Chapter 3

I shook my head. "No."

Liam chuckled. "Silly girl, it's a good thing you didn't dream. If you dream at night, you don't really get proper rest."

I stayed quiet.

In fact, I dreamed of my parents, but they ignored me.

Because I was the disgrace of the Blackwood Pack. Oliver was the reason the Blackwood Pack fell, and I was stupid enough to fall in love with him.

After the Blackwood Pack was destroyed, my brother, whom my parents tried so hard to protect, was nearly killed by Oliver.

The blood that day spilled like red paint, everywhere, seemingly endless.

I stared up at the moon, tears quietly streaming down my cheeks.

The night air was warm, making me restless.

Mosquitoes buzzed and bit.

I tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

I reached for the three oak beads on my wrist, only to find nothing there.

I sat up in shock.

When Liam heard the commotion, he came over.

I was packing my clothes.

"What's wrong, Sophia?" he asked.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I'll be working in the chain store in the north district tomorrow. It's pretty far, so I won't be coming home at night," I said.

He was clearly surprised. "So sudden?"

"Sorry, Liam. While I'm not home, you really have to take care of yourself."

I turned and stuffed every dollar I had at home into his hand. "Use this for medicine and groceries. I'm not sure when I'll be able to come back to work in this store."

That night, he was restless, standing there quietly with his tall, lean build, keeping an eye on me.

I didn't want to sleep either, so I pulled him down to sit beside me on the bed and said, "Liam, let's have a real heart-to-heart tonight."

That night, we talked for hours. We reminisced about how he always had my back when we were kids, never letting our parents lay a finger on me.

When we got a bit older, he'd blow all his pocket money on snacks for me. And when I was a teen, if anyone tried to mess with me after school, he'd kick them to the ground without a second thought.

By the time the sky was starting to lighten, we were both exhausted. I finally pushed him to go get some sleep.

When morning came, I grabbed my suitcase and stepped out of the alley.

A black Maybach was already there waiting for me.

I clutched my suitcase and made a run.

But the car swerved and blocked my path.

The morning air was biting.

The car window slid down slowly, revealing Oliver's face twisted into a wicked, smug expression.

He took off his sunglasses.

His lips curled into a cold, mocking smirk. "Sophia, I told you. If I ever see you again, you're dead. So careless. You actually dropped this?"

He held up the moonstone bracelet I'd lost.

I locked eyes with him.

Under my faded skirt, my skinny legs trembled.

He raised an eyebrow. "Get in. Or do you need me to come down and haul you in myself?"

He started the car, and I held the oak beads tightly in my hand, closing my eyes.

A single tear slipped down my cheek.

In the Morton Pack house hall, I lay on the floor. Red wine and my blood mingled together, clinging to my skin.

"Damn, who would've thought she'd keep her mouth shut like this? She's really willing to protect her brother with her life," someone said.

Ethan crouched down. "Sophia, quit being so stubborn. Just tell us where your brother is, and we'll take you straight to the healing den."

I shook my head and said, "I don't know where he is. We lost each other three years ago."

Jake, the Beta, stomped his foot in frustration. "Your brother cares about you more than anything. He'd risk his life to save you. You really expect us to believe he wouldn't tell you where he is?

"Sophia, do you think we're idiots?"

I kept my mouth shut, lips pressed tight.

I raised my hand, staring at it—glass splinters stuck everywhere.

I pressed it to my chest, hoping it would help, but the pain only got worse when I tried to squeeze it.

Jake was about to lay hands on me again.

But Oliver walked over and sat down. "I'll take it from here. You guys can leave."

"Oliver," Jake said.

Oliver said, "Trust me, even if she dies today, she won't spill a thing."

Ethan pulled Jake away. "Leave it to Alpha."