In rage, I closed Lucas’s journal, planning to return. As I turned to leave his study room, my legs stumbled on something and a wooden box fell from the table. The shining stone placed on the top of its lid grabbed my attention and I couldn't help opening it. Inside were laying several pacts signed by the blood, just as the one I signed before I agreed to donate my life source for my mother.

I opened all the pacts and read the content written on them. There were several pacts Lucas had managed to sign with those who were in need of money or some dark rituals he could perform only on one condition, and the condition was whenever he asked them to give their life source to Ember, they would be ready to hand it over.

Since my pack was filled with healers and shamans, I knew very well that whoever performs dark rituals, his wolf suffers worse than death and after dying, both heaven and hell reject him. Being a top shaman in the whole kingdom, he must have known the consequences of all those dark rituals he had been doing for these people yet he did it willingly, all for Ember. He was indeed a devoted lover, but he was my mother’s murderer and I was never ever going to forget that.

The night had been endless, and sleep seemed like a distant dream. By morning, Lucas assumed I had woken up early and suspected nothing. Perhaps because he had seen me struggling to shift the night before, he made breakfast himself, a table filled with carefully arranged, nutritious dishes, each one an illusion of care.

When Lucas saw me sitting quietly, he watched me with concern. "Ava, why aren't you eating? Are you feeling unwell?"

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Just a little tired, that's all."

Lucas's gaze softened, and he reached out to stroke my hair. "You've been pushing yourself too hard, Ava. You need to take care of yourself."

I felt a surge of anger at his feigned concern, but I pushed it down. I was about to bring up the divorce, but Lucas casually continued. "Ava, I was thinking... since the full moon is approaching, why don't we hold a Pack's gathering at the late Alpha’s residence ? It might do you some good to get out and stretch your legs."

I raised an eyebrow, my tone cold. "You want me to go on a run with the pack and your mother, knowing how much she hates me?"

Lucas's expression turned sheepish, but he quickly recovered. "I know it's been tough, Ava, but I promise I'll be there to protect you. And besides, your sister will be there too. It'll be good for you to bond with her."

I felt a pang of anger at the mention of Ember's name, but I kept my cool. "I'll think about it," I said, my voice neutral.

Lucas smiled, seemingly satisfied with my response. "That's all I can ask for, Ava. Now, let's get ready to head out. The pack is waiting for us."

When we arrived at the pack's gathering spot, I saw Ember, dressed in her usual elegant attire, chatting with Lucas's mother, Emily. Emily was also sparing no chance of showing her adoration to her. Ember's eyes locked onto mine, and she smiled, saying pretentiously to Emily, “Grandma, stop feeding me so much out of love, I’ll get fat. Why don't you offer your special dishes to Auntie? Maybe by then, she will not look this sickly?”

Ember, was the maternal granddaughter of Emily’s husband from his first wife. Lucas didn't have any blood ties with Ember since he was Emily’s son, and Ember’s mother was Emily's step daughter. Since the late Alpha didn't have any male heir from his first wife, he married Emily and had Lucas. Lucas later inherited the pack while Lucas’s step sister married my father out of love, who was the Alpha of the pack and had been already married to my mother.

My father, being seduced by his new mistress, chased my mother and me out of his residence and we lived in isolation, only to be robbed of both my fiance and husband by Ember just like her mother robbed my mother's. Lucas's mother hated me for being ordinary and sick. She also felt ashamed of accepting me as her daughter-in-law in public.

As soon as her gaze fell on me, her knuckles tightened and she rushed to my side, whispering coldly, “Who asked you to come here? You are nothing but a sickly thing. Do you want everyone to assume we don't treat you well?”

“My son is getting older day by day, still without a son to inherit his pack. You can't give him a son, can't help him in running his pack, too sick to even please him in bed. Why don't you leave him to marry someone else? Or just die?”

There was nothing new in it. I was accustomed to being cursed by my mother-in-law every time she saw me. Earlier, Lucas would stand up for me and defend me in front of his mother, even if it was a feign concern. But now that his beloved was standing before his eyes, fresh and cheerful, he didn't bother even looking at me.

“Uncle…” Suddenly Ember jumped over Lucas, hugging him tightly, her chest rubbing against his and lips almost brushing with his as she said while looking upward to face his eyes, “Long time no see, Uncle. Have you already forgotten me now that you have Auntie by your side?”

“How can it be possible, Ember? No one can take your place in my heart. Ember… I-”

“Sssh…” Ember pressed her finger on Lucas's lips, a gesture looking very passionate as she continued, “I know Uncle misses me. You don't need to explain anything to me. I understand! I was joking with you.”

The conversation going between them in public seemed to be an adorable conversation between uncle and niece but only I knew what it was about.

“Uncle, did you bring me a gift?” She asked excitedly, “Do you remember what day it is?”

“Of course,” said Lucas, “How can I forget the day we met for the first time?”

So holding a gathering in a pack was just an excuse. What Lucas wanted was to celebrate the day of their first meeting, as an anniversary. I laughed bitterly. He had never remembered or asked me about my birthday. He didn't even celebrate our anniversary, giving excuses of his mother’s dislikeness that could disturb my mood or my weak body. But, he took the chance only to celebrate a little occasion that could relate him with Ember.

Soon maids and servants wheeled in several luxurious gowns, each designed by different designers in the world and matched with executive jewelry.

