Chapter 2

I shouldered my worn backpack and took one last look around this place I once called home. Mom had already turned her back on me, Brock and Serenity were wrapped in each other's arms, and the watching pack members' eyes were filled with disgust.

No one came to see me off. No one showed sympathy.

"Someday, you'll all know the truth." I spoke softly, but on this night of the full moon, those words rang particularly clear.

Some pack members sneered disdainfully, Mom turned her face away, and in Brock's eyes, I distinctly saw a flicker of fear. Something about the way he looked at me reminded me of that moment during the ceremony—when my eyes had done something strange, something that made him step back in alarm.

I held his gaze for a moment longer, then turned and walked toward the dangerous wilderness border.

The cold wind cut across my pale cheeks like a blade, my tattered backpack swaying on my shoulder.

Behind me, the warm glow of the bonfire gradually disappeared into the darkness, while ahead lay a desolate wasteland.

The wilderness stretched endlessly before me, dark and foreboding. Suddenly, I remembered an old story about hidden sanctuaries deep in these very woods—places where the moon goddess once walked.

If only those stories were true now...

My neck throbbed with searing pain where Brock had torn away his mark, the wound still raw and bleeding. Every step sent waves of agony through my weakened body—the severing of a mate bond was like having part of my soul ripped away.

I pressed my hand against the burning wound, feeling dizzy and nauseous from the trauma.

"Damn cursed bloodline..." I muttered bitterly to myself, but suddenly heard low howls coming from behind.

I spun around to see five hungry rogue wolves emerge from the shadows, their amber eyes gleaming with cruel intent in the moonlight. The gray-furred leader bared his fangs, saliva dripping from his sharp teeth.

"A lone Omega... smells so sweet."

My heart pounded as I instinctively backed away: "I... I'm not your prey!"

"Haha!" The rogue leader let out a piercing laugh. "Run, little lamb, we love the chase!"

Damn it! I screamed internally: *I can't even shift into wolf form—this cursed bloodline makes me so weak, and... and I hate to admit it, but without the strength that came from Brock's mark, I was more vulnerable than ever.

Without warning, all five wolves lunged at once, and I turned and ran!

Ignoring the searing pain in my neck and the weakness in my limbs, I forced myself forward. Thorns tore at my dress, branches whipped across my face, but I didn't dare stop.

Behind me came the howls of beasts and the sound of claws scraping the ground, getting closer and closer!

Just when I thought I'd be torn apart in despair, the ground suddenly gave way beneath my feet—I tumbled into a deep pit, rolling down ancient stone steps.

Pain shot through my body as I hit each stone step. I lay there for a moment, gasping and disoriented, my vision spinning from the fall. Blood trickled from new scrapes on my arms and legs.

Slowly, I struggled to sit up, blinking away the dizziness. That's when I saw it.

Moonlight streamed through the broken roof, illuminating a breathtaking sight before me: crumbling stone pillars, tangled vines, and a moon goddess temple ruins sleeping in time.

"What is this place..." I struggled to my feet, noticing the rogue wolves howling angrily at the pit's edge but not daring to come down.

But curiosity overcoming my fear, I turned away from the frustrated predators above.

I ventured deeper into the temple interior and discovered a dust-covered ancient tome before the moon goddess statue.

My trembling fingers opened the yellowed pages as I struggled to decipher the faded symbols before realizing this was a forbidden codex recording the true histories of various packs.

[Storm Pack... ancient bloodline wielding lightning power...]

[Bloodfang Pack... warrior tribe with powerful combat gifts...]

I flipped through page after page, each family having detailed bloodline records and special ability descriptions. Suddenly, a familiar family name caught my eye:

[Ironclaw Family]

My breathing quickened as I continued reading:

[Ironclaw bloodline, once the moon goddess's most loyal warriors...]

But the content on the next page made me nearly drop the book in shock:

[Due to the former Alpha's betrayal of the sacred moon covenant, the entire bloodline suffered eternal curse... male descendants of each generation lose their fertility...]

