The Luna Who Rose

Elysia

The moon was full and high up in the night sky. It glowed beautifully, illuminating the ceremony that was happening below—my engagement party.

It was a perfect night for such a gathering to take place. A night with a full moon when werewolves like me felt our best.

A clink of a fork against a wine glass stopped the chattering among the guests, and we all looked up to see my father, Alpha Griffin Ashbourne, standing in the center of the stage with a wide grin on his face.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you all for being here with us on this beautiful evening to celebrate the coming together of my daughter, Elysia Ashbourne and Alpha Jaxon Nightwell of the Ironclaw Pa—”

My father’s words were cut off when a loud sound pierced the air—it was the sound of a phone ringing.

I looked towards Jaxon, who was sitting beside me, and he cleared his throat as all eyes fell on him. The ringing phone belonged to him.

“Excuse me…” he murmured as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

A woman's shaky voice came through when he answered. It was loud enough for me to hear. “Jaxon… I'm in so much pain. I got hurt… I'm so stupid. It hurts so bad—”

Jaxon's eyes darkened when he heard the woman's words, and his grip around the phone tightened. “Lexa, take a deep breath and tell me what happened.”

A snivel came from the other end of the phone as Lexa spoke, “I got burned… I touched silver by mistake… I didn't know it was silver, it hurts so bad…”

“I'll be right there, Lexa. Don't move. Hang on for me,” Jaxon said shakily as he stood up and began to leave.

I stood up immediately I saw that, and I went to stand in front of him, stopping him from walking any further.

“Where do you think you're going, Jaxon?” I demanded, looking at him in confusion.

Jaxon raised a brow, a deep frown on his face. “Didn't you hear the conversation I just had on the phone? Lexa just called telling me she's hurt. She touched silver by mistake. She needs me.”

“So what? You're just going to leave our engagement party because she got hurt? She's not a child, she knows what silver looks like and how harmful it is to us, how could she have touched it by mistake? She should call somebody else or go to the pack infirmary to get treated!”

“Elysia, you know how close Lexa and I are. She can't just call me and tell me she's hurt, and I won't do anything about it. Step aside and let me go to her,” Jaxon said haughtily, and I stared at him unflinching.

“Tell me now, Jaxon, do I even mean anything to you at all? Are you engaged to me or Lexa?” I asked calmly, and Jaxon looked at me for a few seconds.

This question had been on my mind for a while.

I have always questioned the relationship Jaxon had with Lexa, despite Jaxon supposedly being my fiancé. He would always stop whatever he was doing to be with Lexa whenever she called him. I couldn't help but suspect there might be something going on between them.

And one thing about Lexa was that she knew how to put on the helpless girl act. She would always antagonise me when nobody was there, and she would act sweet in front of others. My own family began to hate me, and they always chose Lexa over me.

But I was the real daughter, and I was supposed to be the only daughter of Alpha Griffin and Luna Dominique, the leaders of the Bloodfang Pack. But everything changed when I went missing several years ago at the age of thirteen. My family never found me despite how much they tried to look for me.

Around the time I went missing, my father took Lexa in as his daughter. She was the daughter of my father's Beta who had died while protecting my father. He took her in because she had nobody else, and since Lexa's parents were close to my family, everybody favoured her.

My family couldn't find me despite their efforts, and Lexa slowly took over and became the sole daughter of the family. Everybody forgot about me as the years went by and they only recognized Lexa as the daughter of the Ashbournes.

It was a shock to everyone when I returned after seven years of being missing. Nobody knew what had happened to me, and I refused to tell them no matter how much they asked. I always got panic attacks whenever they brought it up, so they stopped asking.

I noticed how much my family doted on Lexa, and I badly wanted them to treat me the way they treated her, so much so that I would do anything they asked me. My efforts were never enough and they still considered me an embarrassment.

I even agreed to this engagement with Jaxon because of them, but here they were. The man I was supposed to get married to favoured Lexa over me, just like the rest of my family.

