Lilian’s POV
Because my body had been injured again and again,my wolf never had the chance to properly heal.The backlash came fast and merciless.
I burned with fever.
For three full days,I drifted in and out of consciousness,trapped between pain and dreams.My human body lay helpless on the hospital bed,but my wolf was dragged somewhere far deeper—into memories I had long tried to bury.
The dream was warm.
Too warm.
Golden light spilled everywhere,gentle and forgiving.In it,I was never abandoned.
My parents had never brought Adeline home.In this world,there was only me—their daughter,their pride,the future Luna of the Wyatt Pack.My mother smiled at me the way she used to when I was little,brushing my hair and telling me I was precious.My father’s hand rested on my shoulder,steady and protective,as if no harm in the world could ever touch me.
And Brian…
Brian was still the boy who used to crouch outside my door every morning,waiting patiently to walk me to the academy.His wolf had always stayed close to mine back then,instinctively guarding me even before we understood what a mate bond truly meant.
In the dream,he confessed beneath an ancient rose arbor—the kind reserved for pack vows.He said he would make me his mate,his Luna,his forever.Our wedding was held in the sacred garden,moonlight pouring down as the elders blessed us.
Later,we had a child.
A small,warm bundle with Brian’s eyes and my wolf’s scent.
We were happy.Whole.
Then the light went out.
Without warning,the warmth shattered.The smiles on my parents’faces twisted into something cold and unfamiliar.Brian’s hand—once so warm—turned icy,slipping from mine as though I had never mattered.
They stood together at the edge of a cliff.
Laughing.
And then they pushed me.
I fell into endless darkness,my wolf howling in terror as the bond snapped,the pain ripping through me like claws tearing flesh.
I woke with a sharp gasp,my chest heaving violently.
My eyes flew open to an empty hospital room.
White walls.Beeping monitors.No familiar scent.No guardian wolf watching over me.
My body felt unbearably heavy,as though my bones had been filled with lead.Pain throbbed through my shoulder,deep and relentless.When I tried to sit up,my arm trembled violently,numb and uncooperative.
Gritting my teeth,I tore the IV needle from my hand and slid off the bed.
The floor felt cold beneath my bare feet.
As I stepped into the hallway,faint voices drifted toward me from the nurses’station.
“Did you see the two young women from the Wyatt Pack?”
“Of course.Their situations couldn’t be more different.”
“Adeline barely had surface injuries,but her parents stayed with her day and night.And Sir Brian never left her side.”
There was a pause.
“Meanwhile,Lilian was seriously injured.Three days unconscious.No visitors at all.”
Their words were quiet—but painfully clear.
Each syllable cut into my chest like a blade.
My knees weakened,but I braced myself against the wall.My wolf stirred faintly,wounded but awake,as if reminding me not to collapse here.
Without hesitation,I walked to the nurses’station,signed my own discharge papers,and left.
No one tried to stop me.
When I returned to the Wyatt mansion,the silence was unnatural.The house that once smelled of pack bonds and shared blood felt hollow,empty of warmth.
I went straight to my room and began packing.
There wasn’t much.
Just one small suitcase.
That was everything I owned in this house.
After finishing,I went downstairs for water.Before I reached the living room,laughter drifted in from outside.
They were back.
My parents entered first,carefully supporting Adeline as she limped inside like a fragile porcelain doll.Brian followed closely,his eyes filled with unmistakable tenderness as he watched her every step.
They talked and laughed,their voices light,as if nothing had happened.
As if I hadn’t almost died.
When they saw me,Brian froze.For a brief moment,something like heartache flickered in his eyes when he noticed my pale face and weakened stance.
But before he could speak,my mother rushed toward me,her expression sharp and accusing.
“Lilian,what’s wrong with you?”she snapped.“Why didn’t you tell us you were being discharged?Do you have any idea how worried we were?”
My father immediately joined in.“Adeline already explained everything.She said she lost her balance and accidentally dragged you toward the fire.Out of guilt,she pushed you away to save you!”
“And you—leaving the hospital on your own like this?Acting out again?”
Adeline lowered her head,looking weak and pitiful.
But I saw it.
The faint,triumphant curve of her lips.
She was looking at me like a victor surveying the battlefield.
Something inside me finally broke.
I laughed.Soft at first.Then bitter.
“Worried about me?”I asked quietly.“So worried that during my three-day coma,none of you came to see me even once?”
My gaze shifted to Adeline,cold and unblinking.
“Lost your balance again?”I said flatly.“You really do come up with new excuses quickly.”
For the first time,I didn’t lower my head.
I looked at them like strangers.
“Watch your precious daughter carefully,”I warned,my voice calm but sharp.“If she lays a hand on me again,I won’t hold back.If I’m unhappy—she won’t be happy either.”
Their faces twisted with shock and fury.I didn’t care.
I turned and walked upstairs without looking back.
This house.This pack.These people.
They were no longer worth even a single heartbeat of my life.
