Chapter 1 Chapter 1

I met a desperate death in the silver mine. The mind link was severed, and Lucas could no longer sense my condition. The silver-infused air corroded my body, my blood burning as if set ablaze. Every inch of my skin twisted in excruciating pain. My bones had already shattered from the fall, and the power of the silver had suppressed my most basic healing abilities. My howls echoed in the bottomless pit, only to fade into silence. Darkness engulfed me like a beast devouring my soul, yet the muffled voices from above kept my consciousness teetering between life and death. I struggled to summon the remnants of my wolf instincts, to awaken the slumbering beast within me, and break free from this abyss. But the silver’s corrosion left me powerless. I was nothing more than a lifeless heap of flesh, swallowed by the cold stone. When the pack finally found my body, it was already unrecognizable—bloodied and broken, my stiffened wolf claws curled in agony. My fur was charred black, and my exposed bones gleamed pale under the light. The once-powerful Luna was now nothing but a shattered corpse. Yet, my soul lingered, straight away reaching the hospital where Lucas was, watching him discard me even after my death. “Her elbows and knees are injured—quick, give her the best treatment immediately!” He stood in the hospital corridor, his brows furrowed, anxiously directing the medical team. “If Sophia is left with even the slightest scar, I will tear this hospital apart!” The doctors rushed toward the operating room in a panic and wheeled her out after dressing his wounds. “It’s just a minor scrape, nothing serious.” A doctor informed him, his voice low and nervous. “Oh…Thank God.” Just as Lucas breathed a sigh of relief, his Beta hurried over to him, his face pale. “Alpha Lucas, Luna Ava has been found…”His voice trembled slightly, as if afraid to continue. “If it’s about Ava, I don’t need to hear it.” Lucas waved him off coldly, his gaze icy and his tone impatient. “I don’t have time to waste on her.” Tears filled my eyes, and my soul felt torn apart by claws. “Is this the same person who once had cherished me, held me in his arms and whispered into my ears.”“Ava, you are my only one. I will love you forever and always protect you.” I recalled his words and warmth. More tears trickle down my face. Now, his world no longer included me, but only Sophia. I remembered the final moments before my death. In the endless darkness, I struggled in agony, using the last of my strength to call out. “Lucas… please… save me…” My voice was weak and desperate—my final cry before death. But he didn’t show a bit of sympathy, let alone come back. He never even looked at me. He left behind only a cold reprimand: “Did you not see Sophia’s injured knee? You made her fall into the silver mine—stay here and reflect on your mistakes.” He just turned and disappeared into the night, abandoning me to be killed by the silver dust. Even my wolf soul was bound, unable to escape. I didn’t want to die. I wanted to live. But I knew—he would never come back. The mine collapsed. Boulders and soil came crashing down like ravenous beasts, swallowing me whole. The unbearable agony forced a final howl from my throat. I died with my eyes wide open, unwilling to close them. And within my frozen womb, my unborn pup perished too. Yet all he was worried about was his lover, Sophia.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

The pack elders had retrieved my broken body from the depths of the mine, my limbs twisted unnaturally, my flesh marred by the cruel burn of silver. The pack’s call echoed through the night, a regular howl, not a mournful one. Just to signal the passing of one of our own, not to mourn the loss of Luna. My once-proud wolf form had been reduced to a grotesque shell, my spirit lingering above, forced to witness what remained of my existence. I, too, was brought to the hospital, and the nurse notified my family. After a while, I saw my mother rushing towards me. Her steps were unsteady, as if she might collapse under the weight of her sorrow. Her eyes, clouded with grief, locked onto the lifeless shell that was once her daughter. She knelt beside my body, gripping my cold, stiff hands, her sobs raw and unrestrained, a sound reminiscent of a wolf mourning its dead pup. "Ava, my little girl..." Her voice cracked, breaking into a heart-wrenching wail. It was the kind of grief that could shatter souls, a primal sound that resonated with the wolves who heard it. I reached out instinctively, desperate to touch her, to soothe her pain—but I had no physical form. My whispers of comfort dissipated into nothingness. She sought justice, as any mother would. She went to Lucas, demanding answers–Demanding to know why he abandoned her daughter in a place that no wolf should ever be left to die. But Lucas, the Alpha I had once loved, had no place for grief that did not belong to Sophia. "No one disturbs Sophia's rest," he said, his voice devoid of the warmth I had once known. Sophia, the she-wolf who had taken my place, lay in the pack hospital, feigning frailty. Her golden curls cascaded over her shoulders, her delicate frame trembling as she reached for Lucas’s hand. “Lucas, I was so afraid,” she whispered, her voice fragile, laced with fake innocence. “That night in the mines, I thought I would never see you again.” Lucas cupped her face, his touch gentle, his eyes filled with devotion. “You’re safe now, Sophia. I’ll never let anything happen to you.”