I stared wide-eyed, my voice trembling as I read on: [Only false medicine can temporarily mask the truth, but one must endure the pain of silver poison erosion...]

A lightning bolt of realization struck me!

"So that's why he's always taking medicine! That's why his wrists have silver chain burn marks! He's suppressing the side effects of wolf nature riots!"

The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place, and my fingers clenched into fists, flames of anger burning in my chest: "He made me bear the shame of infertility, but the one truly cursed is him!"

I flipped to another page, my heart racing as I read about the Silver Moon bloodline's ancient privilege:

[Silver Moon descendants possess the Sacred Challenge Right—no Alpha may refuse a duel called in the name of bloodline honor...]

[This is the Moon Goddess's supreme law. Those who violate it shall bear eternal curse...]

My hands trembled as the implications hit me. A sacred challenge right? If I truly carried Silver Moon blood, then I had a weapon against Brock that he couldn't refuse!

The words on the pages seemed to mock my foolishness. Four years! For four whole years I endured accusations of "cursed bloodline" and "barrenness," mocked by the pack, despised by my mother, doubted by my mate! And the truth was—

"Brock is the one who's cursed!"

Above me, I could hear the scraping of claws against stone—those beasts were testing something, growing bolder. But I was so absorbed in my rage and revelation that I didn't notice the sounds growing closer until it was too late.

The blood from my neck wound had grown thick and pungent in the enclosed ruins, its metallic sweetness finally overcoming their instinctive fear of this sacred place.

A low growl echoed through the temple ruins... I realized—they had actually jumped down.

I looked up to see those rogue wolves surrounding me, their eyes glowing in the moonlight as they closed in with predatory grins.

"Delicious prey, you can't escape..." the wolf leader bared his fangs.

My legs gave out, and I slumped against the cold stone of the moon goddess statue. My body was weak from hunger and cold, and I had nowhere left to run.

Is this how it ends? After discovering the truth, I'll die before I can expose Brock's lies...

Despair washed over me like a tidal wave. I had endured four years of humiliation for nothing, only to die as worthless prey in this forgotten temple.

I pressed against the moon goddess statue, my hunger and cold-wracked body trembling: "Moon goddess, if I truly have cursed blood, why must I endure this suffering?"

The wolves pressed closer, and I desperately closed my eyes, waiting for death to claim me.

Sharp claws scraped against stone as the pack leader prepared to pounce. I could feel his hot breath on my face, smell the metallic scent of blood on his fangs.

Just as those razor-sharp claws were about to tear into my flesh, a single tear of despair rolled down my cheek and fell onto the moon goddess statue beneath me.

Suddenly, the ancient stone began to glow with silver light and a mysterious voice spoke in my mind: "Child, what flows in your veins is not a curse, but an ancient blessing..."

An ancient blessing?

The wolves instantly froze, their ears perking up, fear flashing in their eyes.

"That's... Alpha presence!" The wolf leader backed away in terror. "No, stronger than Alpha... there's an ancient being here!"

I opened my eyes wide, feeling an unprecedented warm power surge within me: "What is... what is this power?"

The silver light dancing in my eyes—it was exactly the same as during the ceremony! "This silver light... it's just like what happened in the square!"

The statue's silver light grew stronger, as if responding to my question.

I struggled to my feet, still trembling from the encounter. The warm power continued to flow through me as I stared at the ancient tome in my hands, the words I'd just read burning in my mind.

Male descendants of each generation lose their fertility...

The revelation hit me like lightning as I clutched the ancient tome tightly, silver light dancing in my green eyes: "Serenity's child... if Brock can't reproduce, then whose baby is in her belly..."

I clenched my fists, revenge blazing in my eyes. Four years of endured humiliation, my mother's betrayal, the pack's mockery... it all had an answer now.

I'm not the one who's cursed!

Moonlight streamed through the broken roof onto me, that mysterious howl seeming to still echo, making me realize my origins were far more complex than I'd imagined.

But now, I had only one goal—

Return to Bramblecrest Pack and show everyone Brock's true face!