“This engagement party is cancelled,” Jaxon suddenly said, and the words felt like a slap to my face.

Loud gasps and chatters broke out in the clearing as the guests began to murmur amongst themselves.

I scoffed, my gaze fixated on him. “You have to be kidding me, Jaxon. You're going to cancel the engagement because Lexa was stupid enough to touch silver? She's an adult, she can take care of herself.”

“What is going on with you, Elysia? Why are you making such a big deal out of this? He said Lexa got hurt. She needs someone to be there with her!” my mother, Luna Dominique, suddenly shouted.

I rolled my eyes, letting out a dark chuckle. “Mother, please. If she's that badly hurt, then you, dad or Calden should go to her. Why does it have to be Jaxon?”

“You know she's very close to Jaxon, they are very close friends. She'll appreciate his presence more than ours…” my father cut in.

I couldn't believe my ears. My family and my fiancé were really going to let the engagement party get cancelled because of Lexa.

But I shouldn't be surprised.

This was how things had been since I got back three years ago.

“I really can't believe this is happening…” I trailed off, scoffing in disbelief.

“It's not that big a deal, Ely. Everybody already knows you're going to be married to Jaxon. You can just have the party later,” my older brother, Calden, spoke up. I shot him a glare, making him purse his lips.

Jaxon looked slightly calmer now, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. “Elysia, the engagement party can wait. We can always do it another time. From the way Lexa sounded, I could tell she was in so much pain. I have to go and check on her. We'll talk la—”

I didn't let him complete his statement. “If you leave, that'll be the end of whatever this is between us.” My face was cold as I spoke.

Jaxon stared at me in silence for a few seconds, and he sighed. “I know you don't mean what you just said. But let's stop the party here for now. We'll do it properly later. I just have to go see how Lexa is doing.”

He gave me a small pat on the shoulder, and then he ran out of the clearing without sparing me a glance.

The rest of my family members followed after him, and I could see the worry on their faces as they left.

I knew the only thing on their minds at that moment was Lexa being hurt. I knew they had long forgotten about me and the engagement party. And I knew they didn't care about my feelings at all.

And that was when I realized.

I had no place in the family anymore. Lexa had replaced me in their hearts and in their lives.

So I would stop trying so hard to be the perfect daughter.

Elysia

“Wow, what just happened? Did they really just end the engagement party and leave us all here?”

“Apparently. They could have given a proper announcement before running off like that, though. This must be so embarrassing for Elysia.”

“Right? It looks like Alpha Jaxon doesn't like her at all. He literally just chose Lexa over her.”

“Same thing with her family. Lexa has practically replaced her.”

These were the words the guests murmured amongst themselves as I stood frozen, my fists clenched at my sides. I couldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me get affected by their words.

“Elysia!” a familiar voice screamed as someone ran towards me.

I looked up to see my best friend, Alana.

“Are you okay, Elysia?” Alana asked worriedly as she pulled me into a hug.

I nodded slowly. “I am. Where were you?”

“I'm so sorry! I went to use the restroom, and when I was coming back to join the party, I saw some of the guests leaving and asked what was going on. I came running as soon as I found out,” Alana narrated, and I sighed.

“I can't believe they all left like that simply because Lexa was foolish enough to touch silver. Why the hell is Jaxon the first person she called? Are they having an affair or something?” Alana's voice was filled with anger as she continued holding onto me.

I could understand why she was so angry. She knew what this arrangement with Jaxon meant for me. It was a way for me to regain my place in my family, a way for them to take me back as their daughter. But it was ruined now, all because of Lexa.

“I'm not surprised. I've had enough of them,” I murmured with a calm voice, and that was when Alana broke the hug.

“What are you going to do…?” Alana asked tentatively, and I smiled.

“Nothing. I'm done with the engagement, I'm done with Jaxon, and I'm done with the people who are supposed to be my family. This evening has made me realize there is nothing I can do to make them see me as their daughter again, not when Lexa is there,” I responded, a determined look in my eyes.

“Are you sure? That's a big decision to make.”

