Chapter 1

The night before the wedding, I was still on duty at the pack’s medical facility. As the pack doctor, it was my duty to heal the wolves injured in territorial conflicts.

I came from a mid-tier bloodline, while my fiancé, Liam Grey, is from one of the northernmost, most powerful Alpha bloodlines. Our union was supposed to bring peace between the two packs, but Liam’s childhood friend, Riley, seemed determined to make things difficult for me at every turn.

When Riley forcibly opened our mental link for the fifth time, I couldn’t take it anymore. "Enough! Do you have any idea how many wounded wolves could die from you forcefully tapping into a healer’s mental link?"

Before I could finish, Liam’s furious roar broke through the mental barrier: "Seraphina, you know Riley hasn’t fully mastered her mental link, and yet you’re deliberately making things hard for her!"

He had caught me searching for Riley in the wilderness, in the Forbidden Land of Wolves, Silvermoon Valley. This was where all the failed Alphas from history were banished. Even now, the ground still bore the stains of old blood, visible under the moonlight.

Liam shifted into his wolf form, his fur shimmering silver under the moonlight, exuding a dangerous aura. With a swipe of his paw, he knocked me to the ground. "Riley is my life source. If you can't find her, then you will stay here forever."

As a mid-tier bloodline wolf, my wolf was far weaker than his. But I gritted my teeth, battling the cold and loneliness, until I finally managed to crawl out of Silvermoon Valley.

But when I returned to the pack, I found that Riley had simply severed the mental link and was sound asleep at her own home.

Liam was cradling his "naughty girl," gazing at me with contempt. "I had just been too impatient back then. Forgive me."

I scoffed, tearing the moonstone necklace—a symbol of our partner vow—and throwing it at him. "Never mind. Because this contract ends here."

A low growl escaped his fangs bared. "How dare you lay a hand on Riley? Don’t you know she is my only family?"

"Don’t come back to the pack’s territory unless you find her!"

With that, Liam gripped my throat, his golden eyes gleaming with a rage that could tear me apart. Then, like tossing a piece of rotten meat, he flung me beyond the borders of the pack.

I couldn’t believe it. This was the Alpha I had sworn my life to.

"I didn’t force her… Please, I beg you, don’t leave me here," I pleaded desperately, my eyes darting around in panic.

But he turned his back, resolute in his decision to abandon me. I was left alone in the eerily silent Silver Moon Valley.

Suddenly, a familiar pair of shoes paused in front of me. I looked up in surprise, tears welling up in my eyes.

But the next second, a slap landed across my face, stinging with brutal force.

"You can feel fear, huh? What about my Riley?" Liam towered over me, his aura reeking of violence, his golden eyes glinting dangerously in the darkness.

I clung desperately to his sleeve, my voice laced with pleading, "I swear, I didn't know it was her on the mental link... Have you forgotten our blood oath? You swore before Luna to protect me always."

His pupils constricted slightly, a sign he was remembering that full moon night. We had licked each other's blood at Luna's altar, forging an oath of eternal companionship.

Just then, Riley's mental link pierced through again. This was the highest level of connection he had granted her, one I, his fiancée, never had.

"Brother, it's so dark here, I'm scared," Riley's voice whimpered.

His eyes flashed with a glimmer of relief, then he disgustedly threw my hand away and commanded the Beta guards behind him, "Toss her far away, let her taste the pain Riley suffered!"

I collapsed onto the ground, watching him shift into his wolf form and disappear into the night. Only when his scent had vanished completely did I curl up, letting out a howl of despair.

Suddenly, a strange mental link reached out to me. I tensed, knowing any unfamiliar werewolf could be a mortal threat in this situation.

But the voice on the other end was Riley’s, full of smug triumph. "I told you, it doesn't matter if you're going to be the Alpha's mate. I’ll always be the most important one to him. Enjoy your stay out there.”

Then she sent me a memory – an image of her and Liam, intimately close under the moonlight, a kind of contact only mates would share.

Despair washed over me. Liam had probably already succumbed to her embraces, completely forgetting his fiancée whom he’d abandoned in the wilderness.

Luckily, the Moon Goddess had pity on me. At dawn, a wandering lone wolf found me. He told me his territory lay at the foot of the mountain and offered to give me a ride.

After enduring a day and night of torment, I was weak beyond measure. My body was battered, and the cold of Silver Moon Valley had nearly frozen my bones.

When I finally staggered back into the Pack territory, a celebration was underway—celebrating Riley’s safe return.

Liam was gently kissing Riley’s forehead, completely oblivious to the gazes of those around them.

When his eyes landed on me, a flicker of disgust passed through his golden irises.

Before he could speak, Riley walked down upon me, a mocking smile curling her lips.

Chapter 2

"Don't tell me that's how you came back. Your clothes are torn to shreds, or were you trying to embarrass my brother?" Riley's voice dripped with sarcasm.

She reached out to prod my tattered clothes, as if trying to examine my wounds. I flinched away from her touch, glancing at Liam.

Liam’s face was indifferent, as though watching a boring spectacle. The wolves around us continued to observe, their eyes gleaming with schadenfreude, as if I were nothing more than an exiled stray wolf shamelessly returning to the Pack.

In the end, he relented and pushed me toward the room. His voice feigned gentleness, but the disgust in his eyes was unmistakable.

"You should clean up. You won’t be attending the celebration tonight."

"This is a gathering of Alphas and pure-blooded wolves from all the major Packs..." he trailed off, his tone dripping with contempt.

I scoffed, a low growl vibrating in my throat. "Why? Is this the result of your actions, too?"

His golden eyes flashed with violence.

"Enough! Haven’t you come back safely?"

"Tonight is a celebration for Riley’s return. I suggest you don’t cause a scene." His voice held a warning, and with that, he slammed the door, locking me in the room.

