Chapter 3

The cold made Cayden's condition worse.

After running tests at the pack hospital, the healer, Alaric Vitki, sighed deeply. "The bloodline infusion ritual must be performed as soon as possible. If not, we can't save Cayden's wolf."

I trembled with terror. Was Cayden destined for this cruel fate again, even in this life?

No! I would never let that happen!

I leaped to my feet and urgently rushed out. Right now, only Theron could save Cayden, so I had to make him perform the ritual at once!

But as I stepped out of the ward, I noticed that the neighboring ward was crowded with healers. When I glanced inside, I froze.

In the ward, Theron gently comforted Dexter, who lay in the hospital bed. "I'll start the ritual for you right now, Dexter. You'll be fine."

Lyana collapsed weakly into his arms and cried out, "Thank goodness you're here, Theron. I don't know what'd happen to Dexter otherwise."

The moment I heard Theron's words, I burst into the ward like I'd lost my mind.

"Theron! You can't perform the ritual for someone else! Cayden's diagnosed with Bloodline Fading, and he's severely ill right now. You must save him first!"

An Alpha could only perform the blood infusion ritual once every six months. Cayden wouldn't survive a six-month wait.

Theron's expression immediately darkened. "Astra, are you saying this on purpose because you know Dexter has Bloodline Fading too?"

Lyana looked almost like she was ready to beg me in despair. "Please, Astra. Only Theron can save Dexter right now.

"Once he survives this crisis, I'll take him and leave the Silverfrost pack at once. We'll never appear in front of you again, I swear!"

"Enough!"

Theron pulled Lyana up and looked at me with deep disappointment. "Astra, I never thought you'd be this vicious. You'd even curse your pup to harm them."

"No! I'm not lying! Cayden's the one who's sick, so please trust me. Dexter isn't ill at all…"

In my past life, Dexter was perfectly healthy right until the day I died. There was no way he could have Bloodline Fading.

Though I wasn't sure why things were different in this life, my instincts told me that Lyana was behind everything.

"Luna, please! My mate's dead, and Dexter is all I have left. Please have mercy!" Lyana shrieked and "fainted" in Theron's arms.

He held her tightly and looked at me with icy eyes. "I'm deeply disappointed in you, Astra. Until Dexter recovers, I don't want to see you again."

With a wave of his hand, he gestured for his Beta, Magnus Valko, to drag me out of the ward.

That was when I panicked. My voice trembled as I called out to him. "Theron, Cayden's in the next ward!

"He's in a very critical condition right now, and you'll know once you take a look at him. So please, just look at him once!"

But the only answer I received was the slamming of the door.

I collapsed onto my knees and sobbed until I was shaking all over.

Magnus seemed clearly conflicted. "Luna Astra, perhaps it's best if you leave for now. Alpha Theron will surely see you once he's calmed down."

I wiped my tears and took out a bottle of Moon Spring Water, which I'd spiked with the mate bond dissolution potion.

"This is Moon Spring Water I collected for Theron from the pack spring. Give it to him and make sure he drinks it, then I'll leave at once."

Once I was sure Theron had drunk it, I turned and returned to Cayden's ward.

He opened his eyes weakly and asked with a soft, cautious murmur, "Mommy, am I going to lose my wolf again?"

My heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest. "No, I won't let that happen. We're leaving right now!"

Without hesitation, I checked him out of the hospital, bundled him up, and rushed straight to the airport in the dead of the night.

I changed our tickets to the earliest flight out of the Silverfrost pack and left as fast as I could.

When I felt the mate bond slowly dissolve within me, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Theron, you can have Lyana. Cayden and I will have nothing to do with you again in this life."