Chapter 3 Unfair

I pressed my finger to the sharp edge and let a drop of blood fall onto Alexander's hair. "Nova, can you feel it?" I called upon Nova's power, hoping to sense Alexander's aura. "Aly, I ... " Nova's voice trailed off. But there were no more questions left. I already knew the truth. In my past life, Evelyn had told me everything before I died. "I already knew how this would end, didn't I?" In that life, I was dying in a cold prison cell. Alexander's obsession with Evelyn had consumed him, leaving nothing but empty cruelty in his wake. For her, he had locked me in the house, forced me to give up my place at Imperial Werewolf University. He made me jump into the ocean, collecting shells for Evelyn. And then, he sent me to prison, offering a hollow "take care," as I was thrown to the mercy of the wolves, tortured until my last breath. "Nova," I murmured, my voice bitter, "what I'm most curious about now is how Alexander will react when he realizes I'm his sister ... after all, the Whites have been desperately searching for their real daughter." "It'll be something, won't it?" Nova's soft laugh barely registered as a true amusement. Yeah. If he thought my humble origins meant I deserved all that suffering, let him see the real villain behind it all. Lucas, too. If he believed I was the one who had ruined his search for happiness, then I would do exactly what he wanted and disappear. In this life, I didn't need a mate. I didn't need a brother. I didn't need anything. "Nova," I sighed, glancing down at the wounds covering my body. "Can these be treated?" Since arriving at the Obsidian Pack, my health had deteriorated. Poor food, restless sleep—my strength had been drained. "It's tough," Nova replied. "You should go to the hospital." The words stung. It was my fault Nova had grown weaker. I made my way to the hospital, hoping they could help. But as soon as I sat down, a nurse rushed in, flustered, urging everyone to leave. "Sorry, a young lady sprained her ankle. Her mate's anxious, and he's rented out the whole hospital. We can't take in any other patients right now." Bad luck. I sighed and stood up, defeated. As I passed by the next room, I heard Alexander's voice. "Lucas, isn't it a bit much to rent the whole hospital for a minor injury?" Lucas's voice followed, smooth and indulgent. "Well, Evelyn's delicate. Her wolf powers are weak. She can't handle much. I just want to spoil her, give her the best." The tenderness in his voice made me scoff. Lucas called me useless because my wolf was weak. But Evelyn's weakness? That was a different story. She needed protection. In my past life, I had been a fool. Just as I turned to leave, Alexander's voice broke the silence again. "My real sister could never handle hardship. From the moment she was born, my parents and I treated her like a treasure. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have gone missing at seven. Disappearing without a trace. I've felt guilty ever since. Every night, I dream of her, crying out for me. Calling me her brother. I've wished a thousand times to atone for that. After our parents adopted Evelyn, I poured all my longing and guilt for my sister into her. That's how I got through these years." I froze, listening intently. Then I heard Lucas sigh deeply. "I feel the same." "What do you mean by that?" Alexander's voice had turned sharp, demanding. I tensed. Was Lucas ... ? "Your real sister, she's the one I watched grow up. She was so sweet. So adorable. Every time she'd run up to me, calling me ‘Lucas' with that smile, I saw our future. She was a gift from the Moon Goddess. My mate for life. I was meant to care for her forever. If she hadn't disappeared, I would never have had to pour all the love meant for her into Evelyn." The words struck me like a blow to the chest. My heart twisted painfully. How could they? How dare they? Alexander and Lucas had stolen the love meant for me and poured it into Evelyn. They were lying to themselves. After a long, heavy silence, Alexander's voice was low and determined. "I'll find her. I'll bring her home." "Too bad," Lucas replied, his voice final. "I won't be around to see it. I'm about to marry Alicia." "Don't worry. I'll figure out how to get Alicia out of the picture," Alexander said with quiet resolve. I stood there, motionless, my heart a jumble of anger and disbelief.