Chapter 2

Then my mom texted me:

"Zoe, take advantage of these three days to say goodbye to your friends. Once you arrive, Mom won't let you go again."

Say goodbye? To those who only remembered me when they needed someone to blame?

I thought of my father—who had shown me nothing but cold contempt; of Alex—whose love disappeared the moment Sophia appeared; and of John—who severed our bond the instant he chose her over me.

Three days?

Three days were more than enough.

I turned off my phone and stood silently in the middle of the pack's forest.

The wind howled through the trees, sharp and unforgiving. The cold bit at my skin, but I didn't move.

This place had once been my den. Now, it was nothing but a cage I was finally ready to leave behind.

My limbs were trembling from the cold after standing outside for so long. I had been hesitating, unsure of how to start the conversation, and that's why I remained in the freezing wind for such a long time. Only after what felt like forever did I finally gather the courage to mind-link my dad.

After all, no matter how much had changed between us, he was still my father—and I owed him that final goodbye, if only out of the respect and love I once held for him.

But he cut the link immediately.

And when I tried to call his phone, it was switched off.

I had no choice.

Swallowing my pride, I forced myself to call Alex.

This time, after what felt like forever, the call was finally answered.

"Why are you still calling?"

"Don't you know Sophia is competing in the Werewolf Challenge right now?"

"You almost distracted her!"

His words stabbed through me like knives.

I knew he loved Sophia more. But it still hurt—just as much every time.

Clenching my fists, I fought back the pain surging in my chest and forced my voice to stay steady.

"Alex... how about we have dinner together? It's been a long time since we saw each other."

He let out a cold sigh.

Fearing he'd say something that would cut even deeper, I rushed to speak before he could.

"I heard there's a new seafood restaurant... Sophia loves seafood, right?

Maybe we could all go together?"

Sophia was the orphan she-wolf my dad adopted.

Since the day she came back to our den, I had never once lowered my head to her.

But now, seeing me in such a humiliated state, Alex looked at me with nothing but contempt.

"Zoe, what kind of drama are you pulling now? Sophia almost missed her Challenge because of your little stunt. And now what? Planning to poison her with wolfsbane in the seafood?"

His words were as sharp as blades, each one slicing deeper than the last.

That elder brother who once promised to believe me no matter what—he was gone, completely.

I tried to explain, my voice trembling.

"No... Alex, I just wanted to see you."

"But I don't want to see you."

His cruel rejection hadn't even settled in when a familiar soft voice chimed in from the background.

Sophia.

"Alex, don't speak to Zoe like that. You'll break her heart.""We haven't seen each other in a while. Let's have dinner together."

Then, as if reading from a script:

"But I'm a bit tired after today's Challenge. Why don't we eat at home?"

She paused, then added sweetly, "I want crabs. But the servants are off today… would it be okay if Zoe cooked them for me?"

Without hesitation, Alex responded, "Absolutely."

I didn't even think—I rushed to agree.

"I'll go home and make it now."

I hung up quickly, afraid they might change their minds.

But in my eagerness to please, I forgot the one thing I should never have—

I'm allergic to seafood. I can't even touch it.