Chapter 3
"What does this have to do with me?"
I turned around and continued packing.
Torin suddenly leaned close to my ear, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"You were reborn too, weren't you? Stop pretending!"
My heart skipped a beat, but I kept my expression cold.
"Reborn or not, what difference does it make?"
"Seraphina, I know I wronged you in our past life..."
Pain flashed in his eyes.
"I..."
"After all this time, that's all you have to say?"
I interrupted him.
Torin suddenly pulled me into his arms, gripping me so tightly I could barely breathe.
"I swear! This is the last time you'll ever suffer like that. Just come with us and help save Zorvaya."
I pushed him away with all my strength.
"Can't you see that this whole thing has been her scheme from beginning to end?"
Torin's eyes darted away.
"I... I don't know."
Don't know?
Or just pretending not to?
Jovyn urged impatiently, "Stop wasting time! Zorvaya can't wait much longer!"
When we reached the depths of the Forbidden Forest, the sight before us made everyone stop.
Zorvaya was trapped on an ancient blood altar, surrounded by shadow wolves circling her.
"Save me... Please save me..."
Her voice was weak and trembling.
The wolves kept closing in, but some unseen force seemed to prevent them from attacking her directly.
Torin started forward.
A sinister voice rang through the forest.
"I'd advise against any rash moves."
A tall figure emerged from the shadows.
Rholan, the rogue wolf leader.
He looked at us with a cruel smile.
"The rules of the Blood Moon Altar are simple. To save her, someone with Alpha blood must take her place."
Torin froze.
"What?"
"Otherwise, when the blood moon reaches its peak, she'll be torn apart."
Torin's gaze slowly shifted toward me.
A terrible hesitation flickered in his eyes.
I felt my blood run cold.
"Seraphina also has Alpha blood," he finally said.
Rholan looked between us with interest.
"Oh? Pack politics?"
"Seraphina's coldness drove Zorvaya to run into the Forbidden Forest!" Jovyn snapped. "It's only fair that Seraphina take responsibility!"
Torin clenched his fists, but he didn't object.
My heart sank.
Once again, he was willing to let me die.
Zorvaya's weak voice drifted from the altar.
"Torin... I don't want to die. Please save me..."
The blood moon climbed higher, and the shadow wolves howled.
Torin turned toward me, desperation in his eyes.
"Seraphina, you have to take her place. I promise I'll find a way to rescue you."
I twisted my lips into a smile.
"You want me to die so she can live?"
"I will save you!" Torin insisted.
His eyes were full of guilt, but I'd heard those promises before.
Rholan scoffed.
"What's the big deal? Someone's going to die either way."
Suddenly, several rogue wolves seized my arms and forced me toward the altar.
"No!"
I grabbed Torin's wrist, my fingers tightening around it.
"Are you really going to stand there and watch me die?"
Torin reached out as if to stop them.
Then Zorvaya cried out from the altar, reaching toward him.
"Torin... save me..."
That one cry was enough.
Torin released my hand without hesitation.
"Zorvaya cannot die."
Once again.
Once again, he chose her.
"So you'll sacrifice me?" I laughed bitterly.
But Torin was no longer looking at me. His attention was fixed entirely on Zorvaya.
The rogue wolves pushed me toward the Blood Moon Altar.
I didn't resist.
After all, I'd died this way once before.
What difference would it make this time?
I slowly walked toward the center of the altar, silver moonlight bathing my body.
"Seraphina!"
Torin suddenly looked shocked and tried to rush toward me.
Now he wanted to pretend he cared?
Rholan stepped in front of him.
"Too late. The ritual has already begun."
The blood moon slowly rose, casting its eerie red light over the altar.
I stood at its center, letting the crimson glow surround me.
"No... don't..."
Zorvaya weakly crawled toward the edge of the altar.
"Seraphina, I'm sorry... It's all my fault..."
Her body swayed, clearly exhausted.
"Zorvaya!" Torin rushed over to support her.
Jovyn hurried to her other side.
"She needs immediate treatment!"
"What about Seraphina?"
Torin looked back at me, his eyes full of pain.
Rholan grinned.
"The Blood Moon sacrifice cannot be stopped. There's no turning back now."
Torin looked from the weakened Zorvaya in his arms to me, trapped at the center of the altar.
The blood moon climbed higher. Zorvaya's breathing grew weaker.
Finally, Torin gritted his teeth.
"We'll take Zorvaya back first!"
Of course.
"Seraphina, I will come back for you!" he shouted hoarsely.
Jovyn lifted Zorvaya into his arms, and the two Alphas disappeared into the night of the Forbidden Forest.
The blood moon reached its peak.
I remained at the center of the altar, surrounded by its crimson light.
At the edge of the forest, Torin turned back for one last look.
From where he stood, it must have seemed that the Blood Moon sacrifice had already swallowed me whole.
Yet in the end, he turned and left without looking back.
Just as he had in our previous life.
I waited until his figure had completely disappeared.
Then I lowered my hand and looked at Rholan.
"Beta Rholan, commence the mate bond severing ritual."
The cruel expression vanished from his face.
He stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"As you command, Luna Queen."
