Chapter 1

As I watched them escort Mila Baker out of the cabin, I clenched my jaw against the agony tearing through my body and grabbed Stanley Fischer by the arm. "Stanley, I'll die if I stay here.

"Please just have the helicopter take me to the nearest pack for medical treatment. Can you do that?" I pleaded.

Stanley gently straightened me up with his other hand, but his voice was as cold as ice. "Wendy, there's a limit to how selfish you can be."

His hand was still resting on my waist, yet I felt even colder. "Ever since Mila came home, you've been causing trouble for no reason. You already have everything anyone could ask for.

"She just wants the whole family to accompany her on an extreme adventure for once. Do you really have to hurt her feelings like this?"

The low temperature caused the wolfsbane poison in my body to spread rapidly. It tore at my nerves. My body swayed uncontrollably.

That's right.

My mom, Karen Baker, had told us that when she was injured in the wilderness, Mila, an orphan who had been living on her own, saved her. So Mom brought her home and adopted her.

I had genuinely been grateful to Mila too. I had done my best to take care of her.

I gave up my bedroom so she could have it. I laid out all my jewelry and let her choose whatever she wanted. Whenever she was around, I even tried to make myself less noticeable.

Yet everyone still thought I wasn't doing enough.

They accused me of deliberately refusing to put food on her plate at dinner, complained that the gifts I brought her on vacation weren't expensive enough, and criticized me whenever my dress at a banquet was more eye-catching than hers.

Even Stanley always took her side. He constantly reminded me, "Wendy, she's part of this family now. Stop trying to outshine her at every turn."

But I had never imagined they would risk my life just to make sure Mila got her way.

Cold air kept pouring into my lungs. My throat was growing numb and stiff, and I had no time to think about anything else. I desperately tried to explain. "I-I'm really not trying to compete. W-Wolfsbane poisoning can be fatal in extreme cold temperatures."

Mila released Stanley's hand and stepped forward to take mine. She apologized through her tears. "I'm sorry, Wendy. I thought you were the strongest she-wolf in the pack. I didn't think a little wolfsbane poison would affect your health.

"I didn't consider things carefully enough. Maybe we should just go back."

Sure enough, the moment Mila said that, Mom rushed over and wrapped her arms around her. Her heart went out for Mila. "Oh, sweet Mila, you have nothing to feel guilty about. Wendy is just too petty."

Mom then frowned at me. "Wendy, do you remember promising me that you'd treat Mila like your own sister when she first came home?

"She just wants to experience what it's like to have a loving family. You can't even give her that? Your unreasonable behavior is breaking my heart."

My older brother, Bryan Baker, walked over and glared at me. "Mila, don't pay any attention to her. We'll all go with you."

Mila burst into even louder sobs. "I'm just not worthy of having such an amazing sister."

The next second, Stanley removed his hand from my waist, wrapped his arms around Mila, and gently wiped her tears away.

Without his support, my already stiff body suddenly lost its balance.

I collapsed onto the ground and groaned through my clenched jaw.

One of the subordinates accompanying us had been standing near the front. Seeing that no one was making any move to help me, he hesitated before speaking softly. "Wendy looks abnormally pale. Her lips are turning blue.

"It doesn't look like she's pretending. Should I bring her to a healer first?"

After hearing his words, I nodded desperately despite my weakened body.