The iron gates of the Crawford Estate loomed before me, their intricate wolf designs catching the moonlight. My heart hammered against my ribs as the taxi pulled up to the side entrance—not the grand front doors I'd expected.

"This is where I'm supposed to enter?" I asked the driver, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded, avoiding my eyes. "Mr. Crawford's instructions, ma'am."

Snowball stirred anxiously in my bag. I'd smuggled him in, unable to leave my companion behind. His presence was the only thing keeping me grounded as I stepped out onto the cobblestone path.

A stern-faced woman in a black uniform met me at the door. "You must be the healer," she said, her tone suggesting I was something unpleasant stuck to her shoe. "Follow me, quickly now."

I was led through narrow corridors lined with pipes and storage rooms, the sounds of a gala growing louder with each step. Music and laughter drifted through the walls, a stark contrast to my growing dread.

"Wait here," the woman instructed, pushing me into a small antechamber. "Mr. Crawford will address the guests first."

Through a crack in the door, I could see into the grand ballroom. Crystal chandeliers cast a golden glow over hundreds of elegantly dressed werewolves. My breath caught as I spotted Knox at the center of it all, resplendent in a tailored black suit that accentuated his broad shoulders.

He looked strong. Healthy. My blood had done its work.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Knox's voice carried effortlessly across the room, "tonight marks a new chapter for the Crawford Pack."

The crowd fell silent. I leaned forward, my fingers digging into the doorframe.

"As you know, I recently survived an... unfortunate incident." His silver eyes swept the room. "But fate has a way of turning tragedy into opportunity."

Beside him, a stunning woman in a crimson gown stepped forward. Her hand slid possessively into Knox's, and my stomach twisted into knots.

"I am honored to announce my engagement to Scarlet Ellis, daughter of Elder Thomas Ellis."

Applause erupted. I swayed on my feet, the room spinning around me.

"And now," Knox continued, his gaze finally finding mine through the crack in the door, "I'd like to introduce our new Pack Healer, Freya Harvey."

The crowd turned as one. Hundreds of eyes found me standing in my simple green dress, a peasant among princes.

"Ah, there she is," Knox said smoothly. "Freya, please join us."

I stepped into the light, feeling like a specimen under glass. Whispers followed me as I crossed the polished floor.

"A healer? She looks half-starved."

"Where did he find her?"

"Poor thing doesn't even know how to hold a fork properly."

Knox's hand closed around mine, his touch both familiar and foreign. "Smile," he murmured through clenched teeth. "You're drawing attention."

* * *

"The marriage is purely political," Knox insisted later that night, pacing the length of the small suite he'd assigned me. "You must understand, Freya. The Council demanded assurances."

"And Scarlet provides those assurances?" I asked, my voice hollow.

"She brings connections, influence." Knox stopped pacing, his silver eyes serious. "But you, Freya—you're the one who saved me. You're the one I want."

He approached slowly, as if I were a wounded animal. "This wing is private, secure. No one will bother you here."

The luxurious room with its silk drapes and four-poster bed suddenly felt like a cage. "And I'm to stay hidden away? Your secret healer?"

"You're my mate," he countered, cupping my face. "But we must be patient. The pack isn't ready for... what we have."

A soft knock interrupted us. A petite woman with downcast eyes entered, carrying fresh linens.

"This is Isla," Knox said dismissively. "She'll attend to your needs."

Isla's eyes flickered to mine briefly before returning to the floor. In that moment of connection, I saw something—recognition? Sympathy?

"Leave us, Isla," Knox ordered.

After she departed, Knox's demeanor shifted. "You'll stay here until I come for you. That's an order."

The door closed behind him with a soft click that sounded like a prison cell locking.

* * *

"A baby," Scarlet announced a week later, her hand resting protectively over her still-flat stomach. "Knox's heir."

The pack doctor beamed beside her as Knox stood tall and proud. I watched from the shadows of the grand staircase, my heart turning to stone.

"Freya," Knox called suddenly, his eyes finding mine in the crowd. "Come here."

I descended the stairs mechanically, aware of every eye tracking my movement.

"Scarlet requires special care during her pregnancy," Knox said, his hand pressing firmly against my lower back. "You will attend to her personally."

Scarlet's smile was razor-sharp. "I've heard so much about your... unique abilities."

I placed my hands gently on her abdomen, closing my eyes to focus. The baby's heartbeat was strong, vibrant—too strong for someone claiming weakness.

"She needs rest," I said quietly.

