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Damian just stood there, stunned.

"I haven't officially marked her yet."

He denied it without thinking, then realized that sounded bad and quickly added, "Of course, I could feel it. I was just worried it wasn't completely gone, that it might affect her body."

A flash of pity crossed the High Priestess's eyes.

"Alpha, Miss Seraphina's soul core is very weak. She'll need to—"

"High Priestess, I'll take good care of myself."

I cut her off quickly, terrified she'd say my soul core was about to give out.

Damian saw me as Isolde's personal "healing machine." If he knew my soul essence was drying up and I couldn't give much anymore, he might do what he did last time – go after my brother, Liam.

I couldn't let that tragedy happen again!

But Damian's brow was furrowed, his eyes darting between me and the High Priestess, like he suspected something.

I forced a smile, trying to change the subject, my voice as sweet as I could make it:

"Damian, didn't you say... you weren't feeling well? I'll go to the Moon Goddess Cave and channel some soul essence for you."

At the mention of soul essence, Damian's eyes lit up with urgency.

My willingness to put his needs first, even after "miscarrying," seemed to erase any doubts he had.

He put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close as he led me towards the Moon Goddess Cave. He even whispered in my ear, his warm breath tickling my sensitive earlobe:

"Seraphina, my little moon, I was too harsh just now. I was afraid you'd do something foolish, try to keep that... inconvenient pup. What if it really died because you were too weak, or was born sickly? How heartbroken would you be?"

"You didn't answer my call – were you afraid I'd misunderstand... think you didn't want to give me your essence anymore?"

His fingertips gently brushed the side of my neck, where he used to leave his temporary mark. Every touch felt like a reminder of his ownership.

I nodded obediently.

A knowing look, mixed with a bit of Alpha pride, crossed his face. He nuzzled my temple with his forehead, his eyes full of "deep affection."

"Silly girl. You're so good to me, why would I think otherwise?"

In the cave passage, the cool light from the moonstones mixed with the faint smell of blood and energy still clinging to me, making my already weak soul churn.

I told myself silently: Seraphina, this is the last time he controls you like this.

In the essence-draining chamber deep inside the Moon Goddess Cave, the pack elder in charge of the ritual saw my face and asked worriedly, "She looks very weak. Are you sure you want to draw soul essence, Alpha?"

I walked to the siphoning circle in the center and lay down on the stone slab.

Last time, I’d swallowed the grief of being told my soul was fading, and in this very circle, a huge amount of my soul essence was taken for Damian, which then went to Isolde.

When the special silver needles pierced the energy nodes on the inside of my arm, I bit down hard.

These needles helped guide the soul essence better, but they also made the pain of my soul being ripped away even worse.

For three years, my arms and other energy points on my body were covered in tiny needle marks. Some spots even had faint energy scars, visible in the moonlight.

"Seraphina, just hold on a little longer."

"Once Isolde is completely recovered, we'll have the grandest Moonlit Vow. You'll be the brightest moonlight in the pack, my one and only Luna."

Damian gently repeated the words he’d said countless times over the past three years, but his eyes kept flicking to the cave entrance, looking a bit distracted.

Before, I thought he wouldn't complete the final marking because he was worried his not-yet-solid Alpha position would drag me down, or that Isolde's "sickness" left him no time for anything else.

To save him, to become his true mate, I was even willing to sacrifice the very core of my soul.

It wasn't until I died that I realized he never cared about me at all.

After the planned amount of essence was drawn, Damian's communicator lit up.

I caught a glimpse of Isolde's special insignia.

He quickly got up and went to a corner, lowering his voice, but his tone was softer than I’d ever heard it: "I'm in a ritual, I'll be done soon."

After hanging up, he hurried back to me and said to the elder, "Take some more."

The elder told him that today's amount was already my limit.

But he completely ignored the risk that I might just fade away on the spot if they continued. He put his hand on the elder's, his voice firm: "It's fine. She's a high-level healer, her soul core is much stronger than a regular Omega's. Isolde needs it urgently."

My vision started to blur, my ears were ringing, and my soul felt like it was being pulled out of my body.

In a daze, I saw that familiar look of guilt on Damian's face.

He took my hand, his scent deliberately softening, enveloping me: "Seraphina, my moon, actually, from the very beginning, I never wanted to use your essence... I'd rather suffer all the pain myself than drag you into this..."

What an amazing actor!

He was saying he didn't want to burden me, but at the same time, he was signaling the elder to keep draining.

He knew I couldn't stand to hear him talk about his pain; he was betting I'd soften up and cooperate again.

"Damian, I... I don't want to anymore. I feel sick..."

This was the first time I’d clearly said "no" to him.

A chilling glint flashed in his eyes, so fast it was like I imagined it, then welled up. "Seraphina, this is the last time! I swear! If you don't want to in the future, we won't do the ritual anymore. Worst case... worst case, I'll use my own strength to fight off the backlash."

My already numb soul twitched uncontrollably.

"Really... is this the last time?" I asked weakly, my voice barely a whisper.

He looked straight into my eyes and nodded seriously. "I swear by the Moon Goddess, this is the last time."

Last time, I hid my pregnancy and "voluntarily" gave double the soul essence every month, only to have him explode in anger because I was pregnant, almost killing me with his own hands.

I thought he was angry I wasn't taking care of my own soul core. But he grabbed my neck, "Seraphina, how dare you get pregnant? You think you can use a pup to secure your 'fated mate' status? You think you're worthy?"

After the elder finished drawing the soul essence, everything went black, and my body slumped forward.

"Miss Seraphina!"

The elder's panicked shout seemed to come from far away.

The last thing I heard before I completely lost consciousness was the sound of Damian's hurried footsteps, rushing towards the cave entrance.

"Hurry, Isolde is waiting for me!"