Chapter 2

I froze for a moment, almost laughing from anger. “Why should I resign?”

Casey looked down at me, his eyes cold. “Wolves like you lack the decency to be a lecturer. I won’t entrust Victoria to someone like you.”

My chest tightened, and I struggled to suppress the furious stirrings of my wolf.

“No.”

He let out a short, humorless laugh, as if he had expected that answer.

“That’s fine. Then, I’ll transfer Victoria to another academy. As for the research equipment I promised to donate… Since the contract hasn’t been signed, I’ll take it back.”

The dean’s expression changed instantly. He tried to smooth things over. “Perhaps there’s been some misunderstanding? Why don’t we sit down and discuss—”

Casey cut him off with a dismissive wave. “No need. I’m not interested in speaking with this lecturer.”

He then turned his sharp gaze to me. “If she doesn’t resign within three days, we’ll leave.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

The dean and several others stood by, offering me silent comfort with strange expressions on their faces.

“Professor Cora, you don’t need to worry. The academy would never dismiss a lecturer without reason. As for his donation, we can do without it.”

However, we desperately needed those instruments for our ongoing research.

Watching Casey’s back as he strode away, my chest burned as though on fire. I could not stop myself from chasing after him, moving to block his path.

“Casey, you can’t do this.”

He lowered his head, and a mocking curl appeared on his lips. With apparent disdain on his face, he brushed aside the arm I had placed on his sleeve.

“You're just spending your adulterous father’s money to do what you like. The year our parents separated, you clung to that Alpha father of yours and stood by while he used his status to drive our mother out of the pack.

“For the sake of a limited-edition moon-silver chain, you didn’t even go see her one last time. For six whole years, you never once set foot back home. You never even visited her grave.”

The hatred in his eyes deepened with every word.

“Tell me, Cora. How am I supposed to talk with a wolf like you?”

I could barely speak, my voice faint as I whispered, “Things aren’t the way you think they are…”

He scoffed, leaning in closer. “Oh? Then why don’t you tell me your sad little story? I’d love to hear it.”

I opened my mouth, but the truth was caught in my throat. My mind flashed back to my diagnosis.

Neurogenic Wolf Spirit Atrophy would always start with weakened strength. Then, the wolf's spirit would begin to stiffen. The body would slowly get unresponsive. In the end, both the wolf spirit and the nervous system would die together.

I was already beyond saving. Death awaited me.

Even if I told him the truth, what would it change? At most, it would wring a few more tears out of him when I died. What was the point?

Casey’s voice dripped with a cruel satisfaction, as though he was savoring the taste of revenge.

“All this groveling for a salary? Or is it because Charles Windsor landed in Silver Prison, and now that your backer’s gone, you've come crawling to me?”

Charles Windsor, the Alpha of the Ironclaw Pack, was our father.

He was convicted of embezzling pack funds and sentenced to life by the Northern Werewolf Federation Court.

I could not bear to hear more of his accusations. I turned to leave, but his hand shot out, seizing my wrist in a bruising grip. His strength was sharp, his voice laced with fury. “Why aren’t you talking? Run out of lies already?”

I jerked free.

Suddenly, it hit—that hollowing weakness, the kind that would come with spirit atrophy. My limbs gave out, my vision went dark, my knees buckled, and I collapsed hard onto the floor.

An adult wolf would never fall so easily. To others, I must have looked like I was faking it.

Sure enough, Casey let out a sneer. “Six years later, and your pathetic act has only improved.”

His expression was twisted with disgust as he strode past me, his voice like ice. “You’re just like your ungrateful father. You deserve it.”

I sat on the ground for a long time, watching him walk away, before finally dragging myself up with the wall’s support and stumbling out step by step. I left my resignation letter on the dean’s desk and walked out of the academy.

The moment I stepped outside, Luke’s car pulled up. His face was twisted with anger. “Why is Casey treating you this way?”

He had not even finished speaking when Casey himself emerged from the building. Before my father’s downfall, Luke had been his legal advisor, fighting for his interests. Casey had never liked him.

His cold gaze swept over us, a mocking smile tugging at his mouth.

Unable to hold back, Luke shouted at Casey, “Do you have any idea what Cora has gone through these past years—”