"Oh, I need much more than rest," Scarlet purred, her eyes never leaving Knox's face. "I need special treatments. Only Freya's blood can provide what our baby needs."

Knox's grip on my arm tightened painfully. "Whatever Scarlet needs, you will provide."

As Scarlet's triumphant smile widened, I felt something inside me begin to break.

The needle slid into my vein with a sharp sting. I flinched, but Knox's grip on my arm remained unyielding.

"Be still," he ordered, his silver eyes fixed on the tube connecting my arm to the collection bag.

I watched my blood—my ancient, powerful blood—flow through the clear plastic. The faint blue glow within it was visible only to me, but its effects were evident in the way Knox's expression shifted from desperation to calculation.

"This is the third extraction this week," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Knox, please—"

"The pack doctor says Scarlet needs more." His fingers tightened around my wrist. "Her pregnancy is fragile, Freya. The baby needs your blood to survive."

The sterile medical room felt colder than it had minutes ago. Outside, Seattle's rain battered against the windows of the Crawford Estate's private medical wing. Inside, Dr. Helena Marsh busied herself with equipment, deliberately avoiding my gaze.

"I can feel her getting stronger," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Scarlet doesn't need—"

"Enough!" Knox's voice cracked like a whip. "You don't decide what she needs. I do."

Something in his eyes had changed since we'd returned from the forest. The man who had carved me a wooden token under the moonlight now looked at me like I was nothing more than a resource to be harvested.

"Your blood saved me," he continued, his tone softening slightly as he stroked my hair. "Now you'll save my heir."

Tears burned behind my eyes. "I'm not a blood bag, Knox."

His expression hardened. "For the good of the pack, you are whatever I need you to be."

When the bag was full, he didn't even wait for Dr. Marsh to remove the needle properly before yanking it out himself. Blood welled from the puncture site, but he didn't notice—or didn't care.

"Rest," he commanded, already turning away. "You'll be needed again tomorrow."

* * *

The world tilted sideways as I stepped out of the medical room. My knees buckled, sending me crashing to the marble floor. The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was Isla's horrified face appearing around the corner.

I dreamed of forests and moonlight. Of Snowball's soft fur against my cheek. Of Knox's promises whispered against my skin.

When I woke, I was in my bed, with Isla sitting beside me.

"You've been out for hours," she whispered, helping me sit up. "They're saying you're weak from... from giving too much blood."

Something felt different. A strange flutter in my abdomen made me pause.

"Get me my herbs," I said suddenly.

Isla hesitated. "They took most of them. Said you weren't to be trusted with sharp instruments or—"

"Please," I begged. "Just the small pouch under my mattress."

She retrieved it quickly. Inside was a mixture of dried wolfsbane and moonflower—not for healing, but for truth-seeking. I'd never used it on myself before.

I mixed a pinch with water and drank it down. The effect was immediate—a warm rush that spread from my core outward. My hands glowed faintly as I pressed them to my stomach.

"Oh," I breathed as understanding dawned. "Oh, Knox."

Life. A tiny spark of it, barely formed but unmistakably there. Our child.

Hope bloomed in my chest, bright and fierce. This changed everything. When Knox learned of our baby, he would have to choose me over Scarlet. He would have to stop the blood extractions. He would have to remember his promises.

"Knox needs to know," I said, swinging my legs over the side of the bed despite Isla's protests. "Where is he?"

"In the main house with Elder Ellis and Miss Scarlet."

I found them in the formal dining room, maps spread across the table as they discussed pack territories. Scarlet's hand rested possessively on Knox's arm.

"Knox," I called, my voice stronger than I felt. "I need to speak with you. Alone."

His eyes narrowed at my interruption. "Not now, Freya."

"It's important," I insisted, one hand instinctively moving to my stomach. "Please."

Something in my expression must have reached him because he excused himself and followed me into the hallway.

"What is it?" he demanded. "Scarlet's father is here to finalize the alliance terms."

"I'm pregnant," I said, the words hanging between us like a spell. "With your child."

For a moment, something flickered in his eyes—surprise, perhaps even joy. Then Scarlet's voice called from the dining room, sharp with irritation.

"Knox? Who is that woman bothering you?"

His expression hardened. "You're lying," he said coldly. "You're trying to escape your duty."

"Duty?" I echoed, disbelief washing through me. "Knox, this is our baby—"

"Enough!" He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into the same spot he'd gripped earlier. "Only Scarlet's child matters for this alliance. Nothing else."

The hope that had bloomed so brightly inside me withered and died as he turned away, leaving me standing alone in the hallway with the weight of our child growing inside me—a child he had just rejected.

