A wail, small and weak, pierced the silence. My entire body stiffened at the sound, and my breath hitched painfully in my throat.

My baby.

"No! No, please! My baby!" I sobbed, twisting against my restraints, my body screaming in agony. My arms burned from the tight ropes, my legs ached from their unnatural position, but none of it mattered.

Down below, the beta warrior moved at last. His gaze flickered to the fragile, blood-covered form lying on the dirt. His face was unreadable as he took slow steps toward the newborn.

"Pick her up!" I pleaded, my voice raw, my entire body convulsing with anguish. "Please, she's just a baby! Pick her up!"

The warrior hesitated. His hands twitched at his sides before he finally crouched, lifting the tiny bundle in his arms. A long silence followed as he examined the child. Then, his eyes widened slightly.

"It's alive," he stated flatly. He turned the baby in his arms, inspecting its delicate form. Then, almost hesitantly, he added, "And… it's a healthy baby boy."

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. My baby…is a boy?

Seram's heir.

Tears blurred my vision. I didn't care if it was a girl or a boy. I just wanted to hold my child, to warm him against my skin, to whisper that everything would be alright, even though I knew it wouldn't. But all I could do was hang there, powerless, as the night swallowed us whole.

The beta warrior looked uncertain. He held the baby close, his grip awkward, as if unsure what to do next. My lips trembled. "Please, can you let me down? I want to hold him."

The warrior grimaced, torn between duty and morality. "I… I can't. Alpha Seram ordered you to stay here. I can't disobey."

"Please…" I sobbed.

He glanced between me and the squirming baby in his arms before finally nodding. "Fine. But I'll go to the pack and tell him first."

He hesitated for a moment longer before removing his coat. Carefully, he spread it on the ground, making sure the fabric cushioned the baby before placing him down gently.

"I'll be back," he promised. "I'll tell Alpha."

With that, he turned and sprinted into the night, disappearing between the trees. My breath came in rapid, panicked bursts as I stared down at the tiny bundle on the ground. My son's tiny cries reached my ears, and my heart clenched painfully.

A rustling noise made my stomach twist with unease. The hairs on my arms stood on end, and a shiver crawled down my spine. Then, from the darkness, a figure emerged.

Deanne.

My eyes widened in horror as she stepped closer, a slow, deliberate smile spreading across her lips.

"How pitiful," she murmured, tilting her head as she gazed up at me. "Hanging there like a broken doll… watching everything, yet unable to do anything."

My breath came in shaky gasps. "Stay away from him," I warned, my voice barely above a whisper.

Deanne chuckled. "Oh, Marian…" She took another step forward, her eyes flickering with amusement. "I wouldn't hurt your baby. I'm not that cruel."

For a fleeting moment, relief washed over me. But then, a low growl echoed through the clearing. I froze. My heart pounded wildly as shadows shifted in the trees. Then, stepping into the torchlight, their eyes burning red with hunger, came a pack of wild wolves.

A cold dread seeped into my bones. "No…"

Deanne smirked, watching as the beasts prowled closer. "I won't harm the child, Marian. But I can't say the same to them."

"No!" I shrieked, struggling violently against my restraints. "Deanne, you can't! Call them off!"

She merely gave a small wave, turning on her heel as she strolled away. "Goodbye, Marian. Try not to cry too much."

"Deanne! Deanne, stop! Please!" My voice cracked, but she didn't turn back.

I whipped my gaze down at the wolves, who had already formed a tight circle around the baby. Their lips curled back, revealing razor-sharp fangs. Their hungry eyes gleamed with merciless intent.

"Get away from him!" I screamed, my throat burning. "GO AWAY!"

But they didn't listen. A deafening snarl split the air.

The baby's cry was a desperate wail, high-pitched and terrified—until it wasn't.

Silence.

A sickening crunch. My mind shattered. My body froze, my screams dying in my throat.

My baby.

Gone.

The world blurred. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. My ears rang with a terrible emptiness, an aching void where my child's cries should have been. Then, as if a joke, the ropes that I had been trying to loosen suddenly snapped.

I plunged downward, crashing into the cold earth. My body trembled as I lifted my gaze, eyes locking onto the gruesome remains of my child. The wolves turned their attention to me now, their hunger unsatisfied, their glowing eyes filled with madness.

