Chapter 1

The night before our Mating Ceremony, my fated mate, Alpha Ryker of the Howling Moon Pack, ordered me to give him the Moon Soul Crystal—the very thing that protected my pack, the Willow Creek Pack.

He said he needed it to power up the Howling Moon Pack's Blood Moon Altar.

He also promised he'd keep me and my people safe.

But he didn't know that we, the healers of the Willow Creek Pack, can only create one Moon Soul Crystal in our entire lives. Making one takes a crazy amount of moon energy.

It's the treasure that keeps our pack alive.

My mother, worried about me using up my moon energy while I was pregnant, gave up her own Moon Soul Crystal instead.

But just three months after Ryker and I were mated, she got sick, fast. She was dying.

I knelt in front of Ryker, crying, begging him for the Silverleaf Herb from the Howling Moon's forbidden grounds. It was the only thing that could save my mom.

But he just looked at me, his eyes full of disappointment, and kicked me away.

"I asked for the Moon Soul Crystal to test you," he snarled. "And just as I thought, you married me for our pack's treasures! Your mother's not sick. You're making it all up!"

"You don't deserve to be the Luna of the Howling Moon Pack!"

It wasn't until after my mother died, when he was arguing with me, trying to kick me out of the pack, that my mother's things fell and scattered everywhere. Her Soul Stone, the symbol of a wolf's spirit, shattered.

That's when he finally realized he was wrong. He fell to his knees, begging me not to leave, crying for me to forgive him.

1

The night before our Mating Ceremony, Ryker, my Alpha, pinned me against the wall, his hot breath fanning my neck.

I thought he wanted to mate with me again before the ceremony.

But then, out of nowhere, he demanded I give him the Willow Creek Pack's "Moon Soul Crystal."

That crystal can only be made by a Willow Creek healer when she first awakens her mating bond, using the purest energy.

If we lost it, the Willow Creek Pack would lose all its protection. We'd be in mortal danger.

But there wasn't a hint of softness in Ryker's eyes, nothing like a mate's. Just a cold command.

"Selena," his voice was a low, chilling rumble, "you're about to be my Luna. The pack needs you to contribute. The 'Moon Soul Crystal' will boost our 'Blood Moon Altar,' awaken the ancestral totems. It's vital for the Howling Moon Pack."

He saw me hesitate. He put his hand on my stomach, and the pressure was unsettling.

"You're carrying my child, Selena."

"You're not a Willow Creek wolf anymore. Protecting Howling Moon, raising our heir—that's your future now. Give me the crystal, and I'll protect Willow Creek. And I'll take… better care of you both."

He leaned down, and his kisses rained down on my face, so possessive, like he wanted to swallow me whole.

For my baby, for my people in Willow Creek, I agreed.

My mother, Elara, used up all her life's moon energy to temporarily seal the "Moon Soul Crystal's" power and put it in my hands.

Her hand was cold, trembling.

"I know Alpha Ryker has big responsibilities," she said weakly, trying to comfort me. "Just seeing you and the baby safe, that's all I want. I'm willing to give up the crystal."

But just three months after the Mating Ceremony, my mother's life force started to drain, fast.

Only the "Silverleaf Herb" from the Howling Moon's forbidden grounds could save her.

I knelt before Ryker, begging him to help.

He just stared at me, cold, like I was some stranger making a scene.

The key to his vault was with Brynn, his most trusted female warrior—the one who always looked at me with suspicion and jealousy.

"Selena," Ryker's voice was flat, "the Silverleaf Herb is for elders who've done great things for the pack, or for the Alpha to break through his own limits. Elara has made her contribution. Her honor will be remembered. But the pack's future is more important."

I broke down, screaming at him.

But he thought I was using my mother's illness and my pregnancy to blackmail him, to challenge him. He grabbed my chin, his eyes fierce.

"You just became my Luna, and you think having my baby gives you power over me? The Luna of the Howling Moon Pack must be loyal and obedient, first and foremost. What you did today proves you're not fit to carry my heir!"

His cold fingers brushed over my still-flat stomach.

Then, he ordered his shamans to perform a painful "bloodline-stripping" ritual on me, saying it was to "cleanse the bloodline, to stop any impure emotions from tainting the baby."

The ritual didn't kill the baby outright, but it badly damaged its wolf essence. It had almost no chance of being born healthy. It was a death sentence.

I couldn't even think about how sick I felt. My mother was waiting for me.

I desperately tried to find another way to save her, even doing the lowliest chores in the deepest part of the wolf fort's herb room.

But I still couldn't afford even a single leaf of those rare herbs.

The day my mother died, I couldn't even buy a burial slab etched with protective runes.

I was holding my mother's cold belongings—a simple wooden totem she always used—walking back to my small hut.

