Chapter 1

Jack Fraley's face darkened instantly.

He pointed at me and snarled in a low voice, "Have you lost your mind? The scouting team's mindstone is still active! Do you have any idea how the Elder Council will see you when they get this feed?"

He bent down to pick up the scattered dried grass.

The ring I had given him, the symbol of our mate bond, glinted between his fingers, painfully bright.

The other Beta werewolves in the team gathered around, all stepping forward to defend Lily Baker.

Her family had been rising fast lately. Everyone was happy to curry favor.

"Luna, you're too emotional. Alpha meant well. How could you lash out like that?"

"Exactly. It's Lily's first time on a full-moon raid. As Luna, it's your duty to keep her safe."

I tried to explain, but my throat had already been scorched raw by the silver mist. Not a single clear sound would come out.

At that moment, Lily peeked out from behind Jack, her eyes rimmed red.

"Luna, please don't be angry at Alpha. If it helps… I can give the moonstone back. My skin burns a little, but I can endure it…"

The moment she said that, Jack pulled her closer to his chest.

"Don't be stupid! She's just using her status as Luna to bully a new member. Back when she led the pack to fight for territory in Northland, she wasn't this delicate."

"Fight for territory?" I stared at him in disbelief, feeling as if an invisible hand was crushing my lungs. "When I held Northland against pressure from three packs, whose glory was I fighting for?"

Jack's expression turned ugly.

"That was your choice. I never forced you. And besides, that was your duty as my mate. What, did you expect me to thank you every single day?"

After a pause, he lifted his chin arrogantly.

"Lily saved my life. If her face gets ruined by this silver mist, can you take responsibility for that?"

It was absurd.

For a so-called savior, he was willing to sacrifice me. What kind of debt could outweigh a five-year mate bond?

The silver mist thickened, my vision blurring at the edges.

I had to brace myself against the rough bark of a tree just to stay upright. My legs felt boneless.

The knee I had injured saving Jack years ago throbbed deep in the cold, damp fog, pain seeping into every joint.

I stared at the two of them, desperate to rush forward and demand answers, but all that escaped my throat was a hoarse wheeze.

A female Beta exaggeratedly mimicked my sound, then burst out laughing.

"What's wrong? Choked up from anger? You were pretty sharp-tongued back when you argued against Elder Abbott at the Elder Council meeting."

Laughter rippled through the group.

Jack stood there with his arms crossed, watching coldly, as if I were nothing more than a hysterical fool.

"Enough. Stop embarrassing yourself."

He grabbed the strap of my gear and dragged me deeper into the swamp.

"Stay here and calm down. We'll talk once the fog clears. Otherwise, you'll just do something else that disgraces the Luna title. And when that happens, my reputation will take the hit."

"This mist… It's highly toxic…"

I clutched his sleeve, my fingers trembling uncontrollably.

He shook me off hard. The edge of the ring scraped across the back of my hand, leaving behind a chilling sting.

"Cut the act. How long are you gonna keep playing this pity game to fight for attention? You think I don't see through you? I'm not one of those werewolves who worship you blindly. I won't go soft just because you pretend to faint."

With a loud rustle, he yanked a vine covered in silver thorns across the path behind me, sealing off my only escape and trapping me in the thickest part of the mist.

Their voices drifted in from outside. Jack was laughing as he handed Lily a bottle of water.

"Just ignore her. She's been put on a pedestal for too long. Does she really think the Bloodmoon Pack would fall apart without her?"

"Jack, will she really be okay? I heard this silver mist is extremely dangerous…"

Lily's voice was full of fake concern.

"What could happen? She once drove off a rampaging grizzly on her own. What's a little fog compared to that?"

Curled up behind the thorny vines, I didn't even have the strength to cough.

The toxic mist slid into my lungs like icy snakes through my mouth and nose.

Earlier, I had taken a bottle of Moonshard Elixir from a witch, along with a mindstone meant for emergencies.

That elixir was now lying near Lily's boots, only a few steps away.

Yet, I couldn't even lift my hand.

My body trembled violently from the pain as my vision dimmed.

Outside, not a single person looked back at me.

I didn't know how much time passed before a pair of delicate deerskin boots stopped in front of me.

It was Lily.

She removed the moonstone. There wasn't a trace of burn on her face.

A victorious smile curved her lips as she crouched down, her voice low and poisonous.

"My dear Luna, do you know this? Jack has wanted to sever the mate bond with you for a long time."

I stared at her with widened eyes, trying to curse her out, but only a weak hiss escaped my throat.

Lily's smile widened.

"He said your face makes him sick. If it weren't for your family backing you, he never would've married an aging, ugly she-wolf like you."