Abandoned Alpha Mate After Rebirth

In my previous life, no one loved me except my Alpha mate, Grayson. My parents and brothers treated me like a mobile wolf essence bank for my sister Victoria. But Grayson remembered I was afraid of the dark and quietly left a nightlight after my essence transfusions; he kept my casual mention of "wanting to find a quiet place to paint" in his heart, and casually gave me $5 billion to buy my favorite forest. When I confessed my feelings to him, though he was shocked, he still accepted my confession and promised he would definitely mark me. God knows how happy I was then—the person I liked actually liked me too. I only realized when I was dying that his kindness towards me was predicated on my continued donations of wolf essence to Victoria. After my rebirth, the first thing I did was spend five billion dollars to buy an isolated forest. "Miss Ember, are you sure you want to purchase this forest? If you buy it and move in, it'll be nearly impossible to contact the outside world." I nodded, my voice carrying a hint of relief. "That's exactly what I want—somewhere no one can reach me." But when I really left, why did my family and Grayson go crazy and beg me to come back? Chapter 1 In my previous life, I only realized when I was dying that my Alpha mate marked me just to better control me and make me willingly transfer wolf essence to my sister Victoria. Victoria had suffered from wolf essence depletion since childhood—a severe condition where her wolf was failing and couldn't survive without regular essence transfusions. My parents treated me like I was just a thoughtless child—after all, Victoria would always say "Sister's just throwing a tantrum, she loves me deep down," but then turn around and crumple up my drawings of wolf pack forests, telling our parents "Sister draws such dark pictures, is she cursing me?" My brother Finn also only had eyes for Victoria, because she'd always play the victim in front of him, saying "Brother, sister just pushed me, she said I'm a burden." Only Grayson had ever shown me different kind of warmth. He'd remember I was afraid of the dark and quietly leave a night light after my essence transfusions; he'd keep my casual mention of "wanting to find a quiet place to paint" in his heart—but all that tenderness was crushed by Victoria's tears. I confessed my feelings to him. Though he was shocked, he still accepted my confession and promised he would definitely mark me. Back then I thought I'd grasped the light, until right before I died in my previous life, I heard Victoria whisper in Grayson's ear: " Uncle, please, if you let Ember leave, I will die without her wolf essence. You absolutely can't let her know you actually care about her, or she'll make a fuss about leaving me." After my rebirth, the first thing I did was spend five billion dollars to buy an isolated forest. That money was a courtship gift from Grayson. "Miss Ember, are you sure you want to purchase this forest? If you buy it and move in, it'll be nearly impossible to contact the outside world." The pack staff member handling the paperwork looked utterly confused. I nodded, my voice carrying a hint of relief: "That's exactly what I want—somewhere no one can find me." But before I could even finish the paperwork, a black Maybach suddenly screeched to a halt in front of me. The door flew open, and Grayson strode toward me. His fingertips were pale, and when he grabbed my wrist his touch was gentle but carried barely noticeable panic: "Ember, come with me quickly, Victoria she..." Before he could finish, I heard Victoria's tearful voice through his phone's speaker: "Uncle, I fell down the stairs, it hurts so much... Is sister still mad at me? Won't she come see me?" My heart went cold—in my previous life I was tricked into going to the hospital by this crying, but this time I clearly remembered that when I left this morning, I saw Victoria deliberately step on her dress hem and "accidentally" fall down the steps in front of Grayson, even sneaking a glance in my hiding direction. "Uncle Grayson..." I tried calling out this long-unused title, wanting to see if he still had the hesitation from my previous life. But he didn't catch my tone at all, just pulled me toward the car while his eyes couldn't help but scan my pale face, quietly asking "Why do you look so awful?"—but as soon as those words left his mouth, Victoria's crying came through again: "Uncle, I don't think I can hold on much longer..." Grayson's movements paused, but ultimately he still stuffed me into the back seat. As the car raced to the hospital and he pulled me toward the wolf essence extraction room, his fingertips were actually gently stroking my wrist the whole time, as if worried about hurting me, but whenever Victoria's coughing sounded, he'd get pulled back into his "protector" role. "Victoria accidentally fell down the stairs. Her wolf is failing rapidly. We won't extract too much this time, don't worry." Grayson's voice was somewhat hoarse, but I saw him secretly signal the healer, his lips moving as if saying "Draw less, don't hurt her." But before the healer could nod, a slap landed hard across my face. "You ungrateful girl! Where the hell did you go?! Didn't I tell you to stay by your sister's side at all times? You can't leave her!" Victoria immediately rushed over to grab Mother's hand, her eyes red as she said: "Mom, please don't hit sister. It must be my fault. Yesterday I told sister that I wanted her to come to the garden with me, sister probably thought I was annoying and hid..." As she spoke, she secretly dug her nails into my arm, making me gasp in pain. My father put his arm around the furious mother, looking at me with disappointment: "Ember, how are you becoming more and more inconsiderate? Victoria's this sick and you're still holding grudges? Last time she told me you hid her wolf essence medication, I didn't believe it, but now it seems..." "I didn't!" I finally couldn't help but protest, only to be interrupted by my brother Finn. He was carefully handing Victoria warm water, not even looking at me: "You didn't hide it? Then how did Victoria's medication end up in your dresser drawer? I think we should chain you up with silver to stop you from always trying to bully her." I was stunned—that medication was clearly something Victoria had secretly given me the night before, saying "Sister, this medicine makes me uncomfortable, can you keep it for me?" Turns out she'd been setting the trap from that moment. Grayson frowned as if he wanted to say something, but Victoria suddenly started coughing, covering her face as she cried: "Uncle, am I being too much trouble? If I wasn't here, sister and everyone would be so much more relaxed..." "Don't talk nonsense." Grayson immediately