Chapter 1

Half a month before my wedding with Eric Bartholomew, he suggested a pre-wedding trip.

As usual, I couldn't turn down any of his wishes.

We went skiing in the snowy mountains and raced the lions on the grasslands. We even boated down the Serra River.

We wrapped up our trip by watching the sunrise on the peak of Mount Arietta.

Eric clicked the shutter on his camera when the sun peeked through the horizon. At the same time, someone gave me a hard push from behind, causing me to fall and roll down the cliff.

I sustained grave injuries from that incident.

…

I woke up again in an empty hospital room. All I could hear was the halting conversations outside the door.

"We need the most experienced surgeon to lead the surgery. Every detail must be attended to. We can't afford any slip-ups. Got it?

"By the way, sever her tendons too. This way, she can't leave the manor. She'll be kept in the dark!"

That voice belonged to Eric, my fiancé. Who was he referring to? Was he talking about a spy sent by the other packs?

Indeed, cutting off the tendons of a spy was the best decision.

"Alpha, Derrina is the most powerful Gamma in the pack! If we sever her tendons, she won't be able to participate in any battles. It'll be a huge loss for the pack!"

After a pause, the doctor cautiously added, "I know that you're thinking of adopting your cub with Phyllis Miller, but that cub takes after your looks! Gamma will definitely find out with just one glance!"

A resounding slap echoed outside the door. Eric growled furiously, "I'm the Alpha! All you need to do is obey me!"

I had just sat up in bed when the doctor's words knocked the air out of me, making me slump back down.

The two men stopped talking when they heard the sounds in the room. I hurriedly closed my eyes when I heard them push the door open. I pretended to be in a coma.

I felt someone caressing my cheek and smoothing the strands of my hair that had clung together from the sweat.

That familiar hand was once a source of warmth for me, but now, I found it disgusting.

I clutched tightly onto the bed sheet, nearly digging my nails into my palm as I tried my best to suppress my anger and pain.

Eric let out a tender yet fake sigh. He slowly began, "That's why I want you to sever her tendons. That's the only way I can get her to stay in the dreamy castle I built for her. She will never find out that I have another family in the castle next to it. It's a perfect plan, don't you think?

"Even if she's a Gamma who can't fight in battles, she will still be a venerable wife of the Alpha.

"My love for her has never changed, but it's my duty as a man to acknowledge Phyllis and our cub. Got it?"

He sounded so righteous, as though he had no choice but to betray and inflict pain on me.

The doctor sighed. "My honorable Alpha, I shall obey your orders. Everything will go as you wish."

Eric finally removed his hand from my cheek. He opined, "Derrina recovers fast. So, up her dosage of special anesthetic before my wedding with Phyllis. She can't wake up that day. Only then will my plan go smoothly."

Eyes widened, the doctor warned him in a trembling voice, "Alpha, you know that overdosing on the special anesthetic might lead to brain damage for a Gamma. She might even end up in a coma forever! This is no joke."

I instinctively clenched my fist under the blanket.

The special anesthetic in question was only applied to vicious Rogues, whose aggressive tendencies were a ticking time bomb, possibly hurting the weaker werewolves in the pack at any time.

I had led a research team from the pack to develop this special anesthetic over five years.

How ridiculous and ironic was it to fall victim to my own invention?

Eric dismissed the doctor's concern with a wave of his hand. "So what? No matter what happens to Derrina, she'll still be my wife. She will remain the most revered being in the pack.

"I'm doing this to spare her the pain when she wakes up. It's for her own good. Am I right?"

The doctor shook his head in exasperation and sighed. Then, he hurried out of the room.