I nodded. “Yes, I am. I've been trying so hard for three years now. I've had enough.”

Right as those words left my mouth, my phone pinged. I took it out of my pocket and looked at the message on the screen:

“I will always be the first choice. You come second to me.”

I laughed when I saw the text. It was from Lexa.

“Wow, she's absolutely insane.” I released a breath when I looked up from the screen.

I was more annoyed than angry.

I found out the type of person Lexa was as soon as I got back, but it seemed like she had everybody else brainwashed.

Lexa wanted every single thing that belonged to me.

My family. My life. My fiancé.

But I was done fighting for people who didn't want me as much as I wanted them. Lexa could have all of them.

There was no love involved in my engagement to Jaxon, anyway. The marriage was simply to strengthen the bond between the Ironclaw Pack and the Bloodfang Pack. I was only going to marry him because of my family.

“Elysia…” Alana called when she saw the furious look on my face.

I didn't respond. Instead, I took off the engagement ring, and without thinking about it twice, I threw the ring as far as I could.

I had a satisfied grin on my face after doing that.

Doing that felt so good.

“Did you just throw your ring away?” Alana gasped loudly.

“Yes. I'm well and truly done!” I screamed, spreading my arms around as I twirled.

“Wow, she must have lost her mind,” I heard someone say, but I only giggled.

I couldn't care less if they thought I was insane.

I ran out of the clearing, and Alana followed me.

I smiled as soon as I was away from the party, staring up at the full moon as the cool night air wrapped around me.

“It is a very beautiful night,” I uttered, my smile widening.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Alana looking at me worriedly.

“Are you sure you're okay, Elysia?” she asked.

I bobbed my head in response. “Yes, Alana. I'm perfectly okay,” I responded and paused for a second. “Don't you think this is the perfect night for a run? The moon is so beautiful. I would love to take a run in the forest.”

Alana smiled slightly. “It really is. If a run is what you want right now, let's do it. It's been a while since we ran together.”

I perked up at that, and we walked towards the forest together. We shifted into our wolf forms once we got to the edge of the forest, and we howled in excitement when we started sprinting.

We had only been running for a few minutes when the forest went eerily quiet—the air felt weirdly colder, and the sounds of crickets and other animals around us suddenly quieted down.

We stopped running and looked at each other. We were on alert as we looked around, wondering what was going on.

And that was when the smell hit my nose—burnt fur, old sweat, and decay.

Rogues.

Three haggard-looking wolves appeared in front of us when we caught their scent. They were big and menacing, and as soon as I saw them, I knew they were here to attack us.

“These rogues look so scary! What should we do?” Alana sent me a mind-link, fear dripping from her tone.

I didn't stop looking at the rogues as they stalked towards us. “We can't run, they'll catch up to us and we can't let them get to the Pack. We have to fight them.”

“Can we take them?” Alana asked.

“Yes, we can. It's two against three. We'll handle it,” I responded confidently.

I knew I could take on the rogues. Fighting was a part of me.

This should be easy.

Before Alana could answer, the largest rogue lunged at us. I met him halfway, my wolf slamming into his side with enough force to send us both rolling across the dirt. He snapped at my throat, missing by inches, but I dug my claws into his ribs and kicked him off with a vicious shove.

Alana didn’t hesitate. She launched at the second rogue, jaws clamping around the back of his neck. The rogue howled, twisting and bucking, trying to throw her off. She held on like a vice, refusing to give him an inch.

The third rogue barreled toward me, but I pivoted sharply, letting him overshoot. Before he could turn, I pounced on his back, sinking my teeth deep into his shoulder. The taste of rot and old blood hit my tongue as he screeched and collapsed under my weight.

The one Alana was fighting staggered, bleeding and wobbling. One more hard shove from Alana sent him crashing headfirst into a tree, and he didn’t get back up.

The rogue I was fighting tried to stand, but I struck again—fast, brutal. A swipe to his throat, a bite to his flank, and he crumpled, breathing shallowly, barely clinging to life.

