Chapter 1

I was a rarity. A wolf born with two hearts.

My parents paid a fortune to rogue healers to implant the second one when I was just an embryo.

All because my sister, Cora, was born with a defective heart.

They waited for me to grow up, just so I could give my second heart to her.

Later, I met my mate, Alpha Rhys.

He treated me so well. I really thought he was different from my parents.

But the day Cora’s heart failed, my mate held my hand. His touch was terribly gentle.

"Baby, just give Cora one heart. You have a spare, right?"

He didn't know.

I only had one heart left.

I gave my spare to him years ago.

...

"Aurora, please don't make this hard," my mate Rhys coaxed.

He gripped my wrist. His palm was warm.

His tone was gentle, but his Alpha gaze brooked no defiance.

"It's just an extraction surgery. Weren't you born just to heal Cora's heart?"

His Alpha aura crushed me like a physical weight.

I couldn't breathe. I could only beg.

"Please, Rhys... I'll die if I lose my wolf heart!"

He frowned in clear disbelief.

"You're a double-heart wolf. Losing one will only make you weak for a bit. But Cora is different. She won't survive the night!"

He ignored my screams. He locked me in his arms and dragged me toward the operating room.

"I don't have a spare..." I whispered, my struggles fading into a weak tremble. With a shaking hand, I pulled a crumpled medical report from my pocket.

"Please, look at this. I only have one heart left," I pleaded softly, tears silently slipping down my cheeks. "I already gave one away... I can't do it again."

But Rhys wouldn't listen.

"You bribed the pack doctor just to escape your duty?" Rhys sighed. His knuckles pinched my chin. His voice dripped with disappointment. "Faking a ridiculous report like this? Did you think I'd buy it? Stop playing games, Aurora. Submit."

His grip tightened violently. "It's for your own sister. Why are you being so stubborn? You are my future Luna. Show some selfless maternal grace."

I looked at the man who used to cherish me, feeling a hollow ache consume my chest.

My hope shattered into dust.

"Rhys..." I choked out, my voice broken and utterly defeated. "You have my other heart."

"Ah... it hurts..."

A fragile cry suddenly echoed from the end of the hall.

Rhys snapped his hand back.

He completely missed my agonizing scream.

All his attention went to Cora. She was leaning against the prep-room door, clutching her chest, looking like she might faint.

More and more pack members gathered in the hallway.

They pointed at me. Their eyes were full of naked disgust and contempt.

"Look at her. So cold-blooded. She won't even save her own sister."

"And she thinks she deserves to be our Luna? She has zero loyalty to the Alpha's bloodline."

"If it weren't for the mate bond, the Alpha would never tolerate such a selfish bitch!"

Hearing their harsh sneers, my inner wolf howled in agony. My soul felt torn apart.

Yes, they all knew I was his mate.

But facing my sister's life and death, my "noble" mate status became a moral shackle.

My heart twisted in pain.

I bit my lip until I tasted thick blood.

Rhys walked out of the prep room. He grabbed my shoulders with absolute Alpha dominance.

"You are doing this surgery today. Cora is already in the main OR. You are next."

He pulled out a consent form.

"I already signed it using my Alpha authority. Get on the table."

Under the surgical lights, I saw Cora. She looked terribly weak. The surrounding wolves looked at her with pity.

"Don't worry, Cora. The Alpha will fix you."

Cora smiled weakly.

"It's all my fault. Making my sister sacrifice so much for me."

Her words sounded guilty. But the look she gave me was pure provocation.

Hearing this, the other wolves thought she was kind and selfless, and I was just wicked and bitter.

Rhys gently comforted Cora. Then, ignoring my violent struggles, he forced me onto the cold operating table. His Alpha aura crushed my resistance.

"Doctor!" Rhys barked without looking back. "Start the anesthesia now!"

The pack's top head surgeon stepped between the two tables. He picked up the scalpel.

The cold clink of metal echoed in the sterile room.

Moments later, my struggles faded as the drugs kicked in.

Rhys stroked my hair lovingly.

He fully trusted his Alpha power. He fully believed this surgeon had everything under control.

"Don't be afraid, Aurora. I'll make sure you live. When Cora recovers, the whole pack will truly bow to you, our generous Luna. I will mark you forever and lock you by my side."