Chapter 1

"I'll do it," I said.

Every argument and underhanded tactic that Carlson Moonclaw had prepared to coax and pressure me into agreeing with him suddenly died in his throat when he heard that. He was visibly taken aback with a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"Well, since you agreed to it, then I will definitely carry through with it. You can ask for anything except for me to mark you."

I looked up, meeting his gaze, and said, "I only have one request. After the surgery, I want to leave Moonshadow Pack, and I will no longer be your stepsister from then on. I don't want to have anything to do with the pack or with you anymore."

Carlson's brows furrowed instantly as if he'd just heard a pathetic joke.

"Are you serious, Ayna Radolf?"

He probably thought that I would behave like I used to, crying and demanding that he give me all of his love and attention and make me his mate. He never thought that I would ask to leave.

"If you don't have pack protection, you won't be able to live on your own beyond three days with your current condition," he said in a warning tone, certain that I was only throwing a tantrum and playing hard-to-get.

I responded nonchalantly, "Okay."

I didn't care if I could live on my own after that. It was certainly better than certain death under his hands.

Carlson looked at my unperturbed expression and frowned even harder.

A few seconds later, the shock in his eyes vanished, replaced instead with disdain and mockery.

"I get it now. You think that I'm going to give in to your inappropriate whims and fancies just because you're threatening to run away from home?"

He looked down on me, his tone self-righteous and condescending. "Stop it with your little schemes. There will never be a future between us. My only mate is Selena, and Selena alone."

I looked at him behaving like this and felt a profound sense of helplessness.

I could still vividly recall the pain of being torn apart by the Rogue wolf in the underground dungeon in my past life. And so, this time, I certainly wasn't so pathetic as to cling to someone who wanted me dead ultimately.

"I know," I responded just as calmly.

Carlson looked like he still wanted to say something, but I couldn't be bothered to listen to him anymore.

"If you don't have anything else to say to me, then I'm taking my leave now."

I turned around and walked out of the room without a backward glance.

I'd only just made my way out to the hallway when a loud scream suddenly rang out.

A split second later, Carlson rushed out right past me, shoving me aside harshly with his shoulder, his eyes fixed on the figure lying on the ground.

"Selena!"

He rushed up to her and carefully gathered her into his arms, tenderly yet urgently asking her if she was alright.

"What happened?"

Selena Fang shrank into his arms, timidly raising her eyes to him and looking hesitant to speak. I saw her glancing toward me with malice in her eyes.

"It's not Ayna's fault, Carlson. I just couldn't see where I was going because I'm blind, and I guess I must have bumped into her… Please don't blame her for anything."

She then bit her lower lip and humbled her voice until she could barely even be heard.

"After all… She's a noble white wolf, and I… I'm just a blind, abandoned, used-up piece of trash. I don't mind living in the darkness for the rest of my life because I don't expect her to give me her eye…

"I just wish that she'd stop shoving me… It's hard for me to walk on my own, and I'm already frightened as I am…"

Tears then began streaming down her cheeks as she played the perfect role of the victim.

The same thing had happened to me in my past life, and I was nailed to the pillory of shame because of what she said here. But this time, I simply stood there and coldly watched her pathetic performance.

"Noble?"

Carlson turned abruptly to look at me, his eyes as sharp as knives. "She doesn't even deserve it."

His words stabbed right into my heart like a frigid icicle.

"If it weren't for my protection all these years, she'd end up nothing but trash, utterly destroyed by the Rogues! Forget about her losing just one eye—she'd still have to put up with it if she lost them both!"

So, the person whom I had loved with all of my heart for 15 years thought that I was nothing but a worthless piece of trash who didn't even deserve to exist.

My heart clenched uncomfortably at the thought, but still, I felt utterly relieved more than anything else.

I refused to continue listening to his degrading words and walked out of the healing center instead.

The cold wind whipped against my face. I pulled out my phone and called Mia Grayhound, my only friend in the world.

I went straight to the point as soon as she picked up.

"Mia, I heard that the Northwind Center is willing to take in homeless wolves. Is that true?"

Mia went silent for a second. When she spoke again, she sounded tense.

"It's true. But what happened? Did Carlson bully you again?"

"No," I said, leaning back against the cold wall, my voice soft yet firm and determined.

"I'm just asking hypothetically if I were to be exiled from my own pack, and my wolf was severely injured, would the Alpha of Northwind Pack still take in a useless wolf like me?"