Chapter 2

Charlie paced impatiently outside the emergency room, his agitation radiating like heat from a furnace.

His voice sliced through the air, sharp and unrelenting. "Eve! Is this really the time to argue? We've been in love for six years, and Lisa is your cousin! Of course, it's only natural I'd remember your blood type in a critical moment."

I remained silent, though my body felt like it might collapse at any moment. I had just suffered a miscarriage, and the bleeding hadn't even stopped entirely. Yet here he was, demanding my blood.

A wolf suffering a miscarriage is fragile, and the negative blood of the Silvermoon Pack is rare, almost sacred. It was unthinkable to donate, even if I had recovered.

Besides, why should I cover for a man like him, a man who'd already shown his true colors?

When Charlie barged into Silvermoon Pack's territory, did he not consider the consequences?

Everyone knew we were engaged—the union of Silvermoon and Ironclaw promised to be the alliance that shaped the wolf packs' future. And yet here he was, dragging both families' reputations through the mud for the sake of my cousin.

"I just had a miscarriage," I said flatly. "I can't donate blood. Find someone else."

Charlie's anger ignited instantly, his words scalding. "Eve! Didn't you always claim to love me? Now I'm asking for a little blood, and you're using a miscarriage as an excuse? You've shown your true colors. You'd rather let Lisa die than lift a finger. I can't believe I ever loved someone so heartless!"

His accusation landed with the force of a punch.

Maybe he was right—perhaps he'd never truly loved me. If he had, he wouldn't have feigned illness to deceive me.

He wouldn't have overlooked the exhaustion etched into my face or forced me to donate blood for his lover.

And he certainly wouldn't have carried on with my cousin in secret.

An alarm blared from a nearby monitor, interrupting the tense standoff. The emergency doctors rushed to move Lisa into the operating room.

In his frustration, Charlie grabbed me and hoisted me over his shoulder, carrying me toward the blood donation area as though I were a sack of grain.

"Eve, whether you like it or not, I'll owe you for this," he said gruffly. "Dang it! I'll even marry you on the day of the ceremony if that's what it takes."

This was the future Alpha of Ironclaw—cold-blooded, reckless, and willing to use any means necessary to achieve his goals.

I stopped resisting. Perhaps this was my way of repaying an old debt. Once, he'd risked his life to save me. Now, I'd let this act settle the score between us.

As crimson blood flowed into the collection bag, a chill seeped into my heart.

When the donation ended, Charlie hurried off with the nurse toward the operating room, not sparing me a second glance.

Watching his retreating figure, I whispered to myself, "We're even now, Charlie."

Later, I woke up in my hospital bed, the weight of exhaustion pressing down like lead. The doctor's voice cut through the haze. "Your body isn't capable of enduring another blood donation, not for at least six months. Attempting anything sooner could be life-threatening."

I nodded weakly, offering a faint, detached smile.

After he left, I checked my phone. There were over a dozen missed calls, all emergency contacts from the hospital for Charlie. Not a single one had been answered. Instead, there was just a single text message from him.

Charlie: [Eve, can you stop being so dramatic? You need to know your place. Seriously.]

I stared at the screen for what felt like an eternity. Whatever faint ember of warmth remained in my heart froze solid in that moment. I couldn't reconcile the man who had once loved me with the venom in his words.

Without replying, I spent the rest of the day recovering in silence.

When I finally felt strong enough, I shuffled to the hospital's rooftop garden, hoping the sunlight might melt the chill inside me. But instead, I stumbled upon a group of Charlie's friends.

Each of them carried flowers and fruit baskets, and for a brief, foolish moment, I thought they had come to visit me.

I turned to leave, but they intercepted me, their mocking voices sharp as knives. "Wow, so this is the famous Silvermoon princess. Playing the victim while Charlie's here with his girlfriend? Pathetic."

"Isn't it too much? Acting all frail just because she gave a little blood. What a drama queen."

"Guess even princesses can be losers. Can't keep her man and now getting dragged through the mud by her own cousin. Talk about karma."

Their words cut deep, but I steadied myself and glared at them coldly. "Don't forget the Silvermoon bloodline outranks anything Ironclaw has to offer. If you continue talking shit about me, you'll be dragging Charlie's name through the dirt too."

They faltered, momentarily caught off guard. Before they could retort, Charlie appeared from the stairwell. His gaze landed on me, his brows furrowing in frustration.

"Eve, seriously? Do you have to make a scene with my friends?"

His tone grew colder, more suffocating with each word. "I've already said I'd marry you. What more do you want? Stop pretending to be sick just to spy on me. If this is how you'll be after we're married, we won't last long."