interrupted her, and when he turned to look at me, his voice carried more helplessness: "Ember, just donate some wolf essence to Victoria first. We can talk about everything else later, okay?" I looked at the struggle in his eyes and suddenly remembered how in my previous life when he marked me, his fingertips were actually trembling, and he'd quietly said "Don't be afraid, I'll protect you." I gave a wry smile. He was indeed very good to me and always protected me, unless Victoria shed tears in front of him. When the needle pierced my vein, I could feel the wolf essence rapidly draining, and my vision began to darken. The healer frowned and said: "Mr. Grayson, Miss Ember's wolf essence reserves are too low. If we extract more it'll damage her wolf soul." Victoria immediately said: "It's okay, I'll use less, just don't hurt sister..." But her hand secretly pressed on the healer's arm, saying in a voice only they could hear: "Draw more, or I'll have to 'hurt' again." I forced myself to open my eyes and saw Grayson suddenly grab the healer's hand, pulling out the needle: "Enough, we can't draw anymore." But Mother immediately shrieked: "Grayson! Have you lost your mind?! Victoria's still waiting to be saved! Ember's just faking it—she's perfectly healthy!" "I'm not faking..." My voice trembled, but no one believed me. Finn even walked over and grabbed my arm: "Stop playing the victim here and come with me for another extraction!" When the emergency room doors opened, Victoria suddenly "weakly" leaned into Grayson's embrace, looking at me softly and saying: "Sister, I'm sorry, did I make you suffer? If you don't want to donate, I... I can hold on." This sentence was like adding fuel to fire—our parents got even angrier, and even Grayson's gaze toward me became more complicated. He probably also thought I was holding grudges against a sick person. I laughed mockingly, forced myself to endure the dizziness, rolled down my sleeves, stood up and walked toward the exit. Outside the hospital, I looked at the brilliant engagement ring on my ring finger and suddenly remembered what Grayson said when he gave it to me: "Ember, when Victoria gets a little better, I'll take you to that forest you love." Turns out he remembered everything—he just didn't know that Victoria would never "get better." Without hesitation, I removed the ring and threw it into a trash can. In this life, I wouldn't believe Victoria's tears anymore, nor would I expect my family's favoritism. As for Grayson... if he could never wake up, then I didn't want this misguided "love" either. Since everyone loved Victoria and no one loved Ember, Then I'd damn well love myself! Chapter 2 Every time I gave Victoria a wolf essence transfusion, I needed several days of rest to recover my strength. This time was no exception. But the house was eerily empty—everyone was at the hospital keeping Victoria company, and nobody remembered to leave me even a warm meal. I walked out of my room with an empty cup, hoping to find some bread to stave off my hunger, when a hard cardboard box suddenly came flying at my face. My wolf soul was still in hibernation and I couldn't dodge it. The box smashed into my forehead, instantly drawing blood. "Ember! What the hell are you doing? Why aren't you checking the messages we sent you!" Mother stood in the living room with her hands on her hips, Victoria trailing behind her—wrapped in a thick shawl, her face rosy, without a trace of frailty. Victoria immediately rushed over, reaching out as if to help wipe the blood from my forehead, but deliberately scraped her nails across the wound, making me flinch back in pain. Her eyes instantly reddened as she turned to Mother: "Mom, please don't be angry. Sister probably didn't see the message. She was so exhausted after donating wolf essence yesterday, maybe she fell asleep..." "Fell asleep?" Mother got even angrier, pointing at my nose: "Look at the group chat! We sent messages at six this morning telling you to make Victoria's favorite chocolate cake to welcome her home! You couldn't even be bothered to reply—are you deliberately going against us?" I pulled out my phone only to find the screen was black—I'd definitely plugged it in to charge last night, but now it wouldn't turn on. I didn't need to think twice to know Victoria had unplugged my charger while I was sleeping and hidden my phone under the couch. She wanted our parents to think I was deliberately ignoring them. "I didn't see the message, my phone died," I said, rubbing my throbbing forehead, my voice somewhat hoarse. "Died?" Finn walked in from outside holding my phone, the screen lit up—obviously Victoria had just given it to him. "This has battery, doesn't it? Ember, could you stop making excuses? Victoria's discharge is such a big deal, couldn't you pay a little attention?" Victoria tugged on Finn's sleeve, saying softly: "Brother, don't scold sister. I don't really want cake anyway. Sister likes to paint, maybe she painted too late last night and forgot to check her messages..." "Paint?" Finn laughed coldly, his gaze sweeping over my bedroom door—where I'd left last night's unfinished painting of a forest with deer herds. But now the canvas was slashed to pieces, paint splattered everywhere. "What good are those trashy paintings? Last time Victoria told me you painted a forest without her in it, and said you 'didn't want to stay with a burden.' Is this how you act like a big sister?" I was stunned—that painting was meant to be a gift for Grayson, because he'd once said he wanted to take me to see a real forest. Last night I'd clearly put the painting away in my drawer, but now it was destroyed. No need to guess—Victoria again. "I never said that! She's lying!" I finally couldn't help raising my voice. Mother immediately charged over, pointing at my forehead: "How dare you talk back? Victoria's so well-behaved, would she lie to us? Look at yourself—all you do is hole up in your room, either painting or spacing out, you don't care about your sister at all! How did we end up with such a thoughtless child?" Just then, Grayson walked in. Seeing the wound on my forehead, he immediately frowned and hurried over as if to touch it, but Victoria caught his hand. "Uncle, don't worry, sister just bumped into something accidentally." Victoria looked up at him with complete dependence in her eyes. "I just told sister I wanted her to walk with me in the garden, but she didn't seem very willing... Did I disturb her?" Grayson's movement paused, and when he turned to look at me, his voice carried helplessness: "Ember, Victoria just got out of the hospital and wants you to walk with her. Just go with her, okay? She's fragile and needs someone to look after her." I looked at the trust in Grayson's eyes and felt a