Chapter 1

Bang…!

Brute force hurled me out of the car. From behind me, piercing laughter and cheers erupted.

I staggered to my feet as the cold, damp air of the forest crept down my spine. Goosebumps burst all over my skin.

In the darkness, crimson eyes began to glow.

Beasts! Countless of them!

"No…!"

My teeth rattled with terror. I spun around and lunged for the car door, wanting to climb back. Yet, my efforts were met with a loud slam.

Those inside, safely hidden in their steel fortress, treated me as nothing more than a joke for their entertainment. No one cared whether I could make it out of this accursed forest alive or otherwise.

Growl…

Around me, low growls rumbled.

The beasts stepped out from behind the bushes, one after another. Their fangs glinted with a cold, cruel light, as if they were already at my throat.

I was a fighter. I had always been disciplined in my training.

Yet, I knew that I had no chance against so many Beasts.

"Open the door! Let me in! Please!"

The Beasts closed in, every step making my skin crawl as I slammed my fists on the door in panic.

Yet, all I got in response was loud laughter from inside the car. They even pulled out cash and started placing bets on how long I would last against the Beasts' assault.

Roar…!

A giant Beast, so much taller than me, suddenly lunged.

"No!"

I screamed; the impact slammed me away, and in an instant, razor-sharp fangs tore into my neck.

The thick scent of blood permeated the air as pain surged through my body. Cold sweat drenched my back, and my consciousness started to fade.

Right before everything went black, I could just make out two men standing coldly behind the car window.

Once, one of them had given me a new life. Now he stood in silence, utterly indifferent. The other had sworn to always be by my side. Now, he held another woman in his arms, as if my dying self wasn't worth even a glance.

Upon seeing this, agony coursed through me, pain a hundred times worse than the Beast's fangs.

At that moment, I finally understood something.

No one cared about me.

Not even a single soul.

"Violet…!"

Just before I blacked out, someone seemed to be calling my name in a panic. Sapped of strength, I couldn't reply. In the end, I simply let the darkness swallow everything.

I didn't wake up again until the sharp smell of disinfectant stung my nose. It was so strong that I woke up coughing. Nearby, I could hear low voices murmuring.

A healer leaned over to check on me. "She's awake! Go inform the two Alphas."

I struggled to sit up, glancing around the cold, sterile hospital room. My gaze landed on my bandaged, battered body. Then, the memories came flooding back.

I had gone to Claire Beaumont's welcome-back party as Alpha Julian Archer's date.

Claire, lunatic she was, desired something thrilling. She pushed Julian and Alpha Lucian Gray into making a bet. The loser would have to throw his date into the Death Forest, where Beasts prowled.

Not wanting to gamble my life on such a stupid game, I decisively refused.

But Claire kept insisting.

Julian and Lucian… They actually agreed!

They played a "Hunting Game" with bone tiles carved by claws. The rules were much like poker.

Julian had a winning hand, but then he suddenly paused and glanced at Claire, whose face had gone pale due to her uneasiness. If Lucian lost, she knew she would be thrown into the forest.

Julian hesitated…and then deliberately sabotaged his hand. He threw away his chance of winning.

"Julian?!" I couldn't believe my eyes.

"I lost." Julian tossed his cards, his voice icy cold.

Lucian sneered as he stared at me. "If you're going to bet, you have to be willing to lose. Rules are rules."

My heart sank as a cold dread gripped my heart.

"No… Tell them, Julian! You could have won!" I pleaded desperately as I looked at him.

But Julian turned away, his voice cold. "You're seeing things. I couldn't have won."

"No…!"

Alas, my pleas fell on deaf ears. They dragged me to the edge of the forest. After all, a bet was a bet.

Claire nestled into Lucian's arms, flashing me an obviously fake smile.

"Violet, good luck!"

I didn't want to force myself to remember what happened next. The wound on my neck still ached, a reminder of everything that had happened after I was thrown out of the car.

Those claws and fangs…

And that bone-deep betrayal.

I would never forget the faces of the two men, once central in my life, watching in cold silence as I had one foot in the grave.

Just then, footsteps echoed outside the hospital room.

Julian and Lucian walked in, with Claire peeking in behind them, her expression one of fake concern.