Tears blurred my vision. My lips parted, a hoarse, broken whisper escaping into the night. "Moon Goddess, have you forsaken me?"

The wolves lunged.

And then, there was nothing.

There was nothing but cold darkness.

The beta warrior sprinted through the dense forest, his breath coming in ragged gasps. As he reached the pack's encampment, he slowed his pace, his eyes darting around in search of his Alpha. Before he could take another step, several of Seram's subordinates spotted him.

"What are you doing here?" One of them asked, frowning. "Weren't you supposed to guard Marian?"

Another scoffed. "What's the point? It's not like she can escape. Our lands are safe, and she's tied up tight."

A few of them chuckled, exchanging knowing glances. The beta warrior hesitated, his mouth opening to explain, but before he could get a word out, the scent of medicinal herbs filled the air. All of them turned to look just as Deanne stumbled into the gathering.

Deanne was wearing simple, light clothing, exposing some of the bandages and herbal poultices covering her wounds. She moved with difficulty, her steps slow and her breath uneven. Her face, usually bright with arrogance, was pale, her expression drawn with exhaustion. She was limping, as if in pain, but she forced a weak smile as the warriors turned their attention to her.

"What's going on?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity. "Why are you all gathered here?"

One of the warriors stepped forward. "We just got back from punishing Marian."

Deanne stilled, her eyes widening in feigned shock.

"Punishing Marian?" she repeated, her voice soft, almost hesitant. She placed a delicate hand on her chest. "Where is Seram?"

As if summoned by her words, Seram emerged from the side, his towering presence sending a ripple of silence through the warriors. His gaze locked onto the beta warrior, his expression darkening.

"Why are you here?" Seram demanded, his voice sharp. "I told you to guard Marian."

The beta warrior swallowed hard. He was about to explain the reason for his presence when Deanne suddenly stepped between them, her voice trembling with concern.

"Seram," she murmured, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Is it true? Did you really punish Marian?"

Seram's jaw tightened. "Yes," he said firmly. "She deserved it after what she did to you."

Deanne lowered her gaze, her fingers twisting together.

"I… I don't blame her," she whispered. "Maybe she acted out of anger because of her pregnancy. It must have clouded her judgment."

Seram's scowl deepened. "And you're pregnant too, but you don't act like her."

Deanne looked away, as if ashamed.

"Perhaps I understand her pain," she said softly. "I don't want her to suffer, Seram. Please, let her go. I feel terrible knowing she's out there, alone in the cold."

Her words did not soothe Seram's anger. Instead, his eyes darkened with frustration.

"You're too kind," he growled. "Marian needs to learn her lesson. You begged me to spare her once before, but look what she did. She pushed you off a cliff!"

Deanne lowered her head, biting her lip as if holding back tears. "I just don't want to be the reason for her suffering…"

Seram cupped her face, his touch surprisingly gentle. "She brought this on herself," he assured her. Then, turning to the beta warrior, his expression hardened once more.

"Forget about her. Don't go back. Let her feel the full extent of her punishment."

The beta warrior hesitated, guilt clawing at his insides, but he could not disobey a direct order. He gave a short nod.

Satisfied, Seram turned back to Deanne. He wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her away from the gathering. "Come, you need rest."

Seram stayed the night with Deanne. They were intimate, but Seram was careful, afraid of harming the baby growing inside her. Once they were done, he lay beside Deanne, pulling her into his arms.

"Don't worry about Marian. Don't stress yourself. You should focus on yourself more," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her flushed shoulder.

Deanne reacted shyly. "I know. Alpha is wise, and I will follow his words."

The night passed in a haze of pleasure and whispered promises. Deanne lay beside him, her soft breath fanning against his skin. Seram held her close, his possessiveness growing stronger with each passing moment.

Yet, something felt off. He could not understand it, but a cold sensation crawled down his spine, making him shiver lightly. He glanced at the window and saw that there was no moon tonight. He shrugged, pulling Deanne into a tighter embrace before closing his eyes.

Sleep came easily, deep and undisturbed.

Until it wasn't.

A loud howl ripped through the early morning air, followed by frantic shouting. Seram's eyes snapped open, his body tensing as he listened. The dreadful feeling he had the previous night returned, fully clearing the fog from his mind.

