The wind howled, and the rogues' snarls echoed like thunder. Another rogue lunged, and I slashed with my claws, only to cough up a mouthful of blood moments later.

"Sister Arya, let us help you!" Several Deltas tried to force their way into the barrier, their eyes frantic.

"Stand down!" I barked, my voice hoarse. "That’s an order!"

They hesitated, but I gritted my teeth and reinforced the final layer of the barrier, sealing them out. Even in this second life, I would give my last breath to protect them.

But my strength was fading, my grip on my claws slipping.

Just as the rogues closed in, a surge of energy sliced through the chaos, forcing them back.

Damon.

The snow seemed to part for him as he landed, his white coat billowing like a figure out of legend. But his first glance wasn’t at me.

It was at Monroe, who stumbled toward him, tears streaming down her face.

"Alpha Damon!" She threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "I told you Sister Arya was causing trouble! She insisted on fighting alone, knowing you were in the middle of your transformation. If the pack hadn’t been worried and disturbed you, it wouldn’t have failed again!"

Leo stepped forward, his voice trembling. "No, Sister Arya was protecting us. She—"

"Enough!" Monroe snapped, her tears falling faster. "Alpha Damon, you must set this right!"

I looked at Damon.

He was looking at me too.

His gaze was cold, as if I were a stranger.

"Arya. I know you’ve never respected me as your Alpha. The first time I transformed, it was the same. And now, you still refuse to learn."

Before I could speak, another wave of blood rose in my throat. I staggered, collapsing to my knees in the snow.

Monroe stepped forward, her voice panicked. "Alpha Damon, look at her aura—it’s unstable. Could she have used a forbidden ritual, just to prove herself?"

Damon’s expression darkened. He reached out, his fingers brushing my pulse point, and his eyes turned to ice.

"The ritual of reversal?" His voice was like frost. "You’d go that far?"

I chuckled weakly. "For the pack, it’s worth it."

He frowned, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face.

Suddenly, Monroe let out a cry, clutching her hand.

"My palm…"

Her voice was shaky as she showed him the burns.

Damon took her hand gently, his brow furrowed, his expression stormy.

"Who did this?"

"Sister Arya…" Monroe’s voice trembled. "Her barrier had a defensive spell. I was trying to get through, and it burned me…"

Before she could finish, a flame shot from Damon’s fingertips.

I was engulfed in fire.

It didn’t burn my skin but seared my soul.

His Lycan fire, a manifestation of his inner power, was meant to purify.

"If you truly cared for the pack, you wouldn’t have acted alone, let alone harmed Monroe. Bear this fire. Return to the pack and confine yourself to reflect on your actions."

The pain was excruciating, my mind nearly shattering.

In the flames, I remembered years ago.

When I first joined the pack, he was the prodigious Alpha, cold and aloof, untouchable.

But in front of everyone, he watched my clumsy training and said softly, "Your stance is unsteady, but your finish is good."

It was the first time he’d complimented anyone.

After that, he’d bring me tea after late-night training, or when I strayed from missions, he’d stay close and say, "Arya, stay with me."

But after his failed transformation, when he believed Monroe had saved him, everything changed.

When Monroe made mistakes, he covered for her.

When she cried, he raged.

When she laughed, he smiled.

Later, when his transformation was at risk, I shielded him, but he only asked Monroe, "Are you alright?"

When the rogues attacked, I held the line, but he said I was reckless, unlike Monroe, who knew her limits.

And now, this fire—it was for her.

The Lycan fire burned away the last of my resolve, forcing out the words I’d held back for so long.

"Damon…"

I looked up at him, my voice shaking.

"Do you know who really saved you during your first transformation?"

Before I could finish, a searing pain exploded within me.

Blood surged up my throat, and I coughed violently.

It was the backlash of the blood oath.

Years ago, to save him, I’d snuck out of the pack and ventured into rogue territory to learn a forbidden ritual.

The blood oath was one of the most dangerous spells, requiring a sacrifice of my essence and a portion of my soul.

If I ever revealed the truth, even a single word, the backlash would destroy me.

Mildly, it would leave me coughing blood. Severely, it could shatter my mind and spirit.

When the ritual was completed, the rogue who taught it laughed coldly.

"Are all pack wolves this foolish? With your potential, you could have risen to greatness."

I held back my tears, thinking only of keeping him alive.

I thought I could bear it.

But watching him protect Monroe, believing her lies, it became unbearable.

Countless times, I wanted to explain, but I couldn’t.

Now, the backlash tore through me, my soul burning as if it were being ripped apart.

I collapsed to the ground, barely able to speak.

