Chapter 5

Sabrina's POV

Evelyn closed the distance between us in her high heels, her well-maintained face twisted in arrogant condescension. "You're nothing but a homeless rogue. The Ironspikes throws you a bone to keep you from starving, and you actually think you're the master of the house? Who gave you the nerve to act so entitled?!"

Evelyn was Zander's mother. From the very first day I joined the Ironspike pack, she had never liked me.

In the past, she had held back her vitriol somewhat out of respect for Madison.

But now that Madison was bedridden, leaving me with no one to protect me, Evelyn had completely cast aside any remaining restraint.

Honestly, every time I came to visit Madison, I had to endure this kind of vicious verbal abuse from her.

It was precisely because of her intense hostility toward me that five years ago, when Zander came of age and took over the Ironspike pack, he brought me with him and moved out of this estate, settling into his own private villa.

If this were in the past, when Evelyn demanded to know "who gave me the nerve," I would have straightened my back and answered with absolute conviction: Alpha Zander did.

Because back then, Zander was my absolute foundation and strength.

But now, I no longer had the right—nor the energy—to say such things.

For the first time, I pulled back all my sharp edges. Keeping my head down in total silence, I prepared to walk past her toward Madison's room.

But suddenly, Alfred's voice—the aged yet authoritative tone of the Ironspikes' former alpha—rang out from behind me. "How much longer do you plan on shamelessly overstaying your welcome in our pack?"

"Sabrina. When you were younger, you lacked the ability to hunt and survive independently. But now that you've passed your twentieth birthday, it's high time you learned to fend for yourself."

My nails dug fiercely into my palms.

This former alpha had always disliked me as well, but this was the very first time he had delivered an eviction notice so bluntly and callously.

I stopped in my tracks and turned my head to look at him.

My voice was incredibly calm. "Once Madison is gone, I will leave. She has cared for me for ten years; it's only right that I stay with her until the very end."

I meant every word of it from the bottom of my heart.

I had already fully prepared myself to pack up and leave the Ironspikes the moment Madison passed away.

But Evelyn gnashed her teeth and practically shrieked at Alfred beside her. "Honey, listen to her! You think she can bear to leave? She's so used to living as a parasite in our pack, do you honestly think she could survive the miserable life of a rogue out there?"

"Alright, darling. Just be patient for a little while longer."

Alfred looked at me like I was a piece of trash up for sale to the highest bidder. "Even if she doesn't leave now, she'll have to go sooner or later. She's destined to mate eventually, and once she finds her mate, she'll naturally be out of our hair."

Alfred's words instantly sparked a wicked idea in Evelyn's mind.

A vicious smirk curled onto her lips. "You're absolutely right! There are plenty of low-ranking werewolves in those minor packs affiliated with us who are desperate for a breeding tool. Alfred, you need to go look around right away. Pick the most distant, broken-down pack you can find and get rid of her as soon as possible. Just looking at her makes me sick to my stomach!"

Listening to their unrestrained, malicious mockery behind me, I gently pushed open the bedroom door. My eyes immediately fell upon the frail, elderly woman lying in bed.

With an agonizing ache in my heart, I walked toward her.

Though Madison was severely ill, her hearing remained as sharp as ever.

Hearing the rustle of my movement, she slowly forced her heavy eyelids open. Her cracked, dry lips pulled into a gentle smile. "My little Sabrina is here."

"Madison..." I sat by the edge of the bed and grasped her hand tightly.

Ever since she fell ill, every single visit had filled my heart with overwhelming sorrow, but never before had my tears flowed so uncontrollably, refusing to stop.

Madison looked at me with peaceful, comforting eyes. "Don't cry, sweetie. Birth, aging, sickness, and death... these are things we cannot change. Just like leaves falling when the seasons shift. Everything in this world eventually reaches its end. It's just that autumn has arrived, and the rest of the journey ahead might feel a little lonely."

I slumped weakly against the frail old woman, reaching out to gently stroke the white hair at her temples. "You won't be lonely. I'm going to stay right here with you."

The elderly woman, barely clinging to life, frowned slightly at my words. "What nonsense are you talking about? I'm returning to the Moon Goddess's embrace. How could you possibly come with me?"

I bit my lip hard, not saying a word in response.

Madison looked at me, her eyes filled with deep, aching sorrow.

She had always known exactly how agonizing my life had been.

"Don't worry. Even if I'm gone, you still have Zander. Zander will definitely take good care of you. Someday, you'll find your mate, build a home of your own, and have a few adorable pups. How wonderful that will be... It's just a shame I won't be around to see it."

She lost herself in the beautiful fantasy of that perfect future.

A single tear slipped silently from the corner of my eye.

I didn't know how much time Madison and I had left together. In these fleeting, final moments of her life, all I could do was softly whisper to her in my mind.

"Madison, thank you for raising me alongside Zander for the past ten years. I'm just so sorry that your efforts were completely in vain."

It's true that the Ironspike pack never lacked the food to feed one extra mouth, but in the end, I simply wasted the resources given to me.

If I had known it would end like this, it would have been better if you had just left me to fend for myself back then.

If I hadn't experienced those ten beautiful years of mutual reliance and care...

Then today, I wouldn't have to suffer through the absolute, bone-deep agony of an impossible love.