As I passed the pack's Plaza of Honor, I saw Ryker holding a small but grand ceremony for Brynn, giving her a "Silver-moon Badge," a symbol of the "Alpha's special trust."

Brynn shot me a smug look, then cooed at Ryker, "You were right, Alpha. Wolves from those small, outlying packs are just selfish and weak deep down. You can't trust them. Looks like I won our… little bet."

My hands, clutching her things, were shaking so bad.

So, my mother's life, my lost baby… it was all just a game to test my "loyalty."

"Just a wager," Ryker's voice was terrifyingly calm. He didn't even look at me, just coolly fastened Brynn's weapon belt. "Indeed, I misjudged. This badge, you earned it. She… was just a trial in my search for a true mate."

Brynn snuggled into his arms, all smug. They got on Ryker's mount and rode off.

I stood there, holding my mother's things, for a long, long time.

That Silver-moon Badge, just the materials were worth a fortune, and forging it would cost even more.

But I had less than twenty silver wolf coins on me, not even enough for half a day of my mother's medicine.

Now, it was all I had.

I stumbled back to my hut, a mess. The Captain of the Guard, the one who collected the "Moon Energy Tax," was waiting at the door. As a member of the Howling Moon Pack, everyone had to pay this tax monthly to keep up the pack's wards and daily operations. The Luna was supposed to be exempt, but I was already seen as an outcast.

"Selena, you're two months behind on your 'Moon Energy Tax.' If you don't pay up, you'll be kicked out of the pack."

I let out a bitter laugh, clenching the silver coins in my hand, and just said, "Sorry, I can't pay right now. I'll move out soon."

The Captain's eyes held a hint of mockery. "What? Alpha Ryker didn't set you up with a new place? I saw him showing Captain Brynn around the Luna's exclusive Moonlit Tower the other day."

I just looked down, a bitter smile on my face, not knowing what to say.

Just then, Ryker turned the corner from a nearby hallway.

When he saw me, he made an annoyed "tsk" sound and threw a scroll of animal hide at me, so hard I stumbled.

The Captain immediately bowed respectfully to Ryker, then said, a little awkwardly, "Alpha, Selena's 'Moon Energy Tax'…"

Ryker cut him off, looking at me with contempt. "A descendant of Willow Creek healers, and now that you've joined Howling Moon, you won't even make the most basic contribution to the pack?"

I didn't want to respond to his scorn anymore.

The "Moon Soul Crystal," which my mother had given her life and all of Willow Creek's hope for, was just a prop in his game, and it had destroyed my mother.

He scoffed, pulled out a handful of shiny moonstones, and threw them hard in my face.

The cold crystals cut my cheek, stinging like fire.

"Since you care so much, here, a little something for you! Go buy your cheap pride and pathetic dignity!"

2

Shiny moonstones scattered on the ground, beautiful as stars, but it all felt so ridiculous to me.

A few days ago, for my mother, I might have scrambled to pick them up.

But now, they looked dirtier than the dust on the floor.

I ignored the stinging pain on my face and didn't even look at Ryker's disgusted expression.

I bent down, picked up enough crystals to pay for two months' rent, and handed them to the Captain of the Guard.

Then, I pushed open the door to my hut and went inside.

This small, dark room was supposedly mine after Ryker and I "mated."

A few of his old things were still tossed in a corner; his overbearing scent still clung to the air.

I'd been so naive, thinking this would be our new beginning, a nest for our love and future.

My eyes fell on the table. On the day the Moon Goddess Stone showed our mate mark, he'd carved a vow of love for me there.

I couldn't forget how he first came to Willow Creek as an Alpha – powerful, cold, but with a hint of something… searching in his eyes.

He told me I was the Moon Goddess's choice, the future Luna of the Howling Moon Pack.

His words, like magic vines, wrapped around me, making it impossible to resist the pull of our blood connection.

Even though I knew we were worlds apart in status, I fell head over heels for him.

I tried so hard to learn the Howling Moon Pack's rules, to get used to their cold hierarchy, to be a good Luna, just to see a flicker of approval in his eyes.

Two years. I lived like a fool in the web of lies he spun.

Now, it was all gone.

All my dreams for the future were just me playing a pathetic role in his Alpha power games.

My heart was a mess of emotions.

Ryker didn't notice anything different about me. He strode in and sat right down in the only decent animal-skin chair, like he still owned the place.

"Satisfied, Selena?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "That greedy look on your face really reminds me of the lowest hyenas."

"The way you look now, so greedy and cheap, it disgusts me. How did you turn into this? When you first came to Howling Moon, weren't you all pure, innocent, and submissive?"

"Just one 'Moon Soul Crystal,' a few worthless herbs, and you show your true colors! Ever since you gave me that crystal, you've done nothing but demand things from me! You even wanted treasures from our pack's forbidden grounds. Was all that obedience, all that loyalty you talked about, just a setup so you could get more from me today?"

