Selene didn’t speak at first.

She simply stood there, her expensive heels planted firmly in my line of vision, the faint scent of her rose perfume cutting through the damp, soapy air of the laundry room. I kept my head down, my raw fingers still moving mechanically over the last sheet, scrubbing even though my arms felt like lead.

I could feel her eyes on me.

“Leave us,” Selene said softly to Sara and Clara. Her voice was smooth, almost gentle, but it carried the unmistakable weight of command.

The two maids didn’t hesitate. They rose quickly from their knees, murmuring respectful farewells before hurrying out of the room and closing the door behind them with a soft click. The sudden silence felt heavier than their mocking laughter.

Only then did Selene speak again.

“Look at me, Lara.”

My hands stilled in the water. For a long moment, I considered ignoring her. But defiance would only make this worse. Slowly, painfully, I straightened my aching back and lifted my gaze to meet hers.

She looked radiant. Her skin glowed with health, her hair perfectly styled, and her clothes expensive and immaculate. The complete opposite of how I must have looked — drenched in sweat and dirty water, eyes swollen from crying, fingers red and cracked.

Selene smiled. It didn’t reach her eyes. “You’ve had a long morning, haven’t you?” she said, tilting her head slightly. “Working like a common maid on your first day. How… humbling.”

I said nothing. My throat was too dry, my body too exhausted to form words that wouldn’t shake.

She took a slow step closer, her heels clicking once against the tiled floor. “The elders have made a decision. As you know, I’m carrying the Alpha’s child. But the pregnancy has been… difficult. The healers say I’m physically weak. My body needs strength to nourish the future heir.”

Her eyes dropped deliberately to my collarbone, where my high collar had slipped slightly during work, revealing just the edge of the large, ugly birthmark I had spent years hiding.

“They believe a blood transfusion… would stabilize me.” Her smile widened, sweet and poisonous. “And since you’re still here for a few more days, the elders have decided that you will donate what is needed.”

My stomach dropped.

Blood. They wanted my blood.

The room seemed to tilt. I gripped the edge of the washbasin tightly, my swollen fingers protesting at the pressure. They couldn't get rid of me last night, so they decided to drain my blood to slowly kill me?

“Why… why my blood?” I whispered, my voice hoarse and cracking.

Selene let out a soft, pitying laugh. “Because the healers believe it will be effective. And because Matteo has already agreed. He said it was the least you could do for the pack after… everything.”

The words hit like a fresh slap.

Matteo had agreed.

Of course, he had.

I thought of all the nights he had held me, whispering that I was enough, that we would find a way despite my wolflessness and the mark on my skin. Now he was willing to drain me to strengthen the woman carrying his child. Something inside me cracked wider.

“I… I’m already weak,” I said quietly, my eyes burning with fresh tears I refused to let fall. “I haven’t eaten since yesterday. I’ve been working for hours without rest. Taking my blood now…”

“Will you refuse the Alpha’s order?” Selene interrupted, her voice turning sharper. “After everything this pack has given you? After you failed to give us an heir? After you brought shame upon us with your… defect?”

She stepped even closer, lowering her voice to a whisper that felt like venom sliding into my ear.

“Or would you rather I tell the pack that you’re refusing to help the future Luna and her unborn child? That the wolfless, marked girl is still trying to be difficult even in banishment?”

My hands trembled violently. The exhaustion, the hunger, the humiliation — it all pressed down on me until I felt like I was drowning.

I hated her.

I hated Matteo.

But most of all, in that moment, I hated how powerless I truly was.

Selene straightened up, smoothing down her perfect dress. “The healer is waiting in the infirmary. Sara and Clara will escort you there once you finish those last sheets. Don’t keep us waiting too long, Lara. We wouldn’t want you to cause any more trouble before you leave.”

She turned gracefully on her heel and walked toward the door, pausing only at the threshold.

“Oh, and one more thing,” she added without turning around. “Try not to faint. It would be terribly inconvenient.”

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving me alone in the heavy silence.

