Eleanor walked ahead in silence, her steps steady.

She used to be the timid one, always keeping her head down in front of Carl. But that version of her? Gone.

Katherine, Poppy, Phoebe... those so-called elite werewolves-she never really fit into their circle anyway.

She grew up alongside Carl, so naturally, she knew all those alpha and beta kids. Didn't change a thing. No one ever truly accepted her.

Being a delta's daughter meant just existing in their world was already a sin. To them, Eleanor was the lowest of the low, like she wasn't even worthy of breathing the same air.

She used to never fight back-just tried to please them, stay invisible, and figure out how to keep her and her parents from being thrown out of the Stormfang Pack. One wrong move, and everything could be taken away.

Later on, she endured it all for a different reason: to avoid offending the powerful pack behind them. She didn't want to bring trouble to Carl or damage Stormfang's reputation. Her silence became her way of protecting them.

But now? She was done. She no longer belonged here.

And she didn't love Carl-not anymore. Without that love, there was no reason to keep pretending.

She'd found enough dirt on Poppy and Katherine to shut them up for the time being.

Poppy lost it, skipped class and completely ghosted. Meanwhile, Eleanor sat through her lectures, calm and unbothered.

*****

At night, Eleanor left the classroom with her backpack slung over one shoulder.

Her phone was filled with messages-mostly about the mounting pressure to repay her debt.

The headache crept in again, sharp and dull at the same time. Even the debt collectors had started calling. Compared to them, the NOVARA Challenge organizer seemed downright polite.

One of them had said, "Look, I'm just doing my job. You've got two days, max. The rules say you must return the 13K prize money. I've already sent you the bank info. Please send the payment ASAP."

With no choice, Eleanor went to the bank and made the transfer. Her account was left with only 3,200.

No job, no income, and now nearly broke. Basically, she was hanging by a thread.

She thought about the hospital bill she'd paid for Ethan. She'd hoped to get it back once she found his pack, but now that he turned out to be a rogue, there was zero chance of that happening.

Bills stressed her out, and she'd been trying every corner near the academy to pick up part-time work, but nothing came up. So, she had no option but to head back to her apartment.

Most of the streetlights on the way home were dead now-only one still flickered. That eerie darkness made her break into a sprint. But just then, footsteps echoed behind her. Her whole body tensed. She was shaking so hard she could barely breathe.

'If he tries anything,' Eleanor told herself, trying to pump up her courage, 'I'll show him my wolf isn't weak.'

Clenching her teeth and holding back tears, she sprinted all the way to her apartment.

Once she got inside, she slammed the door shut and locked it tight. Then she just collapsed onto the floor. "Damn it..."

That night, fear kept her wide awake. She barely slept, and by the time morning came, she was up early with dark circles under her eyes.

Still half-asleep, she opened the door to head out-only to have a werewolf collapse right at her feet.

"Ah!" Eleanor shrieked, stumbling back in panic.

She was about to scream for help when she finally got a good look at the guy's face.

"Martin? Wait, is that you?"

It was Ethan, looking pale as a sheet and trembling all over. He was in really bad shape.

He lifted his head weakly, his voice barely a whisper. "Sis?"

"What happened to you?" Eleanor quickly knelt down and tried to help him sit up. "Come on, let's get you inside."

"You're gonna send me away."

"I'm not... I swear, that day I just went out to try and find your pack." Eleanor spoke fast, gently steadying him as she tried to get him off the cold ground.

His entire body felt frozen. The weather had been getting worse lately, and Ethan was barely clothed.

"You don't want me," he mumbled. "You wanna get rid of me."

With a sigh, she said helplessly, "I really don't. Come in first, I'll grab you a blanket."

Seeing him trembling all over, lips turning blue from the cold, eyes half-shut with exhaustion, barely able to speak-it hit Eleanor right in the gut.

Eleanor just couldn't bring herself to turn him away. Her heart always got in the way.

Ethan slowly stood up with her help, unsteady but trying. Once inside, she helped him to the couch.

"Just sit tight," she said gently. She needed to grab a blanket and make him something warm to drink.

"I'm hungry," Ethan murmured, almost whispering.

He held his stomach, and Eleanor stared at him, stunned. "Wait, you haven't eaten anything this whole time?"