chill in my heart. He clearly saw the wound on my forehead, saw how pale I was, but still believed Victoria's words. Memories from my previous life flooded back—I was always being framed by Victoria like this, but Grayson would always say "She's still young, you should be patient with her." "I'm not going." I stepped back, avoiding Grayson's hand. "I don't feel well, I want to rest." "What's wrong with you?" Mother immediately retorted. "Victoria's much more fragile than you, and she's not complaining about feeling unwell! Ember, I'm telling you, today you're going to the garden with Victoria whether you like it or not, or you're not eating dinner!" Victoria secretly glanced at me, a barely noticeable smile tugging at her lips. She knew that as long as she played the victim, everyone would side with her. Looking at this family in front of me, I suddenly felt utterly ridiculous. They'd rather believe a "frail sister" who lied constantly than trust me, the daughter they used as their "wolf essence bank." Even though Grayson had moments of caring about me, he was always blinded by Victoria's pretense. "Fine, I'll go." I took a deep breath and turned back to my room to get a jacket. At the doorway, I heard Grayson quietly ask Victoria: "Did you bump into her just now? That wound on her forehead looks really painful." Victoria's eyes immediately reddened, her voice choked with tears: "Uncle, I didn't! I was just trying to help sister pick up her cup, she accidentally bumped into me and fell... It's all my fault, if only I hadn't touched the cup." I froze mid-step, the last bit of hope in my heart crumbling. So he had suspected something, but Victoria's tears would always matter more than my grievances. In my jacket pocket was a copy of the forest purchase contract I'd secretly made yesterday. The paperwork would be done in two days, and then I could finally escape this suffocating family. As for Grayson... if he could never wake up, then I didn't want this misguided "love" either. Chapter 3 In my previous life, Victoria had used this exact excuse to postpone our mating ceremony year after year. As long as she didn't give her approval, Grayson would never mark me—he was tied down hand and foot by Victoria's tears. Thinking of this, I smiled mockingly at myself, unconsciously rubbing the old scar in my palm, a mark from when I was clawed by a rogue wolf while protecting my paintings. "Sure, whatever works." What wouldn't be fine? After all, Grayson and I were never going to actually complete a mating ceremony anyway. I put down my chopsticks and said, "I'm done eating." As I turned to go upstairs, I caught Victoria sneaking a glance at Grayson out of the corner of my eye, a triumphant smile tugging at her lips—she'd won again, using "frailty" to steal away what should have been my ceremony. Watching my somewhat resolute figure, Grayson paused with his knife and fork in hand. For the first time he felt something was different about me: the old me would have asked with tears in my eyes "Why do we have to postpone again?" but now I was so calm it was like I was talking about someone else's business. He wanted to call out to me, but Victoria suddenly clutched her chest and started coughing: "Uncle, I feel a little dizzy..." His attention was immediately pulled away as he reached out to touch Victoria's forehead, completely missing my footsteps stopping at the stair landing. In the following days, with the mating ceremony postponed indefinitely, Grayson indeed had plenty of time to accompany Victoria on scenic trips to various places. The night before departure, Victoria knocked on my door holding a thick coat: "Sister, Uncle, Mom, Dad and I are going to the snowy mountains. You just donated wolf essence and you're weak, so don't come and suffer in the cold." As she spoke, her nails deliberately scraped across my wrist—where needle marks from the last essence donation still remained. I looked at the barely concealed smugness in her eyes and suddenly remembered she'd said the same thing in my previous life, then turned around and complained to the family that "sister said the snowy mountains were boring and wouldn't come with me." Sure enough, when they left the next day, Mother looked at me with feigned concern: "Ember, you're not feeling well, so rest properly at home. When you're better, we'll all go together." And once again, I was left behind at home. To "share" the joy of their travels with me, Victoria sent me photos from every place they visited. In the pictures she stood atop snowy peaks wearing custom down jackets Grayson had bought her, surrounded by family taking photos; at the beach, she held a giant stuffed animal Finn had given her, with fireworks Mom and Dad had prepared for her in the background. "Ember, it's such a shame you didn't come! Uncle Grayson built me a huge snowman, even taller than you!" "Mom and Dad said the hot springs here are good for my wolf soul, they're going to buy me a villa with hot springs so we can come often!" "Oh, and sister, Uncle bought me a glowing necklace. Didn't you once say you wanted one? But Uncle said this style suits me better~" Every sentence was like a needle piercing my heart. I deleted each photo one by one, then turned off my phone and started packing my luggage—just a few more days until the forest paperwork was complete, and I'd be completely free. Just then, I suddenly heard the sound of breaking glass from downstairs. My movements froze as scenes from my previous life flashed through my mind: around this same time, a rogue wolf had broken into the house, stolen Mother's jewelry, and torn all my paintings to shreds. Back then I'd called for help, but no one answered—they were watching fireworks on the snowy mountain with Victoria. Immediately, alarm bells went off in my head. I quickly stuffed my paintings into a hidden compartment under the bed, contacted the Alpha Council enforcers, then grabbed a silver dagger and quietly hid behind the door. The rogue wolf indeed climbed in through the window, heading straight for Mother's jewelry box. I held my breath, waiting for him to turn around before suddenly pouncing, but he shoved me aside—my wolf soul was still hibernating, no match for him at all. His claws slashed my arm, making me break out in cold sweat, but I bit down hard on his wrist to keep him away from the bed. Fortunately the enforcers arrived just in time to subdue the rogue wolf. But I also fell down the stairs, my forehead hitting the steps, leaving my face covered in blood. When the whole family and Grayson rushed back, they only saw the enforcers leaving while I sat disheveled in the wreckage, the wound on my arm still bleeding. Father and Mother were stunned, their voices stammering, "You... you caught him all by yourself? Why didn't you call us?" Victoria immediately threw herself into Mother's arms, sobbing: "Mom, it's all my fault! I was just video chatting with Uncle and the others, saying sister would definitely be safe at home. If I'd known, I wouldn't have played with you all for so long..." As she spoke, she secretly signaled Mother with her eyes—see, it was all Ember's fault for being stubborn, it has nothing to do with us. Mother's brow furrowed as expected, her tone full of reproach: "Exactly! Why didn't you wait for us to come back for something so dangerous?" Even the usually cold Finn showed complex emotions. "Why are you trying to be a hero? Last time Victoria said you were even afraid of a wolf pup, how come today you dared fight a rogue wolf?"