Chapter 1

“Miss Nightingale, are you certain you want us to stage your death in three days?” the elder from the Silver Coast Temple asked gravely.

It happened to be the Moon Blessing Festival, the most important day of the year for every werewolf pack.

The wind came howling straight at me. I closed my eyes and let the tears slide down my face.

“Yes,” I said. “I'm certain.”

The elder fell silent for a long moment before letting out a low sigh.

“Who would have thought Miss Nightingale, once treasured by Alpha Kaiden and Beta Soren, would be pushed this far by an adopted Omega?”

“Still, now that you've made up your mind, I hope you make the most of these last few days with your family.”

I watched him leave and stood there for a long moment.

My cheek still ached from the force of Kaiden shoving me aside after Lia, the outsider Omega my brother had adopted, tearfully accused me of coating her utensils with silver poison.

“Three days left,” I murmured. “After that, we probably won't see each other again.”

Whatever had happened between us, I still wanted to spend these last days saying goodbye properly.

I knew Soren and Kaiden had both shut me out of the mind-link in anger, but I still could not stop myself from reaching for them.

Just as expected, I was met with nothing but silence.

I let out a bitter laugh before pulling out my phone and calling Soren.

The phone rang for a long time with no answer, but I stayed there in the wind, almost punishing myself by waiting.

Maybe some part of me still refused to believe that the brother who had raised me after our Beta parents died protecting the old Alpha could be this cruel.

After what felt like forever, Soren's heavy breathing finally came through the line.

Afraid he would hang up, I hurried to speak first.

“Today is the Moon Blessing Festival. I bought gifts for you and Kaiden.”

“I... I also bought Lia the newest Moonstone necklace she wanted.”

Soren's voice sounded tired, as if he wanted to say something, but Kaiden cut in coldly from beside him.

“Freya, are you trying to hurt Lia again? Tell me, why did you coat her utensils with silver poison?”

“Soren and I have spoiled you all these years. Look at yourself now. Is this any way for the Luna of our pack to behave?”

Hearing the disgust and disappointment in Kaiden's voice hurt worse than I thought it would.

Pain tightened around my chest, but I forced myself to sound normal.

“Can I bring the gifts to the hospital? I'll apologize to her in person.”

I had already explained countless times that I had never coated Lia's tableware with silver poison, but neither Soren nor Kaiden believed me.

Now that I was leaving them forever, I did not want to waste the little time I had left defending myself.

Kaiden seemed taken aback. Even Soren fell silent for a moment.

In their minds, I had always been a little firecracker, someone who never let an insult slide or backed down from a fight.

Yet now I was offering to apologize.

“Freya--” Soren softened his tone.

Before he could finish, Lia's weak but still sweet voice came from the other side.

“Let Freya come. I don't blame her anymore.”

Afraid I would cry if the call lasted any longer, I said I would be there soon and hung up.

The hospital hallway smelled of disinfectant and bitter herbs.

When I pushed open the door, Lia was propped against the pillows beneath a soft white blanket, her face nearly translucent with pallor.

Soren sat beside her bed with a bowl of warm soup in his hands, coaxing her quietly to take one more sip.

Kaiden stood to the side. The moment I came in, his gaze cut toward me, cold and guarded, as if he had already decided I was the one who had hurt Lia.

I tightened my grip on the gift box and forced my voice to stay steady.

“This is for you.”

I handed Kaiden the dark-blue box first. Inside was the brass astrolabe I had searched the entire northern territory to find.

When he was younger, he had once said that after he truly became Alpha, he wanted an old astrolabe in his study, something he could use before council meetings to read the moon tides, the coming storms, and the movement of border packs.

It had taken me ages to find something this rare.

But that year, Lia had just been brought into the pack. Kaiden said she was shy around strangers, so his birthday dinner became a welcome dinner for her.

That brass astrolabe had stayed hidden with me until today.

Kaiden lowered his eyes and saw what was inside. His expression did not soften at all.

The next moment, he swept the box away.

The brass astrolabe hit the corner of the wall with a sharp crack, and its broken pieces scattered across the floor.

I instinctively reached out to catch it, and a jagged shard sliced open my palm. Blood welled up almost at once.

Pain made my fingers tremble, but I quickly hid my hand behind my back.

Kaiden said coldly, “Don't use things like this to soften us. Apologize to Lia first.”

If this had been before, I would have argued with Kaiden until everyone came to stop us.

I would have shown him my bleeding hand and asked why he could not even ask if it hurt.

But now, I only had three days left.

Now, I was too tired to fight anymore.

I walked to Lia's bedside, placed the Moonstone necklace beside her pillow, and said quietly, “I'm sorry. I frightened you tonight.”

“It won't happen again.”

Lia's eyes reddened at once. She lifted her head to look at Soren, then glanced timidly at Kaiden.

“Freya, are you finally willing to forgive me?”

I froze.

She bit her lip, tears sliding down her cheeks.

“I know you grew up with Soren and Kaiden. Now that I'm here, you must feel uncomfortable.”

“I truly don't blame you for the silver poison.”

“As long as you're willing to come back properly, we're still family.”

Her voice grew smaller as she spoke, and at last she lowered her eyes weakly.

Kaiden immediately held her shoulders, his voice dropping. “Lia, stop speaking up for her.”

Soren set down the soup and turned toward me. His gaze landed on the palm I had forgotten to hide, and he went still.

“Freya, why is your hand covered in blood?”

Before I could answer, Lia suddenly pressed a hand to her chest and took a shallow breath.

“Soren... my heart hurts.”

Soren's attention snapped back to her, worry tightening his face.

“Lia, are you all right?”

Seeing the concern in Soren's eyes as he looked at Lia, I quietly slipped the wrist guards I had woven for him back into my coat.