“Look, what I got for you?!” He pulled a box from the bag and opened it to gift her a necklace–a blue sapphire pendant, shimmering under the dim light. “This was made just for you,” he murmured. Sophia’s eyes gleamed, but she masked her greed with feigned humility. “Oh, Lucas, I—I can’t accept this.” She hesitated, biting her lip. “What if Ava’s spirit resents me for receiving such a gift?” Lucas’s expression darkened, a growl rumbling in his chest. “Do not speak of her.” His aura flared, commanding and ruthless, the Alpha’s authority pressing down on those around him. “She deserved what she got. That selfish she-wolf nearly cost your life. She was never worthy of being Luna.” Sophia’s lips trembled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She leaned into his embrace, her breath ghosting against his chest. “Lucas, don’t say that... She did it because she loved you too much. Maybe she just—she just couldn’t bear to see us together.” A slow smirk curled at Lucas’s lips, his fingers tightening around her waist. “Even in death, she owes you an apology.” I watched them from the shadows of the spirit realm, the weight of betrayal pressing against me like an iron chain. The man who had once whispered devotion into my ear and vowed to protect me under the Moon Goddess’s light had turned his back on me the moment I was no longer convenient. He had condemned me to death, forsaken our bond, and buried my name beneath the weight of Sophia’s lies.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

“Beta, bring Ava to me. I need a few answers from her.” Lucas ordered his Beta, his expression cold, his voice icy. The Beta lowered his head, his voice trembling with fear. “Alpha Lucas, Luna Ava is no more. She is already dead.”“What do you mean?! No more?! “She is dead, my Alpha. Her–Her body has been recovered.” His pupils constricted sharply, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke. He let out a cold laugh, his sharp fangs slightly exposed. “Since when did you allow Ava to bribe you? Since when did you dare to lie to me?” Before Beta could respond, Lucas vanished in the blur of speed, disappearing from my sight.. I followed him—trapped in this ethereal state, my soul could do nothing but drift helplessly in his wake. He stormed into the doctor’s office, kicking the door open with a force that shook the entire room. The doctor paled at the sight of the furious Alpha, cold sweat rolling down his face. “L-Lucas, sir, I—” Lucas didn’t allow him to finish and grabbed him by the collar. He lifted him off the ground and pinned him against the wall with terrifying ease. “Ava. Where is she?” The doctor’s entire body trembled as he weakly pointed toward the door, his voice on the verge of breaking. “H-her body… her family has already taken her away…”“Impossible.”Lucas snarled with the deep, guttural growl unique to wolves, the sound reverberating through the room, making the very lights flicker. “I am her mate. I am her Alpha. How could I not know anything about this?” The doctor was paralyzed with fear, unable to even beg for mercy. I watched the scene unfold, my heart shredded as if by invisible claws. “Lucas… you never believed me when I was alive. And now, you don’t believe I’m dead either.”“Am I truly so worthless to you?” Lucas finally released the doctor, his fury still burning as he strode away. Back in Sophia’s hospital room, his expression remained stormy. Sophia lay weakly on the bed, her delicate features full of concern as she softly spoke, “Lucas, what’s wrong? Did something happen to Ava?” Lucas let out a scoff, his voice filled with disdain. “She’s trying to fool me again? How impressive! She even managed to deceive my Beta and the doctors.” Sophia bit her lip, pretending to be understanding, her voice laced with gentle pity. “Lucas, don’t be like this… Maybe Ava is now feeling guilty. Maybe she is afraid of making you angry, so she… so she let herself get hurt, just to gain your sympathy.” She lowered her gaze, her voice carrying a hint of grievance. “I know this puts you in a difficult position, so I never blamed her. I’m sure she didn’t do it on purpose…” Every word she spoke seemed to absolve me, yet in truth, she was only adding fuel to Lucas’s anger. His expression slightly softened as he sighed, speaking in a low voice. “Sophia, you’re too kind.” Then, his eyes darkened again, his lips curling into a cold sneer. “She couldn’t have been hurt. She loves using these pathetic tricks to get my attention.” I froze, my entire being turning to ice. “Lucas… what are you saying?” His gaze was sharp, his voice full of contempt. “She was perfectly fine before, but she kept claiming she had ‘silver sickness.’ I rushed back from the Frostlands overnight, only to find her sitting by the fireplace, eating fruit.”“She always acts pitiful—just so I’d turn back and look at her.” He paused, his eyes dark with disgust. “Pathetic.” A stabbing pain tore through my soul. He didn’t know that I genuinely had silver sickness, that the poison of silver dust had been eating away my insides, burning my body from within. That agony was worse than any bite, any wound. I didn’t want him to worry, so I used to force a smile, hiding my weakness from him. But to him, all my pain, all my suffering had been nothing more than an act. Sophia reached out at the right moment, tugging lightly at his sleeve, her voice soft and cautious. “Lucas, don’t be like this… Ava… she only did it because she loves you.” Lucas’s gaze turned even colder, his voice commanding. “You don’t have to defend her, Sophia. She will apologize to you in front of everyone.”“She is not worthy of being this pack’s Luna.” My world shattered. “So that’s what he thought of me.”“So that’s how little I meant to him.”“Lucas… you already snatched my right to be Luna.”“Because in your heart, the true Luna… is no longer me.”“But Lucas… do you even know?“The one who should be apologizing… is Sophia.”“She was the one who pushed me into that silver mine. She was the reason I, along with our unborn pup, died in the cold, endless dark.”“Yet right now, you are standing beside her, shielding her in your arms, while pouring all your hatred and scorn onto me.”“The darkness had swallowed me whole, but the pain in my chest was far crueler than death.”“Was I really never worthy of your love, Lucas?”