I looked up, meeting his gaze calmly.

He was wearing the Alpha's ceremonial robes of the Howling Moon Pack today, radiating an authority he couldn't hide.

Looks like he was done pretending to be the "slightly testing" Alpha with me.

The disappointment and disgust in his eyes stabbed into my heart, bit by bit.

I didn't answer his accusations. I just calmly put the scattered crystals into a worn-out leather pouch and spoke softly, but my voice was firm. "I'll use these to get my mother the simplest headstone, and then I'm leaving. Ryker, I call upon the Moon Goddess to witness: from this moment on, I break our mate bond."

"I, Selena, willingly give up my title as Luna of the Howling Moon Pack."

A strange silence filled the small hut for a long time, so long I could almost hear my own heart breaking.

Suddenly, Ryker let out a low, cold laugh, full of contempt and anger.

"Break the bond? Selena, you think you have the right? Only the Alpha decides who stays and who goes!"

He shot up, his tall frame looming over me, full of menace. "You even lied about your mother dying just to get the 'Silverleaf Herb' from me! You know what I hate most? I hate liars! Two years, and I was completely wrong about you! Even if this bond is to be broken, it's not for a liar like you to say so!"

His voice was thick with the fury of being fooled.

He pulled out a "Bond-Breaking Stone" tablet, carved with ancient runes, from his belt and slammed it on the ground in front of me.

His fresh wolf blood already stained it.

"This is a 'Blood Oath of Rejection' tablet. I had it ready, just waiting for you to show your true colors. Now, use your blood, finish this ritual, and get out of the Howling Moon Pack! I don't have any more time to waste on you!"

So, he'd been ready all along.

He probably wanted to kick me out the first time I knelt and begged him for the Silverleaf Herb.

I carefully placed the tattered animal skin pouch holding my mother's things on the room's only wooden shelf. Her old wooden comb, the one she used to groom her fur, was already there.

Then, step by step, I calmly walked over to Ryker.

I picked up the stone tablet from the floor, bit my fingertip, and let my red blood drip onto the spot where my blood seal was needed.

No hesitation.

Even though the rejected party would suffer an irreversible soul-deep wound after marking the blood oath.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could feel Ryker's sharp wolf eyes scanning me up and down, filled with scrutiny, disgust, and a flicker of… something complex I couldn't understand.

I just felt sick. I wanted it all to be over.

After I marked the blood oath, he snorted, then pulled a faintly glowing crystal from another pouch on his waist.

It was the Willow Creek Pack's "Moon Soul Crystal."

Its light was much dimmer now than when my mother had given it to me.

He threw the crystal on the ground like trash.

"Your mother's 'Moon Soul Crystal,' take it back. I didn't use a single bit of its energy. Consider these past two years… my charity to you. I was blind to misjudge a vile woman like you."

I bent down and picked up the cold crystal.

It was once my mother's hope, and all of Willow Creek's. Now, it was just a witness to my endless pain.

I remembered a few days ago, when my mother was dying, she was delirious, mumbling that she wanted to see Ryker one last time. She said she wanted to see us okay, to tell him herself to take care of me.

Back then, Ryker had lost all patience with me because I kept "pestering" him for the "Silverleaf Herb."

But to grant my mother's last wish, I swallowed my pride and sent him a message through the wolf fort's messenger wolf.

I waited all night, only to get his cold reply.

Not a word of comfort, just a barrage of sarcasm.

"What trick is she trying to pull now? Is she trying to act like she's on her deathbed to get my pity, so you can keep bugging me for the 'Silverleaf Herb'? Selena, I'm tired of this cheap act. Tell her to save her breath."

The connection cut off.

When I tried to contact him again, I found he'd completely blocked me.

He never showed up, not even when my mother took her last breath.

I'll never forget my mother's last words to me.

She said, "Selena, my child. When… when you have your own pups… Mother won't be able to help you care for them. A mother wolf is weakest after giving birth… I still wanted… to tell Alpha Ryker myself… to ask him… to ask him to be good to you…"

"Alpha Ryker, he's a strong Alpha. You… you two must… make it work…"

Even at the very end, my mother was thinking of me, hoping Ryker and I would have a good future.

But she'd never know that the day after I begged Ryker for the "Silverleaf Herb," he forced me to drink that bowl of "calming herb" brew, the kind that could kill a life.

He said he didn't want to be threatened by a child of "possibly impure blood," that he wanted to crush any idea I had of "using my womb to hold onto the Luna position."

Having just lost my baby, I was incredibly weak. I didn't even have time to rest. I was buried under the kind of menial chores only the lowest-ranking wolves in the fort did, just to earn a tiny bit of money for ordinary herbs.

And what was he doing then?

Was he partying every night with Brynn and the other beautiful she-wolves of the Howling Moon Pack, enjoying his supreme Alpha power?