I stood there for a long moment, staring at the murky water in the basin. My vision blurred again, this time not just from exhaustion. The tears I had been holding back finally spilled over, mixing with the sweat and grime on my face.

I had thought the rejection and banishment were the worst things that could happen.

But this… this was something else.

They weren’t just throwing me out.

They were going to bleed me dry first.

With trembling hands, I forced myself to finish the last three sheets. When I was finally done, Sara and Clara returned, their smirks wider than before.

The door finally opened again.

Sara and Clara stepped inside, their faces twisted with smug satisfaction.

“Done already?” Clara mocked. “How hardworking of you, former Luna.”

“Time to go,” Sara added, grabbing my upper arm roughly. “The healer is waiting.”

They didn’t give me a chance to wash my hands or change my damp, dirty clothes. They simply dragged me out of the laundry room and through the familiar halls of the packhouse. My wet shoes squeaked against the floor with every exhausted step. My vision kept blurring at the edges, and my legs felt dangerously unsteady.

By the time we reached the infirmary, my breathing was shallow and ragged.

The room was brightly lit and coldly sterile. The healer — an older woman named Mira who had once treated my minor injuries with kindness- now avoided my eyes completely. On a neatly arranged tray lay syringes, tubes, and several empty blood bags.

Selene was already there. She sat comfortably in a padded chair, looking every bit the delicate, precious Luna the pack now worshipped. Her hand rested lightly over her stomach as if protecting her baby.

Matteo was nowhere to be seen.

“Strap her down,” Selene ordered calmly. “We don’t want any accidents.”

Sara and Clara shoved me into the cold metal chair. They fastened thick straps around my wrists and upper arm with unnecessary force. The rough fabric bit into my already aching skin.

Healer Mira hesitated for a brief second before inserting the large needle into the crook of my arm. The sharp sting made me flinch. “Try to relax,” the healer murmured, almost too quietly for anyone else to hear.

Relax.

As if that were possible.

The machine began its steady work. I felt the pull immediately — the slow, continuous draw of blood leaving my body. Drop by drop. Bag by bag. At first, it was just discomfort. Then came the coldness. A deep, creeping chill that started in my arm and spread through my veins. My heartbeat echoed loudly in my ears. The room grew dimmer.

Selene watched with quiet fascination, occasionally sipping from a glass of water as if she were attending a casual gathering.

Minutes stretched into what felt like hours.

My head grew heavier. My thoughts became sluggish. The hatred burning in my chest was the only thing that still felt sharp. I remembered Matteo’s arms around me. His promises. The way he once kissed the birthmark I hated so much and told me it made me unique. All of it felt like a cruel joke now.

With every drop of blood that filled the bag, that old love twisted further — burning, rotting, transforming into something dark and unbreakable.

Hatred.

Pure, ice-cold hatred.

My breathing grew shallower. Black spots danced across my vision. My lips felt numb.

“Enough,” Selene said eventually, waving a graceful hand. “We don’t want her dying before she leaves the territory. That would be… messy.”

The healer removed the needle and pressed a cotton pad against my arm. Blood continued to seep slowly through it — my body too weak to clot properly.

They unstrapped me.

The moment I tried to stand, the world spun violently. My knees buckled. Sara and Clara caught me before I could collapse completely, laughing under their breath.

“Pathetic,” one of them whispered.

They half-dragged, half-carried me out of the infirmary. My body felt hollow. Empty. Like they had taken more than just blood — they had drained away the last remaining pieces of my dignity, my hope, and my strength.

I was so weak I didn’t even notice we’d passed the maids’ headquarters. Everything was a blur. Only when I heard the loud, rusty creak of the huge back gate did it finally hit me—they were taking me away from the pack. Dragging me off like I was nothing.

They tossed my limp body on the ground and just walked away.

My heart rate rose sharply, despite being in a near-unconscious state. I've always been afraid of the dark. A natural phenomenon that werewolves loved and eagerly anticipated. The endless shadows between the trees, the suffocating silence, the feeling that something unseen was always watching... it made panic crawl beneath my skin.

