Chapter 2

"Why?"

Caleb scoffed, a dark, mocking laugh escaping his throat like he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Freya, you didn't actually think I gave a damn about you, did you? Drop the nauseating wishful thinking. I only grabbed you because I was on my way to get Chloe's custom diamond necklace. You were just in my way."

He bent down, roughly gripping my chin and forcing me to look into his cold, emotionless wolf eyes. "If you died in the banquet hall today, it would have brought bad luck to Chloe's bonding ceremony. A toxic bitch like you doesn't even deserve to ruin her special day with your death."

My heart gave a violent lurch. That final, pathetic flicker of hope completely died right then and there.

So that was it.

It wasn't out of love, or even pity. It was just because my death would be an inconvenience and a stain on his precious Chloe's big day.

"Now, walk your own way back." Caleb dropped his hand in disgust, standing tall and issuing a cold command. "It takes three hours to walk back to the packhouse from here. Perfect. It’ll clear your crazy head so you don't have the energy to ruin Chloe and Victor's wedding night."

With that, he turned around without a shred of hesitation and climbed back into his vehicle.

With the deafening roar of the engine, he sped away, leaving me surrounded by dead silence and absolute darkness.

The pain of my decaying inner wolf raged through my body, feeling like millions of ants gnawing at my bones.

I stared down at my bleeding feet and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

What was the point of everything I had done over the last ten years?

To win over Caleb, I had stayed awake for three days and three nights mapping out battle strategies when he was ambushed by a rival pack. I even used myself as bait to draw the enemies away. When he was poisoned with wolfsbane and hanging by a thread, I used my own mouth to suck the tainted blood out, leaving me bedridden for half a year.

Back then, his affection for me hit ninety-eight percent.

He held my weak body, his eyes red as he swore he would always be the brother who protected me.

But everything changed when Chloe showed up.

All it took was Chloe crying and claiming I hired rogues to attack her.

Caleb instantly withdrew all his warmth.

"Freya, you disgust me." That was the first harsh thing he ever said to me.

From then on, my sacrifices were seen as manipulative, and my sickness was just a cheap trick for attention.

I took a deep breath, forcing my broken body up, and began to slowly drag myself toward town.

With every step, the sharp gravel dug deep into my flesh, but the physical pain was nothing compared to my fading inner wolf.

I was going to die.

If I died, Caleb, Victor, and the others would probably set off fireworks to celebrate.

No one would collect my body. No one would hold a funeral.

I'd probably rot out here in the wild like a stray dog.

No. I couldn't let my ending be that pathetic.

I don't know how long I stumbled, but just before my vision completely blurred, I spotted the dim lights of an all-night funeral home.

I dragged my shattered body inside.

The receptionist behind the counter gasped when she saw me, pale as a ghost and covered in dirt and blood.

"Ma'am... do you need help?"

"I want to... book a funeral. For myself," I said hoarsely, sliding my last remaining savings across the counter. "Seven days from now. Cremation. Just find a quiet, remote plot. Is this enough?"

The receptionist stared at me in shock. After a long silence, she took the card.

"Of course."

Once it was done, the last string holding me together finally snapped.

Endless darkness swallowed me whole, and my body crumpled to the floor.

In my haze, I thought I felt a pair of strong arms scoop me up.