Or was he and his cronies laughing loudly at me, the stupid, pathetic "Luna" from a small, outlying pack?

Chapter3 3

I barely had the strength to be angry anymore, just endless sadness and a sense of the absurd.

I picked up the "Moon Soul Crystal," the one that once held all my mother's hopes and those of the Willow Creek Pack.

It was ice-cold, dull, just like my heart now.

My mother had given her life for it. It belonged to Willow Creek. I had to take it back.

As I bent down to pick up the crystal, I clearly heard Ryker snort in disdain, as if my action was a joke to him.

I ignored him, carefully put the crystal and the pouch with my mother's things away, and then started to pack my few belongings.

There wasn't much to pack, really. Just a few old animal-skin clothes my mother had sewn for me, already faded from washing, and some small tools for gathering herbs.

The "Moon Soul Crystal's" energy was extremely weak, but if I could find the right way, maybe I could still find a resting place for my mother in Willow Creek, and put up a stone with her name on it.

Just thinking about that made my nose sting.

I've never been one to cry easily.

I didn't cry during the hardest times in Willow Creek, nor when I was taking care of my sick mother day and night. Even when she took her last breath in my arms, I just ran out of tears; I didn't make a sound.

I always held onto some unrealistic fantasy, hoping for a miracle.

It wasn't until this moment, when I'd sealed that humiliating blood oath with my own hand.

It wasn't until I was holding my mother's cold belongings and this "Moon Soul Crystal," which Ryker treated like trash, that the harsh reality finally started to sink in.

My mother, the wolf who loved me more than anyone in the world, was gone forever.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. My hands, trying to pack, wouldn't stop shaking.

Just then, someone knocked rudely on the flimsy door of the hut.

Ryker went to open it, annoyed.

I looked over too, out of habit.

Brynn was standing there.

Right now, she had a smug, undisguised smile on her face. She shot me a contemptuous look, then walked towards Ryker.

She giggled at Ryker, her voice sickeningly sweet, "My Alpha, I was worried this ungrateful woman might do something desperate, something to hurt you. After all, wolves from those small, outlying packs, they don't know any better. They can be pretty scary when they're cornered. Your bond with her should be broken by now, right? I came specifically to take you back to the Moonlit Tower."

The cold lines on Ryker's face softened a bit when he saw Brynn.

"You're always so thoughtful, Brynn."

Brynn lowered her head shyly, rubbing against Ryker's arm suggestively.

Then, she looked at me again.

"Such a pleasure, Selena 'Luna'," she said, deliberately emphasizing the word "Luna" with pure mockery. "I've often heard Alpha Ryker talk about you. I thought you were different from those short-sighted, clingy she-wolves from the outer packs. Turns out, you're just another liar trying to gain sympathy by 'sacrificing' your mother."

"Well, now," she smiled even wider, "you've got your 'Moon Soul Crystal' back. I heard your mother's spirit hasn't returned to the Moon Goddess yet? Well, after all the 'good deeds' she did, the Moon Goddess probably doesn't want her. Selena, you better be careful her resentful spirit doesn't come after you. After all, you're the one who pushed her to her death, aren't you?"

The emotions I'd been bottling up for so long finally exploded.

She could insult me, but I absolutely could not stand her making such a vicious joke about my mother's death!

On instinct, I threw down my luggage and lunged.

My claws sliced through the air, aimed at her twisted face.

"Ah—!" Brynn shrieked. She dodged quickly, but my claws still tore her fancy moon-silk cloak.

"Selena, are you crazy?!" Ryker roared, his voice full of disbelief. "How dare you attack someone in front of me? Did you think I really wouldn't dare touch you?"

Alpha, Howling Moon Pack, stupid rules!

None of it mattered to me right now! I had nothing left!

All I knew was that this woman had insulted my beloved mother!

I ignored Ryker's threats and roars, lunged forward again, grabbed a handful of Brynn's messy hair, dragged her up from the ground, and then, with a raised hand, slapped her hard across the other cheek.

"You venomous bitch! Say that again, I dare you!" My voice was hoarse and distorted with extreme anger.

But before I could vent all my fury, several burly male werewolves suddenly burst into the hut.

They moved fast and ferociously, instantly pinning me to the ground, immobilizing me.

Brynn scrambled up from the floor, looking a mess. She clutched her swollen cheek, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, but her eyes were triumphant.

She threw herself into Ryker's arms, sobbing, "My Alpha… I'm okay… I… I provoked her on purpose! She… I've recorded all the evidence of her attacking me with the latest 'Memory Crystal'! We… we can immediately charge her with 'assaulting a packmate, insubordination'… and completely…"

I was pinned to the ground by several strong pack guards, my cheek pressed roughly against the floor, unable to move an inch.

Brynn pulled out a transparent crystal, only about the size of a fingernail.

