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.

Panic exploded inside me.

My heart slammed wildly against my ribs as adrenaline suddenly flooded my weak body.

She knows.

The thought hit so hard that the survival instinct completely took over.

I stumbled backward instantly.

"Child—" Darlah started, alarmed.

I didn't wait.

I turned and bolted out of the room.

"Wait!" Darlah called after me. "Please wait!"

My bare feet slapped against the cold floors as I ran blindly through the unfamiliar hallways. My body still ached horribly, and dizziness blurred my vision, but fear pushed me forward anyway.

I had to get away.

Before they started looking at me with disgust.

Before they decided I was cursed too.

A sob tore from my throat as I pushed myself harder.

I didn't notice the figure turning the corner ahead until I slammed directly into a hard chest.

I crashed hard into someone's chest.

A strong arm instantly grabbed my shoulders to steady me before I could fall backward.

"Whoa—"

I froze.

The man in front of me was tall—far too tall—and built like someone who could easily snap another person in half without trying. Dark hair fell slightly over sharp silver-gray eyes that narrowed at me in surprise.

For one terrifying second, I thought someone had come to stop me.

"Uh-uh," he said slowly, raising a brow. "And where exactly are you running off to in such a hurry?"

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

My chest heaved violently as panic clawed through me.

Behind me, I could still faintly hear Darlah calling my name somewhere down the corridor.

The man's expression shifted slightly as he took in my pale face and trembling body.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," he muttered.

I quickly lowered my head.

"S-Sorry," I whispered shakily.

Then before he could ask another question, I shoved past him and kept running.

The man blinked in confusion as I disappeared down the hallway.

For a moment, he simply stood there.

Then he glanced after me with a faint frown.

"That was odd," he murmured under his breath.

Meanwhile, I kept moving until my legs nearly gave out beneath me.

I had no idea where I was going.

Until eventually I spotted an open archway ahead leading outside. Without hesitation, I hurried toward it. Cool air immediately brushed against my skin.

A garden.

The sight almost made me collapse in relief.

Tall hedges surrounded the area, filled with silver flowers and thick climbing vines winding around stone arches. It was quiet—hidden enough that nobody would immediately notice me there.

Perfect.

Breathing hard, I stumbled deeper into the garden until I found a secluded spot behind one of the massive hedges.

Only then did my body finally give out.

I sank weakly onto the ground, wrapping my arms around myself as I struggled to steady my breathing.

My heart still pounded violently.

*****

Meanwhile, the man caught Darlah just as she turned sharply down the corridor, still half-trying to follow after Lara.

His hand shot out, stopping her by the arm.

"Hey," he said, brows drawn together. "What's going on? Why are both of you running around like that?"

Darlah froze immediately.

The moment she saw him properly, she straightened and lowered her head in a quick bow.

"Beta," she greeted breathlessly.

His gaze flicked past her shoulder, down the hallway Lara had disappeared through.

"I just saw someone running," he muttered. "And now you're chasing after them. What's happening?"

Darlah swallowed.

For a second, she looked uncertain—like she was struggling with how to even explain it.

Then she exhaled slowly.

"One of the patrol units found a girl injured in the forest," she said carefully. "They brought her in for treatment and handed her over to me."

The Beta listened silently, his expression unreadable.

"I treated her wounds," Darlah continued. "She was in critical condition, but she survived."

His brows arched slightly. "And?"

Darlah hesitated.

That hesitation alone made the air feel heavier.

"And when she woke up… after a few days," she said slowly, "She took a bath and I saw her face clearly for the first time."

The Beta's eyes narrowed.

"She looked—" Darlah stopped mid-sentence, as if the words themselves were difficult to say out loud.

"Looked what?" he pressed immediately.

Darlah took a shaky breath.

"She looked like the former Luna," she said at last.

Silence.

Instant, absolute silence.

The Beta went completely still.

For a moment, it was like even the air around them had frozen.

Then he let out a short, disbelieving laugh.

"You're imagining things," he said flatly.

Darlah shook her head immediately.

"No, Beta. I thought so too at first," she insisted. "I told myself it was just a coincidence. But then I noticed something else."

His gaze sharpened.

