When Vera woke again, she found herself lying on a cold floor, surrounded by darkness and freezing air.

She instinctively tried to sit up. The sound of chains clanking came from her ankles.

Before Vera could figure out what was happening, the door swung open. Kieran walked in with a middle-aged man.

"Elder, Vera didn't do it on purpose. Besides, Wendy's pup is fine now..."

The elder, Roland Thorne, clasped his hands behind his back and sneered. "That's only because Wendy is your fated mate!”

"Alpha, Vera Nightingale is human. The years of protection you've given her were already a gift. You must not let your personal desires affect the pack's future!"

Vera had always known the pack elders did not like her. They had even tried to kill her when Kieran was away, just to eliminate the problem.

Kieran closed his eyes, his expression weary. "I understand."

Roland frowned, his tone severe. "If you understand, then you should make a decision. You're the pack's Alpha. You should set an example.”

"Vera tried to harm your pup. Do you intend to let this go unpunished?"

Kieran took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, all hesitation and reluctance had vanished.

"According to pack law, harming a pup means being branded and permanently exiled from the pack.”

"But considering our years together, I'll waive the exile this time."

Vera's head snapped up, her face full of disbelief. In the pack, only werewolves who committed heinous crimes were branded with the totem on their faces.

They became objects of contempt and abuse for the entire pack.

"I didn't... Kieran, I didn't push her! You can't do this to me!"

Vera's desperate screams made Kieran's lips tremble. He could only dig his nails into his palm to keep himself from rushing forward and pulling her into his arms.

Of course, Kieran knew Vera would never do such a thing. But he had no proof.

Wendy carried his pup. All the elders stood behind her.

He had to appease Wendy. Otherwise, what awaited Vera would be even worse torture.

Roland nodded with satisfaction, then signaled two Omegas to step forward with red-hot branding irons.

Vera struggled to grab the hem of Kieran's clothes, her face filled with despair.

"Kieran, I didn't do it. Why won't you believe me?"

Kieran bent down, wanting to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes, but in the end, his hand remained suspended in midair.

"Don't worry, Vera. With me here, they won't dare say anything about you.”

"As for the pup... my pup with Wendy will be your pup too."

With that, he turned around and closed his eyes. "Do it."

"Yes, sir."

The two Omegas walked up to Vera and grabbed her from both sides.

In this pack, even the lowest-ranking werewolf could easily kill Vera. All she could do was watch helplessly as the red-hot iron drew closer and closer.

"Ahh!" Vera's scream echoed through the entire dungeon, heart-wrenching and raw.

She writhed on the ground in agony.

At the same time, a wrenching pain tore through her lower abdomen.

Kieran's brow furrowed deeply. His sharp werewolf senses caught the smell of burning flesh in the air.

He wanted to turn around and look at Vera, but he did not have the courage. He could only flee in shame.

After what felt like an eternity, the tearing pain gradually subsided. A deep cold seeped into her bones.

She curled up on the straw-covered ground, looking at the blood slowly trickling between her legs. She pulled her lips into a smile.

Even though the movement tugged at the wound on her face, she smiled even brighter.

She had carried a pup. Kieran's pup. A pup all the werewolves thought could never exist. And then his own father killed him.

Vera laughed. Tears mixed with blood from her wound poured down her face.

"Kieran, if I could go back, I wish the person who saved me back then wasn't you..."

Vera had not expected Wendy to visit her in the dungeon. She wore expensive clothes and held her still-flat stomach as she walked into the damp, freezing place with obvious disgust.

Vera leaned against the wall in the corner and lifted her head.

Wendy spoke with fake pity. "Ms. Nightingale, I never thought the Alpha would be so impartial that he'd actually ruin your beautiful face."

"What are you doing here?" Vera clenched her fists, but her expression remained calm.

Seeing Vera's continued blank look, a flash of anger and jealousy crossed Wendy's eyes. What she hated most was this indifferent attitude of Vera's.

She was just a human. Now she had lost the Alpha's favor too. She could crush her without a second thought.

So why was Vera unmoved?

Still, after today, even if Kieran wanted to protect her, it would be useless.

A smile returned to Wendy's face. She said softly, "Ms. Nightingale, the Alpha is holding a ceremony to bless our pup. I specifically asked the Alpha to let you attend. Hurry and get up. Come with me to get ready."

The werewolf pack's blessing ceremony only took place during the new moon. It was meant to pray for unborn pups to be free from illness and disaster, to grow healthy and strong.

As soon as she finished speaking, the Omega guard unlocked Vera's shackles and helped her up.

Vera knew Wendy was not being kind, but her starving, weakened body could not support any clear thinking.

An Omega brought Vera to a room to wash up and deliberately used a mask to cover the scar on her face.

The ceremony began when the new moon reached its highest point. Vera blended into the crowd while Wendy stood beside Kieran wearing the Luna ring.

Kieran cut his palm. Blood dripped into the stone basin at the center of the altar. The priest stood behind the basin, chanting prayers.

All the werewolves in the pack lifted their heads at this moment to look at the moon and let out rhythmic howls. The entire ceremony was sacred and could not be disrupted by anyone.

Then the priest's face changed. He spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Priest!"

Kieran rushed forward to support him and said coldly, "What's going on? The ceremony has never failed before!"

"It's the Moon Goddess. She's angry."

The priest wiped the blood from his lips, pushed Kieran away, and frowned. "There's an unclean person in the pack. Only by driving her away will the Moon Goddess calm her anger. Only then will she continue to protect us!"

The werewolves murmured among themselves. Every face was filled with unease and fear.

At that moment, Wendy looked toward Vera in the crowd and said with feigned concern, "Alpha, could the person the Moon Goddess mentioned be Ms. Nightingale? After all, she's the only human in our pack."

"Shut up!" The moment Wendy finished speaking, Kieran glared at her coldly.

Yet even though her voice was quiet, it still caught Roland's attention.

"Vera Nightingale? How is she at the blessing ceremony? Who allowed her out?"

Roland's face darkened. His voice boomed. The already anxious werewolves grew even more restless.

Just then, someone bumped into Vera. The mask on her face suddenly fell off.

It revealed the branded face beneath.

The surrounding werewolves screamed and backed away, pointing at Vera. "Why is there a criminal here? How did a criminal get in?"

Vera belatedly covered her face. But it was already too late.

Roland on the altar let out a wolf's howl and charged straight at Vera, grabbing her throat.

"Vile sinner! How dare you intrude on the blessing ceremony! You're asking for death!"

He squeezed harder and harder. Vera's face turned red as she struggled.

"Elder Roland, stop!"

Kieran grabbed Roland's wrist and said urgently, "Vera didn't mean to. Elder Roland, she's never done this before!"

"Alpha! Are you going to abandon the entire pack for one woman?"

Roland released his grip. Vera was thrown heavily to the ground.

All she could hear was a loud ringing in her ears. She vaguely made out Kieran's voice.

"Of course not…”

"Since Vera made a mistake, we should send her to the pack borders to do hard labor."

Kieran walked over to Vera and lowered his voice. "Vera, once Wendy gives birth, I'll bring you back right away."

Vera looked at Kieran but said nothing. Roland frowned, clearly still reluctant.

Kieran signaled for a Beta to escort Vera away. Just as the Beta was about to touch Vera, a cold, low voice sounded.

"Where exactly do you think you're taking my queen?"

The werewolves all turned toward the sound. Soren walked toward Vera through the moonlight.

Behind him was a massive vampire army!