Chapter 1

Almost everyone gathered around Monica Hudson. They were checking her injuries and soothing her with gentle voices.

Meanwhile, I sat alone off to the side. I was accompanied only by a healer who wasn't particularly skilled.

Monica looked at me through her tears and raised a hand. She was trying to push Leo Blackwood toward me.

"Leo, I don't mind letting Winnie go first. Take her with you."

Perhaps the movement pulled at her wounds. Monica hissed in pain and furrowed her brows.

Leo immediately bent down and applied all the ointment to her scrapes. "Winnie's a Beta. She's always been strong and healthy. You don't need to worry about her."

Dad looked at me with disappointment. "Winnie, you're her elder sister. It's bad enough that you failed to protect Monica. But to compete with her for attention at a time like this? I'm truly disappointed in you."

I opened my mouth. I wanted to tell them that Monica had merely tripped over something and suffered a few minor scrapes.

I'd taken a beam to the back while protecting her. My bones were broken, and I couldn't even stand.

But before I could speak, another bout of Monica's sobbing interrupted me.

Leo and Dad exchanged a glance before carrying her toward the ambulance.

The healer Serene beside me began examining my injuries. She gently peeled back my collar and listened to my heartbeat through a stethoscope.

My burned skin had fused with my clothing. The moment she touched it, pain shot through me and made my entire body tremble.

Serene's expression changed instantly. She called out to Leo. "Captain, she's breathing heavily, and she has broken ribs pressing directly against her heart!

Leo's expression changed. He instinctively glanced at me. Dad stepped in front of him and blocked his path. "Leo, this healer knows Winnie. She's definitely helping her lie. Besides, Winnie just came out of a fire. Of course she's breathing heavily."

Serene raised her voice anxiously. "That's not true! I've only met Winnie once. Her injuries really are severe!"

Dad took a step back. His expression turned cold again as he looked at me. "Winnie, you're a warrior. You know how to protect yourself. You're clearly only slightly injured, yet you're pretending to be seriously hurt. You just want us to pay attention to you, don't you?

"Monica is merely an Omega. She's not as agile as you. Instead of protecting her, you're competing with her for attention at a time like this!"

I stared at Dad and suddenly felt like laughing. In his mind, even if I really was seriously injured, it could only be because I'd deliberately hurt myself to compete for his affection.

Summoning every ounce of strength I had, I raised a hand and pointed at my chest. I then pointed at Monica.

I'd inhaled too much smoke, and my throat was too damaged for me to speak. I wanted to use our mind-link connection to tell Dad why I'd been injured.

That's when I suddenly recalled that ever since Monica's coming-of-age ceremony last month, Dad had severed our mind-link connection because I'd opposed his decision to give her the necklace Mom had left behind.

The words 'I was injured while protecting Monica' remained trapped in my mind. I swallowed them along with the blood rising in my throat.

Serene couldn't hold back any longer. "Alpha, I'm really not lying to you!"

Dad's expression darkened. He thought Serene was challenging his authority. "I've been an Alpha for over thirty years, and this is the first time anyone has dared defy me.

"Winnie is fully conscious right now. She even has the strength to argue. Besides, she brought this upon herself."

The rescue crew began urging him to hurry. "Alpha, we can't wait any longer. The injured have already been left waiting too long."

I tried to reach Leo through our mind-link connection, hoping he would leave the medicine behind.

At least then, I might be able to hold on a little longer.

After receiving my message, Leo glanced at the remaining medicine in his hand. He then looked at Monica beside him. He hesitated.

Just as he was about to toss the medicine to me, Monica suddenly grabbed his hand and spoke weakly. "Leo, I'm in so much pain."

With that, she collapsed into his arms.

Leo's face turned pale. "Enough, Winnie! Your injuries aren't serious. Having a healer here with you is more than enough. Monica can't tolerate pain like you can. She needs the medicine more than you do.

"And stop using our mind-link connection to distract me. I'll come back for you right after we've sent her to the healer's den."

With that, he blocked our mind-link connection.

Dad grew anxious too and shouted at me. "Winnie, you're my daughter and the pride of this pack. Monica's parents died fighting for the pack. I owe it to them to protect her."

They grew smaller and smaller in my field of vision until they disappeared completely.

The ambulance was gone.

Serene carefully laid me flat on the ground and began examining my injuries.

It wasn't long before she discovered the fragments of building debris embedded in my body.

I opened my eyes slightly. Blood and mud covered me from head to toe. Their colors were indistinguishable beneath the grime.

I had multiple bleeding wounds. There was so much blood. They simply hadn't bothered to look closely enough to notice.