5

The pack's search party came up empty in the cave area where we used to live.

After reporting to a furious Alpha Damian, they chose the most direct method: widen the search area and block all possible exits.

Just when they were stumped and about to report failure to Alpha Damian, an old wolf guarding the granary, annoyed by their commotion, grumbled,

"Stop looking. I saw those two, the sister and brother, sneaking off towards the Northern Forbidden Forest this evening. Seraphina was even carrying a pretty big bag!"

The old wolf's words energized the search party leader, who immediately passed this vital clue to Alpha Damian, far away in the wolf keep.

"Get them! Even if you have to tear the entire Northern Forest apart, find them for me!"

Isolde jumped, startled by Damian's sudden rage.

She didn't understand. So what if that lowly brother and sister left? Why was Damian losing control like this?

Was it because Seraphina was the only "container" who could reliably provide pure soul essence, or... or was it because after three years together, he'd actually developed feelings he shouldn't have for his so-called "fated mate"?

That last thought, like a poisonous thorn, wasn't new to her.

More than once, she'd smelled Seraphina's faint herbal scent on Damian. He'd always brushed it off, saying it was just from a healer's daily contact.

He even swore to her that there was only a "pure energy exchange" between him and Seraphina, never any real physical intimacy, let alone an Alpha marking an Omega.

If she hadn't accidentally seen Damian holding a weak Seraphina tightly on a full moon night, she might have almost believed his lies.

So, she was absolutely sure: Damian wasn't indifferent to Seraphina.

A woman's intuition told her Damian had fallen for that lowly Omega, even if he himself hadn't realized it, or didn't want to admit it.

Well, if that was the case, she couldn't be blamed for what happened next!

She let out a pained moan, her body starting to tremble violently as if her soul was about to leave her body, and then she "fainted" weakly into Damian's arms.

Damian, completely panicked, immediately summoned the pack's High Priestess.

When he learned that Isolde's "soul fading sickness" had suddenly worsened and she urgently needed a large amount of pure soul essence to stabilize her, or her life would be in danger, Damian's desire to find us reached its peak, even overpowering his anger at Seraphina's "betrayal."

He suddenly remembered that to "keep an eye" on Seraphina, he had once left a tiny, almost unnoticeable Alpha spiritual imprint on one of her commonly used healing amulets.

Seraphina almost never took that amulet off.

He immediately focused his mental energy, trying to lock onto our position through that faint imprint.

"The Northern Forest... they're heading for Blackrock Pass?"

When Damian sensed that we were actually trying to escape his control with Liam, to flee the Blackwood pack's territory, a surge of panic washed over him.

She loved him so much, she’d even offer her soul essence for him, and he’d already promised her a proper status. Why would she run? How could she bear to run?

Unless... unless she'd been deceiving him from the very beginning!

The rage of being fooled and losing control made him even more furious.

He didn't even care that Isolde was still unconscious and being treated. He personally led a squad of his most elite wolf guards, shifting into powerful giant wolf forms, determined to intercept us.

After Damian left, Isolde slowly opened her eyes, watching his figure disappear into the night, her gaze sinister.

On the edge of the Northern Forest, on the path to Blackrock Pass, Liam excitedly and nervously gripped my hand.

"Sister, are we really going to be able to leave this place?"

I was about to answer when a powerful and familiar Alpha pheromone swept towards us from behind like a hurricane. Then, several massive black wolves appeared behind us, blocking our escape.

Leading them was Damian.

"Seraphina, where do you think you're going?"

Damian shifted back to his human form, his grim face looking exceptionally cold in the moonlight. He advanced on us step by step, his powerful aura making it almost impossible for me to breathe.

"Run!"

I shoved Liam in terror, trying to give him a chance to escape, but it was too late.

Damian's wolf guards had appeared around us like ghosts, roughly separating me and my brother.

"Let go of my sister!"

Liam lunged and bit hard onto a wolf guard's arm, but the guard swatted him to the ground. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Liam!"

I screamed, trying to rush to help my brother, but Damian grabbed my wrist, yanking me hard into his chest.

"You dare to run away with him just because I asked your brother to offer a little soul essence for Isolde? The Blackwood pack has sheltered you and your brother for three years, and this is how you 'repay' me?"

The brutal and intense possessiveness in his eyes were just like last time, sending a chill down my spine.

"Damian, I'm begging you, for the sake of the three years of soul essence I gave you, please let me and my brother go! We just want to leave!"

But the more I begged, the tighter he held me.

He had provided us shelter, yes, but that wasn't a reason for me and my brother to pay with our lives.

"Damian, I can give you back double everything you spent on me and my brother these three years. Please, let us go!"

"There are other werewolves on this continent with pure soul essence, not just us! You have all the power and wealth, why can't you find other willing donors for Isolde?"

I tried to pull out the moonstone I’d planned to trade, hoping to use it as a bargaining chip.

Seeing me try to "buy out" our connection, he angrily snatched the moonstone and crushed it in his palm.

He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him, his intent to devour me overwhelmingly possessive.

"It is your honor, the Moon Goddess's will, that you and your brother were chosen to serve Isolde. Don't push your luck and test my patience!"

His right hand tightened on the back of my neck.

In an instant, I lost all consciousness and slumped into his arms.