"I'm immortal, chained to this fortune that refuses to leave my side. Every soul who lunges at me for my wealth ends up feeding my coffers, drowning me in billions."​

But I'm spent. A thousand deaths have hollowed me out. There's nothing left of my will. Money? It's just a curse, not a blessing."​

The only key to end this endless cycle is finding a mate who wants me, not my fortune. After lifetimes of searching...​

I thought I'd finally found him. My mate. I let him in, told him everything about my curse."

He stares at me, cold. "Sorry. There's a price on your head. I'm here to claim it.

" And with that, he drives the scalpel into my chest.

I'm splayed on the ice-cold steel, surgical lights burning into my soul.

They've sliced through the layers that've shielded me from a thousand deaths, and this time, the curse isn't healing me fast enough.​

New death method?

They've found the perfect way to break an immortal werewolf.

Every cut feels like my very essence is being torn apart, the pain a relentless wave that threatens to drown me in agony.​

I convulse, my body's futile attempt to fight back against the encroaching darkness.

The curse that's kept me alive for centuries is now a tormentor, prolonging this agony, making every second feel like an eternity.

I can't scream, can't plead.

All I can do is endure, waiting for this nightmare to end.

I grind my teeth, the pain blurring my vision as I snarl at Lucian Thorne,

"Your price for this? Name it! My fortune's yours if you end this cursed suffering!"​

Lucian's hand trembles over my shredded torso, his touch sending jolts of agony through my veins.

He presses his lips to my brow, his tears a frigid brand on my skin.

"The fortune means nothing. I need your immortality. To live an eternity haunted by you- it's the only penance I deserve."​

I convulse violently, a laugh that's more of a death rattle escaping my throat.

"You carve out the very curse that binds me to this world and call it penance? If you truly loved me, you'd let me die!"

I seethe, my body racked by pain, "You want to gut me, drain my life? This is your twisted version of love? Just end it! Name your price and give me a clean death!"​

Lucian stands firm, his voice steady. "I want your immortality, Natalie. I want to give it to her. It's the only way."​

My laugh is a bitter, broken sound. "You think stealing my cursed life will save her? You're a fool, Lucian! An immortal's life is a never - ending nightmare, not a gift!"​

Five minutes later, the doors burst open. They wheel in a young she - wolf, Vanessa. My blood, the life - force that has sustained my endless existence, is being pumped into her.​

I stare in horror as the healers start their gruesome work. "Who is she?" I manage to choke out, my voice filled with betrayal.​

Lucian's eyes are fixed on Vanessa, a softness I've never seen before. "She's the one I was meant to be with. The one I should have bonded with. She's dying, Natalie, and I can't let that happen."​

I snarl, "You think transplanting my immortal organs into her will work? You're risking both our lives on a mad scheme!"​

Lucian turns to me, his gaze intense. "I know you're immortal. I know your body can regenerate. You can survive this, Natalie. And she can live."

His words slam into me like a thunder - strike, jolting my cursed existence to its core.

He doesn't crave my fortune.

He hungers for the very essence that keeps me trapped in this endless cycle-a werewolf's immortality.

I dared to hope this lifetime would shatter the curse, but I'm just a means to his end.​

Lucian stands over me, cold as the grave, his hand on mine.

My body, torn open. Yet he's unfazed, as if the curse coursing through my veins is nothing but a cure - all for his precious Vanessa.​

I tremble, fighting against the agony that threatens to consume me, my immortality struggling to heal the wounds faster than they're inflicted. And still, he rambles on.​

"Vanessa's suffering is a howl in the night I can't ignore. I've chased every lead, faced every dead - end. Her pain echoes in my bones, a constant reminder of what's at stake."​

"She's my destined bond, the other half of my soul. Losing her? It's like the moon going dark forever. I made a vow, and I'll break every rule to keep it."​

"Your immortality-it's the key. Your body can endure this, Natalie. It has to. Because she's worth every piece of you I take."​

He kept me conscious through the butchery, let me feel every slice, every pull. T

hree years of false affection, all to position me as the sacrifice for his true love. How could a werewolf, bound by the unspoken codes of our kind, stoop so low?

I scream, losing it for the first time in front of him, hurling every curse I can think of.

Sure, death's old news to me. It's just another Tuesday.

But this? This betrayal cuts deeper than any scalpel.