The largest rogue, the one I'd first tackled, lunged at me from behind. I whirled, slammed my shoulder into his chest, and drove him into the ground. My claws hovered at his throat, my growl low and cold.

“Leave him,” I sent through the mind-link, even as Alana approached. “He’s the only one still conscious.”

Alana stood beside me, panting. “Fine. But only because we need answers.”

The rogue snarled weakly beneath my weight, burnt-fur stench choking the air around us. I pressed my claws in just enough to make him freeze.

“Who sent you?” I demanded, voice edged with steel.

“We work alone!” the rogue snarled, and I growled.

“Answer me or I will rip out your throat!”

The rogue whined, a helpless look on his face as he responded, “It was a woman. I don't know her name, but she said she was going to give us money if we abducted you and took you away. She said she didn't care about whatever we did to you as long as you were not around her.”

My mind immediately went straight to one person, but I didn't want to believe it.

“Can you describe what this woman looked like?” Alana asked.

“She looked young, and should be in her early twenties. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and she was of average height,” the rogue replied.

There was only one person who fit that description.

Lexa.

“That fucking bitch!” I seethed.

I hit the last rogue hard in the head, making him pass out.

I began to run out of the forest, and Alana ran behind me.

“Wait a minute, Elysia! Where are you going?”

“I'm going to confront Lexa! She will pay for this!”

“Are you sure about that?” Alana asked.

“I am! Can you please take care of the rogues? We can't just leave them there.”

There was a pause before Alana spoke again. “No problem. I'll take care of them! Bye!”

I didn't respond as I dashed out of the forest. Rage coursed through me, and I wouldn't calm down till I saw Lexa.

Ten minutes later, I stormed into the house, breathing heavily as I walked inside.

Jaxon was nowhere to be found. My parents and brother were gathered around Lexa, watching her like she was some fragile thing.

My eyes immediately fell on Lexa, who looked perfectly okay besides the bandage that was wrapped around her left hand.

Shouldn't she be at the pack infirmary if she was so badly hurt?

Lexa's eyes met mine, a cunning smile playing on her lips.

The smile enraged me, and without thinking twice, I walked closer to her and slapped her hard across the face.

Lexa's face whipped to the side, her blonde hair falling forward to cover her face.

“Elysia! What the hell do you think you're doing?!” Calden asked angrily. Still fueled by anger and adrenaline, I slapped Calden across the face, too.

“What has gotten into you, Elysia? You are acting out of character! Why would you slap your siblings?” my mother demanded, fuming.

Lexa raised her head, and I could see the red imprint of my hand on her cheek. Tears trailed down her face as she stared at me. “Why did you slap me, sister? I didn't do anything to you—”

I cut her off, glaring hard at her. “I am not your sister! And you know damn well why I slapped you. The rogues told me what you did!”

My father stood up immediately he heard that. “What rogues are you talking about?”

Elysia

I turned to face my father. “I almost got abducted some minutes ago. Alana and I got attacked by rogues.”

“What does that have to do with me, Elysia? You must've been doing something careless for you to get attacked by rogues. Why are you blaming me for it when I wasn't even there?” Lexa asked, tears still rolling down her face as her right hand held her cheek.

I scoffed in disbelief. I couldn't believe Lexa still had the nerves to pretend and act innocent after what she did.

“Lexa is right. It is not her fault that you got attacked by rogues. We've been here with her, there's no way she even knew you were going to get attacked,” my father spoke.

“And she's your sister, why would she send rogues to attack you? How could she do such a thing?” my mother added.

“Wow, you guys are still going to be on her side despite me telling you I got attacked? I could have gone missing by now. Worse still, they could have killed me!” I snapped, feeling angry about the whole situation. “I barely even escaped!”

The last part of my statement was a lie, but they didn't need to know that.

My eyes drifted off to Lexa, who was sitting quietly on the couch, and I was infuriated when I saw the smug smile on her face.

“How are we supposed to believe you when you said something so outrageous? Like you already know, Lexa got hurt and we've been staying here with her. She'll never do such a thing,” Calden uttered.

