(Elena's POV)
The music from the Silver Creek pack house pierced through my skull like needles. It's my mate, actually my ex-mate, and my stepsister's engagement ceremony.Even with my hands pressed against my ears, my wolf senses picked up every laugh, every cheer, every toast to the "perfect couple."
I sat alone in my tiny bedroom, watching my grandmother's chest rise and fall with frightening slowness, each breath weaker than the last.
My wolf, Gina, whimpered inside me. They're playing our song, she whispered, and I felt fresh tears roll down my cheeks. It was the same song that Leo and I planned to dance at our engagement ceremony, just three days ago.
What a fool I'd been.
Another round of cheers erupted from the pack house. I could almost see them now – Leo, the handsome second son of the mighty Stone Pack Alpha, raising a glass with my stepsister Seraphina, the Silver Creek Alpha's precious daughter. The perfect match, everyone said. A union to strengthen both packs.
And me? I was just the pack's dirty secret. The shameful reminder of Luna Emma's past - a bastard born by Emma and a rogue wolf before she married the Alpha of Crimson Pack.
"Stop it," I whispered to myself, wiping away tears with trembling hands. "Crying won't save Grandma."
I looked at Jane's pale face, so different from the strong woman who'd raised me since I was a pup. After Emma abandoned me, she'd been the only one who truly loved me. And now she was dying because of me.
My hands shook as I pulled out the silver knife I'd hidden under my pillow. Teacher Noah's warning echoed in my head: "Never let anyone know what your blood can do, Elena. There are those who would cage you, use you, drain you dry if they knew."
The blade glinted in the dim lamplight. I'd done this so many times in the past week that my wrists were constantly sore, though the wounds healed almost instantly. Taking a deep breath, I pressed the knife against my skin.
"I'm sorry, Grandma," I whispered.
The cut was quick and deep. Blood welled up immediately, dripping into the wooden bowl I'd prepared. But even as the drops fell, I could see my skin knitting back together, healing at an impossible speed. No normal werewolf could heal this fast – it was just another thing that made me a freak.
Not enough, Gina urged.
Gritting my teeth, I cut again. And again. Each slice felt like fire, but I forced myself to keep going until the bowl held enough blood. My head spun from the blood loss, but I knew I'd heal quickly. I always did.
With gentle hands, I lifted Grandma's head and brought the bowl to her lips, carefully tipping the liquid into her mouth.
Her throat moved as she swallowed reflexively. Within moments, I felt her heartbeat strengthen, her breathing ease. The gray pallor of her skin began to fade, replaced by a healthier color. Relief flooded through me – she would live another day.
But it was not enough. My blood had kept her alive these past few days, but barely. She needed Moon's Tears herb – the rarest healing plant in the werewolf world. Only the Stone Pack had any, just two precious sprouts.
But how? The Stone Pack would never waste such a precious resource on a low-ranking elder from a weak pack...
A sudden knock at the door made me jump. My hands shook as I quickly hid the bloody bowl under my bed.
Who would visit at this hour, when everyone was celebrating at the engagement party? I wiped my hands on my dress and opened the door, only to freeze in place.
Leo.
The sight of him made my chest ache. He swayed slightly in the doorway, his face flushed red from alcohol. The sharp smell of whiskey rolled off him in waves as he slurred, "Little Wolf, let me in."
Little Wolf.
Pain and hatred surged through me at that nickname. How dare he still call me that?
Memories flooded back unbidden. Two years. Two years of what I thought was love.
When our wolves recognized each other as mates at eighteen, everyone expected Leo to reject me. After all, what could a Stone Pack heir want with a bastard Omega? But he didn't. Instead, he claimed me proudly, protected me, made sure no one in Silver Creek Pack dared bully me anymore.
For two years, I thought I'd found true love. Until three days ago.
The image was burned into my mind: Leo and Seraphina tangled together in his bed. My stepsister hadn't even looked surprised when I caught them. No, she'd smiled, triumphant.
Then she'd sent her wolves after me. She even wanted to kill me!
My wolf had been too devastated by the betrayal to fight back. If Grandma hadn't thrown herself between us, using her own body to shield me from Seraphina's attack...
"You should be at the engagement ceremony," I said coldly, blocking the doorway. "We're done. Get out."
For a moment I saw something flash in his eyes – regret? Guilt? But then it was gone, replaced by that entitled arrogance I'd come to know so well.
"Don't be like that," he said, moving closer. "We both know this engagement is just politics. It doesn't change anything between us."
Gina growled, and I felt my eyes flash with anger. "Doesn't change anything? You rejected our mate bond for her. You let her set those wolves on me. My grandmother almost died!"
"That wasn't my fault," he protested, but I saw the guilt in his face. He'd known about Seraphina's plan. He'd done nothing to stop it.
He reached for me, but I stepped back.
"I can get you Moon's Tears herb," Leo said, his words slightly slurred. "To save Jane."
My heart skipped a beat. With Moon's Tears, I could heal Grandma completely. She'd wake up, recover her strength...
