Chapter 1 Chapter 1

I was dead. However, the mark of the wolf pack bride still bound my consciousness to the Moonshadow Pack. My soul watched as Ragnar looked frustrated. “Where’s Selena? Is she dead? How could she not show up for our mate bond ceremony?!” His childhood friend, Nina, brushed his hair. “Maybe Selena’s angry. You locked her in the abandoned interrogation room because of me.” The pack’s Beta rushed in. “We searched the altar but couldn’t find Selena. There’s been no sign of her in the pack these past few days.” After a brief hesitation, the Beta spoke up. “Should we check the interrogation room?” Ragnar let out a low growl, a sign of an Alpha’s rage. “What’s there to check? That interrogation room has been abandoned for a long time, and the locks are broken. If she really wanted to get out, she would’ve done it already. With her skills, it wouldn’t have been hard.” His golden wolf eyes were filled with nothing but disgust for me. “She’s deliberately avoiding me. She’s angry that I punished her because of Nina. She wants to make me a laughingstock of the pack by missing the mate bond ceremony!” Nina suddenly clenched her teeth, looking as though she had made a decision. “I didn’t expect Selena to be so vile. I guess I can’t cover for her anymore. Ragnar, I think I saw Selena earlier. She was walking with that Rogue, Anthony. He's the one you exiled. I didn’t want to tell you about it at first. I was afraid it would make you mad.” Nina held up her phone, showing Ragnar a photo. “Look, I even took a photo!” In the photo, I was leaning against Anthony, and his arm was wrapped around me. Ragnar bared his wolf fangs in fury, his eyes turning a terrifying shade of red. “She actually betrayed me on the day of our mate bond ceremony! And she ran off with my pathetic excuse of a brother!” I could not help but feel sorrow for myself. My mate never trusted me. All it took was just one word from Nina and one photo for me to be utterly condemned! If he knew I was dead, would he still accuse me of betraying him righteously? Maybe he would. After all, he never cared about me. Nina was his only treasure. What did my life have to do with him? … Seven days ago, he personally threw me into the abandoned interrogation room. That room was designed for the most vicious criminals. It was a cage hidden underground where the moonlight never reached and where the painful howls of wolves could never be heard by the pack. I had always been terrified of the dark, of being alone in a confined space. I was so scared that I broke down crying and begged Ragnar, “I’m sorry. I'll apologize to Nina. Please don’t lock me in here!” I was so humble, willing to give up the dignity that came from being Luna just to apologize to the wolf who framed me. Yet Ragnar remained high and mighty. “Now you’re scared? When you hurt Nina, did you think about how she must've been so scared? Even if you feel sorry now, you still need to be punished.”“I didn’t hurt her. Please believe me! She’s the one who lied!” I tried to defend myself again, but the enraged Alpha grabbed my throat. “Even now, you’re still running your mouth and pretending to be the victim?!” I looked at him as a wave of despair washed over me, seeping into every inch of my body. I was his marked mate, but he had never once believed me. He pulled out a syringe and injected liquid silver into my body. “Nina was cut by silver because of you, and she's left with a scar. You deserve to feel exactly what she did!” I howled in agony as the silver coursed through me. It felt like deadly poison. However, Ragnar only left me with his cold judgment. “I’m being merciful. This liquid silver won’t kill you. It’s the price you must pay for what you did to Nina.” In a frenzy, I clutched Ragnar’s hand. “Don’t go! I’ll die. I was severely injured half a month ago…” However, Ragnar was even angrier now and threw me into the interrogation room. “It was Nina who was injured half a month ago, you lying she-wolf! I must’ve been fooled into marking you back then!” I collapsed in the cage, weak and coughing up blood. However, Ragnar just coldly turned and walked away. He took the last torch with him, and my world fell into darkness. I felt like a Rogue who had been abandoned by the pack, terrified and alone. Not long after he left, the mechanisms in the abandoned interrogation room activated. Thick poisonous gas spread from all directions, burning every inch of my skin as though a thousand needles were stabbing me at once. The poisonous gas was laced with silver. It ate away at my breath, suffocating me. My howls, my tears, my pain—none of it could bring me the salvation I needed from my mate. He had blocked our mind-link. He did not hear me even as I used my last bit of strength to tell him, "Ragnar, I was severely injured half a month ago while trying to save you." My wolf was weak, and there was still silver in my body. I would not be able to survive the second wave of poison. I would die! I died in pain and despair. I struggled to open the interrogation room door, but the lock was too strong, and I did not have the strength to break it.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

