Chapter 1
“I’ll ask you one last time. Are you sure you want to transfer half of your werewolf power to the Alpha? In that way, you’ll lose your wolf and never be able to shift again.”
The witch looked at me intently, seeking confirmation, as if hoping I’d change my mind.
“I’m sure. I won’t be able to shift anymore, but my wolf will still be with me,” I replied firmly, ignoring the furious howls rising from within.
“But your wolf might hate you for this. You’ll grow weaker, and she might never speak to you again. Are you sure?” the witch warned once more.
I nodded and closed my eyes.
She sighed, then turned away to prepare for the ritual.
“You’ll regret this,” my wolf whimpered softly. “I’ll never speak to you again.”
“He’s our mate. Do you really want to watch him grow weaker day by day? He’s an Alpha!”
What followed was silence. Deep, endless silence.
My wolf had given up on me.
My Alpha mate, Blake, had been ambushed by vampires. He’d lost too much blood and was barely clinging to life.
To save him, I sought out the witch and didn’t hesitate to give up half of my werewolf power to help him recover.
The silver blade sliced into my skin. My powers slowly drained away. My wolf grew weaker by the second. The pain was unbearable, but as soon as I regained consciousness, I rushed to check on him.
Just outside his door, I overheard a conversation between him and his beta.
“Alpha, you’re a genius. This revenge is brilliant,” Derek laughed.
“If I hadn’t wanted to avoid too much attention, I would’ve taken all her power. That way, she’d be a no–wolf,” Blake replied with a chuckle.
“It’s all her fault Lindsey was cast out of the pack. Once Lindsey returns next month, I’ll reject Jenna and be done with her for good.”
I peeked through the crack in the door and saw Blake.
He was sitting up in bed, chatting and laughing as if nothing were wrong.
His beta continued, excitedly recounting the past.
“You remember when you framed Jenna so the whole pack would turn on her? She didn’t leave her room for a month.”
“And during the warrior trials, you sabotaged her bow so badly Vanessa ended up seriously injured. She was dragged deep into the forest and got her
arm broken. She never recovered and couldn’t be a warrior again.”
“This makes ninety–three times you’ve messed with her. Just six more to go, and you’ll have a love letter to give to Lindsey. She’ll be moved to tears seeing everything you’ve done for her.”
A wave of nausea hit me.
I’d never imagined that what I thought was a fated mate bond had been a carefully orchestrated act of revenge.
I turned to leave in a panic, but having just undergone the ritual, my body was too weak. I collapsed to the floor.
With my healing powers halved, my wound instantly reopened. Blood seeped through the fabric of my clothes and pooled around me.
My condition had always been poor. The witch had tried many times to persuade me to back out.
But I had insisted on the ritual to ease Blake’s suffering.
For his rest and recovery, the pack house had been closed to all visitors. The hallway was deserted.
My fall immediately drew their attention.
When Blake saw me, his expression changed at once.
“Jenna? You just had the surgery–why are you even here?”
Before I could answer, he shoved Derek hard.
Chapter 1
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“Go get her! Call the pack doctor to treat her wound again!”
At Blake’s command, Derek rushed over and lifted me up, helping me onto the bed.
Blake gently stroked my face, picked up a bottle from the table, and said softly, “The doctor’s still busy cleaning up after the surgery. I’ll disinfect your wound first, and he’ll bandage it when he’s done. Is that okay?”
His voice was as gentle as ever. If I looked closely, I could even see guilt and sympathy in his eyes.
But I knew now it was all a façade.
Only today did I learn the truth: the day Blake discovered I was his mate, he rejected me. But the very next day–right before the warrior trials–he rebonded with me. All of it, just to get revenge for his first love.
And I had been foolish enough to believe my sincerity had moved him. Even knowing how deeply he had once loved Lindsey, I’d still offered him everything I had.
I shut my eyes, gritting my teeth against the pain radiating from the wound.
Blake unwrapped the bandage and poured the disinfectant over it.
The burning pain was immediate and searing. I cried out and instinctively shoved him away.
His waist slammed against the edge of the railing. He winced in pain, then kicked me off the bed.
I curled up on the floor, groaning and clutching my injury.
My wolf had been right. I regretted what I did for him.
I never should have sacrificed half of my power for this monster who hadn’t even been hurt.
Just then, the pack doctor finally arrived.
Noticing my condition, he quickly examined me.
When he touched the corroded, festering flesh, his eyes widened in shock.
“What did you do to her? This is a severe wolfbane burn!”
“What? That’s impossible!”
Blake immediately put on a shocked expression, turning toward the table with a pained look.
“I took a bottle of disinfectant from over there. I was worried her wound would get infected, so I tried to clean it up… I didn’t even think to
double–check…”
“Babe, I’m so sorry. I hurt you again…”
He looked absolutely devastated.
But if he had truly cared about me, how could he have kicked me with such force?
I said nothing as the doctor helped me to my feet and led me away.
As we waited for the elevator, I heard cheers erupt from Blake’s room.
“Alpha, you’re amazing! You knew that idiot Jenna would come crawling back to check on you, so you swapped the medical disinfectant with wolf poison. That bitch got burned again. Bet it’ll scar for life!”
“Did you see her just now? Pathetic. She looked just like a mangy mutt! I can’t stop laughing!”
My fists clenched tight.
Deep down, I had already suspected the truth. But hearing it with my own ears–it still cut like a blade.
After the doctor left, I picked up my phone and quickly booked a stay at a recovery retreat.
Then, I dialed a number I hadn’t called in a long time.
“Mom, I’ve made up my mind. I want to come home.”
Chapter 1
