Chapter 6

I dragged my suitcase to a dilapidated motel on the edge of the territory.

It reeked of mildew and stale smoke.

The wallpaper was peeling, and the carpet was covered in stains.

But for me, an outcast, it was the only shelter I had.

In the middle of the night, a sharp pain tore me from a nightmare.

The agony of Wolf Spirit Decay was like a thousand silver needles stabbing into my bones.

Every breath was a torment.

I curled up under the thin blanket as memories of my childhood flooded back.

I was only twelve then, just starting my combat training.

Lydia would always helpfully tidy my training uniform.

But every time I put on the uniform she had tidied for me, my skin would burn.

The itching was so intense I would collapse on the training grounds.

Everyone thought I was just too delicate, unable to even handle the material of the uniform.

Only I knew it was silver powder.

"Elena is so fragile. She can't even handle a little irritation," the trainer at the time had said with a shake of his head.

And Lydia would rush over with concern. "Sister, are you okay? I'll go get you some medicine."

At fourteen, during a hunting exercise, someone pushed me off a cliff.

I broke my leg and lay in a cave for a whole night.

When the search party found me, I was delirious with a high fever.

Lydia's eyes would fill with tears. "It's all my fault," she'd sob. "I should have protected my sister. I should have found her sooner."

She became the hero; I became the burden who needed to be saved.

But the worst part was the so-called healing herbs.

Whenever I was injured, Lydia would always take it upon herself to care for me. She would personally brew the medicine and gently feed it to me.

I thought it was a gesture of sisterly love.

But I only grew weaker.

Looking back, I realized those herbs must have been laced with wolfsbane.

It had been slowly, bit by bit, eroding my wolf spirit.

Everyone, including myself, believed I was born weak.

It turned out I had been slowly poisoned since I was twelve.

Meanwhile, in the Alpha's office, Caleb sat at his desk, unable to focus on a single document.

The signals of pain from our mate bond made him restless.

The stabbing pain came in waves, a phantom echo of a dull knife twisting in his soul.

"Damn it!" he shot to his feet, sweeping the papers off his desk.

He had a powerful urge to find me immediately, to make sure I was safe.

But his pride wouldn't let him.

He needed a reason.

When the mind-link pinged in my head, the agony of my dying body almost made me lose consciousness.

It was a message from Caleb, his tone as cold as frost.

"Elena, come back and apologize to Lydia at once. Don't think you can solve anything by running away."

I didn't reply. I was too weak to even muster the strength to respond.

I wondered if he still felt even a sliver of concern for me.

But it didn't matter anymore. There was only one day left on my death countdown.

The next afternoon, an apprentice from Rosa's Diner knocked on my door.

He was a kind Omega boy with eyes as clear as a spring.

"Miss, our owner asked me to bring you something to eat."

He carefully held out a bowl of steaming hot soup, the aroma of healing herbs wafting from it.

At that moment, my eyes welled with tears.

In this world, there was still someone who cared about me, an outcast abandoned by everyone.

Just as I was about to gratefully accept the soup, Lydia appeared.

She was dressed in a tight black outfit, a perfect smile on her face.

"Sister Elena, I finally found you."

She strode over and shoved the boy aside.

The hot soup splashed onto the floor, splattering onto my leg and making me hiss in pain.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry," Lydia feigned an apology. "But it's probably for the best that you don't drink things from strangers, sister."

The boy glared at her angrily. "Why did you do that?"

"Little boys shouldn't meddle in adults' business," Lydia sneered, releasing a wave of her dominant pheromones.

The boy's face turned pale, and he staggered back.

"By the way, that council official was dismissed," Lydia said, her tone deceptively casual. "The Alpha fired him personally. For daring to process your severance ritual."

"See? You're so useless you drag everyone down with you."

"Now the entire pack knows you're an ungrateful traitor."

Hearing her words, my world felt like it was collapsing.

Even the one person who had been willing to help me had suffered because of me.

I was a curse to everyone I met.

"Why?" I whispered, the single word taking every last bit of my strength.

"Because I hate you!"

Lydia's laugh was sharp and mocking, a piercing sound in the still room.

"If you're going to die, then just die already. Why are you still hanging around the Black Moon Pack like an eyesore?"

"Do you see Caleb believing you? From the very beginning, he's only ever seen you as a burden!"

This was the real her. This was the perfect Lydia that everyone adored.

My voice was calm as I spoke.

"Lydia, I can honestly say I have never done a single thing to harm you."

"Why do you hate me so much?"