I saw my ex—boyfriend, Alpha Donovan, again today. He didn't just walk back into my life. He dropped in as the new CEO of my company. Three years ago, I made the mistake of slapping his precious first love. In return, she had his enforcers carve my face to pieces. She told me it was his order. After multiple surgeries, I couldn't even recognize myself. I faked my own death just to run away, never imagining he would find me here. I kept my professional poker face on and acted like he was just another boss. Right before clock—out, the Head of Business Development smiled at me. "Vance, there's a charity gala tonight. Are we going?" I was about to nod. Then a shadow fell over the doorway. "Vance is staying," Donovan Sterling said. His voice was calm, but made everyone in the room freeze. "We have two proposals to finish tonight." Under the curious stares of my colleagues, I was called into the CEO's office. The moment the door clicked shut, he pinned me against the floor—to—ceiling window. He took me right there, over and over again. His body was burning hot, but his voice was ice. "Changing your name doesn't change what you are," he whispered against my ear. "You are staying here... with me." Rage flared in my chest, hot and bitter. Eight years ago, he was the Alpha heir. I was a nobody. I tried to stay away from a man like him, but he wouldn't let me. When I was tricked by a rival pack and nearly assaulted, he risked a territory war to tear the place apart and save me. When I broke my leg, he walked out of a multi—million dollar meeting just to sit by my hospital bed. For four years, Donovan treated me like I was his whole world. When I graduated, we went public. I was terrified the Pack elders wouldn't accept me. Donovan shielded me from them. He fought off every demand for him to take a pureblood Luna. Finally, he put a diamond ring on my finger. Then, right before our mating ceremony, Genevieve Sinclair showed up. It started small. Donovan met this neighboring Alpha's daughter for pack business. Then he moved her into the home I had just finished decorating. They stayed up all night talking. I was naive enough to make them midnight snacks. That ended the night I walked in and saw Genevieve straddling his lap, their lips locked together. I screamed. I fought. I demanded he cut her out of our lives. Instead, on the day we were supposed to mate, Donovan stood me up. He stood on a stage with Genevieve, holding her hand, and announced her to the packs as his true mate. Overnight, I became the villain. I was the manipulative wolf who kept true mates apart. Genevieve was the innocent victim. Fine. I decided to leave. But every time I ran, Donovan caught me. The last time, I was at the airport, seconds away from leaving forever. His enforcers surrounded me. Donovan choked me until my voice broke, forcing me to promise I would never leave him again. Then he hugged me tightly. "My relationship with Genevieve is just pack politics. Trust me. When the alliance is set, we'll go back to normal." Go back? When the nightmare finally happened, Donovan was away on patrol. I was sitting quietly in my room, icing my swollen hand. The door was kicked open. Genevieve walked in. The Head Enforcer and two pack maids followed right behind her. Before I could even stand, the enforcers grabbed my arms. They slammed me hard against the floor. Genevieve knelt beside me. She pulled out a silver blade. It was the anniversary gift I had given Donovan. "You scratched my face when you slapped me," Genevieve said, looking at me with cold eyes. "An eye for an eye, Sera." "Let me go!" I thrashed wildly, but the men pinned me down. "Donovan won't let you do this! He promised to protect me!" Genevieve let out a soft laugh. "Who do you think gave me this knife?" My blood ran cold. "The Alpha called me from patrol," Genevieve lied flawlessly. "He said it's time to fix your temper. He told the enforcers to obey me no matter what." The Head Enforcer looked down at me. There was no pity in his face. "The Alpha gave the order. Endure it, Ms. Vance." "No... he wouldn't!" I screamed. Tears spilled down my cheeks. "Shhh..." Genevieve pressed a finger to my lips. "The Alpha said you need to learn your place. The silver will make sure the scars never heal." She pressed the tip of the blade to my skin. The pain was unbearable. The silver burned through my skin, destroying my natural healing. One cut. Two cuts. Three cuts. Blood pooled on the floor, warm and thick. I looked at the enforcers holding me down, blindly following "his" orders. Only one word burned in my mind. Monster. I gritted my teeth until the world finally went black. === When I woke up days later, my head was wrapped thick in gauze. Only my eyes were visible. Panic hit me. I grabbed the nurse's arm. "Why is it wrapped like this? It was only three cuts!" The nurse looked at me with pity. "The silver caused severe tissue necrosis. You had to have a full facial reconstruction." I went numb. "The rogues mangled your face pretty badly," Donovan said. He walked into the room. His tone was casual, like we were talking about the weather. I stared at him. Rogues? He was covering for her. He let her carve me up, and now he was blaming a fake rogue attack to hide what she did. "The pack doctor said the damage was too deep," Donovan continued. He thought he was just fixing a tragic accident. "But don't worry. I hired the best surgeons. I