Chapter 1

"What do you mean she's handing over the position to me? The position must be mine!" Lia Smith grumbled softly, clearly displeased by what she had just heard. "You can't seriously let someone who was exiled host the offering ceremony, can you? Besides—"

"Lia! It's getting late! Hurry up and get ready!" my mother, Vanessa Greene, cut Lia off. Without wasting another second, she dragged Lia away.

My mate-to-be, Kellan Cohen, spoke up for Lia. "Lia doesn't mean any harm. She's just blunt and speaks her mind. Don't take it to heart."

"She's right," I said calmly. "Someone who was exiled really isn't suited to be the host."

Kellan immediately frowned. "Ella, are you blaming me for it? I know I was the one who should have been exiled. If you're angry at me about it, just yell at me. Stop with the passive-aggressive attitude."

A year ago, during a full-moon shift, Kellan had accidentally injured an Elder. At the time, he was in the middle of competing for the position of pack Alpha, so I took the blame for him and was secretly exiled to the wilderness.

For the past year, I had braved the elements day and night. Besides fighting the bitter cold and hunger, I also had to battle rogues that roamed the area.

They often attacked me, leaving me covered in wounds, and I had to constantly struggle to survive in pools of my own blood, barely clinging to life.

In the end, I managed to last until the day my exile ended. But I was left with only three days to live.

I forced a smile and said, "You've misunderstood me. I willingly chose to do it back then, so how could I possibly blame you now? The past is in the past. What matters most is cherishing the present."

Only after hearing that did Kellan finally relax. He stepped forward and pulled me into his arms. "Ella, it seems like Mrs. Smith was right. You've really changed for the better now."

The familiar scent of him made the entire year of exile feel like nothing more than a bad dream.

Just as I was starting to feel a little dazed, I suddenly heard him ask, "When do you think we should hold our marking ceremony?"

That snapped me back to reality, and I quickly pulled away from his embrace. "What did you say?"

Kellan smiled and gently tapped the tip of my nose with his index finger.

"Oh, just look how happy you are! I was talking about our marking ceremony! You've been so well-behaved since you returned because you were waiting for me to bring it up, weren't you? Don't worry, I know you've been dying to become my Luna."

As he spoke, he pulled out a black card and pressed it into my hand. "Pick out whatever gowns and jewelry you like. You can buy anything that catches your eye!"

It was then that I realized he was being completely serious.

Had this been in the past, I would have jumped for joy and kissed him deeply. But now, I only felt a bitter sense of irony.

I returned the black card to him and said, "Actually, things are fine the way they are right now. Let's forget about the marking ceremony. I appreciate the offer, Kellan."

Kellan froze, and his expression gradually hardened. "What do you mean?"

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and clenched my slightly trembling fingers. "I'm dying soon. We… don't have a future."

The moment the words left my mouth, the air around us seemed to freeze instantly.

All of a sudden, Lia appeared out of nowhere, saying, "Ella, how can you say something like that about yourself? Mom would be heartbroken if she heard you. And stop scaring Kellan, will you? Do you really need to test his love for you like this?"

Hearing her words, Kellan immediately turned on me angrily. "Ella, I don't like this fake side of you. Don't you know that you're going too far? See, Lia is way more genuine and lovable than you!"

With that, he walked off without looking back.