—he remembered Victoria's previous claim that "sister's timid but always likes to act brave." I was exhausted beyond words, the hand clutching the dagger still trembling. Grayson suddenly crouched down, reaching out to touch my forehead, but I dodged away. His fingertips froze in midair, his eyes full of panic: "How are you, Ember? Are you hurt anywhere? I'll take you to the hospital!" "You're so foolish! Why didn't you contact us?" His voice carried a trace of barely noticeable self-blame—just now Victoria had kept saying "sister's definitely sleeping, don't disturb her," so he really hadn't called me. I looked at him weakly and asked, "What good would contacting you do? Would you have actually rushed back for me?" Everyone's expressions changed. Victoria immediately said: "Sister, how can you say that? We rushed back as soon as we heard! Uncle even sped on the way here!" She deliberately mentioned Grayson's "urgency" while completely omitting that they'd stopped to buy her souvenirs on the way. I smiled mockingly. In my previous life, because I believed they would come back, I had called each of them one by one, only to be tortured half to death by the rogue wolf. Seeing my unusually calm demeanor, Grayson's frown deepened. He suddenly noticed the edge of a picture frame peeking out from under my bed and was about to ask about it when Finn pointed at the suitcase on the floor and shouted: "You've packed so much stuff—where the hell are you planning to go?!" Chapter 4 Grayson spun around abruptly, his gaze equally tense. "Ember, what's going on? You're leaving home?" My heart jolted. In my rush to catch the rogue wolf, I'd forgotten to hide my suitcase. I gripped the wound in my sleeve tighter and forced a calm smile. "Seeing you all travel made me want to get away too, so I packed my stuff ahead of time. That way I can pick a destination and leave right away." Victoria immediately walked over, clinging to Grayson's arm coquettishly: "Uncle, sister probably just wants to clear her head, don't worry. But sister, if you leave and I suddenly need wolf essence, what am I gonna do?" She deliberately brought up "wolf essence," reminding everyone of the purpose of my existence. Father and Mother's faces immediately darkened. "Get away? What for! Didn't I tell you to stay by Victoria's side forever!" "Exactly! What if Victoria feels sick in the middle of the night and you're not here? If something happens, who's gonna take responsibility? Have you forgotten why we had you!" Grayson looked at my pale face, suddenly feeling uneasy. He remembered when he'd bought the engagement gift a few days ago, I'd casually mentioned "wanting to find a place with forests to paint." Was I actually serious? But Victoria tugged on his hand again: "Uncle, sister's probably just throwing a tantrum. When she comes to her senses, she'll come back. If you push her, she'll definitely get angrier." He hesitated—on one side was the resolve in Ember's eyes, on the other was Victoria's "understanding," and ultimately he chose to believe the latter: "Ember, if you wanna go somewhere, that's fine, but give us a heads up. It's too dangerous alone." I laughed silently to myself. He still didn't get it—where I was going was a forest they'd never be able to find. A few days later was mine and Victoria's birthday. Though we were three years apart, our birthdays happened to fall on the same day, but there was always only one cake in the house—Victoria's favorite strawberry cake, with candles matching only her age. In my previous life I'd naively asked Mother "why aren't there candles for me," but Mother said "two cakes would be wasteful, you can blow them out together with Victoria." Now I realized it wasn't about waste—they simply didn't want my birthday to steal any of Victoria's spotlight. At the birthday party, pink balloons filled the living room. Victoria stood in the center wearing a princess dress Grayson had bought her, unwrapping gift after gift. "Thanks for the bracelet, Mom!" "Thanks for the stuffed animal, Brother!" "Uncle, this gemstone necklace is gorgeous!" Everyone crowded around her while nobody noticed me standing in the corner, clutching a birthday card I'd drawn myself—something I never got to give in my previous life, and now there was even less point. "Hey Uncle, why do you have two boxes for your gift?" Victoria picked up two similarly wrapped boxes, looking at Grayson with confusion. Everyone's curious gazes followed, and Grayson somewhat awkwardly handed one box to me. "This one's for you." I took the box, my fingertips recognizing the familiar weight—in my previous life he'd given me the same box, containing a freebie that came with Victoria's necklace. Sure enough, opening it revealed a cheap bracelet, while Victoria held a necklace studded with rubies. Finn couldn't help laughing: "Oh, so it's a freebie. Pretty fitting for Ember." Mother chimed in: "Yeah, Ember doesn't usually wear jewelry anyway. Giving her something too nice would just be a waste." Victoria pretended to be shocked, covering her mouth: "Oh! So this was a freebie? Uncle, why didn't you say so earlier? I thought you'd gotten sister something really nice!" As she spoke, she secretly raised her eyebrows at me, her eyes full of smugness. I said nothing, just quietly threw the bracelet in the trash when no one was looking. After the party ended, Victoria suddenly said: "I just got my license and want to drive everyone home today. Is that okay?" Father and Mother immediately agreed: "Sure! Our Victoria's so capable!" Finn also smiled: "I'll ride shotgun and keep an eye on things for you." They all forgot I was still standing by the garage door. Before driving, Victoria deliberately glanced at me, then said to Finn: "Brother, sister's standing behind me. I'm worried about hitting her when I back up. Could you ask her to move aside?" Finn waved his hand: "Ember, move it! Don't block Victoria's driving!" I was about to step forward when I saw Victoria's lips curve into a sinister smile. The next second, accompanied by the screech of brakes, the car slammed into me hard, knocking me to the ground. As my consciousness faded, I heard Victoria's fake crying: "Sister! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I hit the wrong pedal!" Then came Mother's screaming: "Ember!" So she'd never intended to let me live from the very beginning. Chapter 5 When I woke up again, I was lying in the hospital's ICU, my whole body aching. I never would have dreamed that after giving so many essence transfusions to Victoria throughout my life, when I was facing life and death, not a single person would be willing to use Victoria's essence to save me —especially when this car accident was orchestrated by her all along! The doctor was negotiating with my family outside the door, his voice filtering through the crack: "Ember's wolf soul was severely damaged in the crash. She needs an immediate essence transfusion or she won't make it through the night! Victoria and her wolf soul share the same origin—they have the highest compatibility rate. Why won't you let Victoria donate?" I heard Mother's urgent voice: "No way! How could Victoria donate wolf essence? She's so frail, something might happen to her if she donates!" Father chimed in: "Exactly! Think of some other solution, find other compatible people. We'll pay whatever it costs!" Finn's voice was full of anger: "Ember got hit because she wasn't careful—why should Victoria have to sacrifice herself?" Finally came Grayson's ice-cold, decisive voice: "I'll definitely find another donor for Ember." My heart felt like it was being pierced by ten thousand arrows. I remembered how his fingers trembled when he marked me in my previous life; remembered the night light he secretly left for me; remembered when he gave me the engagement gift and asked "is this enough to buy a forest"—turns out those were all just my delusions. When it came to Victoria, I would always be the one who could be sacrificed. Intense pain washed over me again, and I sank back into darkness. When I woke up next, three days had passed. Opening my eyes, the first person I saw was Grayson. He was slumped over the bedside asleep, his eyes bloodshot, clutching a piece of paper—it was a forest sketch I'd drawn before, though I had no idea where he'd found it. Hearing my movement, he immediately woke up, his eyes full of surprise: "Ember, you're awake! Does anything hurt? I'll get the doctor!" As he turned to call the doctor, I noticed blood stains on his cuffs—my blood from the car accident, which he apparently still hadn't washed. After the doctor's examination, he said: "Fortunately we found a compatible wolf essence donor just in time, otherwise it really would have been dangerous." Grayson sat by the bed, carefully tucking in my blanket: "What do you want to eat? I'll have the kitchen make it for you." "That day... I'm sorry, it wasn't that I didn't want to save you, it's just Victoria she..." He wanted to say something but stopped—he couldn't explain why between me and Victoria, he always chose the latter. I looked at the guilt in his eyes, but my heart remained completely calm. He might love me, but I didn't need it anymore. After Grayson left, I asked the nurse, "Who ended up donating essence to me?" The nurse sighed: "It was a healer from our hospital. He was supposed to be on vacation but rushed back specifically when he heard about your condition. Your family's really weird though—we tried persuading them for ages, but they refused to let your sister donate. They even said 'Ember's tough, she'll definitely pull through.'" During my hospital stay, Father and Mother never came to see me once. Only Grayson came every day. He'd bring me the blueberry cake I used to like and read me books about forests, but never mentioned Victoria. I knew Victoria must be calling him every day, using "feeling unwell" to cling to him. Sure enough, I once overheard him on the phone in the hallway, his voice full of helplessness: "Victoria, I know you're not feeling well, but Ember's still hospitalized. I can't leave for too long..." On discharge day, he came to pick me up as promised. Just as we reached the hospital entrance, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, his expression immediately changed—it was Victoria. He answered the call, his voice immediately softening: "What's wrong? Are you feeling sick again?" I don't know what was said on the other end, but his brow furrowed and his knuckles went white gripping the phone: "Don't be difficult, I need to take Ember home right now... Okay, okay, I'll come over immediately. Don't get upset." After hanging up, he looked at me somewhat guiltily: "Ember, Victoria says she suddenly feels dizzy. I need to take her to the hospital first. Can you take a cab home by yourself?" I nodded calmly. "Sure, go ahead." Watching his car disappear from sight, I tugged at the corner of my mouth—Victoria had used "dizziness" to trick him away again, just like countless times in my previous life. I turned off my phone and hailed a cab directly to the Alpha Council—this time, I wouldn't let Victoria get away with it. Chapter 6 When I returned home from the Alpha Council, the house was empty. I was just about to head upstairs when I heard footsteps at the door. The door opened, and Father and Mother walked in first, their faces livid. Then Finn came in supporting Victoria, who was trembling and sobbing. Her eyes were red and swollen, making her look particularly pitiful. Seeing me, Father immediately rushed over, pointing at my nose and cursing: "You crazy girl! What the hell do you think you're doing? Did you report Victoria's car accident to the Alpha Council?" Victoria immediately threw herself into Mother's arms, crying: "Mom, I'm sorry, it's all my fault! I shouldn't have been driving. I hurt sister and got everyone interrogated by the council..." As she spoke, she secretly pinched Mother's arm with her nails—reminding Mother to take her side. Mother got angry as expected: "Victoria just hit the wrong pedal—it wasn't on purpose! Why would you report her? You want her to go to prison? How can you be so vicious!" Finn also chimed in: "You only got a little hurt, but do you know how long Victoria was interrogated? Three hours! She's so frail, how could she endure that kind of ordeal? If we hadn't signed that settlement agreement, she would've suffered even more!" I was so furious I laughed. For the first time, I dared to look at them with defiant eyes: "Yeah, I reported it to the council. So what? She deliberately hit me with the car—shouldn't she be punished?" "Deliberately?" Mother sneered. "Victoria's so kind-hearted, how could she deliberately hit you? You must have been careless! Last time you fought with Victoria over paintbrushes and even pushed her down, and now you want to frame her again!"