He nodded awkwardly. "Yeah."

"No wonder you're shaking so bad," she said, her voice softening. "You're freezing and starving-of course you'd get sick like this. Well, I haven't had breakfast either, so I'll whip something up real quick."

Eleanor glanced at her phone-still early. She had some time before class.

But Ethan clearly wasn't planning on giving her any breathing room. He tailed her closely, practically glued to her.

"I'm not leaving," she said, covering her face with one hand, exasperated. "I'm literally walking to the kitchen. Go drink the tea first, alright?"

He didn't reply, just clung to her sleeve tightly, like letting go meant she'd disappear.

Eleanor sighed, long and heavy. "Whatever. No point arguing."

Eleanor toasted a few slices of bread, fried some eggs and bacon, then brought the plate over to Ethan. He stayed close the entire time, silently watching her every move. She tried her best to act like he wasn't even there.

Ethan sat at the table, practically inhaling his breakfast. The way he devoured the food kind of startled her. She quickly handed him a glass of milk and said, "Slow down, Martin, seriously. You're gonna choke if you keep eating like that."

Ethan glanced up at her, gave a small nod, and noticeably eased up his pace.

Eleanor studied his face, curiosity creeping in.

He didn't look his supposed age at all-definitely older. Ethan had those striking features that made you stop and stare: sharp jawline, intense brows, and cold, thin lips that added to his distant vibe.

Her heart skipped a beat, and her gaze lingered maybe a little longer than it should've. Was it just in her head, or could she actually pick up a subtle scent from him? It was faint but distinct-cool and refined, like he carried winter on his skin.

Eleanor gave her head a tiny shake, brushing off the odd thoughts. She'd never seen a werewolf as good-looking as Ethan before. He looked like the kind other she-wolves would go nuts over-tall, muscular, radiating that untouchable energy. If he weren't a rogue and had his memory intact, he'd probably already be fending off admirers.

Then Ethan set his fork down and slid one of his fried eggs toward her. "You eat."

"I'm still working on my own breakfast," Eleanor replied, a bit puzzled. "I'm good."

"I want you to have it," Ethan said stubbornly.

That made Eleanor soften all over again. She almost felt bad for him. For someone like her, who barely ever felt cared for, Ethan's gesture felt ridiculously warm-it filled a hole in her she didn't even know was still empty.

But no matter how sweet he was being, she had to send him away eventually. There was just no way she could afford to take care of an amnesiac werewolf.

"If you give that to me, you better walk right out that door," Eleanor said, pretending to be annoyed.

Ethan reluctantly pulled his hand back, then quietly finished the rest of the food.

After breakfast, Eleanor pulled out the meds the healer had given her yesterday and made sure Ethan took every single one.

"You stay here and rest, I've got class now," she said carefully.

"Are you leaving me?" Ethan suddenly clung to her, panic all over his face. "I'll be good, just don't abandon me."

He gripped her hand tightly, looking up at her like a scared puppy. Eleanor rubbed her temples, already getting a headache. "I'll be back tonight, okay?"

Ethan refused to let go at first. It took her explaining like thirty times before he finally gave in. Her voice was practically gone by the time he nodded.

She grabbed her bag and bolted out of there, low-key terrified he'd come running after her again.

When Eleanor got to the first floor, she paused and glanced back up at the apartment window. Ethan stood there, waving at her sadly from the window. Eleanor turned away in guilt and left without looking back.

Back at the academy, she just couldn't pull herself together the whole day.

Leaning on her hand, Eleanor forced herself to sit through the professor's dull lecture.

When class was finally over, she went job hunting around campus again. This time, she got lucky with a spot at a coffee shop.

Turns out, someone had just quit, so the position opened up right in time for her. Eleanor sighed in relief, grateful for the chance.

After spending hours on her feet at the café, she didn't head home until later than usual. It was already dark out.

The air was freezing, and the wind had her shivering nonstop. The streetlights were so dim it was hard to see where she was going, and everything around her was dead silent-like she was the only one left in the world.

Eleanor lowered her head and hurried toward her apartment, heart pounding with unease. This was the best solution she could muster for now, even if it scared the hell out of her.

A chill ran down her spine. Her instincts were screaming, and her hands and feet had gone ice-cold. The feeling made her stay on edge without even thinking.