It was the Howling Moon Pack's newest invention, a "Miniature Memory Crystal," capable of silently recording everything happening around it.

She smiled brightly at me.

"Now, I have all the evidence. That way she attacked me, like a mad dog, Alpha, you must teach her a lesson for me! Get me justice!"

Ryker looked at me, his face grim.

He slowly pulled off his combat boots, then, step by step, walked over to me.

He bent down, raised his hand, and gathered a swirling ball of wild Howling Moon energy – the hidden power in his bloodline, usually carefully concealed, but now unleashed without hesitation. Then, he slapped me hard across the face.

The shadow energy seared through me, an unbearable pain, like my very soul was burning.

The agonizing pain I expected hit me right on schedule.

I could even hear the faint crack of my own cheekbone.

Tears, I couldn't stop them, just gushed out.

Not because of the pain, but because of the bone-deep humiliation.

Ryker's eyes seemed to flicker with an almost imperceptible hint of pity, but it was quickly replaced by intense disappointment and disgust.

"Selena, I never thought we'd end up like this."

His voice was cold, devoid of any emotion. "You had a chance to prove your worth. If you could have just endured Brynn's provocation today, accepted all this silently, I would have confirmed your forbearance and loyalty. You could have truly become my Luna. Unfortunately, you disappointed me. You're no different from those lowly wild wolves, easily swayed by emotions."

"After all, we did have two years of 'history' between us, and I did… I did once have a tiny bit of genuine feeling for you."

He paused, his tone growing even colder. "This blow was just to pay you back for Brynn. Let's part on good terms. You and I, we're not wolves cut from the same cloth, you and I. The Luna position of the Howling Moon Pack… you're not worthy of it."

Brynn, sheltered behind Ryker, still seemed unsatisfied.

She clutched her face, her voice shrill, "Ryker, dear, you're just too soft! That's why you get tricked by gold-digging she-wolves from these small, outlying packs! Look at her now, completely unrepentant. I bet if she knew the true wealth and supreme power of the Howling Moon Alpha, she'd be on her knees instantly, crying and begging to come back to you, licking your boots!"

Ryker looked down at me, his eyes filled with a kind of pity, like he was looking at an insignificant ant that didn't know its place.

But in the two years we were together, he never truly cared about me, never even gave me a single decent gift.

Instead, it was me, trying my best to meet all his demands, suppressing my own nature, playing the role of the "gentle mate" he wanted.

Perhaps, all of this was also part of his damn "test."

But if you really counted it up, I, Selena, never owed Ryker anything!

I lifted my head, and with all my strength, spoke coldly and clearly:

"Is it fun to play with someone's genuine feelings, to trample on their dignity, Ryker? In this so-called 'relationship,' I never owed you a thing. It was my foolishness, I couldn't measure up to you, the noble Alpha of the Howling Moon Pack. But, Ryker, you also have no right to insult me, to insult my mother, to insult my genuine feelings!"

"From beginning to end, it was only you who wronged me! Who wronged my mother! Who wronged the Willow Creek Pack!"

4

The second my words were out, another slap, whistling through the air, landed hard.

This time, it was Ryker's hand.

"I wronged you?" His voice trembled with extreme anger. "I wasted two whole years on a wretched woman like you! Do you really think those insignificant little things you did for me can make up for the 'patience' and 'tolerance' I showed you for two years? You know I'm the Alpha of the Howling Moon Pack! My time, my energy, how precious do you think they are? Can a short-sighted she-wolf like you, from some outlying pack, even understand?"

Ryker was flushed red, his chest heaving violently.

Brynn, beside him, let out a shrill laugh.

"Ryker, wasn't I right?" Brynn giggled, fanning Ryker's anger. "This kind of low-life wolf, she'll never learn! You wanted to give her a little dignity at the end, and she turns around and blames you! It's ridiculous!"

"For someone so ungrateful, you just need to teach her a good lesson! Once she's scared, once she knows what real despair feels like, she'll naturally get on her knees and apologize, beg for your forgiveness!"

She slowly walked over to me, her face, swollen from my slap, twisted with excitement.

She bent down, brought her face close to mine, and said, word by word, cruelly:

"Your apology alone isn't enough. Now, I want you to 'invite' your liar mother, who's already ashes, to come out too. Let her, along with you, kowtow and apologize to our noble Alpha Ryker! Don't make me dig up her grave myself. If things get too ugly then, a few kowtows won't solve anything!"

Ryker stood by, watching coldly, as if he agreed with Brynn's suggestion.

"That's right, Selena."

"If you do something wrong, you admit it, you pay the price! Even your dead mother, even if she's an elder, is no exception! To think I once genuinely saw her as an elder, gave her 'respect.' Turns out, she's just like you, scheming against me from the start, playing along with your act! Truly, like mother, like daughter, both despicable and shameless!"