—she remembered Victoria's previous "grievances," completely forgetting that Victoria had been the one to steal my paints that time. Father also said: "Ember, can't you be more sensible? Stop always going against your sister!" Victoria secretly raised her head, seeing the despair in my eyes, and a barely noticeable smile tugged at her lips. She knew that as long as she played the victim, the family would always take her side. Suddenly, Father grabbed a silver whip from nearby, raising his hand to strike me: "Today I'm gonna teach you a proper lesson about what it means to be obedient!" I closed my eyes, waiting for the whip to fall, but heard Grayson's roar: "Stop it!" He'd come back at some point and rushed over to grab Father's hand, snatching the silver whip away. Looking at the unhealed wounds on my arm, his eyes were full of heartache: "She's already injured—what more do you want?" Victoria immediately ran over crying, tugging on Grayson's arm: "Uncle, don't blame Mom and Dad. It's my fault. I shouldn't have made sister angry... Sister must be deliberately getting revenge on me because I postponed your ceremony." Her words were like a thorn piercing Grayson's heart. He looked at me, his eyes full of disappointment: "Ember, did you really report this to the council because of the ceremony?" I looked at the suspicion in his eyes and suddenly felt incredibly ironic. So even when he saw me being beaten, he'd still believe Victoria's words. I bit my lip until I tasted blood, then endured the bloody tears to say word by word: "You don't want me as your daughter—do you think I want parents like you?" "You brought me into this world and forced me to be Victoria's essence bank. Did you ever ask if I was willing?" "She deliberately hit me with the car, and you defend her; she steals my paintings, and you call me petty; she lies and frames me, and you say I'm being difficult..." My voice grew smaller and smaller, until I was almost choking as I said: "I've had enough. I don't want to be her shadow anymore." Father and Mother were both stunned—they'd never seen me look so desperate. Grayson was also stunned. He suddenly remembered all the details he'd ignored: Victoria getting "sick" always coincided with when I needed him; my paintings mysteriously disappearing; the increasing number of needle marks on my wrist... Could it be that he'd been wrong all along? He stepped forward to help me up. "Ember, I..." I shook my head with a bitter smile and turned to walk away. Grayson instinctively wanted to follow, but behind him Victoria suddenly clutched her head and collapsed backward. "Uncle, my head hurts so much..." He stopped in his tracks and ultimately turned back toward Victoria. Chapter 7 The silver whip wounds from that beating kept me bedridden for two whole days. Until my phone buzzed with a message from the staff, informing me that the paperwork for purchasing the forest was complete. That isolated forest was now mine! I was overjoyed and immediately called the number. The person on the other end confirmed with me repeatedly. "Miss Ember, are you certain you want to move to the forest in three days?" I had never been more sure of anything. "Yes, I'm certain." The staff member replied, "Very well, Miss Ember. We'll escort you to the forest in three days as scheduled." Just as I hung up, Grayson suddenly pushed open the door. "Move to what forest?" I put away my phone and changed the subject. "It's nothing, Uncle. Did you need something?" He didn't press further, simply answering, "Your competition entry won an award. The organizers invited you to the ceremony the day after tomorrow." If Grayson hadn't mentioned it, I would have nearly forgotten. I was quite skilled at painting and had qualified for the finals of a prestigious national competition a month ago. I never expected to actually win. On the day of the ceremony, Victoria insisted that the whole family accompany me to the event. "Ember, you're my sister! Of course we have to witness your moment of glory!" But then her tone shifted, and she sighed with apparent regret. "I wish I could win an award too, but my health has been so poor that I haven't had time to learn painting." "But that's okay—you winning is just like me winning!" I didn't respond, but I had an ominous feeling in my heart. The awards ceremony began, and finally came the moment to announce the gold medal winner. I sat in the audience, sweating nervously. This award was important to me—it was recognition of my work and validation from industry peers. The host took out the winner's list, suddenly looking confused. But after a moment, he recovered and announced: "Let's congratulate our gold medal winner—Victoria Blackwood!" The audience erupted in confusion. No one had heard this name before, and people whispered quietly. "Who is Victoria Blackwood? Some industry newcomer?" "I have no idea. I distinctly heard the gold medal should go to Ember Blackwood for her painting 'Sunset'!" I sat frozen for a long time before snapping back to reality. Just as I was about to stand and question the organizers, Finn yanked me back down. "Enough. I contacted the organizers an hour ago to make the switch and put Victoria on stage." "Victoria enjoys the feeling of glory. From now on, all your work will be published under Victoria's name." I turned around in disbelief. Father and Mother looked proudly at Victoria on stage, then glanced at me dismissively. "Don't compete with your sister. It's just one award." Grayson's gaze was intense, all his attention focused on the radiant Victoria on stage. He completely failed to notice my pale face. In that moment, I felt ice-cold all over. Once again, Victoria had stolen what belonged to me. And the accomplices were all of them. Amid the applause, Victoria thanked everyone—everyone except me. Back at the Blackwood house, I went to my room and gathered all my artwork. Along with the stuffed animals I'd saved three months of allowance to buy, the handmade dolls I'd carved alone in my room, and my worn-out clothes and dresses. Then I took all these things to the living room and dumped them in front of Victoria. Victoria jumped in surprise. "Ember, what are you doing?" I pointed at the pile on the ground, my voice calm. "Didn't they tell me to give you all my artwork? Well, here's not just my work, but everything I own. It's all yours." After speaking, I looked around at everyone, thinking bitterly to myself: And Dad, Mom, brother, Uncle—I don't want them anymore either. She can have them all! Chapter 8 In my room, I skipped dinner and locked myself in, packing my final belongings. Father and Mother assumed I was just throwing a tantrum, complaining outside my door. "Her temper's getting worse and worse. It's just a