“Did she even get hurt? Why is she not at the pack infirmary getting treated if she is?!” I demanded.

“Her hand was just burned, so we had the doctor come here and treat her. There was no need to go,” my father said, and I laughed.

“See? This was all a part of her plan! She wanted to ruin the engagement and get rid of me. She touched the silver on purpose just so she can get you guys to come to her rescue and forget about me. But you all can't see that because she has brainwashed every single one of you!” I screamed.

Lexa burst out crying when she heard my words, and my mother immediately ran to her side and embraced her in a hug.

“Why are you saying this, Elysia? I would never do such a thing to you... You're my sister, and I love you… Why are you making me seem like a bad person?” Lexa spoke in between tears and hiccups.

I rolled my eyes at the performance in front of me. “Oh, please, Lexa. Spare me the drama. You know what you did!”

Lexa's wails increased, and her shoulders shook as she cried in my mother's arms. Mother scowled at me. “How can you be so wicked? Why are you making a sick girl cry? What did she ever do to you?”

“I regret having you as a sister. Honestly, I don't even see you as my sister anymore. Lexa is the true daughter of this family,” Calden spoke.

Those words broke my heart. And though it was something I had always known, it didn't hurt any less.

I pushed aside the sadness I was feeling, and I looked at my parents coldly. “Mother, father, is this how you feel? Do you guys also think Lexa is the true daughter of this family?”

Mother seethed. “She is the only daughter we recognize! Any daughter of ours could not have gone missing and suddenly come back after seven years. It's simply not possible!”

“Your mother is right. You disgraced our family by running off to wherever you went, and it almost ruined our reputation! We only appreciate a daughter who has not stained the family's name,” father added.

“Right… I see how it is,” I murmured, nodding my head slowly. “I can now see that you guys are openly choosing another person over your biological daughter. And I can now see I have no place in this family anymore. So I am going to leave for my own sake.”

“I don't want to feel like I am an intruder in your otherwise perfect family,” I added before walking towards the door.

Before I was out of earshot, I could hear Lexa saying, “Mom, Dad, should we go after her and tell her to come back? I should apologize to her for making her feel like I took her place. She's your daughter and my sister.”

“There's no need to go after her! We have you, and you're the perfect daughter any family could ever ask for, we don't need her!” That was my father’s response.

“Your father is right, darling. Elysia is nobody to us. You are the best daughter we could have ever asked for,” my mother responded.

I stormed out of the sitting room, and banged the door behind me. I walked away from the house in anger.

I didn't have it in me to feel sad. And it was probably because I hadn't had a bond with my family for a long time, so there was nothing to cry about.

While I was deep in thought, I began to cross the road. I didn't notice the car coming in my direction till it came to a stop about three feet away from me.

I only snapped out of my thoughts because of the loud screeching sound the car made as it suddenly pulled over.

“Are you alright, miss? I should have driven more carefully. I'm so sorry!” The driver apologized profusely when he came out of the car.

I looked at him in confusion for a few seconds before it clicked to me that the car would have hit me if the driver hadn't been careful.

“Oh, it's okay, sir. I was the one who wasn't watching when I crossed. It's alright,” I quickly responded, but the driver kept apologizing.

“What's going on?” a deep, masculine voice suddenly asked.

I raised my head to see a man walking towards us. He was tall and strikingly handsome. He exuded an intimidating aura that immediately pulled me in. His green eyes shone under the moonlight, and his dark hair was styled to perfection.

“Sir! I almost hit her with the car, and I was apologizing to her for making such a mistake,” the driver rambled.

The strange man let out a sigh, and he barely spared me a glance. “Sorry about my driver, miss. Tell me how much you want for compensation and I'll write you a check,” he said as he took out his checkbook out of his suit pocket.

Who the hell did he think he was?

I was offended by his bluntness, but I held in my anger. “I don't need your money. But you'll certainly need it to treat yourself.”

