Chapter 1

The moment my pen slid across the paper and my name was signed, another dull, heavy pain shot through my chest.

I pressed my left hand against my heart, cold sweat trickling down my forehead.

It took a long time for the pain to subside.

My inner wolf whimpered weakly, as if bidding me a final farewell.

I wanted to say something back to her, but the front door downstairs creaked open.

"Watch your step. Don't twist your ankle."

It was Daniel’s voice. It was soft and gentle, carrying a patient warmth he rarely showed me anymore.

Holding onto the handrail, I walked downstairs. Daniel was carefully guiding a woman inside.

It was Rachel. She was Daniel's childhood friend—the girl who once made him smoke an entire pack of cigarettes in a single night. After we reached adulthood, she refused to remain an ordinary pack member and chose to go abroad for college.

Now, she was back, boldly stepping into my home.

Rachel scanned the living room before her eyes finally settled on me.

A smirk played on her lips, but she quickly shrank back into Daniel’s chest, acting fragile.

"Luna Sarah, I’m so sorry. I just got back and haven’t found a place to stay yet."

"I have to crash here for a few days. You don't mind, do you?"

I gripped the handrail tightly. The failing heart in my chest was struggling to beat. What was the point of minding?

Last night, Daniel hadn’t even consulted me. He simply informed me that she was moving in.

Before I could answer, eight-year-old Jack ran up to Rachel, holding a pair of brand-new slippers.

"Aunt Rachel, wear these. They’re super soft."

My vision blurred as I looked down. Those were the slippers I had run to three different stores under the scorching sun to buy just two days ago.

When I first brought them home, Jack had hugged my leg, sweet-talking me, saying his mommy would look the prettiest in them.

Now, he didn't hesitate to give them away to please another woman.

Rachel smiled and patted Jack's head as she slipped them on. They were a bit too big, and she frowned delicately.

Seeing this, Daniel immediately glared at me, his brows furrowed in disapproval.

"Sarah, you have nothing to do all day. How can you fail at basic hospitality?"

"Rachel has small feet. Giving her slippers this big—did you do this on purpose to humiliate her?"

A wave of nausea washed over me. I took a deep breath, forcing it down. Those slippers were bought for me. Of course they wouldn't fit her.

Without a word, I turned toward the couch. I moved too quickly, my body swayed, and I had to grab the back of the sofa to steady myself.

Daniel didn't notice my struggle at all. He pulled Rachel down to sit across from me.

"Rachel must be starving after running around all morning."

"Go to the kitchen and make a pot of seafood broth. Put in extra scallops. Rachel has a sensitive stomach and can't eat anything greasy."

He leaned back on the couch, throwing orders at me.

In the past, I would have rushed into the kitchen, working tirelessly just to earn a single word of praise from him.

But today, I was exhausted. The stabbing pain in my chest had drained all my strength, let alone the energy to serve his childhood sweetheart.

I took off my apron and draped it over the back of the sofa.

"I’m tired. I don't want to cook. Go eat out."

Daniel froze. He clearly hadn’t expected his obedient Luna to reject him so flatly in front of an outsider.

A sneer of annoyance quickly crept onto his face.

"Sarah, are you throwing a tantrum now?"

"It’s Rachel’s first day back, and you’re already throwing your weight around as Luna? You’re going to throw a fit over a single meal?"

"This hard-to-get act of yours only disgusts me."

Even a simple refusal to cook was treated as jealousy in his eyes.

Before I could speak, Jack pouted and pointed a finger at me.

"Mom is so selfish. She does nothing at home all day, and now she won't even cook a simple meal."

"Aunt Rachel worked so hard traveling back. You don't care about her at all. Aunt Rachel is way sweeter than you."

The eight-year-old’s words pierced my heart like daggers. This was the family I had nurtured for eight years.

My heartbeat grew erratic, and my vision went dark again. I knew I couldn't stay here any longer.

I turned quietly, dragging my heavy steps toward the guest room on the first floor, leaving the master bedroom and the living room to the three of them.

"Stop right there! Who are you rolling your eyes at?"

Daniel’s suppressed anger followed me from behind. I didn't stop. I walked into the guest room and shut the door.

Soon, Rachel’s soft, comforting voice drifted through the door.

"Daniel, don't blame Sarah. I'm sure she's just unhappy that I'm here. Let's just go eat out."

Jack chimed in, begging to take her to a fancy restaurant. Soon after, the front door slammed shut.

The house fell into dead silence, leaving only my ragged breathing.

I slid down against the door, pulled out my bottle of heart stabilizers, and swallowed a few pills dry.