Chapter 1

"No! I want Mommy to catch me a Silver-Frost Rabbit!" Five-year-old Leo slammed his cup to the floor and screamed at me. "If you don't, you're a bad mommy!"

A Silver-Frost Rabbit. A rare creature that only appears deep in the forest at night.

As weak as I am now, hunting one would leave me with a fever for at least three days.

But the old me would have gone.

Because I loved this child, the only one Emory and I would ever have.

But now, I coolly set down my teacup. "I'm not going."

Leo froze.

"What did you say?" He stared at me in disbelief.

"I said, I'm not going," I repeated calmly. "And you don't have to intentionally make me sick anymore. I won't bother your father and Ophelia again."

A flicker of joy in his eyes sent a chill down my spine.

"Do you really mean it?" he asked, tilting his head with a child's innocence, as if studying a fascinating new toy.

"I do."

"Yay!" He laughed and ran off.

I knew exactly why he hated me so much.

It was because Emory's old flame, Ophelia, had the Lunar Blight—a terminal illness that slowly drains a werewolf of their life force.

And her only wish before she died was to have a mating ceremony with Emory, to become his Luna.

I refused.

I even offered to use my healing abilities to help Ophelia, to extend her life. But to Emory and Leo, I was still a selfish, vicious woman.

So for the past three months, Leo has done everything he can to torment me.

The first time, he fed me food laced with peanuts. The allergic reaction was so severe I was unconscious for three days, forcing me to miss his parent-teacher conference. Ophelia and Emory went in my place. When I woke up, he cried and said he didn't do it on purpose. I forgave him.

The second time, he "accidentally" ripped my ceremonial robe for the Moonlight Festival, saying, "Just let Auntie Ophelia go. Everyone likes her better anyway."

The worst was just a few days ago, during the winter hunt. Leo deliberately hid, making me think he was lost. I searched for him in a blizzard for a whole day and night, my body frozen stiff. I tried to reach Emory through our mind-link for help, but he never answered. When they finally found me, I was half-dead from the cold. Leo, however, had returned home perfectly safe. "It was just a joke, Mommy," he'd said.

The ordeal left a scar on my soul. Now, the mere sight of snow is enough to make me tremble uncontrollably.

The main door burst open, and a blast of cold air and snow rushed in. Emory strode in, carrying a sweet scent on him. Not his. Ophelia's. His Alpha scent was erratic, and there was a smear of blood on his left arm. I knew it was from climbing the cliffs to pick healing flowers for Ophelia. In the ten years I’ve been his Luna, he has never once done something like that for me.

"Here's your medicine." Emory tossed a vial onto the table without looking at me. "Since you're sick, just rest. Ophelia will attend Leo's birthday banquet in your place tomorrow..."

His gaze finally landed on me then, taking in my calm expression. "You're... not sick?" He frowned.

I saw the clear surprise and confusion in his eyes. I picked up the invitation from the table. The gilded script read, "Celebrating Young Master Leo's Fifth Birthday." Below, three names were printed. Mine wasn't one of them. There was a photo of the three of them, too. Emory and Ophelia stood side-by-side, looking so close. Not like us. Even on the day of our mating ceremony, he kept his distance. He even replaced the traditional kiss with a brief hug. He never wanted to be close to me.

He saw me looking at the invitation, and his tone stiffened. "You've been so weak these past few days, so I... The invitations are already printed. If you want to go, you can enter after us..."

Before he could finish, I cut him off. "Then let's leave it at that. Thank Ophelia for me. She's a better fit for the role anyway." After all, she was the ideal Luna in Emory's heart, the mother Leo adored.

But Emory didn't look satisfied. He stared at me, incredulous. "That's it? You have nothing else to say?"

A bitter smile touched my lips. "What did you want to hear? That I'd beg and cry for you not to replace me? Or that I'd scream and break things like a hysterical madwoman?"

Emory's face flushed, then paled, as if I’d read his mind. "What is your problem? Are you still angry that I missed your call for help during the hunt? I already explained—Ophelia was having a bad episode, so I was distracted. I made it up to you afterward. What more do you want?"

"Making it up to me" meant the expensive jewelry he'd tossed my way. But he would never understand that no amount of jewels could mend my shattered body and heart. I was too tired to argue with him.

Emory's expression grew colder. "Liliana, your Moon-Glow Pack is gone. There's no one left to indulge your whims."

His words struck us both silent. That was my deepest wound, one I never wanted anyone to touch. Emory seemed to realize he'd gone too far. He opened his mouth to say something else, but his phone rang. It was Ophelia. "Emory, I feel so sick. Can you come be with me?" His expression softened instantly. "Don't be scared. I'm on my way."

He strode towards the door without another glance at me. The door slammed shut, plunging the room back into silence.

A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my head. I bit back a cry, my hands trembling as I pulled a vial of medicine from my bag. Forcing down the foul-smelling liquid, I fought the urge to vomit. My own phone rang. I answered.

"Lady Liliana, are you certain about this?" an old witch's voice asked from the other end.

I steadied my breathing. "I'm certain. I was already dying from my fading wolf," I said, my voice hoarse. "To offer up my wolf spirit before I go... at least it will be worth something."