Chapter 36

Lilith didn’t hesitate; she slipped into the front passenger seat, leaving me alone on the street. Justin reacted immediately, struggling in the back seat.

“Let me out! I want to go home with my sister!” he barked.

But Selene’s voice was like ice. “Drive. To the airport.”

The driver didn’t question it. The car surged forward, and I stood there—alone, still. My figure in the rearview mirror grew smaller and smaller until I disappeared entirely. Justin pressed his forehead against the window, helpless, eyes fixed on me as guilt twisted in his chest.

He had a headache from the alcohol, his stomach still aching from the night before, but it was the weight of shame that pressed hardest on him. Still, he didn’t dare lash out. Not at Selene.

That didn’t stop her fury.

“Look at yourself!” she snapped, yanking him back into his seat. “What did that wretched girl do to you? She’s bewitched you, hasn’t she? You don’t even recognize your own family anymore!”

Then, as if calculating aloud, her tone turned eerily calm. “When your father gets back, we need to talk about sending Mia away. Avery can wait. If he needs a kidney down the line, we’ll find Mia again. Offer her ten million—she’s obsessed with money. She’ll jump at the chance.”

Justin turned, horrified. “You’re not serious.”

“She’s just a means to an end,” Selene said coldly. “You were foolish to ever believe otherwise.”

“I won’t let you take her kidney,” Justin said, his voice rising. “I can’t believe I ever agreed to bring her back as a backup organ!”

“You don’t get to agree or disagree, Justin. You’re not in charge of this. And she’d probably be glad to trade a kidney for some cash,” Selene scoffed. “Don’t forget—Avery is your real brother.”

“And Mia’s my real sister,” Justin snapped. “If Avery needs a kidney, he can take mine!”

Smack.

Selene’s slap echoed inside the car.

“You’ve completely lost your mind,” she hissed. “We raised you, trained you to be the heir of Snow Moon Pack, poured everything into your future. Do you think it was all so you could throw it away for that ungrateful brat? You were raised to be a superior man—not some emotional fool!”

Justin let out a bitter laugh. “Superior? No… just a well-groomed puppet. All my brothers, second, third, fourth—they got to follow their dreams. Me? I was the tool. The golden boy. The one who would build Snow Moon Pack’s legacy. No one ever asked me what I wanted.”

He paused, fists clenched, the weight of his childhood pressing down on him. “I used to be okay with it. I loved my family—I thought, if everyone’s happy, then I’ll be happy too. But now I see... What’s the point of being rich, powerful, and respected if the people you’re trying to protect hate you?”

Selene blinked, stunned. Justin had never spoken to her like this.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she muttered. “Aren’t you happy that your brothers didn’t fight you for the inheritance? You should be grateful. Other families tear themselves apart. At least ours is—”

“Harmonious?” Justin laughed again, this time darker. “Everything changed the moment Mia came back. And now you want to drive her away again?”

Selene’s expression twisted. “Exactly. She’s the problem.”

She reached for her phone. “I’ll have Shawn take care of this.”

But Justin slapped her hand down. “Don’t bother. I’ll take Mia and move out myself.”

He didn’t care about the money or the company anymore. He just wanted to do something right—for once. Maybe then, Mia would forgive him. Maybe then, she’d finally call him “brother.”

Up front, Lilith sat stiffly, her hands curled into fists. Her heart burned as she listened. Justin used to dote on her. He used to put her first. But now… now Mia had stolen everything.

She didn’t care if Justin left. He was only one of six brothers. She still had the rest—and her parents. Let him sulk. Let him throw his little tantrum. But Mia? She’d pay.

Lilith tapped her phone and logged into her secret alt account. It took seconds to find Feral Wolf Shaw’s profile—an underground contact she’d gotten from Noelle.

Lilith:

Shaw. 100k. Ruin a woman’s life. You in?

Shaw:

What kind of woman?

Lilith:

A college girl. Weird. But you can bring backup.

Shaw:

Tch. How weird could she be?

Lilith:

Here’s her pic. Do whatever you want—just don’t kill her.

She sent the blurry photo she’d taken of me. Shaw zoomed in. She was beautiful—even in low res.

Perfect.

Shaw:

Where is she?

Lilith:

Near the police station. Hard to catch a cab. You’ll find her.

Lilith:

The money’s in your account. If you do well, I’ll throw in a bonus.

Shaw:

Say less. It’s a done deal.

Lilith smiled and erased every trace of the chat. She stayed on the fake account, though. She wanted to watch the fallout.

---

Not far from the station, Shaw slurped his last noodles and got on a rented electric bike. His scarred face twisted into a grin when he spotted a lone girl walking away, me. Even prettier than the picture. He licked his lips and made the call.

“Boys. Time to play.”

---

I knew I was being followed long before Shaw made his move.

I caught his reflection in a storefront window—shifty eyes, a jagged scar like a centipede crawling down his cheek. I didn’t flinch. Instead, I walked calmly toward a quiet alley. No traffic. No pedestrians.

Perfect.

I had just received a message from Liana, asking me to stop by to treat a friend. I was planning to grab something nearby before heading over.

Guess lunch would have to wait.

I turned the corner into the alley. Shaw’s footsteps quickened behind me.

Then—BANG—his bike scraped against the wall with a clang. He stumbled off it, cursing.

“You blind bitch!” he snarled, storming toward me. “You made me crash!”

I didn’t budge. “You crashed because you were too busy following me.”

He blinked, thrown off. “What—?”

“You gonna try and stage a fake accident now?” I added coolly. “Extort some money? Cute.”

He squinted, suddenly unsure. How did I know?

Still, he recovered fast. “Look, sweetheart. You’re hot. Serve me right, and I’ll forget the whole thing.”

His eyes slid down my chest. I didn’t flinch.

More shadows emerged from the other side of the alley. Five men. Big. Grimy. Laughing.

“Damn, Shaw! You didn’t say she was a dime like this!” one of them called.

They closed in. A circle of wolves.

I smiled.

Bad idea, boys.

You have no idea who you’re messing with.