Chapter 2

I returned home at my usual time.

Logan said, "Oh, honey, you're back.

"I made your favorite dish. Go wash up and come eat."

He stepped forward, took my bag, and helped me out of my coat.

Normally, his thoughtfulness would have made me feel warm and happy.

But now, it felt so fake that it hurt.

It was just another act he put on every day.

"No, thanks. I'm not really hungry," I said flatly, heading straight for my room.

Logan hurried after me, putting on his usual concerned act. "Honey, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"

I nodded, my voice flat. "Yeah, I think I might have a cold. I've already taken some medicine. I'll be fine after some sleep.

"I'll sleep in the guest room for now, so I won't pass it on to you."

Logan looked genuinely upset. "That's too bad. I won't bother you, honey. Get some rest."

I didn't say another word and just closed the door, shutting out his phony act.

Logan was a low-blood lesser werewolf. When he was a kid, he fought over resources with some high-ranking werewolves and got seriously injured.

When he came of age, he couldn't shift. His pack members saw him as a half-breed, and he endured endless ostracism at their hands.

After his pack abandoned him, he became a rogue, wandering from place to place. No pack would ever accept him.

He was hunted by other packs and stalked by wild beasts, living in constant fear and darkness.

One winter night, I found Logan deep in the mountains, lying in the snow, covered in blood.

He was barely alive, like he could die any second.

I struggled to drag him back to my cabin and used my healing power, which I hadn't used in ages.

"No, Henna. If you use your healing power like that, it'll mess with your mind. Stop right now!" Graham, the leader of the Wildfang Pack, freaked out beside me.

I had a healer's gift that was one in a million. I could channel my own life force to mend a werewolf's bloodline.

But years ago, when Graham, my savior and the pack leader, was badly injured by a beast, I pushed my healing too far, and the backlash nearly destroyed me.

To protect myself, I had no choice but to lock that power away and keep it secret.

I kept channeling my life force into Logan until his bloodline finally settled down.

As soon as I stopped, I suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

I wiped the blood from my lips, giving Graham a childlike grin. "I'm okay, Graham. He made it, and I'm really happy about that."

Graham shook his head helplessly, his eyes filled with concern. "Henna, you're too kind. That's not always the best thing."

But in my heart, I believed saving a life was the greatest good one could do.

I glanced at Logan, whose bloodline had finally settled, and gave him a gentle smile.

He'd been bullied by his own kind for years, and he had no inner wolf to protect him. One round of healing was nowhere near enough.

After twenty rounds of healing, he'd finally be able to shift. And if I managed sixty-six, he'd be fully restored. His wolf form would be stable, and he might even ascend to a higher rank among werewolves.

At first, I didn't want to risk prolonged healing for him.

But after he woke up, we started spending all our time together, and we ended up falling for each other.

He promised that once he could finally shift, he'd claim me as his mate.

So, on every full moon night, I'd give him another round of healing.

Finally, five years ago, on the night of the Moon Goddess's ritual, Logan shifted into his wolf form.

And just like he promised, he claimed me as his mate.

Looking back now, it was laughable. He could say those same words to another woman without a second thought.

It turned out that all that 'love' was just an act. What he really wanted was my healing power.

*****

The next day, I headed to the pack we'd built together.

Back then, Logan was obsessed with power and status. He refused to spend his whole life as a low-born half-breed, always getting pushed around by others.

So I led him from battle to battle, fighting for power and dominance, uniting the scattered low-born packs under our banner.

We faced every challenge head-on, growing stronger with each step.

We fought tooth and nail to claim a safe territory, and together, we founded the Silverfang Pack with our own hands.

Our territory wasn't huge. It was nothing like the royal lands, rich and sprawling, but it was the result of my wholehearted devotion.

But Logan had already forgotten all the battles we'd fought side by side. He wasn't satisfied with the peace we'd built.

He wanted to climb even higher, cozy up to the Lycan Royalty, and grab more power for himself.

But there was no way I'd let him get his way. I'd make damn sure he remembered who the real ruler of this pack was.

Some pack members greeted me, "Henna, you're here."

"We've hunted enough prey and stocked up on dried meat and hides. Word is, this winter's gonna be brutal, but we've got enough to keep everyone in the pack fed."

"We had an intruder sneak into our territory today. Probably from the neighboring pack. We sent him packing."

"And we've fixed up the dens and barracks. They're solid as a rock now."

Listening to my pack members' report, I gave an approving nod. "You guys did great.

"Nathan, if I ever go separate ways with your Alpha, would you still stay loyal to me?"

Nathan instantly dropped to one knee, head bowed. "Henna, no matter what, our loyalty is always with you.

"If it weren't for you saving me back then, I wouldn't even be here, let alone living this peaceful life. You're the one we follow."

Everyone around him dropped to their knees, pledging their loyalty.

"That's right, Henna. We only answer to you."

"Logan's always been a jerk. All he cares about is making the pack bigger, and he never gives a damn about our lives. He only throws us into fights and doesn't even bother with hunting or guarding the borders."

"If it weren't for you, Henna, this pack would've been gone ages ago."

Tears filled my eyes, but they burned with determination. "Great. If there's food on my plate, you can bet you'll have yours too. I'll never let any of you go hungry."

Most of the werewolves still remembered who pulled them out of hard times and misery, and who fought tooth and nail to protect this territory.

Logan was still dreaming big. Even if we went our separate ways, the elders would still follow my lead. As long as I stood my ground, he could forget about ever running the Silverfang Pack.

Everyone yelled, "Henna! Henna! Henna!"

Hearing their voices made my heart swell with warmth and strength.

I was the one who was letting Logan go.