On Seraphina the wandering wolf‑girl’s birthday, she suggested everyone try out the clan’s simulated ability‑training chamber. Yet the indoor facility had already been tampered with and filled with deadly silver mist. I was locked inside, begging for my life. My fated mate only spoke to me in a cold, unyielding tone: “Quit playing the victim. If you cannot get through that door in five minutes, there is no point in you coming back at all.” My own brother called me a pathetic disgrace. My childhood friend sneered at my desperate cries for help. Flames and silver poison gnawed away at my frail body. Meanwhile, in front of live‑stream cameras, they celebrated her birthday cheerfully, completely indifferent to my agonizing ordeal. This lethal silver poison did not take my life. Instead, it fully awoke the legendary white‑wolf bloodline slumbering deep within me. I crawled out from the ashes. This time, every wrong they have done to me — I will make them pay in blood. Chapter 1 Ella’s Point of View The full moon hung halfway up the mountain ridge. The five of us trekked down from the mountain camp to the foothills. It was Seraphina’s birthday. According to wolf‑clan customs, Kael was supposed to host the celebration on this day. But she tugged at my sleeve, eyes sparkling. “Sister, I heard Julian has just remodeled the old underground quarantine room downstairs into a simulation‑training chamber with brand‑new full‑range systems. Shall we give it a try? It can be the warm‑up for my birthday.” I flinched backward. Traumatized by a near‑death experience in a silver mine when I was eight, I instinctively recoiled from all enclosed underground spaces and metallic surroundings. Kael had already started walking forward. “Julian, open the door,” he said without looking back. “Since our guest wants to play, show her what it is like.” Thorn ruffled Seraphina’s hair with indulgent amusement. “Our Seraphina is so brave. Unlike some people, who shake in fear just hearing the word ‘basement’.” Julian had already swiped his access card to unlock the entrance. He tapped the alloy door frame and glanced pointedly at me. “Rest assured, everything is simulated. Not a speck of real silver dust will leak out. I calibrated the system myself; it is perfectly safe. Think of it as a test to see how obedient our Omegas remain under pressure.” I caught the meaning behind his half‑joking provocation. Over these past three months, Seraphina had constantly complained to them that I targeted her. They probably wanted to use this chance to see whether I would act like a “proper, obedient Omega” and give up my chance to survive for others. I said nothing and stepped inside. I thought I would only be locked up for ten minutes, subjected to fake alarms, just to amuse her. I thought the door could be opened from the inside at any moment, as Julian had promised. I thought — The reinforced alloy door of the clan’s underground quarantine chamber slammed shut behind us. A shrill hissing sound echoed through the damp, dim room. Thick white mist billowed from high‑tech ventilation grilles on the ceiling. It reeked of sour metal and scorched embers. Silver. This was the deadly substance that could easily kill a wolf‑kin. As the lowest‑ranking Omega of the clan, my physical constitution was far weaker than everyone else’s. Scorching agony tore through my lungs, as if I had swallowed burning coals. Red emergency warning lights flashed wildly, painting the steel observation platform in the center of the room blood‑red. A mechanical automated voice began counting down to self‑destruction. In only a few minutes, the entire chamber would burn to ashes. On the wall stood a biometric emergency‑supply locker. Julian, our clan’s Gamma and third‑in‑command, smashed its glass casing with one punch. Inside lay only four silver‑proof cloaks. There were five of us. Seraphina broke into exaggerated sobs. She was a wandering wolf whom our clan had taken in out of kindness. She possessed no pure‑blood lineage, yet as a Beta, she was far stronger than I. She snatched up the very first silver‑proof cloak and clutched it tight against her chest. “I am so scared,” Seraphina trembled, voice tearful. “But Ella is only an Omega. She needs this more than I do. I will stay behind.” Though her words sounded self‑sacrificing, her knuckles whitened from how hard