I sank against the wall, tears flooding uncontrollably. This weakness was a humiliation to me—how could I, as a Pack doctor, show such a vulnerable side in front of my Pack?

After a long time, I wiped my tears and turned to gather my things. As I opened the wardrobe, a piece of lingerie, radiating a potent Alpha scent, fell out. My pupils dilated—it was definitely not mine.

I clenched the fabric in my fingers, my gaze shifting to the bed. The tangled sheets and mingling scents were enough for any wolf to understand what had happened here.

A wave of nausea rose in my throat. I rushed to the bathroom, vomiting until there was nothing left. My body, weak from the mental link severance and a full day without food, trembled with exhaustion.

The pain and the discovery of the truth made it impossible for me to stay upright. I collapsed onto the bathroom floor, hearing the distant sounds of the celebration outside, with Riley’s laughter echoing through the air.

I felt a void in my heart, and a deep sense of alienation. As a Healer, my heart was now filled with nothing but disdain for this territory, for Liam, and for Riley.

Through the agonizing pain, I sent a mental link to Liam, but each attempt was ruthlessly cut off. Finally, on the seventh try, he responded, irritation thick in his voice:

"Didn't I say not to bother me unless it's important?"

I gritted my teeth and used my fading mental energy to reply, "My stomach hurts, please… can you send me to the med..."

He scoffed, immediately cutting the link. “Don't try your tricks. You just want to come out, have me acknowledge you as my mate in front of everyone, as if you're a true part of the blood oath." His tone was full of contempt and disdain, as if all my suffering was staged.

His mental presence felt like a knife being plunged into my heart. I closed my eyes and helplessly replied, "Liam, let's end our blood oath."

He was silent for a few seconds, his mental presence trembling slightly, as if trying to hide his panic. "What are you babbling about? We are about to tie the blood oath knot!" He was afraid I'd give up on him, afraid to lose my healing abilities which he benefits from.

As if afraid that I’d say something more damning, he cut the link, and I felt a sharp mental pain.

It sounded like he was dismissing the guests. A dozen minutes later, the door opened and Riley was pouting and whining, "Bro, why did you do that? It was supposed to be my party.”

"Look at her, Bro, she’s faking. You really believe her?" Riley looked down at me with the pureblood wolf's pride.

Liam saw me writhing in pain, and his brow furrowed, his sympathy tinged with annoyance. He valued his reputation above my wellbeing.

He forced a smile, and pushed Riley out the door. "Be good, Riley. I promise you a bigger celebration next time."

The door closed. Liam turned to me, a bit embarrassed. "Why are you on the ground? I'll help you to the bed."

I pushed his false concern aside, deliberately pointing towards the messy bed before looking back at him.

Chapter 3

He instantly stepped in front of me, blocking my view. "Those pups are getting too bold, running wild in our home."

But his golden eyes flickered, avoiding mine. I scoffed – as an Alpha, his obsession with cleanliness was notorious. Aside from Riley, no werewolf dared to trespass on his territory. Even during my monthly shift, he'd banish me to a solitary hut on the pack's edge because he "couldn't stand the scent."

Perhaps my smile was too mocking, because a dangerous glint appeared in Liam Grey's eyes. "I've told you, Riley is my only blood kin. Don't think anything else."

I barely contained my disgust. "An adult Alpha sleep with siblings after maturity? That’s what you call 'blood kin'?"

My words clearly enraged him. “When are you going to stop this?”

"Don’t you know Riley's parents died saving me! I will always think of her as my sister!" His fangs began to show. "It's your mind that's filthy, you twist everything into something disgusting!"

I couldn't be bothered arguing further, and poured myself a glass of lukewarm water. This whole farce was pointless.

A few minutes later, he returned with a bowl of thin porridge, a single red berry floating on top.

His tone had suddenly softened, and he gently stroked my hair. “Alright, I know you're upset. Once we complete the Blood Oath, I’ll have her move out, okay?”

“You weren’t feeling well, right? This is a healing porridge I made especially for you.”

The sight of the porridge made my stomach churn. It was clearly the pureblood enhancement potion he prepared for Riley every night, even the scent was the same.

Liam Grey slammed the bowl onto the table, his anger flaring. "Seraphina, that's enough! Even a pack member of mid-tier blood should know restraint!"

He turned to leave, but I murmured, "I'm allergic to blood berries."

He paused, but quickly walked away without a backward glance.

I spent the night huddled in the corner of my room. At dawn, my phone buzzed – a message from the medical center leader, demanding my immediate suspension.

When I numbly opened my phone, the message had already spread across Wolfgram: "Pack Doctor Induces Pureblood Pup to Suicide."

A maliciously edited psychic link recording was public: "Why don't you just die..."

The original conversation had been: "Do you have any idea how many severely injured werewolves could die if you keep hijacking a pack doctor’s link..."

Even the calming melody I'd played for her was twisted into, "Leave me alone."

Now, the entire pack was hunting me down. Wolves, familiar and unknown, tried to squeeze more sensational details out of me.

But as a Pack Doctor, we had a duty to protect our patient’s privacy. And the complete psychic link recording wouldn’t be given to me, either.

It was no mystery who was manipulating this. I fiercely suppressed my rage, and immediately sent a psychic link to Riley.

"Riley, you know that doing this is against pack law."

But it was Liam’s voice that answered. “Ha, Riley said you were intentionally trying to make things difficult for her, and I didn’t believe it. But now it seems like you're clearly capable of something like this."

"Go ahead and find a pack lawyer. I’d like to see who would dare defend you.”

I asked calmly, "So you believe that this is the full story?"

"I know Riley, she never lies."

My throat constricted, unable to form a single word. If this was a dead end, I had to find other evidence.