No. I forced myself to stay still. "What do you want?"
"You." He stepped closer, his eyes darkening. "Stay with me. We can still-"
The pain in my chest became unbearable. "Still what?" I spat. "Still be lovers? Still sneak around while you play happy mates with my stepsister? Is that what you think I am – your dirty little secret?"
"You're being dramatic." His voice hardened, showing the first signs of anger. "This is how the world works. Did you really think the son of a Stone Pack Alpha could mate with an Omega? A bastard with no bloodline?"
Each word was a knife in my heart, but I refused to let him see me cry. Not again. Never again.
He continued before I could respond. "Why can't you understand?" Leo ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I have to marry Seraphina! Even with my brother in a coma for three years, Grandmother still waits for him to wake up and inherit Stone Pack. The others still support him. I need a high-status mate to secure my position! "
My heart turned to ice. "Then you're even more pathetic than I thought," I spat. "You can't even measure up to someone who's been unconscious for three years."
Leo's face twisted with rage. "Think carefully, Elena. Without Moon's Tears, Jane won't last a month." His eyes dropped to my chest, lingering there with ugly intent. "I'll wait for you to beg me. But next time? The price will be much higher."
He turned and stormed away, leaving me to slide down against the door, my legs too weak to hold me up.
Tears burned in my eyes as I stared at Grandma's unconscious form. The sounds of celebration still drifted from the pack house, mocking me.
"Dear?"
The unusually gentle voice made my skin crawl. I didn't need to look up to know who it was – Emma, the Luna of Silver Creek Pack. My mother. Or at least, that's what biology dictated. She'd abandoned me when I was six months old, too busy securing her position as Luna to bother with her bastard daughter.
I could smell her expensive perfume, see the way her jewelry caught the lamplight. Everything about her screamed wealth and status – a jarring contrast to my grandmother's humble cottage. What was she doing here, when she should be at the engagement party celebrating her precious stepdaughter's triumph?
Pride made me stand, even though my legs felt weak. I wouldn't show vulnerability, not to her. Never to her.
"Elena." Her voice dripped with false concern as her eyes swept over me. "How is Jane doing?"
Something flickered in my chest – a traitorous spark of hope. Despite everything, Jane was still Emma's mother. Surely even Emma wouldn't let her own mother die? And as Luna of Silver Creek Pack, she had connections, influence...
"Not well," I whispered, hating how small my voice sounded. "She needs Moon's Tears herb to recover."
"Ah, yes." Emma's perfectly manicured fingers traced the doorframe. "About that... there might be a way."
My head snapped up. "What way?"
A small smile curved her lips. "The Stone Pack has made an interesting offer. They're willing to part with one Moon's Tears herb in exchange for... a bride."
"What do you mean?" But cold dread was already settling in my stomach.
"They want the daughter of Silver Creek Pack's Alpha and Luna to marry Damien. Once she bears an heir, they'll provide the herb."
The pieces clicked together with sickening clarity. Damien – Leo's older brother. The cursed heir who'd been in a coma for three years. The one they said would die soon. The one who, in his rare moments of consciousness, was so violent he'd allegedly killed his own guard.
Alpha didn't want to marry his daughter Seraphina to a dying man, so they let Seraphina marry my mate and let me marry Damien on behalf of Seraphina.
A bitter laugh escaped my throat as I understood the whole cruel game. Of course the Alpha of Silver Creek Pack wouldn't want his precious daughter Seraphina to marry a dying, violent man. No, they'd found a much better solution. Let Seraphina steal my mate, the healthy second son, while pushing the unwanted bastard daughter into marrying the cursed brother.
I laughed, the sound harsh and broken. "Are you serious, Mother?"
The word felt like poison on my tongue. I hadn't called her that in years.
"You want me to marry a dying man in place of your stepdaughter?" My voice rose with each word. "I am your own daughter! Is pleasing your husband really worth that much to you?"
Color flooded Emma's cheeks. "Don't be dramatic! Marrying Damien is hardly a punishment. He's still the son of Stone Pack's Alpha! If he wasn't... indisposed, you wouldn't even be considered worthy-"
Bitter laughter bubbled up again. "Was this Seraphina's plan all along? Have Leo seduce me, then arrange for Grandma to be attacked so I'd be desperate enough to take her place with Damien?"
Emma's silence was answer enough.
"Think about your grandmother," she said finally, voice softening to that fake gentle tone again. "She sacrificed herself to protect you. Are you really going to watch her die because of your pride?"
My eyes drifted to Grandma's still form. The woman who'd raised me, loved me, protected me when everyone else turned their backs. The only person who'd ever truly put me first.
Emma sighed dramatically, gathering her expensive shawl. "I'll leave you to think about it. But remember – Jane doesn't have much time."
She was almost at the door when I whispered, "I'll do it."
She turned, surprise flickering across her perfect features before that gentle mask slipped back into place. "Good girl. I knew you'd make the right-"
"But this is the last time." My voice was steel now, all tears burned away by cold rage. "After this, we're done. I'm not your daughter anymore."