she gripped the fabric. She made no move whatsoever to hand the cloak to me. Thorn, my biological elder brother and a clan Beta, picked up the second cloak. He did not spare me a single glance as he slung it over his broad shoulders. “Do not be foolish, Seraphina,” Thorn said coldly. “Ella has a terrible phobia of silver dust. She nearly died in that silver mine at eight. If she runs out into the mist, panic will only slow us all down. Waiting here for rescuers is the safest choice for her.” I stared at my own brother in disbelief. A hollow, icy void opened inside my chest. He was using my deepest childhood trauma as an excuse, content to leave me here to die. Julian did not hesitate for a second. He grabbed the third cloak and quickly fastened its heavy metal neck clasp. “I am sorry, Ella,” Julian avoided my gaze. “You know I swore to protect you when I was little. Still, you have to stay. Ladies first, right? Seraphina must get out.” His hollow words only masked his inner guilt. I turned toward Kael. He was the Alpha, supreme ruler of our clan and a billionaire with immense influence in the human world. He was also my fated mate, chosen for me by the Moon Goddess. The scent that once reminded me of reassuring pine forests after thunderstorms now felt distant and ice‑cold. Long ago, when he marked my neck, he had sworn a sacred oath. He swore he would never make me face silver poison alone again. Now only one cloak remained. Kael glanced at Seraphina’s tear‑streaked face, then stared down at the ground. He closed his eyes and stood perfectly still. He expected me to give the last cloak to him voluntarily. My hands shook violently as I picked up the heavy final cloak. I stepped forward and draped it over Kael’s broad shoulders. He kept his eyes shut and offered no word of thanks. The toxic mist thickened. Skin touched by silver mist began to itch and burn. “Go,” I whispered, my voice hoarse and trembling. I pushed the four of them toward the heavy metal escape door. I pulled down the massive iron lever, sealing them safely inside the escape passage. I was trapped alone in the main chamber. Terror of silver mist threatened to overwhelm my mind. I thought of that pitch‑black mine, suffocating dust, and the cold despair that made my blood feel frozen. Rather than suffocate under silver poison, I preferred to burn to ashes in the self‑destruction fire. I grabbed a heavy rock from the floor and smashed it against the backup ventilation duct. I wanted the flames to come faster. Suddenly, bright‑blue light flickered before my eyes. My smart contact lens projected a live‑video feed. Seraphina held up a digital tablet, scrolling across neon text: Happy Birthday, Seraphina! Her face was bright with joy; no trace of tears remained. “Surprise!” Seraphina laughed, her voice echoing into my mind through the device. “Did you truly think we were in danger? This is only a prank to test how obedient an Omega you are.” Thorn and Julian appeared on screen, standing inside a luxurious, safe mountain‑side camp outside. They roared with mocking laughter. “You did not even dare fight for a cloak,” Thorn shook his head in scorn. “Pathetic. You bring shame on our pure‑blood lineage.” Julian lifted his digital control terminal. “The chamber is not broken at all, Ella,” Julian bragged triumphantly. “The whole system is under my control. You fell completely for our trick.” Then Kael stepped into frame. His expression was icy and irritable. “Have you finished crying yet, Ella?” Kael snapped, unleashing his Alpha compulsion. This power forced lower‑ranked wolves into total submission. Beneath its suffocating weight, my frail Omega body stiffened, unable to move. “Get out of that chamber right now,” he ordered. “We are celebrating Seraphina’s birthday. Do not ruin everyone’s mood.” I looked down at the ground. Sparks crackled from the smashed ventilation duct. Real flames were already licking the reinforced‑metal walls. Their fake prank had turned into a genuine death trap. “Bring the pink gift box on your way out,” Kael added carelessly. I glanced toward the corner and spotted that pink box. It was the present Kael had pressured me into buying for Seraphina. To afford it, I had sold the precious moonstone necklace left behind by my late mother. “Kael …” I whispered, shaking with genuine terror. “The fire … it is real.”

