I'll Go In Seraphina's Place, But I Have Conditions

Clara's POV

The next morning, my bedroom door was shoved open with brutal force.

Evelyn strode in clutching a marriage contract, her face twisted into a triumphant sneer.

"So, Clara—what's your answer?" She slammed the document onto the table in front of me. "I've already filled in most of it for you. All you need to do is sign right here, and in three days you'll be walking down the aisle as a blushing bride."

I stared at the contract but didn't reach for it. Instead, I turned to face my father, who stood behind Evelyn with his head bowed, refusing to meet my eyes.

"Father, are you truly going through with this? Sending me away?"

He cleared his throat and wrung his hands nervously. "Clara, Kyle may be injured, but Silvermoon Pack's status remains strong. Your marriage will benefit all of Mooncrest Pack. Your sister Seraphina is pureblooded—she should stay on our territory and seek a union with a more powerful Alpha. This is what's best for the family."

His words made my stomach turn. This was my father—a weak, self-serving man who saw nothing beyond his own interests.

"I'll go in Seraphina's place," I said, looking directly at Evelyn. "But I have conditions."

Evelyn's eyebrows shot up, and her voice climbed several octaves. "Conditions? Clara, do you understand your position? You're nothing but a low-ranking Omega. We've fed and housed you for years, and now you dare negotiate with us?"

"If you don't agree, I'll kill myself on the wedding day." My voice came out flat and cold, devoid of emotion. "Imagine what happens when Silvermoon's delegation arrives to find a bride's corpse waiting for them. Not only will you face their wrath, but Seraphina will have to take my place to fill the gap. Go ahead—test me. See if I have the courage to follow through."

Evelyn's expression shifted instantly. She glared at me with pure hatred, as if her eyes alone could tear me to shreds.

Father panicked, tugging urgently at Evelyn's sleeve and whispering, "Just hear what she wants. As long as this marriage goes through without incident, that's all that matters."

Evelyn drew a deep breath, forcing down her rage, and ground out through clenched teeth, "What do you want?"

"First, I want what my mother left behind." I held her gaze. "The moonstone she brought into this family, and the deed to her pack territory. According to inheritance law, those belong to me. I'm taking them as compensation for being forced out of this house."

"In your dreams!" Evelyn shrieked. "That land belongs to this family now! Those moonstones are mine!"

"They're my mother's legacy." I didn't back down. "The deed bears my mother's name. Under pack law, after her death they should have passed to me. Besides those, I also want Seraphina's enchanted vest made from snow wolf pelt, plus the five-hundred-year-old Lunar Bloom from the family safe and three vials of Silver Antidote."

"Absolutely not, Clara!"

Seraphina's normally delicate features contorted with fury. "That snow wolf vest was my coming-of-age gift—my favorite! What right does a lowly Omega like you have to touch my things? I'd rather cut it into shreds and throw it in the trash than give it to you!"

Both Evelyn and Father gasped.

"Clara, have you lost your mind?" Father couldn't help but snarl. "That snow wolf vest is Seraphina's treasure—worth a fortune! And the Lunar Bloom and Silver Antidote—those are precious healing materials I worked incredibly hard to obtain. How dare you ask for them?"

"Kyle suffers from severe silver poisoning and has a violent temper. After I marry into his family, I could lose my life at any moment." I looked at them coldly, my lips curving into a bitter smile. "Without enchanted armor, without those medicines to keep me alive, how am I supposed to survive? And if I die at Silvermoon, do you think they won't investigate my background? Besides, Seraphina doesn't have to marry a cripple and gets to preserve her pureblooded dignity—aren't these things worth that price? Consider it compensation for taking her place and leaving this family forever."

I paused before continuing. "Additionally, I want ten thousand dollars in cash as compensation for being thrown out. Don't dress it up as some family gift—transfer it directly to my account. One dollar short, and I won't sign."

"You greedy little bitch..." Evelyn trembled with rage, raising her hand to strike me again.

This time I didn't flinch. Instead, I met her eyes with an icy stare.

Father quickly grabbed Evelyn's arm. "Enough! Give her what she wants! After she marries into Silvermoon, whether she lives or dies is anyone's guess. Let her have these things—as long as she leaves quietly without causing trouble for the family!"

Evelyn clenched her jaw, glaring at me with malicious intent for a long moment before finally conceding.

Half an hour later, Evelyn returned with a dark expression, roughly throwing a heavy wooden chest and a bank statement onto the table.

"The deed, moonstones, vest, and medicines are all in there. The money's been transferred. Take them and get out!" she snapped.

I opened the chest and verified the contents—the deed, moonstones, snow wolf vest, and a sealed container holding the Lunar Bloom and three vials of Silver Antidote. Everything accounted for.

Without hesitation, I picked up the pen and signed my name on the marriage contract.

"I'll depart on schedule in three days," I told them coldly. "Now please leave. I need to rest."

Evelyn snorted and pulled Father toward the door.

It didn't matter anymore. I'd gotten my compensation. At least when I arrived at Silvermoon, I wouldn't be empty-handed.

Over the next three days, no one disturbed me. Servants delivered meals on time but remained as cold as ever. I used the time to organize my herbs, packing them along with my mother's belongings into a small leather case.

On the third morning, before dawn had fully broken, the sound of a car engine rumbled outside.

Silvermoon's wedding car had arrived.

In the living room, Seraphina sat on the sofa sipping tea. When she saw me descending the stairs, satisfaction spread across her face.

"Good luck, dear sister," Seraphina said mockingly. "I hope you can tolerate that monster's temper once you get there. If he beats you to death, don't say I didn't warn you."

I ignored her taunts and walked straight through the living room toward the door.

Father stood at the entrance watching me. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end only managed, "When you get there, behave yourself. Don't cause trouble for the family."

I smiled bitterly without looking back and climbed directly into the waiting car.

As I watched Mooncrest Manor gradually disappear through the window, I told myself silently: Clara, you're free. Never come back.