Chapter 1

My Alpha, Sebastian Blackwood, was cursed in battle. Following the instructions of the witch, Annabelle Pearson, I sacrificed my wolf for an antidote to his curse.

I only found out after secretly eavesdropping on him at a party that he'd spent five whole years torturing me—just to avenge his first love. Yet, I had already given my wolf up for him.

Standing at the door, I glared at Sebastian. He'd lied to me! The curse never existed in the first place!

My heart seized in pain. The sensation nearly knocked me off my feet.

Inside the room, they continued, "Poor, stupid Zoreen. She's been kept in the dark for ages. Those rogues who nearly raped her? That was all part of your master plan, Alpha! You played the role of her knight in shining armor.

"Then, you commanded the pack to cast her out, leaving her with no one and nowhere to turn to. In her desperation, she latched onto you with all her might. As her mate, you 'trained' her by making her do all the hardest and dirtiest work possible. She must have felt as though her hands were about to fall off!

"Five years of abuse, of getting everything she had, robbed from her… If Nina knew of the lengths you'd gone to for revenge, she would be deeply moved."

A bout of nausea overcame me. I wanted to throw up.

Everything had been a lie. From the moment we met, Sebastian's goal had been to exact revenge on me.

Funnily enough, I had thought he was my savior when he saved me from those rogues. Despite knowing he still longed for Nina, his first love, I willingly sacrificed everything for him. Yet, he'd never tried to find out the truth.

Nina Frost's mutism? It had nothing to do with me.

I turned and attempted to flee the scene. However, due to the severity of my injuries, I collapsed instead. This drew their attention.

"Zoreen? What's wrong?" Sebastian rushed out and gathered me into his arms.

With an expression of pretended concern, he exclaimed, "You just sacrificed your wolf for me, so don't move! Quick, someone get Annabelle right now!"

If I hadn't heard the truth for myself, I might have believed that he loved me.

Caressing my wounds, Sebastian asked, "This must've hurt, right?"

Suddenly, a blinding pain erupted from where he'd made contact with my skin. I screamed. It was a horrible, screeching sound.

"Oh! My apologies, darling." Sebastian withdrew his hand, an apologetic expression on his face. However, I saw the glee that sparked in his eyes for a moment.

"I only wanted to help. I didn't mean to hurt you."

I shoved Sebastian, only for him to grab my wrist, clamping down forcefully.

Surprise flashed across his face. "Wait … Is this? It seems like there's still a bit of your wolf in you."

The pain had awakened my wolf, making it exert the last of its powers. However, any hope I had was short-lived as Sebastian returned soon after, Annabelle at his side.

He told her, "Her wolf lives on. Complete the sacrifice by killing it entirely."

"No!" I widened my eyes in terror.

Annabelle splashed some transparent liquid onto my open wound. It felt as though I was on fire, my flesh corroding and bones cracking apart. My screams pierced through the air. I nearly fainted from the agony.

It was over. My wolf was entirely gone.

Sebastian knelt down and kissed my forehead gently. "I know it's painful, darling. But thank you. You've broken my 'curse.' I'll love you eternally."

I gazed up at him in silence, incapable of words. I was in pieces.

Even as Annabelle dragged me away, I could still hear Sebastian's cackles.

"Did you hear that? I heard that killing off the last remnants of her wolf would cause her ten times more pain than she's already enduring."

Murphy West, Sebastian's Beta, added, "Did you see her? She was writhing on the ground like a worm. Ha!"

Their words cut deeper than any wound. It hurt more than the death of my wolf.

Then, Annabelle threw me into a pitch black room. I was alone.

Trembling, I sat up and fumbled for my phone. I dialed a number that I hadn't called for years.

"Gareth, I've made my choice. I want to go home."