His eyes narrowed. “What could you possibly mean by that?”

“There's poison in your system, a very strong one which has latched itself onto your bloodstream. Judging by how pale you are, how slow you walk, the bead of sweat on your forehead, and the tremor in your left hand, I can tell the poison is already taking hold.”

“It'll only be a matter of months before it works completely. And you'll die when it does,” I finished, and the man's eyes widened in surprise.

I could tell he was bewildered that I was able to diagnose him within such a short period of time.

“Who are you, and how do you know what is wrong with me?” he asked.

I threw my hands in the air dismissively. “I'm just a passerby, somebody you don't need to know. But what you do need to know is that you have to do something about that poison as soon as possible if you don't want to lose your life.”

I was about to walk away after saying that, but his next words stopped me in my tracks.

“I am Kade Blackridge, Alpha of the Stormridge Pack. I will give you whatever amount you ask for if you cure me.”

I froze when the words registered in my head. I was about to turn him down, to tell him I wasn't a doctor, and that he should find somebody else to do it.

But right as I opened my mouth to refuse, a bright idea came to my head.

I stared at this man with determination shining in my eyes. “So you're Kade Blackridge? The alpha of the most powerful pack ever?”

He gave a single nod to that.

I grinned. “Well then, if I'm going to cure you, I don't want your money. But you will have to do me a small favour in return.”

Elysia

Kade looked at me, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Tell me. I'm curious to know what this favour is.”

I smirked, crossing my arms against my chest. “I am Elysia Ashbourne, the first daughter of Alpha Griffin Ashbourne of the Bloodfang Pack. And I cut ties with them today.”

Kade hummed, nodding his head slightly. “You're the daughter who went missing all those years ago? The one nobody likes?”

Okay, that was harsh. But I couldn't be offended. It was the truth anyway.

I cleared my throat, raising my head. “It seems you know a lot about me.”

“Everybody knows that much,” Kade said with a chuckle. “You did the right thing by cutting ties with them.”

At least, one person thought I made the right decision.

“So, do you want to make a deal with me, Mr. Blackridge? I'll cure you, remove the poison. And you'll become my partner, support, and help me. What do you say?”

The driver who had been quiet since Kade came suddenly coughed, like he was shocked by the words that came out of my mouth.

Kade, however, wasn't as surprised as the driver. Instead, he looked at me with amusement. “You've got some nerves, Elysia.”

“I could say the same thing about you,” I retorted. “You want me, a literal stranger, to cure you. Your life will practically be in my hands if I say yes, so it's only normal for me to ask for things.”

“Why do you think you have the right to ask for things?” he asked.

“Because I have power. My grandfather transferred his position and authority as an elder in the pack council to me. Major decisions can't be made in the pack without my approval, and they hate that. I also want your help against the Ashbournes. I want them to pay for everything they did to me, to destroy everything they hold dear.”

I wanted to live a quiet life when I came back home, a life different from the one I lived when I was away.

But I couldn't live that life anymore. They had pushed me to the edge.

I was going to fight back. I would make them regret everything they did to me.

And I would find out the truth behind how I went missing.

I had a feeling something was wrong when I returned, but I could never place a finger on it.

Now I had the time to look into it. And anybody who was behind it would pay for it.

I returned my gaze to Kade, and I found him staring at me with what seemed like intrigue in his eyes. And after what felt like an eternity, he spoke up.

“Deal.”

My eyes grew wide. “Deal? For real?”

Before I could blink, he came to stand directly in front of me, lowering his head to my ear. “Just so you know, anybody who works with me... Lives or dies with me.”

I smirked. “I have the same principle.”

He leaned back, hands in his pockets. “Good then. Let's go.”

I raised a brow at the sudden demand. “Go where?”

“My pack. You'll be living with me from now on.”

“Oh, that's right. Before I go with you, I have to get some things from my apartment,” I responded.

“I can get you new things you'll need. I don't want to spend anymore time in this place,” he snapped, and I could tell he was feeling agitated.