Ella’s Point of View I tore off my thin jacket and beat at the spreading flames. The fabric caught fire instantly, and I had to fling it away. I stumbled across the scorching floor toward the wall‑mounted emergency fire extinguisher. My trembling fingers ripped off its plastic seal. I pressed down hard on the lever — yet nothing came out, only a hollow hiss. Its fire‑suppressant agent had long been completely drained. The silver mist kept spreading, coiling around my ankles like pale white serpents. I looked up at the ceiling exhaust fans. Their green indicator lights were dead. I dragged a heavy metal crate against the wall, climbed up, and wrenched open the service grille. I gasped. The air filter was completely blocked, crammed full of pink silver‑proof foil printed with glowing words: Happy Birthday, Seraphina! This was no mere prank. She had deliberately sealed the exhaust system to trap this fatal silver mist inside. I reached in and tore at the sharp foil by hand. Silver‑infused metal wires sliced deep into my fingers. Because the cuts were made by silver, a wolf’s natural healing power could not mend my wounds. Strangely, though my blood flowed freely, it sizzled with faint, scorching heat, as if something was struggling to break free from within me. Wave after wave of burning pain washed over me. “Ella, where are you?” Kael’s voice resonated inside my head, using our clan‑exclusive mental telepathy. Only wolves of the same pack could speak mind‑to‑mind this way. “Do not play ‘the boy who cried wolf’ with a fake fire, Ella,” Kael sneered coldly in my thoughts. “Julian calibrated the simulation system; there is no real danger. Stop playing the victim. Did you get Seraphina’s gift? Is the box damaged?” He demanded. He never even asked whether I was all right. “The fire extinguisher is empty, Kael,” I replied through the mental link, gasping for breath. “Seraphina’s birthday foil has clogged every exhaust fan. I cannot hold back the silver mist.” “Do not lie,” Julian cut into our telepathic channel. “My system works flawlessly. Stop over‑dramatizing this.” “She is only trying to make us feel guilty for leaving her behind,” Seraphina chimed in with fake hurt in her tone. “Quit shifting blame, Ella,” Thorn rebuked me sharply. “You are an Omega. For once, take some responsibility.” My heart sank into freezing despair. I recalled every time Seraphina had destroyed things growing up. She had ruined my shapeshifting potion, leaving me permanently unable to take wolf form. She had shattered my mother’s moonstone hairpin. Every single time, Thorn and Kael forced me to take the blame for her misdeeds. They always protected her. “Just bring the box out,” Kael sighed inside my mind. “I promise I will make it up to you properly for our mating‑bond anniversary.” I glanced down at the wolf‑tooth bracelet on my wrist, a gift Kael had given me three years earlier. I unlatched its clasp and dropped it straight into the pink gift box. “Kael, today is our anniversary,” I said softly. A long, heavy silence fell over the mental link. “Kael, the mountain wind is so cold …” Seraphina’s voice cut in, accompanied by exaggerated fake coughing sounds. “A living person matters more than an anniversary, Ella,” Kael said coldly. “Set aside your selfishness.” Suddenly the main alarm inside the chamber shrieked at full volume. A huge synthetic mechanical voice boomed through the stone room: “Warning. Temperature has reached critical threshold. Silver mist has hit lethal concentration.” This was no prank alarm. The system was genuinely failing catastrophically. “Hacked into the system for extra drama, have you?!” Julian shouted angrily over the link. “Seraphina is coughing! Get yourself out here this instant!” Ignoring him, I stumbled toward the heavy stone door. I jammed my thumb against the manual emergency‑release button. High heat from burst pipes had already melted its plastic control panel into a shapeless lump. I pressed my blood‑soaked palms against the scorching door, pouring out every ounce of strength my frail Omega body possessed. The door would not budge. Through the small glass window set into the door, I could clearly see their luxurious camp far down the hillside. Servants handed them warm drinks. They were safe, warm, and happy. “Kael,” I slid weakly down the hot stone surface, murmuring over our mental link. “The door will not open. The control panel has melted.” Kael let out a long, annoyed sigh inside my mind. “You are a low‑ranked, pitiful Omega, Ella,” his voice dripped with disgust. “Even now, you are still throwing a tantrum.”

