Chapter 5

Carrying my travel bag, I found a rundown motel on the edge of the territory.

The place reeked of mildew and stale air. The wallpaper was peeling, and the carpet was covered in stains. But for an outcast like me, it was the only shelter I could find.

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

The agony of Wolf Soul-Decay felt like a thousand silver needles piercing my bones. Every breath was a torment.

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

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

Silas was always "kindly" helping me adjust the lining of my training gear. But every time, my skin would burn.

The searing pain would cause me to collapse on the training grounds, my body covered in a red rash.

Everyone thought I was allergic to the material of the training uniform. Only I knew it was silver dust.

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

My leg was broken. I lay in a cave for a whole night. When the search party found me, I was feverish and delirious.

Silas had tears in his eyes. "It's all my fault I didn't protect my brother. I should have found him sooner."

He became the hero; I became the burden who needed saving.

The worst part was the "healing" herbs.

Whenever I was injured, Silas would always take it upon himself to care for me. He would personally brew the medicine and bring it to me like a devoted younger brother.

I thought it was a sign of his affection.

But I only grew weaker. Thinking back now, those herbs must have been laced with trace amounts of wolfsbane, slowly eroding my wolf spirit.

Everyone, including myself, thought I was just naturally frail. It turned out I had been slowly poisoned since the age of twelve.

Meanwhile, in the pack's main office, Valeria sat at her desk, unable to focus on her work.

The signals of pain coming through the mate bond made her restless.

The stabbing sensation would wax and wane, as if someone were repeatedly cutting at her heart with a dull knife.

"Damn it!" She shot up from her chair, sweeping the documents off her desk.

She had a strong urge to find Rowan immediately, to make sure he was safe. But her pride wouldn't let her.

When the mind-link chimed in my head, the agony had nearly dragged me into unconsciousness. It was Valeria, her thoughts as cold as frost.

"Rowan, come back and apologize to Silas immediately. Don't think running away will solve anything."

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

I wondered if she felt even a sliver of concern for me. But it didn't matter anymore. There was only one day left until my death.

The next afternoon, an apprentice from Bruno's diner knocked on my door. He was a kind Omega boy with clear, innocent eyes.

"Sir, our boss asked me to bring you something to eat."

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

At that moment, my eyes welled up. In this entire world, there was still someone who cared about me, a useless outcast abandoned by everyone.

Just as I was about to gratefully accept the soup, Silas suddenly appeared. He was dressed in black combat gear, a perfect smile on his face.

"My dear brother, there you are. I finally found you."

He strode over and shoved the boy aside. The hot soup spilled onto the floor, splashing onto my leg and making me hiss in pain.

"Oh, my apologies," Silas said, his sincerity faked. "But Rowan, it's best you don't drink things from strangers."

The young Omega glared at him. "Why did you do that?"

"Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, pup," Silas sneered, his Elite Warrior's pressure flaring.

The boy's face went pale, and he stumbled backward.

"By the way, that official from the Hall has been dismissed," Silas said, turning to me, his tone casual, as if we were just chatting.

"The Alpha Female had him removed from his post personally."

"Look at you, so useless you just drag others down with you."

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

Hearing this, I felt my world crumble. Even the one person who had been willing to help me had been punished because of me. I was a curse on everyone.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, using all the strength I had left.

"Because I hate you!" Silas's laugh was sharp and mocking, a grating sound that cut through the air.

"You're dying anyway, so why not do it somewhere far away? Why do you have to linger in Black Moon territory like an eyesore? Do you think Valeria believes you? From the very beginning, she's seen you as nothing but a burden!"

My voice was calm when I spoke. "Silas, I have never done anything to harm you. Why do you hate me so much?"

"What can I say? An orphan living on scraps was never going to measure up to a destined mate."

Silas stood up, looking down at me. "But I just can't stand it. Why does a waste of space like you get everything? All of it should belong to someone strong, like me!"

"You know, I know exactly why your body is so weak."

He looked at me coldly, his eyes glinting with malice.

"Since you were twelve, I've been adding wolfsbane to your food. Little by little, slowly corroding your wolf spirit."

"The silver dust in your armor lining, the push off the cliff, and all those poisoned herbs... all my handiwork."

I trembled with rage, wanting nothing more than to smash my fist into his face. But as soon as I raised my hand, he shoved me to the ground.

He slowly squatted down. "What? Are you angry? Resentful? Too bad. You're too weak to do anything about it! You don't even have the strength to kill me!"

He kicked me hard a few times, a satisfied smirk on his face as he watched me curl up on the floor, groaning in pain.

"All these years, watching you grow weaker day by day has brought me so much joy. Well, once you're dead, I'll be the one and only mate to the Alpha Female. And I'll be Mom and Dad's proudest son."

The intense pain nearly made me pass out. Silas left the room in high spirits, whistling softly.

He was completely unaware that the phone I'd set on the nightstand was recording. The red light of the recording indicator glowed silently, capturing every word of his confession.

I painfully dragged myself up from the floor. Looking at the complete recording on my phone, I finally smiled.

On the last day of my life, I could finally make everyone see Silas for who he truly was.

The instant Silas struck me, Valeria, back in her office, felt a violent jolt through her soul.

A dark premonition enveloped her like a storm cloud, making it almost impossible to breathe.

"Rowan..." she murmured, cold sweat beading on her forehead.