Chapter3

By the time I returned to the Alpha's estate that night, my parents already knew.

My father spoke first. "If the elite wolf spirit is gone, just complete the claiming ceremony as normal. After your coming-of-age, you can serve in the guard. I'll save a spot for you on the outer patrol. A young wolf making a mistake isn't the end of the world. Don't give up on yourself completely."

When he brought up the one million Moon Silver coins, he paused. "I will cover this money for you first."

My mother nodded immediately. "Yes, pay off the contract debt first. Don't back yourself into a corner."

Wren stood up almost instantly. "Dad, you can't pay it for her."

Her voice was so urgent that even my father shot her a look.

She paused, forcing her tone to soften. "I'm not targeting her on purpose. It's exactly because of this one million that she'll actually learn her lesson. If you pay it for her this time, what about the next? Father, you are the Alpha. A child raised by the Alpha must bear the consequences of her own disasters. Otherwise, what happens to your authority within the pack?"

She turned to me, a flicker of malice flashing in her eyes. "If you can't pay off a million, then go work it off slowly in the black market. You can't expect the pack's prestige to clean up your messes every single time you screw up, can you?"

I looked at my parents. They were trying to find a way out for "Wren," while their actual "daughter" stood right beside them, trying desperately to dead-end that very path.

My father fell silent for a moment before asking me, "Wren, what do you think?"

My gaze landed on Wren's face.

She was tense. She was terrified that my father might actually pay off the million, terrified that the dead-end she had worked so hard to dig for me would be paved over.

"I have a way to handle it."

Late that night, back in my room, the communication stone on my wrist had barely flashed once before Wren pushed the door open and walked in.

"A million Moon Silver is nothing to me now—just the price of a decent piece of jewelry. Get on your knees, admit you were wrong, and promise you'll never compete with me again. If I'm in a good mood, maybe I really will pay it off for you."

I ignored her. The communication stone vibrated faintly, projecting a line of text:

[Blood Contract preliminary review passed. Please sign the formal contract tomorrow.]

The institution handling the soul-tempering contract was too legitimate; if the debt became overdue, they would only pursue mild, procedural collections. That wasn't enough. I needed to change the creditor to someone who would never let Wren off easily thirty days from now.

The next day, I signed a high-interest Blood Contract with the Black Moon Syndicate. The rule of the Blood Contract was simple: fail to pay on time, and your wolf heart would be carved out, condemning you as a blood slave for eternity.

Once the one million Moon Silver hit the account, I immediately cleared the penalty fee for the wolf soul-tempering contract. I set the repayment deadline for the Blood Contract to the thirty-first day—the exact day after the Blood Moon faded and we swapped our bodies back.

Debt handled, I packed a few clothes. When I went downstairs, both of my parents were in the living room.

"Alpha, Luna, I have no right to stay here anymore. Thank you for taking care of me all these years."

I bowed deeply to them. Under my mother's stunned gaze, I turned and walked out of the main estate.

Over the following days, I checked into the finest hunting lodge in Liberty City, dined on the most lavish of hunt feasts, and indulged in the most expensive spa treatments. Wren's life savings—the Moon Silver she had bled and fought for in the guard over the years—I maxed it all out without a single ounce of pity.

Days slipped by. Only three days remained until we swapped back.

The doorbell rang. Wren strode in, her high heels clicking sharply against the floor, and swept a disdainful glance over the shopping bags on the table.

"A million in debt, and you still dare to squander money like this?"

I picked up my glass. "Isn't money meant to be spent?"

She let out a cold sneer, pulled a formal invitation from her sleeve, and tossed it onto the coffee table.

Aurora Blackwood. Julian Grayson.

Mating Ceremony.

"You have to come." She leaned in, staring down at me. "I want you to see with your own eyes who owns everything you used to have."

Seeing Julian's name, my fingertips still stalled for a fraction of a second.

Parents, the pack—the bitter end of my past life had long since ground away any expectations I held for them. But Julian was different. That mate bond that had once tethered us together—even severed, it still bore the heavy weight of the past.

On the thirtieth day, the mating ceremony was held in the grand ceremonial hall of the Blackwood territory.

Wren wore a long gown embroidered with silver crests, surrounded by pack members in the center of the hall. Julian stood faithfully by her side. Whenever someone offered a toast of Moonbrew, he drank it in her stead. When her hem was accidentally stepped on, he naturally bent down to smooth it out, standing back up only to whisper softly, asking if she was tired.

I was entirely too familiar with those gestures. Before, he had sworn he would only ever do those things for me.

I stood watching from the shadows of a corner, unable to suppress the sour ache rising in my chest.

The ceremony reached its climax. Julian's eyes began to glow with a golden light. He was about to lower his head and bite into the side of Wren's neck.

Right at that moment, I smelled it.

A faint, damp scent hung on Wren. Almost subconsciously, I followed the scent and looked toward Julian. His nostrils flared imperceptibly, and his footsteps faltered.

Then, the memory matrix in the center of the hall violently flickered. The light shifted into a series of Memory Crystal recordings glowing with a sickly, ethereal blue light, laying bare the truth behind that scent for all to see.

Two names were carved into the crystal: Wren. Julian.

The great hall erupted into an instant uproar.

My gaze, however, was dead-set on the bottom right corner—on the lunar phase marked during that memory of their affair.