The morning sun filtered through the estate's grand windows as I stepped into the gardens, desperate for fresh air. My body still ached from yesterday's blood extraction, but the pain in my heart cut deeper. Knox's rejection of our child had left me hollow.

"Freya," a familiar voice called from behind a rose bush.

I whirled around, my heart leaping. "Snowball?"

My beloved fox emerged from the foliage, his amber eyes bright with recognition. He'd somehow tracked me all the way from the forest to the estate.

"How did you find me?" I whispered, dropping to my knees.

He approached cautiously, his bushy tail swishing. When he reached me, he pressed his muzzle against my hand, a soft whine escaping his throat.

"I'm so sorry," I murmured, stroking his fur. "I should never have brought you here."

A shadow fell across us. I looked up to find Scarlet standing there, her perfectly manicured hand pressed to her chest in mock surprise.

"My God," she gasped, her eyes wide with calculated fear. "There's a wild animal in the gardens!"

Before I could react, she turned and fled, her screams echoing through the estate.

"Snowball, run!" I urged, but it was too late.

Within minutes, Knox appeared with two security guards. His silver eyes were cold as he surveyed the scene.

"What is this creature doing here?" he demanded.

"He's my companion," I said, rising to my feet. "Please, Knox. He's harmless."

Scarlet reappeared, clinging to Knox's arm. "It scared me," she whimpered. "What if it had attacked our baby?"

Knox's expression hardened. "Take the fox."

"No!" I lunged forward, but Knox caught my wrist.

"Freya," he said, his voice dangerously soft. "You've defied me enough lately."

"Please," I begged, tears streaming down my face. "He's all I have left."

Something flickered in Knox's eyes—doubt, perhaps even regret. Then Scarlet spoke again.

"I want something made from its fur," she purred. "To remind me who truly belongs here."

Knox nodded once, decisively. "Skin it."

I screamed as they dragged Snowball away, his terrified eyes locked on mine until the door closed between us.

* * *

The next morning, I sat motionless by the window, my body numb with grief. The door opened, and Scarlet swept in, wrapped in a pristine white fur collar.

"Look what Knox had made for me," she said, twirling so the fur caught the light. "Isn't it beautiful?"

The collar. Snowball's fur. My fingers curled into fists as rage replaced my numbness.

"You're a monster," I whispered.

Scarlet's smile widened. "I'm the Luna. You're just... whatever Knox needs you to be."

Something snapped inside me. Power surged through my veins—my blood responding to my anguish. Blue light pulsed between my fingers as I lunged at Scarlet.

"How dare you!" I screamed, my hands reaching for her throat.

Scarlet's eyes widened in genuine fear as the blue light crackled around us. I felt myself losing control, ancient magic flowing through me unchecked.

Suddenly, Knox was there, his hands clamping down on my shoulders. "Stop!" he commanded, his Alpha voice reverberating through my bones.

The magic dissipated instantly, leaving me trembling and weak. Knox's eyes blazed with fury.

"You would attack my Luna?" he growled. "You would endanger our heir?"

"She killed Snowball!" I sobbed. "She wore his fur like a trophy!"

"Enough!" Knox's voice cracked like a whip. "You will learn your place."

He dragged me to the balcony doors, threw them open, and pushed me outside. The Seattle winter air hit me like a physical blow, icy rain instantly soaking through my thin nightgown.

"Perhaps some time in the cold will cool your temper," he said coldly.

I heard the lock click as he closed the doors behind me.

"Knox!" I pounded on the glass. "Please!"

Inside, he turned away, wrapping his arms around Scarlet's shoulders as she nestled against him. "It's for the best," he murmured. "She needs to learn."

The wind howled around me, rain turning to snow as the temperature plummeted. I pressed my hands against the glass, watching as Knox led Scarlet to the fireplace, where they sat together in warmth while I shivered outside.

My teeth chattered uncontrollably as I hugged myself, trying to preserve what little body heat remained. Each gust of wind cut through my wet nightgown like knives.

"Please," I whispered to no one, as darkness crept into the edges of my vision.

Inside, I could see Knox tending to Scarlet, his hands gentle as he brushed her hair from her face. The contrast between his tenderness toward her and his cruelty toward me was unbearable.

The baby inside me stirred weakly, responding to my distress. I pressed my hand to my stomach, a sudden clarity cutting through my pain.

"I won't let him hurt you," I promised silently. "I won't let him win."

As consciousness began to fade, one thought crystallized in my mind: This was no longer about love or loyalty. This was about survival—and revenge.