picked out a beautiful new face for you. You'll love it." "I didn't want this!" I hissed. My whole body shook with rage. "I looked like my mother! That face was the only thing I had left of her!" Donovan frowned, waving off my anger. "Your old face just reminds you of the attack. A new face gives you a fresh start. Why can't you just be a good girl?" "A fresh start?" I wanted to laugh, but my skin was pulled too tight. "You're terrifying. You're both monsters." I tried to run for the door. The enforcers outside shoved me right back into the room. Donovan sat down to stay with me. But a minute later, his phone rang. Genevieve wanted him at a pack meeting. He looked at me. I knew if I begged him, if I submitted, he would stay. I didn't say a single word. I looked out the window and didn't turn back when he left. The day before I was discharged, I was finally alone with my surgeon. I pulled the six—million—dollar diamond ring off my finger and put it in his hand. "This ring is worth a fortune," I whispered. My eyes were dead. "During my next surgery... make sure I 'die' on the operating table." ###Chapter 2 Sudden footsteps echoed outside the door. The doctor quickly gripped the diamond ring and pulled his hand back. He shifted his posture, pretending to check the healing of my skin. "Come back for a follow—up in a month," he said loudly. "Don't forget." The door was pushed open. A pack enforcer walked in. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he looked at me. "Ms. Vance, the driver is here." I walked outside. The back seat of the car was empty. Donovan Sterling hadn't come. I wasn't surprised. Ever since he brought Genevieve back and announced her as his true mate, he was rarely involved in my life. I took a flight back to the Pack's main city. The driver took me straight to the estate Donovan used to keep for us. The moment I stepped out of the car, I shivered. The weather had taken a sharp turn. A freezing winter front had moved in today. The thin dress I was wearing offered no protection against the biting wind. I wanted nothing more than to get inside. I walked quickly to the electronic lock at the front door. The camera scanned me. "Error. Facial recognition failed," the machine chirped. I tried three more times. The red light flashed every time. The reality of the situation finally hit me. I reached up and touched my face. I didn't even recognize this face anymore—how could a digital lock? I took a shaky breath of the icy air and turned to one of the enforcers standing behind me. "Give me your phone." Since my first real attempt to run away, Donovan had taken my phone. I had to ask for permission for everything now. I dialed Donovan's private number. I called five times before someone finally picked up. It was Genevieve. "Hello?" Her soft, arrogant voice came through the speaker. Soft piano music played in the background. I swallowed my pride and kept my voice low. "Tell Donovan to unlock the door. I can't get in." "Donovan is at a Pack charity gala with me," Genevieve said lazily. "You'll just have to wait." The line went dead. I stared blankly at the screen. Genevieve was allowed to answer the Alpha's private phone. He never let anyone else touch it. And she had managed to drag a man who hated social events to sit through a gala just for her. Both facts felt like a cruel joke. A sudden gust of wind whipped against my bare legs. I rubbed my freezing arms and turned toward the car to wait out the cold. Before my hand could even touch the door handle, the driver shoved me hard. "Get lost!" he sneered. "This car is reserved for the Luna. Do you think you're the Luna? You got a ride from the airport; don't push your luck." I stumbled backward. The driver looked at me with pure disgust. "If you're desperate enough to be a low—life mistress, surely you can handle a little wind." I fell back, and the enforcer behind me grabbed my arm before I hit the ground. My face was turning pale from the cold. My teeth chattered. I looked at the enforcer. "Get the driver under control. I'm getting in that car." The enforcer didn't move. His voice was completely flat. "Ms. Vance, the Alpha's orders are to watch you and make sure you don't run. Your comfort is not our concern." My throat felt like it was clogged with ice. It took a long time for a bitter, humiliated laugh to escape my lips. I turned around in silence. I hugged my arms around myself and walked away. The two enforcers followed at a distance. Shivering violently, I waved down a passing car. The first one stopped. It was a friendly—looking she—wolf from the pack who lived nearby. I bit my lip. A wave of shame washed over me. "Could I... could I borrow two hundred dollars? I don't have my phone or my wallet. I just need to buy a blanket at the convenience store..." The woman smiled and pulled out her wallet. She even offered to drive me there. But then the enforcers caught up, standing silently behind me. The woman froze. She squinted at my unfamiliar face, then noticed my stiff posture. "Seraphina?" she asked, hesitating. When she realized it was me, her friendly smile vanished. She reached out and snatched the bills back. I gripped the money tightly, refusing to let go. "Brenda," I pleaded, my voice shaking from the cold. "Two years ago, when your mate was exiled from the pack businesses and you had nowhere to live, I was the one who helped you. I convinced Donovan to give