“Calm down. It'll only take a few minutes, plus the things I'll need to treat you are in my apartment.”

He sighed. “Fine. Let's head to your apartment first.”

We got into the car and I gave the driver directions to my place.

“Wait here. I'll be back in a moment,” I said to Kade as I got down from the car and walked into my apartment.

I started living alone six months after I returned to my parents’ house because I couldn't watch how they treated Lexa in my presence. I had to move out for peace of mind, but I still craved their approval, so I remained close to them.

I hurriedly packed some essentials into a bag and also the things I'd need to cure Kade. I walked out when I was done.

“We can go now.”

An hour passed, and the driver pulled over in front of a beautiful mansion. And I followed Kade to the bedroom.

“Take off your shirt,” I told him as I opened the box containing my medical items.

Kade took off his shirt without questions, revealing his toned, muscular body.

My eyes went straight to a purple scar on his abdomen. I traced it with my fingertips. “You got poisoned two years ago?”

Kade froze. “How do you know that?”

“It's Bloodbind Toxin. It clings to blood cells and feeds on a wolf's strength, making detoxification impossible. It kills Alphas faster because your power fuels it, but you've managed for this long. No one lasts more than one year.”

“Can you cure me?”

“I can. But it'll take ten weeks, one treatment each week.”

I lifted a long silver needle and pressed it to the side of his abdomen. He keeled over immediately, coughing up clotted blood.

Kade raised his head and looked at me when he was done coughing. “I feel... warm. I haven't felt that way in a long time.”

I smiled as I removed the needle, seeing his pale skin regain colour. “The cure is working. But you should be careful. The poison in your system is rare, and only a handful of people can get their hands on it. Be wary of the people around you.”

“I'll be careful. Thanks for the warning.”

I wiped the needle with a clean cloth before returning it to the box. And I handed Kade a bottle. “It contains a tonic. You should drink it every morning when you wake up. It will remove the poison from your body.”

He took the bottle from me, looking at me with questions in his eyes. “How do you know so much about this poison?”

“You'll find out soon enough,” I responded in a low voice.

He pursed his lips, unsatisfied with the answer, but he didn't press further.

Kade stood up. “You'll stay in this place from now on. I'm always busy with pack duties, but I'll come around for the treatments.”

I nodded, smiling a bit. The house was huge and nicely decorated. It was a good place to stay.

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

I really appreciated it. He was the first person to show me kindness in a long time. Even more than the people who were supposed to be my family.

He handed me a card. “Get yourself whatever you want with this card, there's no spending limit. Also, can you come with me to a charity gala this weekend?”

“I'm just your doc—”

Kade interrupted me before I could finish. “You should follow me everywhere I go as my personal doctor, should you not? Besides, the Ashbournes will be at the gala, too.”

Elysia

I let out a scoff when I heard him mention the Ashbournes. “Fine, I'll go. It's only right for me to show them how serious I am about this whole thing.”

Kade nodded, a small smile on his face. “I'll pick you up by six on Saturday night,” he said and paused. “I also want you to dress beautifully. My plus one has to look amazing.”

I smirked as I took the card from him. “You should trust me on that.”

I had left my house with nothing, so I had no money on me. There was no way in hell I was going to refuse this.

Besides, I was helping him with his treatment. It was only right for me to collect some money. He would pay a normal doctor, after all.

“In the morning, I will send someone to meet you. Her name is Stella and she will show you around the pack. She will also help you with anything you might need. Talk to her whenever I'm not around,” Kade spoke, and I bobbed my head.

“Thank you. I look forward to meeting her.”

“Alright then. Good night,” he said before leaving.

I watched as he left, and I hummed to myself.

He wasn't so bad. He really thought of everything I'd need and provided it.

I took a long shower, washing off the grime of today. And I fell into a deep sleep after that, feeling as refreshed as ever.

The atmosphere felt cleaner and better since I left the Ashbournes, and I loved it.

I woke up the next morning and I checked my phone for the first time since yesterday.

It was full of missed calls and unread messages from the Ashbournes. I scoffed when I opened them.

