Chapter 3

When I came to, the sharp scent of disinfectant was the first thing I noticed.

Pain flared across my wolf's body—her legs, her forehead, her chest. Every breath ached.

David sat beside the hospital bed, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.

Once, this man had been my everything—my fated mate, the Alpha I trusted with my heart and soul.

Now, just seeing him made my skin crawl with fear.

I tried to sit up, trembling.

The movement startled David. He opened his eyes. For a split second, I saw relief flicker through them—then it vanished, replaced by cold indifference.

"Don't think being sick gets you off the hook," he said icily. "Once you're better, we'll settle what you did to my parents."

I didn't have the energy to argue. I simply turned my head to the other side.

He looked like he wanted to say more, but a guard entered and whispered something to him.

David left without another word.

The moment he disappeared, I staggered to my feet and leaned against the wall, forcing myself out of the room.

As I reached the stairwell, a sharp, venomous voice called out from behind me:

"May, you're really pathetic. Rejected in front of everyone eighty-eight times—and you still refuse to leave David?"

Amy.

With David gone, she didn't bother to pretend anymore.

She took one look at my wolf, bruised and battered, and sneered.

"Look at you—covered in wounds. You may be the Shadow Pack Alpha's daughter, but you're still beneath the feet of an Omega like me."

I turned slowly, meeting her eyes.

"Amy," I said calmly, "if David ever finds out the last call his parents received was from you… and that your so-called ‘life-saving story' was a lie... do you really think your ending will be any better than mine?"

Amy's face went rigid. Her expression cracked for a split second.

Then her eyes filled with malice.

"You think you're clever? If you had evidence, you'd have shown it to David already."

"May, I'm going to be his Luna, and I'll make sure you spend the rest of your life under David's hatred."

She turned, walked quickly to the edge of the stairs, then threw herself backward.

Her wolf tumbled down the steps, limp and dramatic.

The next second, David burst through the hallway. He shoved me aside and rushed to Amy's side.

Amy clung to him, sobbing, trembling.

"David… May said I ruined your Bonding ceremony. She pushed me down the stairs…"

"She said if I didn't leave you, she would leak my nudes to the entire pack, destroy my name, and crush any chance I have of becoming Luna…"

"May… please… I was wrong… I'm begging you, just let me go…"

David's face turned stormy. A vein pulsed in his temple. His wolf bared its fangs like it was ready to tear me apart.

"May! You really won't stop until you're dead, will you?!"

"You like taking photos so much, huh? Fine. I'll give you what you want!"

I was seized by the guards. I struggled, shaking my head wildly.

"No! I didn't touch her! I didn't—!"

But David wasn't listening.

After securing Amy in a private room, he returned. He dumped a bag of powder down my throat. My body convulsed, fire racing through my blood.

He stripped my clothes off and tossed me into the back seat of a car.

The drug took hold fast. My wolf's body burned with need, involuntary moans escaping her lips.

A camera had already been set up on the steering wheel, recording everything.

David stood outside the car, grinning like a devil.

"You like filming so much? Let's make sure you get a good show."

Tears blurred my vision. I looked at him, silently pleading.

But he didn't care.

He smoked a cigarette, watching me writhe under the camera.

Then he opened the door and climbed in.

"Damn, May… even in a car, you're such a slut. It'd be a shame not to let the whole world see this."

I shook my head desperately.

He didn't even glance at me.

The bodyguards stood around the car, laughing, leering.

That was the moment I gave up.

My wolf's eyes dimmed, her claws curling in helpless terror. She had no strength left to fight.

Later, David approached, as if to spit one last insult.

But when he saw my hollow, lifeless eyes, the words caught in his throat.

After a long silence, he finally said:

"I'll keep the video safe. If you ever touch Amy again, I won't let you off so easily next time."

But that very afternoon, the footage went viral across the entire pack.

It went viral.

And then came Amy's message:

"May, everyone's saying your body's amazing. How much do you charge for a night?"

"You filthy whore. David would never claim you! From now on, your name will be a stain on this pack."

The video's comment section was full of filth and laughter.

I started laughing too.

Then the laughter turned into gut-wrenching sobs, my body curled up on the floor, trembling.

My wolf howled in despair, hopeless and broken.

I gathered what little dignity I had left, wrapped myself in layers of clothing, and took a cab to the sea.

The driver looked at me like I was trash. He believed I had dirtied his seat, and just the thought of serving me made him sick.

Because I was. I felt filthy—unclean beyond redemption.

I couldn't even meet his eyes. I shoved a few bills at him and stumbled out.

My eyes blurred with tears, and now the entire pack regards me with disgust, their words and gazes slicing through my heart like daggers. My wolf's mournful howl echoed through the night as she curled in agony, overwhelmed by the searing pain.

At the shore, the wind howled in my ears.

I looked at my phone one last time—still vibrating with calls and messages.

The insults and curses on my phone screen were too much to bear, and I couldn't bring myself to look at them. Tears streamed down uncontrollably, and in my despair, I turned my gaze toward the vast sea.

I whispered to my wolf, “Soon, we'll be free.”

Then, without hesitation, I turned and walked toward the depths of the ocean...