your mate a second chance. That's how your family survived." Brenda's expression turned vicious. "If I'd known you were a slut trying to break a true mate bond, I never would've taken your help!" My body was weak from the surgeries. After a short struggle, she yanked the money out of my hands. "The Luna has been back for a year and a half, and you still won't leave. Did you get a new face just to keep seducing the Alpha? You are pathetic." My former friend tore the bills into pieces right in front of my eyes. She threw the scraps onto the frozen ground. "You're a homewrecker. You don't belong in this pack. And the money you touch is filthy too!" ###Chapter 3 I clenched my fists. The biting wind cut right through my thin dress. "Donovan was the one who chased me!" I shouted. I sounded like a crazy woman, but I couldn't stop. "I am his chosen mate!" "Stop dreaming," Brenda sneered. "When the Alpha built this pack territory, he saved the best house for his Luna. If you are his mate, why is Genevieve living there?" I looked at the red roof in the distance. The truth hit me hard, wiping away all my anger. She was right. That was the best house in the entire territory. It was the house I had spent two years decorating. It was the house where I thought I would raise our pups and live a happy life. It was perfect. But since the day it was finished, I hadn't spent a single night in it. Seeing my blank face, Brenda spat on the ground. She got in her car and drove away. The exhaust from her car sent the torn pieces of money flying into the air. I chased after them. I bent down, picking them up piece by piece. I was so cold. If I could tape the scraps back together, I could buy a blanket. Money was much more useful than pride right now. My fingers were red and numb. They shook so badly that the pieces kept slipping from my hands. It didn't matter anyway. Brenda would tell everyone in the pack. The convenience store here wouldn't sell anything to a wolf who angered the Luna. I crumpled the scraps into a ball and threw them away. Hugging my arms around myself, I walked past that beautiful mate house and went back to the house next door that was supposed to be mine. I found a spot by the locked door to hide from the wind. I sat down, pulled my knees to my chest, and waited. I waited from noon until evening. Then from evening until the early hours of the morning. By the time I finally caught the scent of pine and winter snow, I couldn't feel my legs or my arms anymore. Donovan Sterling was saying something to me. But I was so cold and so hungry that my ears were ringing. I couldn't understand a single word. He picked me up and carried me inside. I stayed curled up in his arms, completely limp. I didn't wake up until the smell of warm, cooked meat hit my nose. My mind cleared instantly. I rushed to the dining table, grabbed a spoon, and shoved a huge bite of meat into my mouth. Genevieve sat across from me. She watched me eat. After I took five or six bites, she let out a slow, fake gasp. "Oh no! I grabbed the wrong bowl!" she said, covering her mouth. "Donovan told the kitchen to cook fresh food for you. But those are the scraps for the stray dogs. Sera, how could you not even look at what you're eating? You eat just like a starving stray." She pointed at the gnawed bones and chunks of gristle and fat mixed in the bowl. I stopped chewing. Nausea hit my stomach hard. A whole day of freezing and humiliation welled up in my eyes. One single tear dropped onto the table. Genevieve giggled. I wiped the tear away, kept my face completely blank, and swallowed the dog food. Back when I was poor and had no pack, I had eaten worse things than this. Why be disgusted now? Being fussy is a luxury for people who are warm and full. Donovan walked into the dining room just as I shoved another large bite into my mouth. He had been on the phone dealing with the pack business. He looked at the bowl and saw the jumble of scraps and fat that looked like slop. He froze. "Stop eating that!" he barked. I acted like I didn't hear him and took another bite. "I said stop!" Donovan took two long strides and swept the bowl right off the table. It crashed onto the floor. He grabbed my chin and pinched my cheeks hard, forcing my mouth open so I would spit the food out. I looked at the mess on the floor. Something inside me finally snapped. "I don't have the strength to clean the house! I don't have the strength to cook!" "I just wanted to be full, take a shower, and sleep! Why is that so hard? Why is it so damn hard?!" I started screaming. I grabbed a glass vase and threw it against the wall. I smashed everything I could reach. "Sera!" Donovan lunged forward. He pinned my arms to my sides and pulled me against his chest. By the time I stopped fighting, I was in the bathtub. Donovan was running hot water over my freezing skin. It was warm. It felt safe. Through the steam, I looked up. His cold eyes actually held a flicker of pity. "Genevieve grabbed the wrong bowl," he said softly, wiping wet hair from my face. "It was an accident. Don't hurt yourself just to spite her. You're only making things worse for yourself." He paused. His hand left my face. His voice turned cold again. "The glass you smashed scratched her ankle. When you are done washing, put some clothes on. Go downstairs and apologize to her." ###Chapter 4 I looked at him. The pity I thought I saw in his eyes was gone. Donovan