The day Phillip reclaimed his throne as the Lycan King, he executed everyone who had wronged him—everyone except Valentina, my older sister, who had once scorned his damaged wolf and forced me into a marking ceremony with him instead.

“Maisie, she’s your family,” he said, his voice calm, almost tender.

And so, he elevated her to the position of Luna, the queen of the pack. Night after night, he visited her chambers under the guise of punishing her for her past arrogance, his scent heavy with her floral essence.

I endured it, swallowing my anger and pain, until the day Valentina’s schemes cost me the life of our unborn child. That was when I snapped, threatening to end my own life if Phillip didn’t send her away.

But as I pressed the blade to my throat, he looked at me with an unsettling calm.

“If it weren’t for you taking her place in this palace, Valentina would have been my mate long ago,” he said, his voice steady, almost detached.

“I’ve always loved her, Maisie. You know that.”

“But I remember your kindness, your sacrifices,” he added, his tone softening. “I promise, you’ll always be my Luna.”

I stopped fighting after that. Instead, I asked for the silver necklace I had entrusted to him, the one that belonged to my mother. It was the key to my escape—the one thing that could send me back to my own world.

When he handed it to me without hesitation, I felt a sharp pang in my chest, my fingers trembling as they closed around the cool, smooth metal.

The cut on my neck burned, but Phillip didn’t even glance at it. He simply turned away, sweeping Valentina into his arms and disappearing into her chambers, the door slamming shut behind them.

The sound of their laughter and whispers filtered through the walls, but I stood frozen, my heart numb.

I walked back to my room in silence, the halls eerily empty. When I called for a servant, the girl who appeared smirked, her voice dripping with mockery.

“If you’re serious about ending it, Your Grace, why bother with a rope? Just take the ‘Three-Day End’ the Luna left for you. It’s quick, clean, and you’ll be gone before anyone notices.”

She held out the small vial, her eyes daring me to take it.

I did.

The bitter liquid burned my throat, but I felt no fear, only a strange sense of relief. As the poison spread through my veins, I looked out the window, hoping to catch one last glimpse of the moon. But it was obscured by clouds, as if even the heavens refused to grant me this final comfort.

The pain came in waves, sharp and unrelenting. Blood stained my white nightgown, the crimson stark against the fabric. The servant girl screamed, backing away in horror, but I barely noticed.

It was Mabel, the mute Omega who had always been invisible in the palace, who knelt beside me, her hands trembling as she wiped the blood from my lips.

Her eyes, wide with tears, asked the question I couldn’t answer: “Are you going home?”

I nodded weakly, the room spinning around me.

Mabel knew. She had been the only one I confided in, the only one who understood that this world was never meant for me.

As darkness closed in, I thought of Phillip, of the man he had been before the throne changed him. I remembered the way he had looked at me under the moonlight, his eyes full of promise.

“Maisie,” he had said, “when I reclaim my throne, I’ll make you my Luna. You’ll be the only one by my side.”

I had believed him.

But now, as the poison took hold, I realized how foolish I had been. Phillip had always belonged to Valentina, just as the stories had foretold.

And I was just a pawn in their game, a placeholder until she could claim her rightful place.

The last thing I saw was Mabel’s tear-streaked face, her hands clutching mine as the world faded away.

And then, there was nothing.

---

When I woke, I was back in my own world, the necklace clutched tightly in my hand.

But the memory of Phillip, of the life I had left behind, lingered like a shadow, a reminder of the love I had lost—and the love that had never truly been mine to begin with.

Yet, he chose to keep Valentina, the legitimate daughter who had caused his injury and forced me into this mating by deceit.

He said: “She’s my sister. Keeping her is to preserve my bond with the Jackson family.”

But what came after?

Night after night, he would enter her chambers under the guise of “punishment.”

I hid beneath the window, listening to her breathless moans and his low, muffled curses.

Their tangled love and hate were like a dull knife, carving into my heart day after day.

I knew I stood no chance against her.

So, I forced myself not to care.

For the sake of the pup in my womb, I endured.

Until the day Valentina forced me to drink the concoction that ended the three-month life growing inside me.

That was when I finally snapped.

I was still foolish enough to think I held a place in Phillip’s heart.

With my claws unsheathed, I stormed into the pack hall, pressing my sharpened nails against my own neck.

I wanted him to send her away.

But he only looked at me coldly, his eyes devoid of the warmth they once held.

His voice was calm, as if he were discussing something trivial.

He said: “If it weren’t for Valentina taking my place that night, she would have been my mate.”

Her lies were flimsy, yet he believed them.

Even cruelly, he told me: “The one I’ve always loved is her.”

He said he remembered my kindness, that he’d make me the only Luna.

But from that day on, he never smiled at me again.

Blood trickled down my neck, yet he acted as if he didn’t see it.

When he turned to leave with Valentina in his arms, the hem of his coat brushed against my dress, leaving no trace of warmth behind.

When Mabel handed me a glass of water, my hands still trembled as I reached for it.

The water soothed my throat, washing away the metallic taste of blood.

But the sharp pain only made me more awake.

They all thought I was desperate when I chose to end my life.

What they didn’t know was that I had already prepared my exit.

Before I entered this world, I had met the original owner of this body.

She didn’t want to be a pawn in this world and handed her body to me.

She also told me that if I ever wanted to leave, I only needed to die in this world after finding the heirloom her mother had left behind.

In the past, because I loved Phillip, I never touched the silver pendant after finding it, leaving it in his care.

I thought I’d never need to reclaim it.

But I didn’t expect this day would come so soon.

Now, the pendant was clutched tightly in my hand, its smooth surface warming my palm.

Three-Day End—a poison that would take my life in three days.

Soon, everything I had in this world would vanish.

And I would be going home.

Seeing my silence, Mabel left the painkillers she had saved up for me, slipping away before the overseer could scold her.

I felt a flicker of warmth in my heart and used my last connections to secure her a safe and well-paying position.

At least she wouldn’t suffer the same fate as my other loyal packmates, who had all been killed by Valentina.

After taking care of everything, I swallowed the poison.

The liquid slid down my throat, bringing a faint warmth.

But soon, the burning in my chest and stomach consumed me.

I didn’t react, only steadied myself against the table.

My eyes fell on the pile of belongings in the dresser.

Among them were the tiny paw-print patterned shoes I had sewn just days ago.

As my fingers traced the uneven stitches, I couldn’t help but remember Phillip clumsily assembling a cradle beside me.

He had smiled, saying:

“If it’s a male pup, I’ll teach him to run and fight.

If it’s a female pup, she’ll be my most beloved princess.”

His eyes had been so tender, but in an instant, that tenderness shattered into nothing.

Wiping away my tears, I placed everything I had prepared for the pup into the cradle and lit a candle.

As the flames licked at the fabric, I watched the ashes drift out the window.