few paintings—does she really need to give her sister attitude?" "Exactly! I think she's getting too big for her britches!" Amid all the criticism, Grayson gently knocked on my door. "Ember, stop being angry. Come out and eat something, okay?" I turned toward the door, feeling awful inside, but my eyes were dry. I'd already shed too many tears—now I couldn't even cry anymore. Outside, Finn irritably pulled Grayson away. "Uncle, don't bother with her. She just likes making a scene. Let's see how many meals she can skip." I laughed. One meal. Because I was leaving tomorrow. The next day, I got up extra early, but to my surprise, the Blackwood family was already gone. Checking my phone, I discovered they'd left at dawn to pray to the Moon Goddess at the Sacred Grove. They say the shrine there is very powerful, but you have to hike up on foot and hang your prayer tokens before sunrise. No wonder they left so early—it was all for Victoria's blessing. On social media, each of them had posted. Every photo and prayer token was about Victoria. Father: "May Victoria be safe and happy forever!" Mother: "My precious girl, may all your wishes come true!" Finn: "May Victoria live a life of peace and joy!" Grayson didn't post Victoria's photo, just a picture of a prayer token's text: "Hoping for peace and lasting tranquility!" In my previous life, Grayson had hung many prayer tokens on that sacred tree. A man who never believed in gods or spirits, yet he visited that shrine almost every year. Just because his prayer tokens contained the character for "my love," I always thought the person in his heart was me. Only before I died did I learn that every prayer token had Victoria's name on the back. All those years of one-sided emotional investment were nothing but a joke. Fortunately, heaven gave me a second chance, and I finally woke up completely, refusing to repeat past mistakes. My phone chimed with a text notification. "Miss Blackwood, welcome to your forest residence. Please proceed to the airport immediately. Our staff will meet you there. We wish you every day on the forest to be filled with success and peace." I smiled as I closed my phone, then placed the prepared document severing parental ties on the table. Before leaving, something occurred to me. I stopped and removed the necklace from around my neck. This was the family heirloom Grayson had given me when I'd successfully confessed my feelings years ago. He'd said the person wearing this necklace would be his Luna, the future mistress of the Storm wind pack. But now, I no longer had any desire to be his Luna. I placed the heirloom on top of the severance document and left with my luggage. Just then, my phone started buzzing frantically. I paused and pulled it out. The screen showed dozens of missed calls from Father, Mother, Finn, and Grayson. I opened the group chat to find countless messages tagging me. "Ember, Victoria accidentally fell down the mountain and her wolf is failing heavily. Get to the hospital right now for an essence transfusion!" "You have thirty minutes—get to the hospital now!" "If anything happens to Victoria, I'm holding you responsible!" I paused for a moment, then expressionlessly exited the group chat and blocked them all one by one. From now on, I would no longer be Victoria's essence bank, no longer Father and Mother's second daughter, no longer Finn's sister, and definitely no longer Grayson's fiancée. I was Ember Blackwood, and only Ember Blackwood. I turned for one last look at this place I'd lived for over twenty years, then dragged my luggage to the waiting car without looking back. Chapter 9 At the hospital, Victoria lay motionless on the bed. Her skin looked almost transparent, drained of all color. Her lips had turned blue. Her eyes stayed closed tight while her forehead creased with pain. Father paced back and forth by the window. His hands shook as he checked his watch again and again. Mother sat beside the bed, gripping Victoria's cold hand. "Where is Ember?" Mother whispered. Finn stood in the corner, his phone pressed to his ear. He had been calling me for the past hour. Each time, the same robotic voice answered: "The number you have dialed is currently unavailable." "Still nothing," Finn said, lowering his phone. His jaw clenched with frustration. Grayson leaned against the wall near the door. His usual calm mask had cracked. Dark circles shadowed his eyes. His fingers drummed nervously against his thigh. He pulled out his phone and dialed quickly. When someone answered, his voice turned sharp. "I need someone whose wolf essence matches Victoria's blood type. Get them to the hospital now. I don't care what it costs or who you have to wake up." The person on the other end said something. Grayson's voice grew colder. "Then find more donors. Money is no object. Just make it happen fast." He hung up and moved closer to Victoria's bed. His eyes fixed on her pale face. "How much longer?" he asked the doctor who was checking her vitals. "The transfusion should help once we find a compatible donor," the doctor replied. "But her essence levels are dangerously low. Without treatment soon..." The doctor didn't need to finish. Everyone understood. Twenty minutes later, medical staff rushed in with bags of wolf essence. The transfusion began immediately. Victoria's heart monitor showed her pulse slowly strengthening. "She's stabilizing," the doctor announced. "But she needs rest. The transfusion was successful." Father, Mother, and Finn all sagged with relief. The tension that had gripped the room for hours finally began to lift. Grayson watched Victoria's peaceful face for another moment. Then he turned toward the door. "I'm going back to check on Ember," he said quietly. "She should know what happened here." He drove through the empty streets toward the Blackwood house. Something felt wrong. The silence in the car seemed too heavy. His wolf stirred restlessly beneath his skin. The house looked different when he arrived. All the lights were off. No sounds came from inside. Even the usual scent markers seemed faded. Grayson pushed open the front door. The silence hit him like a wall. "Ember?" he called out. His voice echoed through the empty hallway. No answer. He walked into the living room and stopped dead. On the coffee table sat a neat pile of papers. Beside them lay the Storm wind pack heirloom – the necklace that had been passed down for generations. His hands trembled as he picked up the documents. The words swam before his eyes: "Severance of Family Ties." At the bottom, in my familiar handwriting, was my signature. The papers felt like ice in his hands. He read through them twice, hoping he had misunderstood. But the meaning was clear. I was cutting all ties with the Blackwood family. The front door burst open. Father, Mother, and Finn rushed in, still breathless from their hurried trip from the hospital. "Grayson, did you find her?" Mother called out. They saw his expression and followed his gaze to the table. The documents and necklace told the story without words. Mother gasped and grabbed the papers from Grayson's hands. Her eyes scanned the text rapidly. "This can't be real," she whispered. Then her voice rose to a shout. "How dare that ungrateful girl!" She tore the documents into pieces, scattering them across the floor like confetti. Father's face turned dark red with anger. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. "She's just having a tantrum," he growled. "Cut ties with the family? Break off her engagement? She's being ridiculous." He began pacing again, his voice getting louder with each word. "She's a foolish child who doesn't understand the real world. Where does she think she'll go without us? Without our protection and support?" Finn snorted and crossed his arms. "She probably thinks this will get our attention. Make us come running after her with apologies." "Exactly," Father agreed. "She's trying to manipulate us. Well, I won't play her games. She can survive on her own for a few days. When she gets hungry and cold, she'll come crawling back." Mother nodded firmly. "Let her learn the hard way. Maybe then she'll appreciate everything we've given her." "Right now, Victoria needs us more," Father continued. "She's the one who's actually hurt. She's the one who deserves our concern." Finn picked up some of the torn papers. "If anything happens to Victoria because Ember decided to throw this fit, I'll never forgive her." "None of us will," Father said coldly. "Come on. Let's get back to the hospital where we're actually needed." The three of them stormed out, their angry voices fading as they got into their car. Grayson remained alone in the living room. He picked up the necklace and held it in his palm. The metal felt cold against his skin. Doubt crept into his mind like a slow poison. Was this really just a tantrum? Would I actually come back in a few days? He tried to convince himself. Of course I would return. We were engaged to be married. I loved him – I had told him so many times. This had to be some kind of emotional outburst. Yes, that was it. I was upset about Victoria's accident and not thinking clearly. Once I calmed down, I would realize my mistake. "She'll be back," he said aloud to the empty room. Back at the hospital, the Blackwood family rushed through the corridors toward Victoria's room. As they approached Victoria's door, they heard her voice from inside. She was talking to someone on the phone. Her tone sounded different – stronger, more confident than usual. "Pretending to fall down that mountain was exhausting," Victoria said with a light laugh. "But it was worth it to finally get rid of Ember." Father, Mother, and Finn froze outside the door. Grayson's eyes widened in shock. Victoria continued talking, completely unaware of her audience. "I've been planning this for years. All those fainting spells, those trips down the stairs. Remember when I deliberately hit the gas instead of the brake? I sent her flying, but she still wouldn't leave." "But thank goodness it worked this time," Victoria went on cheerfully. "I've finally driven Ember away. No more competition. No more pretending to be weak and helpless." The phone conversation continued, but the family members couldn't hear any more. Their world had turned upside down in the span of thirty seconds. All these years, they had believed Victoria was fragile and innocent. They had protected her, worried about her, put her needs first. And now they discovered it was all an elaborate lie. Father was the first to move. He pushed open the door and marched into the room. Mother and Finn followed close behind, their faces twisted with anger and disbelief. Victoria looked up and saw them. The phone slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. Her face went white as a sheet. "Mom, Dad, Finn," she stammered. "I... I didn't know you were..." "Why?" Mother's voice cracked. "Why would you do such horrible things?" Victoria scrambled out of bed and rushed to them. Tears began streaming down her cheeks. "Please, let me explain. I was wrong, I know I was wrong." She grabbed Mother's arm, then Father's hand. "I was just so scared. You had me first, and I was your only daughter. Then Ember came, and I thought you might love her more than me." Father jerked his hand away. His voice boomed through the room. "We only gave birth to Ember for your sake! To help with your condition! How could you think we'd love her more?" Mother's tears mixed with her anger. "We gave you everything. The best room, the finest clothes, all our attention. Couldn't you see how much we cared for you?" Finn stepped forward, his face hard as stone. "That car accident. I thought it was real. I saw Ember covered in blood, and I felt so guilty. You let me believe it was my fault for not protecting you better." Victoria reached for him desperately. "Finn, please, I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt that badly." "But you did mean it," he said coldly. "You planned it. You wanted to hurt her." Victoria fell to her knees, sobbing. She grabbed at their clothes, begging. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I swear this is the last time. I'll never do anything like this again." She looked up at them with streaming eyes. "But you still love me, right? I'm still your daughter." Her voice grew more desperate. "Mom, Dad, remember when you had those terrible headaches? I made you healing herb every night. Finn, during the earthquake, I pulled you out of that collapsed building. I risked my own life for you." Finn's expression wavered slightly. Father and Mother looked torn between anger and old affection. Victoria turned to Grayson, who had been standing silently by the door. "Uncle Grayson, you love me too, don't you? That day in the garden when I was dancing, you fell for me immediately. Ember was only born to be my essence donor anyway." Her voice turned bitter. "I know it was wrong to make her give me so much wolf essence over the years. But I couldn't stand watching her steal your love from me." Grayson stared at Victoria as if seeing her for the first time. This calculating, manipulative woman was nothing like the sweet girl he thought he knew. Just then, a voice came from the corner of the room. The family housekeeper had been standing there quietly during the entire confrontation. Now she stepped forward and dropped to her knees on the floor. Tears poured down her weathered face. "Alpha, Luna," she said in a shaking voice. "I can't keep silent anymore. There's something else you need to know."