And now, surrounded by nothing but towering trees and pitch-black darkness, I could barely breathe.

My breaths came out in short, shaky pants as fear tightened around my chest. The darkness seemed to close in on me from every direction, swallowing me whole. Spots danced across my vision, and despite already being unable to see clearly, everything darkened even further.

Then I blacked out.

***

Every hair on my body stood on end.

I jolted awake with a gasp, my instincts screaming at me before my mind could even catch up. A loud snarl echoed through the darkness, followed by the rapid pounding of paws against wet sand—getting closer. Closer.

My blood turned cold.

I knew those sounds anywhere.

Rogues.

Panic surged through me as I scrambled to my feet too quickly, making the world spin violently around me. For a second, I nearly collapsed again, but adrenaline slammed through my body hard enough to force me forward.

I ran.

Behind me, the rogues gave chase almost instantly, their snarls growing louder as they picked up my scent. They could smell my weakness. My fear. The fact that I was injured and alone. And they were gaining on me fast.

This wasn't a game or a warning chase.

At this rate, I would be torn apart within seconds.

Before I could complete my thoughts, one had outrun the pack and leaped at me, ready to tear me to shreds with a single bite, when I spun just enough to scoop a handful of dirt and flung it blindly. The wolf recoiled, snarling as its paws scratched on its eyes in an attempt to get rid of the dust.

I took a weird turn and came face-to-face with even denser trees and murky water. It was still dark, but not as dark as before, so I ran forward, pressing myself into the darkness. I dropped into the murky water without a second thought. The cold swallowed me whole, washing away the thickest trace of scent as I dragged myself to the other side.

I hid behind a tree and clamped a hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming, and just as I did that. The rogues got to the part I was in, their feet deep in the murky water as they patrolled the area, their noses sniffing the ground loudly. After a few minutes of searching, I heard them growl loudly before retreating. Hearing them leave, I breathed a sigh of relief and dragged my tired frame up before coming out of my hiding place, only to come face to face with a rogue glaring at me with hunger in its eyes. Fuck. This is bad. There is no way I can outsmart it again.

It rushed towards me, prepared to attack, and I braced myself for the impact. The rogue slammed into me like a racing bull.

I hit the ground hard, the air exploding from my lungs as muddy water splashed around us. Its claws raked across my shoulder before I could shove it away, a burning line of pain tearing through my skin. I screamed and kicked wildly, my heel catching its ribs hard enough to make it stagger sideways with a furious snarl.

I scrambled backward on shaking limbs, but the rogue lunged again.

Its claws sliced across my thigh this time, not deep enough to cripple me but enough to send white-hot pain through my leg. Warm blood immediately soaked through my torn clothes. The beast circled me slowly, yellow eyes gleaming with cruel amusement as if it enjoyed watching me panic.

My chest tightened.

No. No, no—

The darkness. The growling. The trees are closing in around me.

I couldn't breathe. But it barely slowed it down.

The rogue crashed into me, pinning me violently against the tree trunk. Agonizing pain exploded through my back as its claws dug into my arms and shoulders, shallow but brutal scratches tearing through skin.

Then its jaws snapped toward my neck.

I screamed and shoved against its chest desperately, feeling its teeth graze my throat—

A savage snarl suddenly erupted from the darkness.

The weight crushing me vanished instantly.

The rogue was thrown sideways so violently that it rolled across the muddy ground with a furious howl. Another wolf—massive, dark-furred, and far larger—had slammed directly into it.

More footsteps followed.

Four men burst through the trees behind him, all dressed in dark hunting gear, their expressions turning sharp the second they saw me bleeding against the tree.

"Rogue!" one of them shouted.

The large wolf shifted mid-motion, bones cracking loudly before a tall man emerged in its place. He didn't even spare me a glance at first. His attention remained fixed on the rogue as he stepped protectively in front of me.

The rogue snarled but hesitated now.

Because he wasn't alone.

The other men spread out instantly, surrounding the area while two shifted into wolves beside their leader. The air thickened with dominance and threat.