Damon frowned, a hint of pity in his eyes.

Monroe clutched her chest, sobbing. "Sister Arya, why bring up the past? When Alpha Damon was in danger, I only offered my essence to sustain him. I never wanted anyone to know…"

Damon pulled her close, comforting her.

"Your chest hurts? I’ll heal you when we return."

I had no strength left to argue.

As I was dragged away from the battlefield, blood dripped behind me.

And he never looked back.

I was trapped in the Frostfang Cavern, my aura shattered, my limbs numb as if submerged in ice. Outside, voices clashed in argument.

“Alpha King! Please speak up for Arya! She defended the pack with her life—”

It was Leo, his voice trembling with desperation.

The Alpha King, Taylor Bell, coughed heavily before his roar echoed. “Damon! How can you be so blind? If Arya had betrayed us, would any of us still be standing here?”

“Blind?” Damon’s voice was low, colder than the winter winds. “She’s reckless, using forbidden rituals to reverse her lineage! Her ambition hasn’t changed. She needs to be broken.”

I couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation, only the Alpha King’s coughs and the gasps of those around him. “Alpha King, be careful of your heart!”

Night deepened, and footsteps approached softly. I was wracked with pain, my body convulsing from the aftereffects of the Phoenix Flame’s burn on my soul.

Damon stood outside, a vial of healing potion in his hand, his eyes dark and unreadable. “Arya, you were born with five bloodlines, and you’ve already passed the trials. I gave you a small punishment, and now you’re acting like this?”

I was too weak to speak, but he frowned and tossed the vial outside, shattering it against the cavern wall. “If you’re so unrepentant, I have no reason to care for you anymore.”

He turned and left without another word.

Moments later, Monroe entered the cavern, her smile laced with malice. “Arya.”

She bent down to look at me, her voice dripping with mock pity. “What a shame. You gave up your lineage for him, but he thinks it was me who saved him, who stayed by his side.”

I froze. She knew about my lineage sacrifice. “Don’t worry, I’ve seen all your efforts,” Monroe whispered, her hand gripping my shoulder tightly.

A sharp crack echoed as my bone broke. Pain shot through me, darkening my vision.

“Don’t be sad,” Monroe said sweetly, her tone sharp as needles. “No matter how hard you try, you’ll never be enough. A lone wolf from the outskirts, climbing this high with brute strength—do you really think you’re worthy of him? He’s a Lycan Prince, the future heir of the Silverfang Pack. What are you?”

A Lycan Prince… I knew he had Lycan blood, but he was the future heir of the pack? No wonder he ignored the Alpha King’s orders and sealed me here with a single word.

Just then, the barrier outside rippled. Leo crashed against it, a package of food in his hands. “Arya, I brought—”

He stopped, seeing me pale and bloodied, Monroe standing over me. “What did you do?!” Monroe widened her eyes, feigning shock. “I was only trying to help her, but she suddenly—”

Before I could explain, Leo dashed out. Soon, a familiar aura approached.

Damon was back.

His gaze first landed on Monroe, his brow furrowed, then shifted to me. His first glance was always for her. “What’s going on?” he asked coldly.

Monroe sobbed softly. “I brought her medicine, but she tried to destroy my lineage and ended up hurting herself.”

I forced myself to stand, swaying unsteadily, blood staining my lips. “Why would I destroy her lineage?”

His eyes flickered with something like anger, but he avoided my question, instead glancing at the charm on Leo’s wrist. It was one of my creations. Once, I had only crafted charms for him, as I was the most skilled in the pack. But now, I had given them to my packmates to protect them.

“You couldn’t sway me, so now you’re targeting Leo?” he sneered.

Sway him? He’d never worn the charms I made for him, and now he mocked me for giving them to others. “How much shame do you even have left?”

His voice was low, simmering with anger. I looked up at him, catching a fleeting moment of hesitation in his eyes. But it was gone in an instant.

“From today, Arya is stripped of her rank as Delta. She’ll remain confined in the Frostfang Cavern, forbidden to leave the barrier, and will receive thirty lashes of the Soulvine daily.”

Monroe’s eyes widened, as if she hadn’t expected such a harsh command. I laughed softly. “Go ahead. It’s all the same in the end.”

The first lash nearly brought me to my knees. The Soulvine burned like fire, each strike tearing through my body. The second, the third… I didn’t cry out, only bit my lip, staring at him beyond the barrier.

He didn’t move, didn’t leave. But his gaze, for some reason, hurt more than the lashes.

At the tenth strike, he raised his hand. “Enough for today.”

In that moment, I remembered something with painful clarity: In my past life, I died with an empty heart. This time, it felt the same.