"I bet it was your wretched mother who told you to get pregnant with my child, right? Trying to control me with a 'lowly' bloodline, make me devoted to you, secure your place in the Howling Moon Pack? Thought I'd be scared of that bastard in your belly, forced to give you whatever you wanted, letting you two manipulate me?"

As Ryker said this, his eyes turned bloodshot, veins popping on his forehead.

"And you still have the gall to say you owe me, owe the Howling Moon Pack, nothing?"

I couldn't take it anymore.

I used every last bit of strength in my body and violently broke free from the guards.

Their attention had wandered because of Ryker and Brynn's taunts, giving me a chance.

Like a cornered mother wolf, I lunged, grabbing Brynn by the collar, not caring about anything else.

Insult me, hit me, humiliate me, I could take it!

But my mother! She did nothing wrong, from start to finish!

She was just a loving, humble, kind mother!

I wouldn't let anyone insult her with such filthy, vicious words! Tarnish her good name!

I'd almost lost my mind; everything was a red haze.

I swung my fists wildly, hitting Brynn's twisted face with all my might.

The guards, snapping back to reality, yelled in alarm and rushed forward aggressively.

One of them, in his haste to stop me, kicked me hard in the side.

The force sent me flying backward, and I crashed into the room's only decent, albeit shabby, wooden cabinet.

The cabinet toppled with a crash.

The pouch with my mother's things, wrapped in old animal skin, and a "Soul Stone" she used to wear – a polished moonstone symbolizing the soul's final resting place – were thrown to the ground by the impact.

The animal skin pouch rolled aside, covered in dust, its contents scattering.

And the "Soul Stone"… it rolled right under Brynn's foot. She stepped on it without realizing!

A sharp cracking sound echoed in the deathly silent room.

The Soul Stone… was broken!

A broken Soul Stone meant the deceased's spirit couldn't find peace. For werewolves, this was a terrible disrespect, a disaster.

The room instantly fell into dead silence.

Everyone froze.

Especially Ryker.

He stared at the "Soul Stone" on the floor, now in pieces. The anger and cruelty on his face instantly froze.

Disbelief.

He stood there, stunned, his lips trembling slightly as he mumbled to himself:

"This… this is impossible… Absolutely impossible! Brynn… Brynn clearly investigated. She said your mother was faking her illness… How could she have a 'Soul Stone'… And… and how could it break?"

He jerked his head up, his confident golden eyes now wide with panic.

He stared at me, his voice hoarse:

"Selena… what on earth is going on? Tell me! What… what is all this?"

5

"Selena! You better explain this to me! These… these are all props you prepared beforehand, right?"

Ryker's voice was sharp and shrill from extreme shock and panic. He stalked towards me, his eyes filled with fear. "You're still lying to me! You deliberately set all this up to scare me, to make me feel sorry for you, to make me feel guilty. It's… it's all fake, isn't it? Answer me!"

I had no energy, no desire to deal with his near-hysterical questions.

My whole world had collapsed the moment I saw my mother's "Soul Stone" so carelessly crushed.

I sank to the cold stone floor, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I carefully gathered the broken pieces of the "Soul Stone" and my mother's scattered belongings.

Every shard felt like it was tearing my soul apart.

Every item was like a knife twisting in my already ravaged heart.

I ignored the moonstone Ryker had carved for me; let it lie forgotten in the corner.

Ryker was still yelling hysterically in my ear:

"Answer me! Selena! Stop acting in front of me! Your mother… she was perfectly healthy before you and I mated! How could she… how could she suddenly fall ill within a few short months, and even… even have her 'Soul Stone' break? I don't believe it! I absolutely will not believe your nonsense! Stop pretending!"

He stubbornly clung to his own version, trying to convince himself it was all a lie.

But his obvious panic betrayed his true feelings.

Meanwhile, Brynn, who had been so smug, was now also at a loss, her expression extremely unnatural.

She tried to act calm, but her voice lacked conviction:

"Ryker… you… don't believe her. She must be trying to scam you one last time, that's why… why she cooked up these scary props… What bad luck! Isn't she afraid of karma? These wolves from outlying packs, they have no bottom line when it comes to getting what they want!"

"Selena, stop your spooky act! You got the 'Moon Soul Crystal' back, and Ryker has seen you for who you really are! It's over between you two! If you keep this up, aren't you afraid… afraid your evil curses will actually come true for your mother?" Brynn threatened, trying to sound tough but clearly shaken.

I had no mental energy left to deal with her vicious attacks and weak excuses.

I just wanted to quickly gather the last traces of my mother left in this world, to protect them from any further desecration.

But that cruel woman, she still wouldn't leave me alone, wouldn't leave my poor mother alone.

She rushed over, lifted her foot, and kicked hard at the small pile of belongings I had just gathered!