The rogue backed away slowly, ears flattening.

Then it bolted into the forest. One of the men moved like he wanted to chase after it, but the tall stranger raised a hand.

"Leave it," he ordered coldly.

Silence fell.

The stranger finally turned toward me.

Up close, he looked terrifying in his own way—broad shoulders, sharp eyes, blood splattered across his arms from the fight. Yet his expression shifted the moment he saw how badly I was shaking.

"Easy," he muttered.

I tried to speak, but nothing came out.

The adrenaline keeping me upright finally disappeared all at once. Pain crashed into me so hard my knees gave out instantly.

Before I could hit the ground, strong arms caught me. The last thing I heard was one of the men cursing under his breath while another said, "She's bleeding badly!"

Then darkness swallowed me whole.

**

MATTEO

I stood motionless near the massive window of my office, my jaw clenched so tightly it ached. Rain hammered against the glass, but it wasn't enough to drown out the endless noise in my head.

Lara's face.

Her voice.

The look in her eyes when I rejected her.

My chest tightened violently.

My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin, filled with agitation that had refused to fade for days now. It prowled endlessly inside me, furious and grieving all at once.

You hurt her.

I shut my eyes.

I knew.

The memory haunted me relentlessly—the way she'd stood there trembling while I forced those cruel words out of my mouth. I had told myself it was necessary. That the pack needed to change. Someone powerful. Someone fertile and worthy of being the luna.

But now?

Now every second without her felt unbearable.

My wolf had barely spoken to me since that night. The bond between man and beast, once perfectly balanced, now felt fractured. The creature rejected food, sleep, and even patrols. Every instinct inside me screamed that something was wrong.

She left before the deadline—so quickly that she even abandoned most of her belongings. And with the recent surge of rogue attacks reported in the woods, the uncertainty gnawed at me relentlessly.

If only she had waited a little longer, I would have sent my men to escort her safely to another pack. But now… I had no way of knowing where she was or what had become of her.

Was she safe?

Had she managed to reach another pack alive?

A sharp knock interrupted my thoughts.

"Elders are waiting downstairs, Alpha," Beta Rowan said carefully from outside the door.

My expression darkened instantly.

Of course they were.

They had been relentless ever since Serene's pregnancy was announced. To the elders, this solved everything. An heir. Stability. A proper Luna from a respected bloodline.

Exactly what the pack needed.

Even if it felt like a cage tightening around my throat.

I descended the stairs slowly, my presence immediately silencing the room. The elders sat around the long table while Serene remained near the fireplace, dressed elegantly in pale silver.

The moment her eyes landed on me, they softened hopefully.

I looked away first.

One of the elders cleared his throat. "Alpha, preparations for the Luna ceremony should begin immediately. The pack needs reassurance after recent events."

Recent events.

A polite way of referring to Lara's humiliation and disappearance.

My stomach twisted.

"We've delayed long enough," another elder added firmly. "Serene carries the future heir of Red Moon Pack. She must officially stand beside you before rumors spread further."

Serene was carrying my child.

I would protect her.

Respect her.

Give her the title the pack demanded.

I straightened my back and spoke with authority. “The Luna ceremony will be held in three days. Preparations begin immediately.”

LARA

I opened my eyes to a white ceiling.

The room was spacious and spotless, and the sharp scent of medicine lingering in the air told me immediately that I was in a clinic. I pushed myself upright, but the nauseating smell twisted my stomach violently.

A soft hand rested against my back before I could lean over.

“Are you okay? Do you need the bathroom?” a woman asked gently.

She looked to be around forty, with kind eyes and a warm smile that somehow made my chest ache more. Her hand moved slowly along my back, soothing the nausea almost instantly.

I stared at her.

Then, to my horror, my eyes burned with tears.

Fuck.

I was crying.

It felt pathetic—childish even—but I couldn’t remember the last time someone had shown me this kind of care.

Other than Matteo.

The woman looked startled by my tears. She quickly pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed carefully at my face.

