Chapter 3

Maybe he felt humiliated at the altar. Or maybe he wanted payback.

That night, the silver wound in my bones flared up. Losing the Moonlight Suite meant my damaged inner wolf couldn't get her deep healing. The bone-crushing agony made my limbs go numb.

I grabbed a cloak and walked toward the Alliance’s public hot springs.

But Ronan’s guards blocked the entrance.

Ronan stood by the glowing water. His eyes were cold and arrogant.

"The public springs are closed to you, Lyra," he ordered. "Unless you go and apologize to Bianca for shoving her today."

Every wolf in the pack knew about my deadly silver wound. He knew I desperately needed the healing water. Yet, he still used my physical pain to blackmail me.

My fingers trembled from the freezing agony. But I just sneered.

"In your dreams."

I didn't beg. I turned my back and walked straight to my normal guest room.

I sat by the small fireplace. The normal fire couldn't heal my inner wolf like the magical springs, but I refused to degrade myself. With my pure white wolf resilience, I could endure the pain.

Looking into the flickering flames, I actually felt glad.

Glad I didn’t wait for him. Glad he wasn’t the one I was going to mate with.

I refused to apologize, but Ronan wouldn’t let it go.

Soon, his tall figure appeared at my door. Bianca leaned weakly against his chest.

She made a huge scene. She claimed she lost her mother’s relic.

She barged into my room, tore the place apart, and then pulled a moonstone brooch right out of her own sleeve.

She threw herself into Ronan’s arms.

"It’s fine if Lyra hates me. But why would she steal the only precious thing I have..."

Ronan’s eyes were ice cold.

"We caught you red-handed. Apologize to Bianca."

I stared at him dead in the eye.

This Alpha, who I had loved for ten years, now only gave me endless disgust.

"I won’t," I said.

A violent rage flashed in Ronan’s eyes.

"Take her Omega servant to the Silver Cells," he ordered coldly. "Ground her until she admits her mistake."

My pupils shrank.

That was the servant who grew up with me. The Silver Cells suppressed a werewolf’s healing. Going there would take half her life.

Looking at Ronan’s face, my stomach churned. I lost the energy to argue.

"I’m sorry."

I lowered my head and forced the words out.

I only hoped that one day, he wouldn’t regret this.

Then, I firmly slammed the door shut.

"Take your trash and get out of my sight."

...

Map drawing and the Blessing were over.

Only the final ancient tradition remained.

The Blood Moon Offering.

The next day at noon.

"The future Lunas must catch prey under the Blood Moon as an offering to the Goddess," the Steward announced.

He looked at the three of us. "Alpha Ronan, how should we team up?"

Ronan pulled Bianca to his side.

He turned to me. That familiar arrogant smile appeared.

"Lyra, beg me," he lifted his chin. "Beg me, and I’ll take you hunting."

The old me would have played along.

But we could never go back.

I didn’t even look at his hand.

Bones cracking loudly, I shifted into a giant, pure white wolf. I dashed straight into the dark forest.

Hunting alone was tough. But half an hour later, I dragged an elk out of the bushes.

Not far away, Ronan was helping Bianca pierce a defenseless rabbit.

"Ronan, what about Lyra?" Bianca asked timidly.

Ronan wiped the blood off his hands. His tone was cold.

"None of my business."

Hiding behind the bushes, I laughed softly.

Yes. We were done.

All three trials were over. Tomorrow, I would be Silas’s Luna. He could go protect his Bianca.

When it was time to head back, Bianca suddenly looked up. "Ronan, I want to run back on my own, can I?"

Ronan agreed affectionately: "Go ahead. Don’t run too fast."

The disaster happened fast.

Bianca shifted back to her human form mid-sprint. She wore a thick leather glove. She gripped a silver dagger. It dripped with lethal Wolfsbane. She slashed my side hard!

Agony shot through my brain. My legs gave out. I hit the ground.

Bianca frantically dragged me toward the highly unstable cliff edge!

Her piercing scream exploded through the pack mind-link.

"Help—! Ronan, help me! Lyra is trying to kill me!"

The fragile rock layer cracked. The cliff started collapsing. Rocks tumbled wildly!

"Bianca!"

Ronan’s furious roar echoed behind us. He shifted into a massive gray wolf and leaped into the rubble.

My body screamed in pain. My vision blurred as I plummeted down.

I thought he would at least grab me.

But I was wrong.

He jumped right over my bleeding body. He lunged forward and grabbed Bianca. He bolted for safety without giving me a single glance.