"If you're going to act, at least make it look real! What normal werewolf uses such a raggedy piece of animal skin to hold relics? Even if they're props, put some effort into it, will you? It's laughable! I feel embarrassed for you!" Brynn shrieked, her face a mask of malicious glee.

The belongings were cruelly scattered again, fluttering in the air before settling humbly back on the ground.

It was like all my strength had been drained. I couldn't hold myself up anymore and collapsed onto the floor.

I looked at the scattered items, at Brynn's face twisted with jealousy, and at Ryker's shocked and confused expression. Suddenly, I started to laugh.

A self-mocking, desperate laugh.

"A soul urn…" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "In the Howling Moon Pack, a soul urn carved from ordinary moon-wood costs three hundred silver wolf coins."

I slowly raised my head, numbly looking at Ryker, whose pupils were constricting wildly in disbelief. I explained, pathetically:

"My mother… to make sure I could safely deliver the 'Moon Soul Crystal' to you, she sold off the last few furs our Willow Creek Pack had to survive the winter. She even… even pawned the moon-grass amulet she'd worn her whole life to a passing merchant… She also humbled herself to borrow over three hundred silver wolf coins from other small, outlying pack leaders, just to scrape together enough for the journey to Howling Moon and the… 'tribute' to safely deliver the crystal."

"After she gave you the 'Moon Soul Crystal,' her body completely broke down. I knelt before you, begging you for just a little 'Silverleaf Herb' to save my mother. But you were convinced I was deceiving you. You took away the child in my womb, took away my right to be a mother. I didn't even have time to gather herbs for my mother; I could only do the most demeaning chores in the lowest levels of the wolf fort, just to earn enough for ordinary herbs to ease her pain. And you accused me of neglecting you because I wasn't getting your so-called 'favor,' trying to force your hand."

"You never listened to my pleas. Even… even when my mother was dying, her only wish was to see you one last time, to personally ask you to take care of me. But you cruelly refused even that humble request, and just blocked my messages…"

"Yes, I admit it, I'm useless! I couldn't even afford a decent soul urn for my mother to rest in peace! I could only use this tattered animal skin to wrap her belongings! Are you… are you satisfied now? Seeing me so wretched, seeing my mother unable to find peace even after death, does it… does it make you feel especially good?"

My words were so helpless.

I bowed my head and laughed silently, a laugh full of blood and tears.

My gaze fell on the piece of animal skin where I had drawn Ryker and me "first meeting." It was now covered in… the dust from my mother's belongings.

My father died young. My mother worked tirelessly, raising me alone, teaching me to gather herbs, to heal, teaching me how to survive in the harsh werewolf world.

I thought, by becoming the fated mate of the Howling Moon Alpha, I could finally let her stop worrying about survival, let her enjoy her old age.

Later, when I brought Ryker back to Willow Creek, he told me his parents died when he was young, that he'd fought his way to the Alpha position through brutal power struggles, surrounded by deceit.

My mother heard this, and her heart ached for him. She told me again and again:

"Selena, Alpha Ryker had a pitiful childhood, starved for love. You must love him well, soften him with your tenderness. You absolutely cannot let him feel wronged again, cannot let him feel lonely."

So, when Ryker said he needed Willow Creek's "Moon Soul Crystal" to solidify his position, to nourish the Howling Moon's "Blood Moon Altar," my mother, though heartbroken, agreed even faster and more firmly than I did.

But no one expected things to go wrong so suddenly, so quickly.

Ryker was right. Why was it such a coincidence? I wanted to know too, why was it such a coincidence?

Maybe, if my mother hadn't trusted him so easily, maybe, if I hadn't been so foolish as to fall in love with him, maybe, if it had been a little earlier, or a little later, the outcome would have been completely different. My mother wouldn't have been worn down, her life exhausted, because of this damned "Moon Soul Crystal," because of his cold, merciless "test."

Now, no matter how much I regretted, how much I suffered, how much I hated, the ending wouldn't change.

I just wanted, I just wanted to finally let my poor mother's soul return to the earth with dignity, to let her find true rest. But why, why even now, did they have to bully her like this, to trample her dignity like this!

My mother, what did she ever do wrong? Her whole life, she was kind and upright, helped countless injured wolves and creatures. She didn't deserve this ending!

I shot my head up, and with all my strength, I screamed at Ryker, whose face was pale with extreme shock and remorse, a hysterical, blood-and-tear-filled roar:

"What did my mother do wrong?! And what did I do wrong?! To be played with so carelessly by you powerful ones! To be so cruelly humiliated! To be pushed step by step into this desperate situation, with my family destroyed and nowhere to go?!"

"Ryker! I was wrong! My biggest mistake was believing your seemingly affectionate golden wolf eyes! It was foolishly falling in love with you, you cold-hearted monster!"

"I misjudged you! I killed my mother! I know I was wrong now! I regret it! I'm begging you! Ryker! Let me go! And let my poor mother go too! Don't torture us anymore! Please? I'm begging you!"