He turned his gaze toward the window, subconsciously looking in the direction where they had left Marian last night.

Something was wrong.

It was the beta warrior who had discovered me first.

He had come back, but he had come back too late. Guilt must have ridden him, gnawed at his conscience until he could no longer bear it. So, he had returned early the next morning, long before the sun had fully risen.

He simply had not expected to see a bloodied ground, littered with small traces of bones, chunks of torn flesh, and the thick, nauseating stench of death.

For a moment, he froze, his breath hitching in his throat.

Red stains had soaked into the dirt, mingling with shredded fabric. His coat. The very same coat he had laid down to shield the newborn from the cold, now soaked in blood, barely recognizable beneath the horror. Small bones poked through the torn material, and his stomach lurched violently.

He had barely made it two steps before he bent over and retched. The acidic burn in his throat did nothing to chase away the terror creeping into his bones.

Wiping his mouth, he stumbled back, shaking his head in denial. He had to tell the pack. He had to tell Seram. Spinning on his heel, he had sprinted back toward the encampment, his breath ragged, his heart slamming against his ribs.

The moment he reached the encampment, he shouted, his voice raw and desperate. "Wild wolves! There were wild wolves in the territory!"

A ripple of murmurs and confusion spread through the gathered warriors. Some scoffed, others exchanged wary glances.

"Are you serious?" one of them asked, crossing his arms. "Wild wolves? In our lands?"

"That's impossible," another had chimed in. "The Moon Goddess protects this place. No feral beasts could step foot in our territory."

The beta warrior shook his head violently. "I know what I saw! There were tracks of them, claw marks, blood everywhere!"

The commotion had stirred the pack. More warriors began to gather, drawn by the raised voices. It didn't take long before Seram himself emerged, irritation flashing in his sharp gaze.

"What the hell is going on?" he barked, his eyes landing on the beta warrior. "Why are you shouting like a madman?"

The beta warrior swallowed hard. He opened his mouth to explain but immediately gagged, the gruesome images flashing in his mind again. He clenched his fists and forced the words out. "Come with me. You need to see this."

Seram's expression darkened. He didn't like being ordered, much less by a subordinate. But something in the beta's trembling hands, his wide, haunted eyes, sent a chill creeping down his spine.

"Fine," Seram snapped. "Lead the way."

The warriors, their amusement now replaced with unease, followed closely behind. A quiet tension filled the air as they approached the area, and Seram found his feet moving faster, overtaking the beta warrior.

The place they were going seemed familiar…

His instincts had screamed at him, urging him to run. His heartbeat pounded in his ears as the trees parted, revealing the place where they had punished me.

I wasn't there.

His sharp gaze swept across the area, his frustration rising.

"Where is she?" he growled, turning to the beta warrior. "Did you hide her? Did I not tell you not to untie her no matter what? Where did she go?"

The beta warrior paled, his hands shaking as he pointed toward the ground. "Th-there."

Seram's eyes followed the trembling finger.

The ground where I had hung was no longer just dirt. Fresh blood soaked the earth, dark and glistening. Shredded flesh and unidentifiable chunks of meat were scattered across the area. Pieces of bone, gnawed and broken, stuck out from the crimson mess.

His mind rejected what he was seeing. This wasn't real. It couldn't be real.

His chest rose and fell erratically, his claws twitching at his sides. He clenched his teeth. "Did I not say to always clean this area? Unlawful pack members are punished here, and leaving blood will cause sickness."

He glared at the beta warrior. "What? Still not telling me where she is?"

But the beta warrior, face ashen, lifted a shaking hand and pointed toward the wall of stone again near where I had once been bound. "That… It's her…"

Seram followed his gaze, and the denial crumbled.

Deep claw marks slashed through the rock, jagged and wild, as if something, or someone, had tried desperately to escape. The scent of wolves lingered in the air, thick and undeniable. He inhaled sharply, nostrils flaring.

My familiar scent still somewhat lingered despite her death.

A sharp, terrified scream shattered the silence.

Seram's head snapped toward the source of the sound. One of the warriors had stumbled back, his face ghostly pale, his arm raised, pointing at something behind them. Seram turned. There, nestled between the gnarled roots of a tree, half-hidden by the dirt and torn fabric, was a head.

My head.