My soul watched as Nina smeared my name, claiming I had cheated. The most ridiculous part was that my mate actually believed it. Nina seemed to be on the verge of tears. “Ragny, it’s all my fault for not stopping Selena! Many wolves have been invited to the ceremony. You’ll look like a fool without a mate... I'll apologize to Selena now and get her to attend the ceremony. Please, don't let her stay mad at you...” I almost vomited from how disgusting her words were, but Ragnar thought she was being thoughtful. He gently wiped her tears. “Don’t cry. You did nothing wrong. It’s Selena who’s at fault! I've spoiled that she-wolf, which is why she thinks she can act like this, betraying me at such an important ceremony. Does she really think I'll beg her to come back? Not a chance!” His voice turned cold when he mentioned me. It was as though he hoped I would die right then and there. Nina threw herself into Ragnar’s arms, sobbing softly. “I feel so sorry for you. You're so wonderful, yet Selena wants to leave you. If it were me, I'd never leave you—not even if it meant dying…” Ragnar’s heart seemed to have melted. “You’re so kind, like an angel. That wretch, Selena, can't compare to you!” His words were like the cruelest curse, striking deep into my soul even though I was already dead. I had no body, yet I could still feel the pain. He had chosen to mark me. Because of that, I admired him, cared for him, protected him, and even took a fatal blow for him. However, he used the most venomous words to condemn me after I died just to please Nina. He had no clue how wicked Nina really was. She even injured herself to frame me. … The day before I was locked in the interrogation room, Ragnar and I planned to pick out the tokens for the ceremony together. It was supposed to be our special moment, but Ragnar brought Nina along. I tried to convince myself that Ragnar just saw Nina as a sister and reminded myself that I was his marked mate. I remembered just how much he cared about me back then. However, Nina seemed to intentionally go against me. She claimed to like every token I picked. Whether it was the moonstone, the vow book, or the energy crystal, she begged Ragnar to give all of them to her. When she had her eyes on the silver dagger I picked, I clutched it tightly and refused to let go. “I’m not giving it to you!” Nina looked at Ragnar, who was paying for her things, and suddenly said something cryptic, “I'm the one who won’t let you have it!” Before I could even think about her words, she suddenly grabbed my hand and drove the silver dagger into herself. She screamed in pain, and Ragnar turned just in time to see me holding the dagger as though I had stabbed Nina. Nina fell to the ground, tears filling her eyes. “Selena, I know that you like this silver dagger, and I’ve already agreed to let you have it. Why did you still hurt me?” Ragnar stormed over and shoved me aside. Stumbling, I crashed into the corner of a nearby table. The pain almost made me lose my balance, but I struggled to defend myself. “Ragnar, she grabbed my hand and drove the dagger into herself!” Ragnar lifted Nina in his arms, shooting me a furious glare. His eyes were cold as if I were his enemy. The Alpha’s pressure was so intimidating that I could not speak, but Nina was smiling at me from Ragnar’s arms. He took Nina to see the witch for treatment while I, the one who actually needed care, fainted in the store. I was severely wounded half a month ago, and my injuries had not healed. Before I lost consciousness, I heard the store owner shout to Ragnar, “Alpha, Luna collapsed. She has lost so much blood!” However, Ragnar did not even look back. He gently comforted Nina, and I could clearly hear him say, “Don't cry. I swear on my title as Alpha that I’ll make sure Selena pays dearly for this!” I thought maybe he did not love me, after all. If he truly loved me, how could he not trust me? If he truly loved me, how could he abandon me? If he really loved me, how could he lock me in a silver cage, inject me with silver, and ignore all my pleas for help? How could he bear to leave me to die alone in the interrogation room in utter despair? He was doing all this to me for Nina's sake. … After I died, he even had Nina replace me to complete the mate bond ceremony. Ragnar took Nina’s hand. “Selena thinks too highly of herself. The ceremony will go on without her!” Just then, the Beta suddenly barged in with a look full of anxiety on his face. “Alpha, we found Selena. But... we found her body.” Ragnar’s expression changed, but he quickly smiled. “Do you think I’m stupid? Nina saw her with my brother earlier. She’s probably pretending to be dead to test me. That she-wolf is jealous and malicious. My love for her has been worn away." The Beta anxiously explained, “Selena is really dead. The warden sent the news himself…”“Is that so? She’ll say anything just to get me to come pick her up. What a pathetic lie!” Ragnar did not care about me at all. He took Nina’s hand and walked toward the altar.