Chapter 1

Ember's POV

Rain mixed with blood slammed into my face, each drop ice-cold and stinging. I knelt in the mud, frantically trying to stop the bleeding on the thirteenth wounded warrior, my fingernails caked with gore.

This damn battle had been raging for three hours.

"Ember! More wounded over here!"

My packmate's shout cut through the rain as I grabbed my herb pouch and ran toward her. The sight ahead made my stomach churn—severed limbs, shattered bones, spilled organs everywhere.

Moondevourers. Those monsters crawled straight out of ancient legends, attacking our Blood Moon pack tonight like they'd gone rabid. Silver-gray massive bodies weaving through the storm, each one the size of a small house, with claws that could slice through steel like butter.

As the lowest-ranking wolf, all I could do was handle the dirty work in the rear. Everyone knew I was a defective werewolf, but at least my herb skills were somewhat useful.

Suddenly, a wolf's howl tore through the rainy night.

My heart SLAMMED against my ribs. That was his voice.

Alpha Darius Flameclaw.

I looked up through the rain toward the front lines, and that silhouette made me forget how to breathe. The red giant wolf blazed like fire in the darkness, single-handedly holding back dozens of Moondevourers, buying time for the pack to retreat.

God, he was so strong. I watched him rip open a Moondevourer's throat with one swipe, blood spraying everywhere.

But there were too many. More and more monsters surrounded him.

Three Moondevourers lunged at him simultaneously. He dodged two, but the third's claws raked deep across his left shoulder. Blood flew, his body swayed, nearly falling.

Tears instantly flooded my eyes.

When the fourth and fifth monsters joined the assault, he finally went down.

"NO! Darius!"

I desperately searched for backup. But the battlefield was chaos—our strongest warriors were all pinned down, unable to break free.

DAMN IT!

I stopped thinking and bolted toward the battle. Screw being a low-ranking wolf, screw the danger. Only one thought filled my mind—

I absolutely could NOT let him die in front of me.

"GET BACK! ALL OF YOU, GET BACK!"

I charged like a maniac, claws extended. Somehow, those monsters actually backed off a few steps.

I dove to Darius's side. He was covered in blood, breathing so faintly I could barely hear it. The moment my hand touched his cheek, that familiar warmth nearly made me break down.

"Alpha Darius? Wake up!" I patted his face. "Please, wake up..."

SHIT! No response. His face was terrifyingly pale.

The Moondevourers were closing in again. I had to move him NOW. There was a secret cave I'd discovered nearby—we could hide there.

I gritted my teeth and hauled him over my shoulder. Holy hell, why was he so HEAVY? I nearly collapsed, but I couldn't give up.

Step by step, I dragged him toward the location burned in my memory. Behind us, the monsters' furious howls echoed—they were hunting us.

Finally, I spotted the rock crevice.

I practically rolled us both into the cave, then used every ounce of strength to pile rocks against the entrance. The Moondevourers clawed at it for a while before finally leaving.

Safe. I collapsed, gasping for air, my whole body shaking.

Fumbling in the darkness, I lit a torch. The weak light illuminated this small space—my secret hideout that I'd never told anyone about.

Darius was still unconscious, his wounds deep and bleeding. I needed to stop the bleeding immediately.

I dug through my herb pouch, pulling out bloodstop grass and healing salve. When my hands touched the deepest gash on his chest, he winced in pain.

"I'm sorry, I know it hurts..." I whispered while working. "Almost done..."

Somehow, my own small cut brushed against the salve. A few drops of golden-red blood mixed in, glowing strangely in the firelight. I was so focused on bandaging him that I completely missed this detail.

After finishing the bandages, I sat quietly beside him, staring at his pale face. Even injured and unconscious, he was still so handsome, still made my heart race.

Looking at him, I couldn't help remembering that afternoon seven years ago that changed my entire life.

I was only ten then, alone in the forest gathering herbs. Three savage beasts surrounded me—I thought I was dead.

Then he appeared.

Thirteen-year-old Darius, his red wolf form magnificent and powerful. He snapped one beast's neck with his jaws, sending the other two fleeing with their tails between their legs.

He told me, "Hide! Get behind that tree!"

That single sentence completely transformed my world. His voice carried a reassuring strength and protectiveness.

From that day on, he became my entire universe.

I studied herbs frantically, trained desperately, pushed myself to become worthy of him. But my "painful transformations" made me the pack's laughingstock. The agony of each shift made everyone consider me a defect, a useless failure.

I gently touched his cheek—still warm.

"From that day, I've only thought about you..." I whispered. "So please don't die..."

The rain continued outside, but the cave was quiet. I watched over him all night without sleeping.

Near dawn, I heard a soft groan.

Darius was waking up.

He slowly opened his eyes, those deep brown orbs first confused, then instantly alert. When he recognized me, his gaze turned ice-cold.

"What happened..." He struggled to sit up. Though still weak, that natural authority made me instinctively step back.

He surveyed our surroundings, realizing he was alone with me in a small cave. His brow furrowed, eyes full of displeasure and suspicion.

"Speak," he demanded coldly. "What's your angle? Why did you save me?"

His sudden interrogation left me stammering. "I... I don't have any angle..."

"No angle?" He laughed harshly. "A defective low-ranking wolf risking her life to save me? Come on. What do you REALLY want?"

His words stabbed into my heart like knives. I knew I was just a nobody to him, but hearing him say it still hurt like hell.

"I..." I struggled to find words. "Seven years ago, you saved me. In the forest, when those beasts attacked me... You told me to hide, then saved my life. I just... I just wanted to repay that debt."