Chapter 1

I, Ella Ashford, didn't stay for the celebration after the marking ceremony.

Instead, I went home alone.

The moment I pushed open the door, the taste of blood filled my mouth.

Bracing myself against the wall, I doubled over in a violent coughing fit.

Bright red blood dripped through my fingers onto the floor.

Just as my legs threatened to give out, footsteps came from outside.

A healer happened to be passing by.

The instant she saw the blood on the floor, her face turned pale.

"Oh my Moon Goddess! Ella, are you hurt?"

I shook my head.

"I'm fine. I won't die from it."

She hurried over and examined me. Her expression grew more serious by the second.

"It's wolfsbane. At least five times the normal dosage.

"You're only still alive because your body is much stronger than an ordinary werewolf's."

She hesitated before continuing.

"But that's not the worst part.

"There's another force inside your body that's spiraling out of control."

I lowered my gaze and said nothing.

To keep my true identity from being exposed if I lost control, I'd been taking suppression potions for years.

Normally, wolfsbane wasn't enough to hurt me, but it reacted violently with the potion.

The two forces collided inside my body, nearly tearing my wolf spirit apart.

If my bloodline hadn't been powerful enough, I'd already be dead.

After treating my injuries, the healer left me several bottles of medicine and reminded me to take them on time.

The moment she left, loud voices drifted in through the open window.

It was Liam Langdon's friends.

They had clearly been drinking. They were laughing loudly.

"Hahaha! Did you see Ella's face when she showed up? She was so stunned she couldn't even say a word."

"She's just a rogue. Without Liam, how would she survive?"

Someone lowered his voice.

"So, is Liam even coming back tonight?"

"Why would he? The marking ceremony's over. Of course he's staying with Chloe."

Another werewolf burst into laughter.

"The girl he's been in love with for years finally came back. I wouldn't leave her side either."

"They've probably already–"

The rest of the sentence dissolved into crude laughter.

The entire group roared with laughter.

I calmly closed the window and drank the bowl of medicine in one gulp.

Some time later, the front door opened.

The pungent smell of alcohol filled the room.

Seeing that I didn't greet him the way I always had, Liam let out a soft chuckle.

He walked over and loosely wrapped an arm around me.

"It was just a marking ceremony. There's no reason to keep dwelling on it."

His tone was light and dismissive.

It was as if becoming the laughingstock of the entire Silver Moon Pack was nothing worth mentioning.

"You're right."

I nodded calmly.

I picked up the empty medicine bowl from the table and walked past him toward the kitchen.

Liam followed behind me.

"I got you something."

The next second, a cool weight settled around my neck.

I looked down.

It was an amethyst necklace.

I'd never liked anything made with amethyst. I liked white moonstone.

Bright, colorful crystal jewelry had always been Chloe Kingston's favorite.

"Thanks," I answered nonchalantly.

I then continued washing the bowl.

Seeing that I wasn't throwing a tantrum, Liam seemed to relax.

He leaned forward and tried to kiss my forehead, but I stepped aside before he could.

I smiled.

"I'm allergic to alcohol. Have you forgotten?"

He paused and frowned as he studied me.

For a moment, he seemed to realize something was different.

Before he could speak, however, the phone on the table lit up. Chloe's name appeared on the screen.

His expression softened immediately. Without sparing me another glance, he answered the call and hurried out the door.