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Moonlight flowers were arranged all over the altar. Ragnar and Nina walked toward the elder who would preside over the ceremony. A sudden gust of wind lifted Nina’s veil, revealing her face. Most of the guests did not react. They looked completely unfazed, with some even smiling as though Ragnar and Nina were the perfect match. That was not surprising, however. After all, none of them knew about me. Ragnar had marked me, but he had never introduced me to the pack. However, my father knew the truth. Furious, he stood up and interrupted the ceremony. “Where's my daughter? You marked her, and now, you’re kissing another she-wolf during the mate bond ceremony? Aren’t you afraid the Moon Goddess will curse you both?” The guests could not help but look at Ragnar and Nina with thinly veiled mockery. To werewolves, mate marks were sacred, and the Moon Goddess' arrangements were inviolable. What Ragnar and Nina were doing was disgraceful in the eyes of the pack. Nina looked absolutely devastated. “It’s not like that! Selena refuses to come. I’m only stepping in because someone has to carry out the ceremony.” Hearing that, my father exploded. “Stop pretending! You’re a shameless homewrecker. You know exactly how many dirty tricks you've pulled to frame my daughter. What did you do to her that she can't even show up to her own mate bond ceremony?!” Nina burst into tears. Ragnar, who could never stand to see her cry, lost his temper as expected. His gaze darkened as he stared at my father. “You saved my life once, so I’ve been holding back from revealing all the disgusting things Selena has done. But if you insult Nina again, I won’t keep quiet. “Your daughter, whom I've already marked, went off and cheated with a Rogue. Selena is disgraceful and unworthy of being this pack’s Luna. I’ve already severed our mate bond. “She’s too ashamed to face everyone, so Nina, out of the kindness of her heart, is stepping in to take her place.” I could not help but let out a bitter laugh when I heard that. All this was just to make Nina seem innocent. Ragnar would rather lie to the Moon Goddess and the entire pack than admit the truth. With just one careless sentence, he convinced everyone that I had cheated on him. How was my father—no, my entire family—supposed to survive in the pack after that? My father was once the most respected warrior of our pack. He had won countless battles for us. Now, everyone looked at him with a trace of contempt in their eyes. He removed his warrior medal, limped over to Ragnar, and bowed deeply. “My honorable Alpha, I beg you to take back your words. My daughter would never betray her mate. I request a full investigation by the werewolf tribunal.” He believed I was good. However, Ragnar did not grant his request. Instead, he ordered the guards to drag my father out. Still, my father roared in defiance, “You’re framing my daughter! The Alpha is abusing his power to persecute one of his own! Ragnar, my daughter loved you more than life itself. She would never betray you!” The guards continued to drag him away, but he kept shouting to defend me. The guards were annoyed, so they threw him into the river. Each time he cried out for justice, they would shove his head underwater again. Even as he drowned, he still called out, “Ragnar… I lost my wolf to save you… All I ask… is that you clear… my daughter's name…" Even as he was drowning, his final thoughts were still about proving my innocence. I went mad trying to save him, but I could not touch him. My soul passed right through his body. It felt like my very soul was shattering. Why was I still in pain even after death? I screamed, but no one could hear me. All I could hear was Ragnar's and Nina’s laughter. I looked up, only to see them smiling while saying their vows. Then, they kissed in front of the guests. Everyone clapped and cheered. I was dead. My father was dead. I screamed and sobbed, but everyone else was smiling. I sank to the bottom of the river, wanting only to follow my father. However, something invisible kept pulling me back to Ragnar. All I could do was follow Ragnar in utter despair, watching as he brought Nina back to what used to be our home. It was like a curse from the Moon Goddess herself. This was the price I had to pay for loving Ragnar! Even in death, I could not rest. Even in death, I was still bound to him and still suffering because of him. Nina acted like the lady of the house, moving into the home Ragnar and I had once shared. She threw all my belongings into the trash. Then, she looked at Ragnar with a coy smile. “It’s been such a long day. Do you want to have a shower together?” Ragnar shook his head. “Even though Selena cheated, she’s still technically my mate. I can’t get too close to another she-wolf. Thank you for everything today.” Just then, the Beta knocked and entered. “Alpha, Selena’s corpse is badly decomposed. The warden wants to know what to do with the body.” For a split second, Ragnar looked startled, but his unease quickly faded and was replaced by growing impatience. “The bodies of werewolves don’t rot that fast. Don’t tell me you and the warden are both falling for Selena’s little drama again? “She’s clearly faking it. I’ll go see for myself and expose her lies!” However, when they were near the prison, Ragnar’s expression darkened. He smelled it—it was my scent, tainted by the stench of death. He tried to reach me through the mind-link, but there was no response. It was just silence, and it was the kind that only came with death. He did not even dare to take a deep breath.