The first one was from Calden. “Why did you leave the house? Come back home, Elysia. We need to talk to you!”

I laughed when I read it, and I replied, “Fuck you, Calden. I'm never coming back to that hellhole.”

Then I blocked him.

The second one was from my mother. “What has gotten into you, Elysia? As your mother, I command you to come back home!”

I replied, “I stopped having a mother last night. You are dead to me.”

And I blocked her.

The next one was from my father. “Elysia Ashbourne, you better come home this instant, or you should never come back! We need to have a conversation with you!”

“Good thing I'm never coming back to your house. And you should forget about the position and authority grandpa gave to me, I'm never giving it to you. Bye!”

I blocked him after that.

Lexa's message was the last one, and I almost flung my phone across the room when I saw it.

“Big sis, why did you leave the house? Where are you? Please come back. We miss you, and we need you back at home.”

I seethed at how pretentious the message was. The nerves of that snake.

I didn't even bother to reply to the message. I blocked her straight up.

The only way to describe what I felt in that moment was satisfaction.

I felt super proud of myself.

I had blocked every single one of them, and now, there are was no going back.

I tossed my phone aside and got out of bed, stretching to wake my body.

A knock sounded on the door at that moment, and I came face to face with a young woman who looked to be around my age.

“Good morning, you must be Stella,” I said with a small wave, and she smiled.

“Yes, I am. And you must be Elysia. Alpha Kade sent me to you. I'm to help you with anything you need.”

“Yes, yes. Could you please take me to the shopping mall?”

“I'd love to, Miss Elysia.”

An hour later, Stella and I were shopping in an high-end boutique at the mall.

“I'd love to try that one,” I said to the attendant, pointing at a beautiful red dress on a mannequin.

Right as the attendant was about to get the dress, a familiar voice shouted, “I'll take that one!”

I turned around, and rolled my eyes when I saw who it was.

Lexa.

Of course. It had to be her.

I seethed when she walked over arrogantly.

She was all dressed up, and Calden was with her.

Lexa looked surprised to see me. “What are you doing here, Elysia? Are you stalking me?”

Calden spoke next. “And why the hell did you block everybody?”

I let out an humourless laugh. “Stalk you? My goodness, you think too highly of yourself. And I have every right to be here. You don't own the mall.”

I turned back to the attendant. “Please wrap up the dress for me.”

“Sure thing, miss.”

Lexa's eyes went wide. “That's the dress I wanted! Can you even afford it? You don't have any money!”

I chuckled, pulling out the card Kade had given me. “You're wrong. I can buy this dress and more.”

Lexa's mouth was agape when she saw the card. “Where... Where did you get that from? Only a few people have this type of card!”

“Are you stealing now, Elysia?” Calden asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

“Oh, please. I'm not a thief like you guys. Not everybody is like you,” I snapped.

“The card must be fake!” Lexa shouted. “There's no way it's real.”

“Really? Let's find out, shall we?” I said with a laugh.

I waved the attendant over, and she immediately went to swipe the card.

The payment went through immediately, and we all heard the beep.

I smirked in satisfaction. Then I pointed to a few more dresses, some shoes, and some purses. “I'll also take these. Wrap them all up, please.”

The attendant grinned as she did what I said. “Alright, ma’am. I'll do that.”

Lexa was fuming when I looked at her, her face was red as she stared at me. Even though she was spoiled, her allowance was limited. And I knew she couldn't afford to get all of the things I bought. Even Calden couldn't afford that much. They would have to get approval from their parents.

“What do you think you're doing, Elysia? Are you selling your body in exchange for money now? Where is your dignity?” Calden asked furiously.

I giggled. “You should really learn to stop jumping into conclusions. You could get sued for defamation and false accusations.”

“Elysia! Have some respect. He's still your older brother!” Lexa suddenly shouted.

I took in a deep breath to hold back my anger. “I don't have a brother, neither do I have a sister. I'm an orphan now. Stop acting like we're family.”