Chapter 2

The throb in the back of my head only made my mind clearer.

In my past life, I would have taken Connor's scolding to heart. I would have questioned whether I was truly too selfish, too stubborn, and too hard to deal with.

But now, just looking at his face made my old wounds ache all over again.

I forced myself up, raised my hand, and slapped Connor hard across the face.

"Connor," I said coldly, "you seem to be forgetting something. The only reason you and your pack enjoy the best resources in Elyndor is my Alpha King father's years of backing.

"You got all your weapons, territory, and connections because of our engagement. And here you are, standing in front of me, taking my things as if they were yours?"

The room fell dead silent. I stared him straight in the eye. "You want to protect her so badly? Fine. We're calling off the engagement right now."

The moment the words left my mouth, Connor's expression shifted drastically. "Aliya, what ridiculous nonsense are you talking about? Mandy is my adopted sister, and she's going to be your sister-in-law. What's wrong with helping her out?

"I'm doing this for your own good so you can fit in better with the Silvermoon pack after our mating!"

I almost burst out laughing.

For my own good.

That was always his go-to excuse whenever he hurt me for Mandy's sake.

When he reached out to grab my hand, I shoved him off. "Connor, do you really think I'm that easy to push around? Our engagement is over."

"I don't need to break my back trying to earn a place in your pack. And I sure as hell don't need to spend the rest of my life cleaning up Mandy's messes!"

I grabbed my bow bag and turned to leave.

Behind me, Connor finally lost his patience. "Aliya Blair!"

His voice echoed through the lounge.

"You're always like this. You have that high-and-mighty princess attitude, pathetic pride, and obsession with proving you're better than everyone else."

"If I walk away, do you honestly think anyone else will ever tolerate you? You're just using your father's power to humiliate people!"

I stopped in my tracks and let out a laugh.

When Connor used Dad's resources to secure his position as the Alpha heir, he never found that humiliating.

When he comfortably accepted rare weapons, private training grounds, and royal protection, he never raised a single objection.

Yet when Mandy wanted my Crescent Bow to show off, my ownership of my own property suddenly became arrogance.

Fine.

If they saw my generosity as a burden, then I'd take every last bit of it back.

That very night, I revoked Connor's access to the royal vault.

I contacted the Pack Council and demanded detailed records of every resource transferred to the Silvermoon pack over the past five years.

I thought I could finally rest easy after taking care of all that, but an uneasy feeling kept gnawing at me.

So, I locked the Crescent Bow in the basement.

Surely no one could steal it now, right?

The next morning, the moment I stepped into the basement, my heart sank.

My Crescent Bow was gone.

I froze, completely at a loss for what to do. Panic spread like wildfire inside me.

I immediately summoned the guards. "Check the surrounding memory crystals to see if anyone came by."

Before they could even respond, my communicator rang. It was a call from the Royal Medical Center.

"Princess Aliya, your eye exam results are in," the healer said, his voice grave.

"Your corneal damage is severe, and your vision is actively deteriorating. You need to get surgery as soon as possible."

I froze.

A few days before the Hunt Festival started, my eyes had begun aching terribly. My vision would randomly blur out during training.

I had assumed it was just exhaustion. I never dreamed it was anything this serious.

For a moment, I couldn't utter a single word.

Noticing my silence, the healer softened his tone slightly. "We'll do our best to find a suitable cornea donor for you, but your condition can't wait. The longer you delay, the worse your vision will get, and the more complicated the surgery will become."

I hung up and contacted my parents right away.

The moment they heard the news, they immediately set up a team of top healers in Elyndor.

When they asked when I wanted to do the surgery, I looked at the empty bow case and replied, "I want to do it now."

The healer paused, asking cautiously, "Ms. Blair, are you sure? Doing the surgery right now will likely ruin your performance in the Hunt Festival."

My vision had always been my greatest asset.

Over the past few years, my hunt scores were always among the top.

This year, everyone expected me to be a strong contender for the championship.

Yet I nodded without a second thought. "I'm sure."

Two hours later, I was lying in the treatment room.

As the anesthetic kicked in, I glanced over at the memory crystal on the side table and smiled softly.

When I slowly opened my eyes after the procedure, everything was pitch black. It set off a wave of panic inside me.

I reached out blindly.

A warm hand instantly caught mine.

Mom's gentle voice broke through the panic in my chest. "Aliya, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

I finally relaxed. "I'm fine. It just feels weird not being able to see."

She pulled me into her arms and held me tight. "Don't worry. We're already looking for a suitable donor. The healer said once your wolf stabilizes, we can do another surgery to restore your sight."

I nodded.

That evening, I asked if I could step outside for a walk.

The healer allowed me an hour in the garden before my next treatment session.

A nurse wrapped bandages around my eyes and guided me slowly through the courtyard.

The night breeze brushed against my face.

For the first time since my rebirth, I felt truly at peace.

Just then, a noisy commotion echoed from the path ahead. "Aliya? You've been hiding here?"