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Sophia was finally discharged from the pack’s medical ward a few days later. The night was deep, the crescent moon was hanging high, casting its pale glow over the dense forest. In the distance, a chorus of wolves howled, their mournful cries echoing through the silent expanse of trees. Sophia leaned delicately against Lucas, her voice soft and sweet as she spoke. “Lucas, I’m still not fully recovered. It’s… inconvenient for me to live alone right now.”“Could you take me home? Of course, if it’s too much trouble, I understand…” Lucas narrowed his golden eyes, which gleamed eerily in the moonlight. He chuckled, a sound laced with the possessiveness and protectiveness of a true Alpha. “You can’t never be a trouble, Sophia?! I will personally take care of you.” He held her carefully as they stepped into his black SUV. The vehicle rumbled to life, moving steadily down the winding forest road. Towering, ancient trees loomed over them, their bare branches whispering in the wind. Moonlight spilled through the windows, casting soft silver shadows across their faces. As soon as they entered the grand estate, Lucas’s phone rang sharply, breaking the silence. His expression darkened with annoyance as he answered the call. “Who is this?”“Lucas, you bastard!”My mother’s enraged voice burst through the speaker, raw with grief and fury. “How could you do this to Ava?”“What did she ever do to deserve this from you?” Lucas’s entire demeanor shifted—his expression turned to stone, his Alpha aura flaring instinctively. The air around him thickened, heavy with his rising power, making it harder to breathe. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said coldly, though something in his voice wavered—something uncertain. My mother’s voice cracked with pure anguish. “Lucas, stop pretending! Ava… my daughter… she’s dead!” A sudden, unnatural silence filled the room. Lucas’s pupils constricted violently, like a wolf struck by lightning. His grip on the phone faltered, his fingers trembling. “You think you can deceive me too?” His voice was hoarse, his body tensing as if suppressing an unseen force. My mother sobbed, her pain spilling through every word.“Would I lie about my own daughter’s death?!”“She’s gone because of you—because of that woman beside you! Give me back my daughter’s life!” She screamed, wailing. Lucas’s claws instinctively unsheathed, his grip on the phone tightening until his knuckles turned white. His canines elongated, flashing dangerously as his golden eyes burned with a mix of rage and something unspoken—something dangerously close to fear. Slowly, he turned his gaze to Sophia. She remained calm, her expression filled with concern as she gently asked, “Lucas, what’s wrong?” Lucas tore his eyes away from her. “No. This is ridiculous. Ava can’t be dead.”With a frustrated growl, he ended the call, his voice chillingly detached. Sophia hesitated, biting her lip before cautiously asking, “Was it Ava?” Lucas scoffed. “No. It was her mother.”“She had the audacity to accuse you—claiming you were responsible for Ava’s death.” Sophia lowered her head, her voice trembling with carefully crafted sadness. “Lucas, I never thought Ava’s family would hate me so much.”“I would never hurt her… You believe me, don’t you?” Lucas placed a firm hand on her shoulder, his touch reassuring. “Sophia, of course I believe you.” His expression darkened, his voice carrying a deadly promise. “If they want to play games with me, I’ll make sure they regret it.” Sophia lowered her lashes, then hesitated before softly suggesting, “Lucas… since things have already come to this, why don’t you just sever the mate bond with her?”“There’s nothing left between you two. There’s no love, only pain.” Lucas fell silent, his jaw tightened as he got lost in some deep thoughts.“No.” He said, avoiding meeting Sophia’s eyes. Sophia’s eyes flashed with fleeting disappointment, but she quickly masked it with her usual gentle smile. “I understand, Lucas. I trust you’ll make the right decision.” Lucas gave her a slight nod, but his phone rang again before he could speak further. He glanced at the caller ID, his frown deepening. Now, it was his father. Taking a deep breath, he answered. “Father. What is it?” The voice on the other end was low and sharp, like an approaching storm. “Lucas. Why the hell are you not at Ava’s funeral?” A chill crept down his spine. Funeral?! Lucas’s grip on the phone tightened until his claws dug into his palm. His golden irises darkened, swallowed by an abyss of black. “Father,” he said, his voice almost unrecognizable. “You’re part of this, too?” His father’s voice was ice-cold, laced with bitter disappointment. “Lucas, I’m not in the mood for your nonsense.”“Ava is dead. She’s been buried. And you haven’t yet shown your face here. “You are an utter disgrace.” The phone slipped from Lucas’s fingers, hitting the polished floor with a dull thud. On the other end, his father’s voice erupted in fury. “Get yourself to the burial ground. Now.”“Come see Ava for the last time.” The air in the room felt suffocating. For the first time, Lucas hesitated. For the first time, doubt crept into his mind.