“There, there,” she murmured softly. “I heard about what happened to you. You fought hard. That alone tells me how strong you are.”

Her words shattered whatever little control I had left.

The tears came harder.

Everything hit me at once—the pain of Matteo’s betrayal, the agony of his rejection, the humiliation of having my blood drained to nourish his precious chosen Luna… and then the rogue attack that nearly killed me.

The woman stayed beside me through it all, patiently comforting me until my sobs finally died down into shaky breaths.

Embarrassed, I wiped my face with her handkerchief and forced out a weak smile.

“Hi… my name is Lara.”

She lightly tapped my head, almost affectionately.

“I’m Darlah,” she said. “One of the physicians of the Frost Fang Pack. One of our patrol guards found you unconscious not far from the border. You were in critical condition when they brought you in.”

My body went rigid.

Frost Fang Pack.

The only pack powerful enough to rival the Red Moon Pack.

For centuries, the two packs had been bitter enemies, constantly clashing despite the great distance between their territories.

And now…

I was lying helplessly inside enemy grounds.

My fingers tightened around the white sheets wrapped around me.

Shit.

If they discovered I belonged to the Red Moon Pack… not just as an ordinary member, but as its former Luna… would they still let me walk out of here alive?

A chill crawled down my spine.

My entire body trembled as terrifying possibilities flooded my mind. If they learned my identity, I had no doubt they would see me as nothing more than an enemy.

Maybe even a bargaining tool.

Or worse.

For a brief moment, panic clawed at my chest so fiercely that I considered ripping the IV from my arm and fleeing immediately.

“No, no, no…” I muttered under my breath, my breathing turning uneven.

I had to leave.

Before anyone found out who I was.

Before word somehow reached Matteo.

The thought of him made something sharp twist painfully inside my chest.

I pushed the blanket away and swung my legs over the side of the bed, only for dizziness to slam into me almost instantly. My vision blurred violently, and my knees nearly buckled beneath me.

“Easy!” Darlah quickly steadied me before I could fall face-first onto the floor.

“You shouldn’t be standing yet,” she scolded gently.

“Your body lost too much blood.”

“I need to go,” I whispered hoarsely.

Darlah frowned. “Go where?”

Anywhere but here.

Anywhere people didn’t know my name.

Anywhere Matteo couldn’t find me.

“I… I can’t stay,” I said weakly, avoiding her eyes.

The older woman studied me quietly for a moment, as though she could sense the fear clawing beneath my skin.

Then her expression softened.

“Nobody is forcing you to stay, child,” she said carefully. “But you’re in no condition to travel. You could barely survive the night as it is.”

My throat tightened.

Darlah sighed softly before helping me sit back down on the bed. “When you recover a little more, we’ll arrange for someone to escort you safely back to your pack,” she said kindly. “You don’t have to worry.”

My heart nearly stopped.

Back?

To the Red Moon Pack?

Panic surged through me so suddenly that I felt sick again.

“No!” The word escaped me louder than I intended.

Darlah blinked in surprise.

I immediately lowered my gaze, my fingers twisting tightly into the bedsheets. Shit. I reacted too fast.

“I mean…” My voice trembled. “I-I don’t want to cause trouble for your pack.”

For a moment, Darlah simply watched me.

Then her expression softened with understanding, as though she sensed there was far more I wasn’t saying.

“You don’t have to panic, child,” she said gently. “Nobody is going to force you into anything right now.”

Her calm tone slowly loosened the tight knot in my chest.

Thankfully, she didn’t press further. Instead, she glanced toward my body and gave a small grimace.

“And besides,” she added gently, “you need to get cleaned up.”

I blinked at her in confusion.

“You fell into murky water before the patrol found you,” she explained carefully. “You were covered in mud and blood when they brought you in. I managed to wipe most of it away from your face while you were unconscious, but some of it was too stubborn to come off.”

Almost instinctively, my fingers brushed against my cheek.

Rough.

God… I must look horrible.

“There’s a bathroom connected to this room,” Darlah continued warmly. “You should take a proper bath and change into clean clothes. It’ll help you feel better.”