I'd rather he'd been after my money than this.

The pain-physical and emotional-has me losing my grip on reality. My body's convulsing, limbs twisting in ways that aren't human. Alpha Lucian pins me down, still talking, still trying to "comfort" me with words that sound like they're from a sociopath's playbook.

"Natalie, just hang in there! You've died a million times, right? You've felt every kind of pain. This is just another one. You'll get through it."

"I know you're looking for a way to end your immortality. I'm helping you out here, and you're helping me. Win-win, right?"

"You save Vanessa, and I'll end this crazy eternal life for you. I'll keep loving you, Natalie. I'll always remember you. You'll live on in Vanessa, in a way."

I stare at him, the pain so intense I bite through my tongue, spitting blood.

Alpha Lucian panics, thinking I might bite it off entirely. Without hesitation, he shoves his hand into my mouth, letting me clamp down on it.

"Don't be scared, Natalie. I'm right here. Just hold on. The healers said no anesthesia would keep your organs in top shape for the transplant. That's why it hurts so bad. It'll be over soon."

For a split second, his tender act makes me feel like I'm in a delivery room, giving birth to our kid or something.

But it's all a lie. I know it better than anyone.

I let out a hollow laugh, my trust shattered.

I wrench my head up, eyes blazing with centuries of pent - up fury.

"You think stealing my immortal essence is a simple fix?every drop of my blood carries a curse older than the moon itself. When you feed my life to her, you're not just playing with fate-you're unleashing a darkness that will devour you, her, and everything you hold dear. Stop this madness now!"

I screamed those last words and passed out from the pain.

I don't know how long I was out. When I came to, I was stuffed inside a massive glass tank.

I've lived forever, died a thousand times. No matter how I go out, I always come back within twenty-four hours.

I've woken up in icy water, slimy dirt, filthy sewers-you name it, I've been there.

As long as this world keeps spinning, even if I'm burned to ash, reduced to a speck of dust, I'll rise again.

This tank was filled with formaldehyde, my hollowed-out body soaking in it like some twisted bath, slowly piecing itself back together. But I couldn't move yet.

Alpha Lucian's cold voice cut through from somewhere nearby. He'd already popped the lid to check on me.

From the reflection in his eyes, I saw myself-ghastly, my nearly six-foot frame curled up into a pathetic ball, not even half my usual size.

Every usable organ in my body was gone, carved out and handed over to Vanessa.

Alpha Lucian sounded pleased, his voice practically singing with satisfaction.

"She can't come back from this, right? No way she's immortal now. She's just a pile of bones and a head-nothing useful left."

The healer who'd sliced me and Vanessa up nodded, agreeing I was done for.

"No chance of revival. She's useless for research now too. So, what do we do with what's left?"

Alpha Lucian didn't hesitate.

"To be safe, let's burn what's left of her. Scatter the ashes to the four corners of the earth. That way, she's gone for good, and Vanessa can inherit her fortune without a hitch."

This healer-whoever the hell he was-seemed to have connections everywhere. Not only could he pull off organ swaps like it was nothing, but he was also ready to dispose of my body like I was roadkill.

The two of them chatted away, planning my disposal like they were talking about tossing out a dead pet.

Once they'd sorted me out, they moved on to Vanessa's recovery.

Alpha Lucian's voice was bursting with excitement, his eyes sparkling in a way I'd never seen before.

"Those immortal organs are something else. I thought Vanessa would need weeks to bounce back, maybe go through hell first. But the next day, she was already full of life!"

"Not only that, her body's taking to the organs like they were made for her. Her wounds are healing crazy fast. She's practically glowing-I'm blown away!"

"We've already got plans. Three days from now, we're moving on to the next step."

The next step?

That's news to me.

I strained to hear more, but then Alpha Lucian's phone rang. It was Vanessa, her soft voice coming through, asking for strawberry cake. She sounded happy, her appetite back, like she was doing better than ever.

Alpha Lucian lit up, grinning like a kid as he teased her over the phone.

"You little foodie, barely back on your feet and already craving strawberry cake?"

Vanessa's voice came through, all sweet and playful.

"There's more I want, but I can't let myself dream too big without you here..."

Alpha Lucian's smile widened, and he tossed out some flirty line without missing a beat.

"Oh, I'm coming over right now. Go ahead and dream big, babe. Tell me what you're craving, huh?"