never would have guessed that you'd still be so naive, Aria!"

…

Third-person's POV:

It was then that someone outside suddenly yelled, "Alpha Carl has arrived!"

Selena quickly tossed the Moonlight Bangle into the water, and the moment Carl appeared, she pointed anxiously toward the water, exclaiming, "Aria threw the bangle you gave me into the water and is searching for it now, Carl."

Carl immediately rushed to the edge of Frost Flow and stared intently at the water, catching sight of a faint shadow below. He immediately bellowed, "You'd better come up this instant, Aria! It's merely a bangle—losing it isn't the end of the world!"

It had been quite a while, and the water remained completely still.

Carl was seized by panic. He quickly took off his cloak, preparing to descend into the water himself.

Yet, at this moment, Selena suddenly let out a series of loud sneezes. She called out to Carl, then rubbed her hands together and whined pitifully, "It's freezing out here, Carl; our pup must be cold right now. I'm sure Aria will be able to handle it just fine since she's such an excellent swimmer."

Carl, with an expression of deep concern, gently draped his cloak over Selena. He then turned to the maids and said, "You guys should wait here while I take Selena back and ensure that Aria is brought back immediately the moment she surfaces."

…

Having sent Selena back to her room, Carl instantly turned and rushed away. He felt his heart hammering in his chest as he told himself that Aria should have recovered the bangle by now. He then instructed the guard standing nearby, "Go bring Aria to me at once."

It wasn't long before the guard returned after being briefly away. He fell instantly to his knees before Carl, unable to control the trembling in his lips as he stammered, "A-Alpha Carl, A-Aria…"

"What happened to Aria?" Carl demanded, sounding irritated.

"Aria is dead."

"W-What!" Carl exclaimed.