Chapter 1

I stood in the doorway, soaked to the bone, shivering from the cold and the heartbreak. The scent of roses hit me first. Then the soft glow of candlelight. For a fleeting second, I thought—maybe he remembered. But I was wrong. So, so wrong.

The warmth inside wasn’t for me.

“Close the door, will you?” Evan’s voice rang out casually. “The wind’s too strong—Lucky might catch a cold.”

I froze. March in Blue Sea was still bitterly cold, and I was standing there like a drowned ghost, but he didn’t even glance at me. Didn’t notice the way my dress clung to me, soaked through from the rain.

My lips trembled as I stepped inside.

“Evan... do you know what day it is today?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.

He looked at me like I’d asked something ridiculous.

“Of course,” he said, smiling. “It’s Lucky’s birthday.”

Lucky. The name echoed in my skull like a cruel joke.

And then I saw her. Faith. She stood there like a vision in white—wearing the dress I’d designed for our third anniversary. My dress. My design. My heart stitched into every seam.

Her eyes met mine, and she faltered, clearly flustered. Tears welled up in her eyes, that delicate damsel act she’d perfected.

“I’m so sorry, Camila,” she said, all trembling lips and fake sincerity. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I’ll go change—”

She turned to leave, but Evan grabbed her arm.

“Don’t,” he snapped. Then he turned to me, his gaze colder than the storm outside. “You came back just to start drama?”

Before I could answer, the tiny white Chihuahua in Faith’s arms barked at me—twice. I sneezed immediately, my nose burning.

Evan didn’t flinch. He forgot—or didn’t care—that I was allergic to dog fur. For three years, we never had pets because of it. He used to care.

Lucky leapt from Faith’s arms and lunged at me like I was the enemy. I instinctively pushed it away.

“Camila! Are you insane?” Evan roared.

The dog whimpered on the floor, and Faith scooped it up protectively, like I’d just assaulted a child.

“Evan, I’m sorry,” she cried. “I know Camila doesn’t like me, but Lucky didn’t do anything wrong.” “She pushed him so hard—he could’ve died!”

Evan stroked Lucky like it was made of glass.

“Don’t cry, baby,” he cooed to the dog. “You’re perfect. So is Mommy. How could anyone not love the two of you?”

Then his eyes cut back to me like daggers.

“Apologize.”

Tears stung my eyes. I stared at him, refusing to speak.

“Evan, maybe Camila didn’t mean to hurt him,” Faith whispered sweetly. “Lucky has a kind heart. He won’t hold it against her.”

But Evan wasn’t done. He turned to me with a chilling finality.

“Camila, Faith and Lucky will be staying here for the next few days. Lucky is her baby, so you'd better take care of him. Not a single hair on his head better go missing.”

A lump formed in my throat. I had returned to him through thunder and rain. I had died—only to come back to this.

From Luna of the Molliovo Pack...To an Omega babysitting a dog.

“Evan,” I whispered, voice breaking. “We agreed—no pets in the house. I told you, I’m allergic.”

He looked away briefly, guilt flickering in his eyes. Then, nothing.

“You’re not having a reaction now, are you?”

I swallowed hard. “I’m not... because I’m not really alive.”

If it hadn’t been for my deal with the Moon Goddess—if I hadn’t traded my wolf soul—I wouldn’t even be here. But I couldn’t tell him that. He wouldn’t care.

My soul was dying, poisoned by his betrayal like silver seeping into my veins.

Faith suddenly burst into sobs.

“Camila, how can you be so heartless? Lucky is family to me. He’s not just a pet.”

“Then take your family and go back to your home,” I said flatly. “This one’s mine.”

SLAP. His hand cracked across my cheek, hard and fast.

My head jerked to the side. Five red fingerprints bloomed across my face. But the pain didn’t even compare to what I felt inside.

I should’ve known. They were fated mates—blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. How could I possibly compete with that?

“Camila, don’t be ungrateful,” Evan snapped. “If Faith hadn’t gone to the werewolf combat camp, you never would’ve married me.”

Eight years. We’d been together eight years. Three of them married. I stood by his side when the Molliovo Pack was crumbling—when no one else dared to.

Faith had run. Left the pack to save herself. Now she was back, and I was nothing.

Lucky barked again. Evan cuddled it against his chest.

“There, there, baby. Daddy’s not mad. No one’s going to kick you out.”

That was it. My body couldn’t take it anymore. Cold, pain, grief—it all hit me at once.

The last thing I saw before everything went dark was Evan’s face—finally, finally filled with concern.

“Camila—don’t scare me.” He was tucking the blanket around me, his touch suddenly gentle.

Too little. Too late.

The next morning, the alarm buzzed, followed by the morning news on the stereo.

“Last night’s heavy rainfall in Blue Sea caused multiple road collapses on Mercator Avenue. Casualties are still being confirmed…”

That was the road where my accident happened. Where I should’ve died. And maybe I did.

Evan sat up, touched my skin, then pulled me into his arms.

“Thank the Moon Goddess you came back,” he murmured.

But he didn’t know the truth. I hadn’t come back. Only my soul had. The bond between us must have pulled me back to his side.

Too bad he didn’t care about that bond anymore.

Didn’t care that my wolf soul was fading. Didn’t even question why I felt so… different.

“Otherwise,” he said, brushing my hair back like everything was fine, “we would’ve had to postpone the wedding with Faith.”

I jerked away from him. “What do you mean—the wedding?”

We were already married. On paper. But we never had a real ceremony. That was supposed to be next month.

And now he was planning it…with her.