Ember again jumped in excitement. She immediately hugged Lucas before placing a soft kiss on his cheeks, “You are still the best, Uncle.”

“Thank you so much for these gifts, Uncle,” she said while breaking the hug, “You gave me so many expensive gifts. I’m afraid someone would get jealous.”

After she mentioned this, Lucas' gaze could shift to me and see that I was wearing a plain T-shirt and jeans. He seemed to be hesitant as he reached out his hands to me, saying apologetically, “Don't overthink anything, Ava. It was a special moment for Ember and mine. So, as her Uncle I just…”

“Ouch…”

Before Lucas could complete his words, Ember held her chest and cried in pain, “Uncle, my chest is aching. I… I think my condition is acting up again.”

Lucas immediately let go of my hands and rushed to Ember’s side, asking in concern and worry, “Why are your chest aching all of a sudden? Where exactly is it hurting? No, I should check it right away.”

After throwing out these words, he immediately picked her up in his arms and headed straight to the stairs to take her upstairs, showing his back to me in front of the whole pack members.

"No wonder Lucas would rather lavish Ember with attention and gifts, but treats his wife like a mere afterthought. A woman of her... limited abilities isn't worthy of being the mate of the pack's future alpha, let alone deserving of his affection."

"If not for his obsession with Ember, why would he have ever married her who looked similar to Ember? I bet she used her pitiful health to manipulate him into this union. Pathetic! She'd even cling to him like a leech just to maintain her status."

“I heard her mother died in one of the rituals Lucas performed. I bet she killed her own mother just to blackmail Lucas into marrying her. After all, he is the best shaman in our kingdom. How could he make such a mistake to even cost a life?”

“But, isn't Ember Lucas nice? How can they show affection for each other publically? Isn't it wrong? If the late Alpha was alive, would he let this happen in his pack?”

The murmurs grew louder, their voices sharp as claws. Seeing that they didn't mind pulling their Alpha Lucas into mud along with me, Lucas's mother, clearly disgusted, sneered at me. "What are you still standing here for, embarrassing us? Get back upstairs and bring back your husband this instant! Haven't you shamed us enough already?"

"My son was gracious enough to accept you as his mate despite your... frailties; it's your good fortune to have him! If your mother died in the rituals you asked for her, how is that my son's fault? You should be grateful instead of trying to cling to him. You'll get what's coming to you one day!”

My mother-in-law’s words passed chills down my spine. But, I chose to stay silent. Arguing with her would do no good to me. It was even useless to keep standing there and listen to the packmates’ whispers and my mother-in-law’s taunts. Also, I was looking for a chance to bring up the divorce with Lucas. So, I decided to follow her instructions and walked upstairs through the stairs, intending to clear things between us.

I had only reached out the door and my ears were filled with Lucas's voice, laced with concern and worry.

“Ember, what are you doing?” He asked in desperation, “Your condition is acting up, you should lay still on the bed. Please don't get up.”

As I reached out to the door, my legs got frozen at their place. I couldn't move at all. There was a scene, too improper to even watch, let alone interrupt. Ember's hands were wrapped around Lucas’s shoulder and legs around his waist. He had held her on him with the support of the wall, clinging to each other as passionately as they could.

“Ember…” he moaned, “Please don’t do this.”

“Why, Lucas?” She said seductively before brushing her lips against his, “Don't you like this?”

“Are you worried about my condition?” She asked after partying her lips, “I lied! Just to get you up with me alone.”

“Why are you holding back, Lucas? I know you want me as desperately as I want you. Aren't you married to Ava just because she has similar facial features as me?” She asked seductively, “Tell me, Lucas! How many times have you slept with her imagining me in your bed? I bet it's everyday.”

“Ember…” he moaned, struggling hard to not respond to her kisses as he groaned, “You are making things harder on me,”

“That's what I want, Lucas.” she said while moving her hands downward to his shirt, “I want you to get harder!”

As soon as her hands grabbed the zipper of his pants, he lost all his control. He couldn't hold himself anymore and soon the sound of undressing the clothes echoed in the room, followed by the sound of skins’ intervention. I clenched the door’s knob in my hand, that hadn't been pushed open till now, and ran away, leaving them alone to bring shame to their relationship and to the pack.

I burst out and reached the balcony, gasping for air. The thought of them intervening to each other, naked in the same bed, was disgusting to me. But even the cool night breeze couldn't calm the storm raging inside me. I felt like I was drowning, like I was losing myself in a sea of despair.

And at that moment, I knew I had to get out. I had to leave Lucas, leave Ember, leave the pack. I had to find a way to heal, to move on, to forget.

I reached for my enchanted stone and used it to contact one of my trusted friend and ally, a fellow werewolf named Lucy.

"I need your help," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the sound of my own heartbeat.

Lucy's response was immediate. "What do you need, Ava?"

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. "I need you to help me take back what's mine."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I wondered if Lucy would abandon me. But then, her voice came back, strong and resolute. "I'm with you, Ava. Always."

At first, I wanted to confront Lucas and talk to him face to face about what he did to me. But now, I was disgusted with the thought of even looking at him. There was nothing left to talk about. What's done was already done. I could not change what had already happened in the past. But, my future was in my hands and I would never let myself be bewitched by him again. So, in that short moment, I had already decided what I needed to do next.

The full moon was rising, and with it, a new era would begin. I was ready to unleash my inner wolf and take back what was rightfully mine.