Still, something bad happened.

A filthy-looking wolf suddenly lunged at Eleanor from the shadows. It had to be a rogue-huge, wild-eyed, and radiating an aura of pure violence.

"Ah!" she screamed, face going pale.

Gritting her teeth, Eleanor shifted into her wolf form. Her small frame darted forward with agility, but she just wasn't fast enough. He was gaining on her fast, snapping his teeth with bloodthirsty growls.

She barely had time to react before he tackled her to the ground. She kicked and squirmed frantically, panting hard.

Panic overwhelmed Eleanor. She clenched her eyes shut, bracing for the end.

But instead of pain, she heard the rogue shriek in agony.

The pressure on her chest vanished. She scrambled up with a gasp and opened her eyes-only to see a much larger wolf standing between her and the rogue.

He was covered in sleek, jet-black fur, muscles rippling under his coat. Regal and terrifying all at once, he stood tall in the icy wind, savagely tearing the rogue away from her with brutal precision.

Eleanor froze, staring. She took a shaky step back, nose twitching as a faint, oddly familiar scent drifted over from the black wolf.

'Martin?' she gasped inwardly. 'It's really him.'

Ethan took the rogue down without breaking a sweat. He growled low, his presence so intense even Eleanor, standing a bit away, couldn't help but be drawn in.

His sharp claws tore right through the rogue's fur, blood splattering everywhere.

"Martin!" Eleanor yelled, panic lacing her voice.

Ethan didn't seem like a rogue at all. Sure, he couldn't remember who he was, but he fought on instinct alone. Even with all his strength, he'd taken a few nasty bites. Seeing his wounds made Eleanor's heart ache.

"Run, now!" Ethan called out to her, glancing over even as he kept fighting. He was clearly more worried about her than himself.

But Eleanor gritted her teeth and charged forward, slamming into the rogue. "I've got your back!"

The rogue let out a pained howl and broke free. Ethan didn't miss a beat-he struck hard, sending the rogue tumbling. The beast, beaten and bloodied, tucked its tail and scrambled off into the night.

Eleanor was catching her breath when she suddenly felt Ethan licking her. He sniffed around her anxiously before finally calming down. Her face heated up-yeah, she was probably blushing.

"You, uh..." she stammered, quickly stepping back from him.

Eleanor's heart was racing. She opened her mouth to say something, but before a word could come out, Ethan collapsed on the ground, his eyes sliding shut.

Panic hit her hard. She scrambled forward and nudged him gently. "Martin, hey-are you okay? You need a hospital."

To her surprise, Ethan suddenly pushed himself up and brushed her off, slowly heading in the opposite direction.

"Martin, you're bleeding," Eleanor called out, clearly freaking out. "We've got to get you to a healer, now."

She stepped in front of him, refusing to let him take another step.

Ethan lowered his head, his voice barely audible. "But... you don't want me anymore."

"That's not true!" Eleanor blurted, stunned by what he'd said.

He squinted at her, looking annoyed. "Someone came for me today. I ran."

Eleanor stared at him, first in shock, then fury. "Who was it?"

But the answer hit her before he could respond-someone must've tried to drive him out, thinking he was just another rogue.

"Don't worry," she said firmly, taking charge. "First, we get you treated."

She didn't care what Ethan really was. Rogue or not-powerful or dangerous-it didn't matter anymore. If he hadn't shown up and scared off that rogue wolf, she'd probably be dead right now.

He saved her life. He was her hero.

Ethan just stood there, unmoving, clearly not wanting to follow her.

Eleanor was getting anxious. She shifted back into her human form and threw her arms around the massive, furry wolf. "Babe, you're hurt. Let me take you to a hospital, okay? They can help you."

Her warmth and scent seemed to calm him down.

Those green eyes stared at her with curiosity. A moment later, he changed back too, wrapping her in a tight hug.

He was tall-like, really tall-and the way he tilted his head down to look at her felt oddly innocent.

Their eyes met for a second, and her heart did a little cartwheel.

He was gorgeous, the type of look that belonged in a painting. Honestly, better-looking than any alpha she'd ever seen.

No matter how many times she looked, he still made her whole body burn up. It was kinda embarrassing how drawn she felt to him.

Eleanor slapped a hand over her face, blushing hard.