Ella’s Point of View My smart communication wristband buzzed sharply. Kael had posted the prank video publicly to the wolf‑clan network. Mocking comments from high‑ranking wolves flooded my screen instantly. “Look how that bottom‑tier Omega is shaking.” “She did not even try to grab a cloak. Total good‑for‑nothing.” A private message popped up from my father. “You bring shame upon our pure‑blood line. Do not set foot home until you kneel and apologize to the Alpha.” I closed the messages. By now the silver mist was so dense I could barely make out the chamber walls. Flames advanced, driving me into the far corner of the room. My body convulsed violently — fatal reactions as silver poison seeped deeper into my bloodstream. Dragging my spasming, injured frame, I climbed the metal steps up to the steel observation platform, the only spot the fire had not yet reached. My smart wristband notified me that a live broadcast had started. Seraphina was streaming for the entire wolf clan, sitting nestled against Kael’s lap beside a bonfire. On her head sat a ceremonial crown inlaid with moonstones. It was the supreme regalia of the Luna, reserved solely for an Alpha’s fated mate. It should have been mine. Kael handed her a large bouquet of white roses, yet his jaw was tight. His gaze kept drifting off‑camera toward the mountain behind them. His inner wolf spirit paced restlessly, even as he forced a smile to hide his unease. Those roses were the custom‑ordered bouquet I had prepared for our anniversary. “Ella is just a sore loser,” Seraphina pouted toward the camera. “We were only playing a game together.” The live‑stream chat filled with vicious insults directed at me, mixed with pity for her. “Poor Seraphina, having to deal with such a jealous sister.” “Ella,” Kael’s cold, harsh voice exploded in my mind over our mental link. “Get back here at once and apologize to Seraphina. Stop disgracing us all.” A burning charred timber crashed down from the ceiling onto the back of my hand. Black blisters bubbled across my scalded skin. I did not make a single whimper of pain. “I cannot come back, Kael,” my voice remained flat and emotionless. “Do not threaten me by running away from the clan!” Kael roared furiously in my thoughts. His rage brought back memories of our marking ceremony three years before. He had been ready to sink his fangs into my neck, to brand our souls together forever. Then Seraphina had suddenly faked entering heat. She screamed and writhed on the floor, releasing a manufactured repulsive scent. Without hesitation, Kael had abandoned me on the altar and sprinted off to carry her away. He had left me humiliated and exposed in front of the whole clan. “If you are not out of that door in five minutes, do not ever come back,” Kael issued his final ultimatum. Then he severed our mental connection completely. Dead, suffocating silence filled my head. Back on the live stream, Seraphina pulled out a deck of cards. “Let us play truth or dare!” she giggled brightly. She turned to Thorn. “Truth: who matters more to you, me or your sister?” “You,” Thorn answered without hesitation. “No matter what happens, I will always protect you first.” She looked next at Julian. “Truth: do you regret locking Ella inside that chamber alone?” “Not in the slightest,” Julian sneered. “She deserved to learn a lesson.” At last her eyes fell to Kael. “Truth: would you rather I were your fated mate instead of her?” Kael lifted his gaze toward the camera. His eyes were deep and shadowed. “Yes,” Kael said softly, one single word. My spirit shattered in that instant — yet not a single tear fell from my eyes. Beside the observation‑station console I found a cracked emergency supply crate holding four silver‑proof, fire‑sealed envelopes. With blood‑drenched, shaking fingers I pulled them out. I placed my mother’s old photograph inside the first envelope and scrawled a final note to my brother on parchment paper. Into the second envelope, I slipped the small carved‑wood wolf figurine Julian had given me when he was ten years old. The third envelope held the official wolf‑clan contract documenting my mate‑bond with Kael. For the fourth envelope, I kept the shattered glass vial of my childhood shapeshifting potion — the one Seraphina had smashed with an innocent smile, destroying my hope of running alongside the clan in wolf form forever. I sealed each envelope carefully and lined them neatly on the highest metal grid of the observation platform. My phone buzzed. The three men sent furious text messages, warning me I would face severe punishment if I ruined their gathering. I ignored them completely. I activated the recording function on my communicator. Into it, I first repeated every cruel word the three of them had said to me — over the mental link and on that live stream — the ultimatum, the mockery, Kael’s soft “Yes” to Seraphina — word for word, so that no one could ever call my memory a lie. “Father,” I spoke quietly into the microphone. “I am sorry I could not grow into the powerful wolf you hoped for. But from this moment onward, I will bring you no more shame.” I set this voice memo to send automatically twelve hours later. Then I lay down upon the cold stone floor, waiting for the flames to consume me.