Chapter 9

"This time, I'll treat you right! I'll cherish you and our pups!"

"I'll never betray you again!"

Ashton's gaze was earnest as he looked at me, but I only found it laughable.

If he'd known it would come to this, why did he betray me in the first place?

He wasn't remorseful—he was terrified.

The Silver-Moon Pack's territories had shrunk overnight, allies severed their treaties, and even his grandfather Charles, who'd always been in perfect health, had suddenly dropped dead.

Ashton couldn't afford not to believe in the curse now.

Seeing Ashton reduced to a desperate, broken wolf, I smiled with cold contempt.

"Ashton Silver, you say you wronged me and want my forgiveness."

"Then do you dare let me drain your blood the way you let Kathy drain mine?"

Ashton thought my attitude was softening and nodded frantically.

"Yes! Whatever it takes for you to release your anger! I'll do anything!"

Ashton summoned the pack healer with a needle, not hesitating to pierce his own arm.

From two hundred milliliters to four hundred milliliters.

I never told him to stop.

By the time they'd extracted a thousand milliliters, cold sweat beaded on Ashton's forehead.

His face was deathly pale, as if he might collapse at any moment.

"Lainey, are you satisfied now?"

I laughed as if I'd heard the funniest joke.

"Satisfied?"

"We've barely begun!"

"Ashton Silver, however much blood you allowed Kathy to drain from me, you'll repay with your own!"

Tears leaked from the corners of Ashton's eyes.

"Lainey, I know I wronged you! I made a terrible mistake!"

"Kathy has already been punished by my own hand!"

"I won't run from this, I promise!"

Every day, without fail, a thousand milliliters of blood was drawn. Ashton's spirit rapidly deteriorated, his body wasting away until he'd lost significant weight.

During this time, he continued receiving devastating news about the Silver-Moon Pack.

Members of the pack with even a slight blood relation to the Alpha passed away one after another.

Panic spread throughout the entire pack, and members continuously migrated out of the territory, leaving behind so few warriors that there were not even enough to rotate shifts for patrols.

The Silver-Moon Pack's wealth, built over generations, could no longer sustain the losses. Their trading partnerships collapsed.

Hundreds of millions in tribute debts crushed Marcus under their weight.

Eleanor remained bedridden, clutching our pup's ashes and refusing to let go.

After each blood extraction, Ashton would keep vigil outside my hospital room.

I beckoned to him. Ashton rushed in, overjoyed.

"Does it hurt?"

Seeing me speak to him, Ashton shook his head vigorously.

"Lainey, it doesn't hurt! As long as you can find even a moment of peace! I'll endure anything!"

I bit through my own wrist with my fangs and held it out to Ashton.

"My bloodline blessed by the Moon Goddess works in harmony with my blood. Just as it helped your family resist the curse before, it can now restore your body."

Ashton looked stunned by this unexpected gift, carefully taking my wrist and tentatively drawing a small amount of blood.

Just that tiny bit instantly warmed Ashton's body.

But Ashton didn't realize—

This wasn't temporary warmth. It was a raging fever that wouldn't break.

My body grew stronger day by day, while Ashton collapsed.

He fell into a coma, and the hospital issued multiple critical condition notices.

Marcus and Eleanor, despite everything, still loved their son. They came to beg me. I simply produced a magical crystal—the artifact that would nullify our mate bond.

"The thousand-year curse has activated against the entire Silver-Moon Pack. I can't control it, but I can spare Ashton's life."

"If he places his hand on this crystal and severs our mate bond, I'll no longer be tied to him."

"Once our fated connection is broken, the curse will release him."

"He won't have to die."

Although I had already rejected Ashton, our mate bond hadn't been completely severed. Perhaps due to the Moon Goddess's mercy, unwilling to truly destroy the Alpha's bloodline, I could still sense that faint connection—one that seemed to exist and yet not exist, like a gossamer thread ready to snap at any moment.

Marcus took the crystal and immediately went to Ashton.

Ashton briefly regained consciousness and saw the bond-severing crystal. Without hesitation, he refused to touch it.

"I can't do this!"

"I can't lose Lainey! I love her!"