Embarrassment crawled into me when I noticed the faint hesitation in her expression.

“I would’ve helped you myself,” she admitted softly, “but I didn’t want to touch you without your permission.”

The words caught me off guard.

For a second, I could only stare at her.

Then I lowered my gaze quickly, afraid she would see the emotion building in my eyes once more.

“Thank you…” I whispered weakly.

Darlah smiled, gentle and patient, as though she understood far more than I was saying aloud.

“You don’t have to thank me for basic kindness, child.”

Darlah left shortly after handing me a set of clean clothes and directing me toward the bathroom connected to the room.

The moment the door shut behind me, I stared at my reflection in the mirror above the sink.

I looked terrible.

My face was pale, my lips dry and cracked, and dark shadows sat heavily beneath my eyes. Dried mud clung stubbornly to parts of my skin and hair, making me look almost unrecognizable.

For a moment, I simply stood there silently.

Then I slowly began washing myself.

The warm water running over my body felt strangely comforting after everything I had been through. I scrubbed carefully at the dried mud stuck to my arms and face, wincing occasionally whenever the sponge brushed against hidden bruises.

The dirt on my cheeks took the longest to remove.

By the time I finished, the water beneath me had turned murky brown.

I changed into the clothes Darlah had left for me—a loose cream sweater and soft dark trousers that were slightly too big—and stepped out of the bathroom quietly.

Darlah wasn’t in the room anymore.

Relieved, I walked toward the mirror near the bed and tried fixing my damp hair with my fingers. Without realizing it, I pushed the sleeves of the sweater upward while struggling with the tangled strands.

The door suddenly opened.

“Oh good, you’re fin—”

Darlah stopped mid-sentence.

I looked up.

She stood frozen near the doorway, staring at me so intensely that my stomach tightened uneasily.

Her expression slowly drained of color.

It was as though she had just seen a ghost.

My hand paused halfway through my hair.

“Is… something wrong?” I asked hesitantly.

Darlah didn’t answer immediately.

Her eyes were fixed on me.

No… not my face.

My arm.

More specifically—the birthmark exposed near my wrist where the sweater sleeve had rolled back looked like black ink spilled across my skin, dark at the center and fading unevenly at the edges.

The hand holding the tray trembled violently.

The glass of water rattled against the plate.

“T-That…” she whispered faintly.

A strange look filled her eyes.

Shock.

Disbelief.

And something dangerously close to fear.

Instinctively, I pulled my sleeve down.

Darlah’s reaction made my pulse spike uneasily.

“What is it?” I asked again, more cautiously this time.

But she still looked stunned.

Finally, Darlah forced herself to move. She placed the tray down carefully on the bedside table, though her hands were still trembling faintly.

“Where…” she started, then stopped to steady herself. “Where did you get that birthmark?”

I blinked in confusion.

“Get it?”

Her gaze sharpened instantly.

“Yes. That mark.”

Slowly, I looked down at my wrist beneath the sweater sleeve.

I had possessed it for as long as I could remember. It wasn’t large or particularly noticeable unless someone looked closely enough.

“It’s just a birthmark,” I answered carefully. “I was born with it.”

The moment the words left my mouth, Darlah inhaled sharply.

Her eyes widened further.

“No…” she whispered almost to herself.

My uneasiness deepened.

Why was she reacting like this over a simple mark?

Darlah suddenly stepped closer to me, her expression conflicted.

“Child…” Her voice had turned oddly fragile. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-three.”

“And your parents?”

The question hit like a knife.

“I don’t know them,” I answered quietly. “I grew up an orphan.”

Darlah went completely silent.

Her eyes glistened faintly as she stared at me, almost as though pieces of a puzzle were slowly falling into place inside her mind.

Then, very unexpectedly—

She reached toward my face with shaking fingers.

I flinched automatically.

The movement seemed to snap her back to reality. She immediately withdrew her hand, guilt flashing across her features.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

But I was frightened now.

Terribly frightened.