Sterling gently stroked my cold cheek. "I'll make that seafood pasta you love. Take a bath. It'll be ready when you're out." It didn't matter if I wanted the pasta or not. The apology was a command. If I disobeyed the Alpha, I didn't know what kind of hell I would wake up to tomorrow. Washing quickly, I put on dry clothes and walked downstairs. Genevieve Sinclair sat on the sofa. She yawned, looking at me with a mocking smile. "Whatever. First you eat like a starving dog, then you smash things like a mad dog. I'm not going to lower myself to care about a dog's temper." Keeping my head down, I forced my face blank and acted like I didn't hear the insult. Donovan walked out of the kitchen and set a bowl of pasta on the table. He walked over, took Genevieve's hand, and looked back at me. "We're leaving. Eat." I stood still until I heard his car drive away. Only then did my shoulders drop as I fell into a chair, completely out of energy. The smell of seafood and pasta filled the room. It was my favorite. Years ago, Donovan had said that he would only cook for two women: his mother and his mate. Back then, I had sat at the table, eating the exact same pasta he made for me tonight, smiling like an idiot because I believed him. Allowing myself to remember that feeling for just one second, I pulled myself back to reality. I picked up a fork, put some pasta in my mouth, and chewed slowly. But I couldn't swallow it, finally spitting the bite into the trash. The dog food had ruined my stomach, and I truly couldn't eat anything good anymore. I don't know why, but the tears wouldn't stop falling. The next morning, I woke up from a heavy sleep and walked downstairs. The dining room was clean, and the smell of fresh breakfast drifted from the kitchen. Three strange women were working in the house, bowing their heads respectfully. One was cooking while the other two cleaned. Over a year ago, Donovan had let Genevieve take all the servants from my house. Today, he had decided to be kind. Even the two enforcers standing guard at the front door were new. Ever since I managed to make one guard feel sorry for me and help me run, Donovan made sure to change them every month. Sitting at the table, I felt completely empty. A maid brought me a plate. "Ms. Miller, breakfast is ready." "Miller?" I frowned, looking at her. "You have the wrong person." The maid looked confused, pointing to a brand—new ID card sitting on the table. "Betty Miller... isn't that you?" I picked it up. Looking at the new face in the photo and the new name, I felt like Seraphina Vance was finally dead. A week later, Donovan came to the house, and I finally had the chance to ask him. "Seraphina Vance is officially dead in the pack records. It was the only way to close the investigation on your... rogue attack," Donovan said. He poured himself a drink, acting completely casual. "Genevieve picked out the new name for your ID. She thought it suited you." He said it so simply, as if giving me a new name was no different than renaming a stray dog. I let out a sarcastic "oh" and forced a small smile onto my stiff face. "You could have... picked a prettier name." My parents named me Seraphina because it meant fiery and strong. They wanted me to survive any storm. My provocative smile made Donovan stop drinking. He frowned. "Sera—" I cut him off. "I know. The name Betty Miller sounds like a nobody. A low—ranking servant who poses no threat to her, right?" "You really let her erase me completely." I couldn't stop laughing, the sound harsh and broken. Donovan's face went dark. He grabbed my arm and yanked me hard against his chest, holding me tight. I fought him, biting his shoulder and clawing at his shirt, but he wouldn't let go. When I finally ran out of strength, he loosened his grip but kept his arms locked around me. Pressing a small velvet box into my hand, he held my fingers and opened it for me. Inside was a massive, blood—red diamond ring. "Do you like it? It's rare," he said softly, leaning down to kiss the corner of my eye. "Genevieve likes your pink diamond ring. She wants to reset the stone and wear it." He took the red diamond and slid it onto my finger. "Red suits you better anyway. Give her the pink one." I stared at the red stone without showing any emotion. Donovan had forgotten. Ever since Genevieve forced me to drink a glass of red ink for spilling her wine, I was terrified of the color red. Just seeing it made me sick. And I couldn't give him the pink diamond anyway, as I had already given it to the plastic surgeon to buy my death. I opened my mouth to lie. But Donovan grabbed my left hand—the hand where I used to wear my mating ring. Narrowing his eyes, he looked at my empty finger. His voice dropped, suddenly dangerously cold. "Sera, where is the ring I told you to wear?" "I... I lost it at the hospital," I whispered, my heart pounding wildly. His grip tightened, nearly crushing my bones. "Don't insult my intelligence, Sera. My enforcers watch you 24/7. You have no phone and no money. The only time you were out of their sight... was your private consultation with the plastic surgeon." My blood turned to ice. My fake death plan rested entirely on that man. "If you bribed him to help you escape," Donovan hissed, pulling out his phone, "I'll rip his throat out. And your final surgery will be canceled permanently." He pressed dial. The ringing tone echoed in the silent room...