"What?"

Darlah's voice dropped lower.

"The birthmark on her collarbone."

That alone erased every trace of disbelief from his face.

"I saw it clearly when her sleeve moved," she continued, urgency creeping into her tone. "It's not fake. It's real. And it matches—exactly."

The Beta's expression darkened slowly.

"And when I tried to question her," Darlah added, "she panicked… and ran."

A beat passed.

Then another.

The Beta finally exhaled, his jaw tightening.

"…We need to find her," he said quietly. "I need to see it for myself"

Darlah nodded immediately.

"Yes, Beta."

And without another word, the two of them turned down the corridor.

****

“She couldn’t have gone far,” Darlah said quietly somewhere beyond the hedge.

Goodess.

My entire body tensed immediately. I covered my mouth with my hand and held my breath, terrified they would hear even the slightest sound from where I was hiding.

The footsteps grew closer.

Closer.

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly.

Then, suddenly—

“Ow!”

A startled yelp sounded nearby, followed by the rustling of leaves.

My eyes flew open.

A young woman stumbled directly into the hedge beside me, nearly falling face-first into the flowers. She looked about my age and wore the simple uniform of a servant.

For a second, we both stared at each other in shock.

“Oh my God!” she whisper-yelled, clutching her chest dramatically. “You scared me!”

I panicked instantly and grabbed her wrist before she could make another sound.

“Please,” I whispered desperately. “Don’t scream.”

Her eyes widened slightly at my expression.

From beyond the hedge, I could still hear faint footsteps approaching.

The servant girl looked between me and the pathway nervously before lowering her voice.

“…Are you hiding?”

I swallowed hard before nodding once.

She blinked.

Then, unexpectedly, her expression softened.

Without another word, she quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me lower behind the hedge just as footsteps passed nearby.

“She’s not here,” the Beta’s voice said from somewhere farther ahead.

The girl waited until the voices faded before finally exhaling in relief.

“That was close,” she muttered.

I slowly released her wrist. “I’m sorry.”

She studied me properly then, her brows furrowing slightly as she took in my pale face and weak condition.

“You’re the injured girl they were looking for, aren’t you?” she asked quietly.

I froze.

Before I could deny it, she sighed softly. “Relax. I’m not going to report you.”

Honestly, that almost made me cry.

The girl glanced around cautiously before helping me stand. “You look like you’re about to collapse.”

“I’m fine,” I lied weakly.

She gave me an unimpressed look. “Sure you are.”

Despite the situation, I nearly laughed.

“My name is Nina, by the way,” she said while carefully guiding me out from behind the hedge. “And if you stay here any longer, they’ll definitely find you.”

I hesitated. “Why are you helping me?”

Nina shrugged casually. “You don’t look dangerous. Just scared.”

The simple answer made my throat tighten unexpectedly.

She quietly led me away from the garden through smaller paths and side corridors until the grand parts of the pack house disappeared behind us. Eventually, we reached a quieter area filled with smaller buildings.

“The servants’ quarters,” Nina explained. “Nobody important comes around here much.”

She pushed open the door to a tiny but tidy room before turning back to me.

“You can stay here for now.”

I stared at her in surprise. “What?”

“Well, you obviously don’t want to be found,” she said matter-of-factly. “And honestly? You look too miserable for me to throw back outside.”

A weak laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

Nina smiled slightly before her expression softened again. “You don’t have to tell me everything,” she said gently. “But whatever happened… I’m guessing you ran away from somewhere bad.”

My chest tightened.

I lowered my gaze before answering carefully, “I just… couldn’t stay there anymore.”

That was the truth, at least.

Nina nodded slowly, not pushing further.

“Then stay here until you figure things out,” she said. “I’ll help cover for you.”

Before I could even process her kindness properly, she suddenly narrowed her eyes at me.

“But first, you need food.”

I blinked.

“You look like a gust of wind could knock you unconscious,” she added.

A few minutes later, she returned with warm soup, bread, and water.

The moment the smell reached me, I realized just how starving I actually was. Embarrassment burned through me when my stomach growled loudly.

Nina burst out laughing.

“Thought so,” she teased while handing me the tray.