6

"Selena! You better tell me what’s going on! These… these are all props you set up, right?"

Ryker's voice was shrill, raw with shock and panic. He advanced on me, step by step, his eyes wide with fear. "You're still lying to me! You did all this to scare me, to make me feel sorry for you, to make me feel guilty! It’s all… it’s all fake, isn’t it? Answer me!"

I didn't have the heart, or the energy, to deal with his frantic accusations.

The moment I saw Mom’s ashes scattered so horribly on the ground, my whole world just… fell apart.

I dropped to my knees on the cold stone floor. My hands were shaking so badly, but I carefully, so carefully, scooped the dust-stained ashes back onto that tattered piece of animal hide.

Every handful felt like I was scooping up Mom’s soul.

Every handful was like another cut to my already shredded heart.

I picked up the hide painting I’d secretly carved.

On it, Ryker and I stood side-by-side. I’d once imagined the most wonderful future for us.

But now, this hide, like my shattered dreams, was filthy.

Ryker was still screaming in my ear:

"Answer me! Selena! Stop putting on an act! Your mother was… she was perfectly fine before you and I mated! How could she… how could she suddenly get so sick in just a few months, and even… even turn to ash? I don’t believe it! I absolutely don’t believe your crap! Stop pretending!"

He stubbornly repeated his own thoughts, trying to convince himself it was all a lie.

But his obviously flustered movements had already betrayed what he truly felt.

Meanwhile, Brynn, who’d been so smug, now looked a bit lost, her expression completely unnatural.

She tried to sound calm, but her voice lacked any real confidence.

"Ryker… sir… don’t believe her. She’s definitely trying to scam you one last time, that’s why… why she cooked up these scary props… What awful luck! She’s not even afraid of karma! Wolves from those tiny fringe packs, they’ll stoop to anything to get what they want!"

"Selena, stop playing these games! The ‘Moonstone’ is back with you, and Ryker has seen your true colors! It’s over between you two! If you keep this act up, aren’t you afraid your wicked curses will actually come true on your mother?" Brynn threatened, her voice all bluster.

I had no interest in her nasty attacks or her lame excuses.

I just wanted to quickly gather the last traces of my mother left in this world, to keep them from being defiled any further.

I never thought that vicious woman wouldn’t leave me alone, wouldn’t leave my poor mother alone.

She suddenly rushed over, lifted her foot, and kicked hard at the small pile of ashes I’d just gathered!

"If you're going to act, at least make it convincing! What normal werewolf uses a raggedy old piece of hide for ashes? Even if it's a prop, put some effort in, will you? How pathetic! I’m embarrassed for you!" Brynn shrieked, her face twisted with malicious glee.

The ashes were cruelly scattered again, floating in the air before settling humbly back onto the ground.

It was like all my strength had been sucked out. I couldn't hold myself up anymore and collapsed onto the floor.

I looked at the scattered ashes, at Brynn’s face, contorted with jealousy, and at Ryker’s shocked, confused expression. Suddenly, I laughed.

A bitter, hopeless laugh.

"An urn…" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "In the Howling Moon Pack, a simple stone urn costs three hundred silver wolf coins."

I slowly raised my head, looking numbly at Ryker, whose pupils were constricting wildly in disbelief. I explained, miserably:

"My mother… so I could safely deliver the ‘Moonstone’ to you, she sold off the last of our Creek Pack’s winter furs. She even… even pawned the Moon petal grass amulet she’d worn her whole life to a traveling merchant… She also humbled herself to borrow over three hundred silver wolf coins from the leaders of other small fringe packs, just to scrape together enough for safe passage to the Howling Moon Pack and… the ‘tribute’."

"After she gave you the ‘Moonstone,’ her health just collapsed. I knelt before you, begged you for just a little ‘Silver-leaf Herb’ to save my mother. But you were convinced I was lying. You took away the child in my womb, took away my right to be a mother. I didn't even have time to gather herbs for her; I was stuck doing the lowest, dirtiest jobs in the Wolf Fort, just to get a few common herbs to ease her pain. And you accused me of giving you the cold shoulder because I wasn’t getting your so-called ‘favor,’ trying to force your hand."

"You never listened to my pleas. Even… even when my mother was dying, her only wish was to see you one last time, to ask you herself to take care of me. But you cruelly refused even that small request, just blocked my messages…"

"Yes, I admit it, I’m useless! I can’t even afford a decent urn for my mother to rest in peace! I can only use this tattered hide to hold her ashes! Are you… are you satisfied now? Seeing me like this, so wretched, seeing my mother unable to rest even in death, does it… does it make you feel good?"

My words were so helpless.

I bowed my head and laughed silently, a laugh filled with blood and tears.

My gaze fell on the hide I’d carved with our "first meeting." It was now covered in… my mother’s ashes.