3

After leaving the treatment center, I made my way back to the small cabin in the woods.

The cabin sat on the outskirts of pack territory, hidden among ancient trees. Mateo and I had found it when we were just two orphaned wolves trying to build a life together.

Now, this place belongs only to me - my refuge for the past seven years. Mateo had never been here; apparently he really hated me and my abandonment, and so had avoided everything that had to do with me.

The last three moonwort pills rattled in my pocket as I climbed the worn steps.

My phone rang just as I reached the door.

"Caroline." Thomas's voice was cold. As Mateo's Beta, he had once been like a brother to me.

"Alpha King Mateo demands the return of his 500,000 by tomorrow night."

I closed my eyes, leaning against the cabin wall.

"Tell him I'll find a way."

Thomas was silent for a moment. "There's a position available. Serving at tonight's Pack Gathering."

I knew what he wasn't saying - it was the only way I could earn money fast enough.

That's how I found myself at the back entrance of the Eastern Pack's grand hall, where my best friend Iris waited with an omega servant's uniform.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked, helping me into the grey dress. The veil would hide my face from casual observers.

"It's simple work," she said, but her eyes were full of worry. "Just serve drinks and stay in the background."

I nodded, adjusting the scent blockers at my wrists. My hands trembled slightly - the curse making even this simple task difficult.

The grand hall was transformed for the celebration. Crystal chandeliers cast golden light over the gathered wolves - all of them powerful, all of them whole.

I kept to the shadows, serving drinks with my head bowed. The veil helped hide my identity, but every step was agony.

Then I saw him.

Mateo dominated the room in his Alpha King regalia, power rolling off him in waves. My power, though he didn't know it.

Everly clung to his arm, her white gown dripping with diamonds. She looked every inch the Luna she now was.

I tried to stay far from them, but the crowd shifted, forcing me closer.

That's when I heard it - two she-wolves whispering behind their hands.

"Look at her, acting like she's so perfect."

"Someone should take that smug Luna down a peg."

Before I could move away, one of them - a red-haired beta - deliberately stuck out her foot.

I stumbled, the tray of red wine tipping forward.

Time seemed to slow as the crimson liquid arced through the air.

It splashed across Everly's pristine white gown, staining it like blood.

The she-wolves' satisfied smirks quickly turned to mock horror.

"Everly! That clumsy omega ruined your gown!"

Everly's shriek could have shattered glass.

"You worthless omega! Do you know how much this dress costs?"

The room fell silent. I kept my head bowed, my veiled face toward the floor.

But Mateo had already caught my scent.

He strode forward, ripping away both my veil and scent blockers in one motion.

"Caroline," his lip curled in disgust. "Still here begging for money?"

Everly's gasp of surprise was perfectly practiced.

"Caroline! The former Luna, serving drinks? How... desperate you must be."

The whispers started immediately, cutting like knives.

"That's the one who abandoned our Alpha King..."

"Left him when he lost his power..."

"Called him weak and worthless..."

"Karma really does come for everyone..."

The red-haired beta who had tripped me was the first to throw her drink.

Then another wolf followed. And another.

Each splash of alcohol made my curse marks burn beneath my clothes.

My borrowed wolf power screamed in agony, trying to heal damage it no longer could.

Through it all, Mateo watched with cold eyes, making no move to stop them.

Then his voice cut through the chaos:

"Since you're so desperate for money, let's make a deal."

He gestured to a servant who brought forward a tray of glowing blue vials.

"Shifting catalyst," he announced, his smile cruel. "Drinking it forces the omega to transform. But any true alpha can resist it."

My heart stopped. Without my wolf's power, I couldn't shift at all.

"Drink these, resist the shift, and I'll give you 300,000. That's what you came for, isn't it?"

The room erupted in laughter. For normal wolves, the catalyst was harmless - they would either shift or resist it easily.

But for me, with my wolf's power stripped away and channeled into Mateo, it would be torture.

The curse marks on my chest burned at the mere thought.

"The 500,000 transfer... I won't have to return it?" I asked quietly.

His face twisted with fury and disgust.

"Fine! Show everyone how far you'll go for money!"

I grabbed the first vial with trembling hands.

The moment the catalyst touched my lips, my borrowed wolf power began to scream.

It felt like my bones were trying to break, my skin trying to split - but without my true wolf's power, I couldn't complete the shift.

I was trapped in between, the pain excruciating.

But I reached for another vial. And another.

The pack members watched, some horrified, others amused, as I tortured myself for money.

More drinks were thrown. More laughter rang out.

But Mateo's expression slowly changed from one of satisfaction to one of confusion; clearly, he'd never seen anything like this before - I neither transformed nor looked like I was resisting with my alpha power, more like I was enduring something.

As I reached for the seventh vial, his hand suddenly shot out.

"ENOUGH!" his Alpha voice shook the walls.

My body gave out. I collapsed among the broken glass and spilled drinks.

Blood trickled from my nose - the silver curse reacting violently to the catalyst.

Iris burst through the crowd, gathering me in her arms.

Her voice cracked with fury as she screamed at Mateo:

"She gave her wolf's power to save you! She's dying because she took your curse! She can't shift anymore - you're torturing her!"