'Carl already made a mess of my life,' she thought, bitterly. 'And now I'm crushing on another werewolf?'

She felt a little panicked. Ethan had no clue what was going on in her head; he just followed her quietly.

She reached out to hold his hand, and suddenly, a crazy thought rushed in. What if Ethan was her family? What if she finally had someone to lean on?

She just wanted someone she could count on-someone to lean on when things got rough. Not someone to move mountains for her, just someone who'd hold her when she broke down and remind her she could get through it.

Like right now. She was getting iced out by Carl and the Stormfang Pack, but then Ethan showed up out of nowhere.

It all felt surreal, like some kind of personal miracle.

Eleanor took him to the hospital, got his injuries dealt with. When they stepped out, the wind was sharp and biting.

But she didn't feel cold. Ethan was right beside her, and that made all the difference.

Back at the apartment, she unlocked the door.

Ethan lingered on the threshold, hesitant. "You're not gonna hand me over again, are you?"

"No," she said softly, tightening her grip on his hand to reassure him. "Not while you're still healing. I swear on the Moon Goddess, I'll take care of you as long as it takes."

All the messy stuff in her head-she let it go for now. The stress, the pain, she shoved it aside.

Things had already hit rock bottom: getting accused of plagiarism, dreams crushed, love lost, and soon she'd be out of the pack for good.

Honestly, it couldn't get much worse than this.

Ethan looked at her, clearly puzzled, but she couldn't help laughing a little.

"Come on," she said, holding her hand out again.

They walked into the modest little apartment. There were barely any decorations-just the basics Eleanor needed to live. The curtains were wide open, letting the moonlight quietly stream in, casting a silver glow on them. It made her feel strangely light, like a burden had slipped off her shoulders.

It wasn't anything fancy, but for once, her heart finally felt calm.

*****

Ashclaw Pack.

Ever since Ethan disappeared, the whole pack had been cast into a gloom.

Camila was falling apart, both mentally and physically. She cried every single day, obsessively chasing news about Ethan, only to come back with nothing every time.

For now, Thomas had stepped up again as the acting alpha, doing his best to keep the pack running steady.

Zane walked in looking like he'd barely slept, his face dark with worry. "Thomas, I've got something on Alpha Ethan..."

When Ethan first vanished, Zane had rushed out with a few deltas to search, keeping Ethan's plans secret from Thomas at the time.

But after days of digging and no good news, he'd finally decided to come clean-nervously.

He hadn't even gotten a proper rest since last night. As soon as he got word about Ethan's possible whereabouts, he dropped everything and rushed there.

He managed to track down the last known location, but the result... wasn't good.

Thomas kept silent, but his eyes locked onto Zane, tight with unease, waiting to hear the rest.

"But that place is a cliff. We still don't really know how Alpha got there," Zane said carefully. "I read the report. They think he might've fallen off the edge. No werewolf has ever made it back from down there... even if everyone in the pack joins the search, it'll take forever just to recover Alpha's body..."

His voice trailed off. Zane lowered his head, overwhelmed with grief.

Thomas collapsed onto the couch, pale as a ghost. He clutched his face with both hands, trying to hold it together.

He'd been Alpha for years, faced all kinds of threats-even brutal rogue attacks. But this... this felt like too much.

"Are we sure there's no other explanation?" Thomas asked, sounding like he barely had the strength to speak.

"There isn't," Zane answered, voice low. "Surviving a fall from there is damn near impossible. No one really knows what's down there."

Thomas shut his eyes, wounded. He let out a slow, heavy breath.

"What about the memorial and funeral Alpha planned?" Zane asked, hesitating.

Ethan had everything figured out ahead of time. Every detail. The whole fake-death setup was supposed to be flawless. He'd made Zane arrange the gravesite and headstone in advance-even mapped out the funeral.

Ethan believed the only way to draw his enemies out was to make the act feel 100% real.

"Let's go ahead with the funeral as planned," Thomas murmured under his breath. "Even if Ethan really is gone, we follow through with what he intended. I won't let my son die without answers. Someone's going to pay for this."

Zane gave a firm nod. "Got it. I'll make the preparations."

The thought that scared him most was that this funeral might not just be symbolic.

Maybe Ethan really wasn't coming back.

The funeral was set to happen three days later.