My family Chose My Sister So I Left

When Evelyn was six, her parents' enemies attacked, and she vanished in the chaos. Her parents spent nine years searching for her. When she came home at fifteen, Evelyn believed with all her heart that she finally belonged somewhere. But that very night, through a thick wooden door, she heard her younger sister Serena sobbing. "Now that she's back, will you still want me?" The next morning, Evelyn offered to give Serena the sunniest bedroom. Her mother hugged her and wept. Her father stroked her hair and told her again and again how understanding she was. Serena took her hand for the first time. For the first time since coming home, Evelyn felt fully embraced. From then on, Evelyn knew exactly how to earn her family's love. When Serena wanted her moon-shell necklace, Evelyn handed it over. When Serena wanted her ball gown, Evelyn gave that up too. And when Serena took credit for saving their father's life, Evelyn said nothing. Nine years passed. The family grew used to Evelyn. They grew used to her having medicine ready when their father's old wound flared up, taking charge when their mother's winter allergies returned, and taking the pain whenever Adrian's wolf turned on him. And whenever Serena cried, Evelyn was the one expected to apologize. Then the pack doctor slid a brief diagnosis across the desk. The old silver poisoning had reached Evelyn's bone marrow. She had only thirty days left on her feet. She decided to leave the family for good. Chapter 1 After her parents found her at fifteen, Evelyn spent nine hard years trying to belong at Hart Manor. While searching for their older daughter, her parents had neglected Serena. Their guilt toward their younger daughter never went away. So whenever the sisters clashed, her parents said the same thing: Evelyn was the understanding one, so she should give in. Terrified of being abandoned again, Evelyn learned to hide her pain, solve every problem herself, and earn her place by taking care of everyone. But the pack doctor's diagnosis shattered all of that. She would lose everything that made her a werewolf, piece by piece. She asked no one in the family for help. She had decided to die with dignity before she became a burden. Outside the clinic window, the first cold rain of winter fell on Black Pine. Clouds hung low over the woods, and the night patrol's long howls drifted across the timberland. Once, the sound would have woken Lyra, the wolf inside her. Today, Lyra barely stirred deep in her mind, like an animal too exhausted to open its eyes. "The silver has reached your marrow." Ellis pushed the scans toward her. "Until two months ago, we could still keep the silver left from five years ago under control. But then you spent two nights in the suppression cell. The wolfsbane and suppression mist weakened your wolf, and the silver started poisoning your body again. We can't reverse it now. "First your legs, then your hands. Your wolf will keep growing weaker. Eventually, you'll even lose the sense of smell you rely on for your work." Ellis paused. "You could still live. Gray Harbor has a long-term care center that can manage the pain. But someone else would have to help you eat, drink, and wash. At the worst stage, you'd even need help using the toilet." Evelyn gripped the hem of her skirt. Five years ago, when her father had been wounded and poisoned, she tested the antidote on her own wolf without a second thought. It saved him, but damaged her body beyond repair. If she couldn't even hold a cup one day, who would care for her, day after day? Her parents might soften. They might tell her, with tears in their eyes, that family looks after family. But the moment Serena cried, they would turn to Evelyn and say apologetically, "Your sister has always been frail. We have to take care of her first." Her fated mate, Adrian, might step in too. He might hire the best caregivers and cover every expense, but draw the same clear line: it was his duty as her fated mate. It had nothing to do with love. That future frightened her more than the pain in her bones. "Is there another choice?" Evelyn asked wearily. Ellis said, "There is a drug called 'Moon Sleep' that sends the wolf into a deep sleep. At a high enough dose, the heart stops while the person sleeps. Under Gray Harbor's rules, you have to apply for it yourself. You can change your mind at any time during the next thirty days." Evelyn chose to take Moon Sleep. Ellis handed her an emergency contact form. Evelyn picked up the pen, made the first stroke of her father Marcus's surname, then slowly crossed it out. She thought of her mother, Helena, but couldn't bring herself to write her name either. Then she thought of Adrian. In nine years, he had never publicly acknowledged her as his Luna, and he had always refused to complete the mark. In the end, she handed back the blank form. At twenty-four, Evelyn still held on to one small hope. If someone noticed her stumble when she got home tonight, saw how pale she was, or asked why she'd gone to Graystone Clinic alone, she might put the diagnosis on the table and face it with her family. Back at Hart Manor, Helena saw rain soaking Evelyn's shoulders and rose to wrap her shawl around her. "Why didn't you ask the driver to pick you up? Your hands are freezing." Her mother's warm hand rested on her shoulder. Evelyn's eyes stung. Her fingers touched the corner of the diagnosis in her bag. "Good, you're back." Helena sat down and pulled out a stack of lists. "Serena's birthday party has been moved to next week. We still need to settle the menu and take in her gown at the waist. The guests from the north get cold easily, so the guest rooms need extra blankets. And your father's pain has been flaring up at night. He's almost out of medicine." Helena gave her an apologetic look. "It's a lot at once. This is your sister's first time hosting guests as the future Luna. Nothing can go wrong. We can relax if you're in charge." Serena sat close to Adrian, playing with the ribbon on an invitation. She looked up with a small smile. "Evelyn won't mind. She loves me best." Every eye at the table settled on Evelyn. Her favorite mushroom soup had been made specially for her. But everyone at the table was used to hearing her say yes. Slowly, Evelyn pulled her hand from her bag. "All right. I'll finish what I've already agreed to do." "What do you mean, already agreed to do?" Serena set down the ribbon. "It sounds like you don't want anything to do with the family anymore. Evelyn, are you upset that Adrian is giving me the Luna badge at my party? Is that why you're sulking? "I know Adrian is your fated mate, but there's nothing between you two..." Serena lowered her head, looking hurt. Pain shot through Evelyn's right leg. The spoon slipped from her fingers, clattered against her plate, and splashed soup. Adrian finally looked up. His dark gray eyes were calm and cold. He glanced at the fallen spoon without asking about her physical abnormality. "Serena has been preparing for this ceremony for a long time. Don't make a scene before it." "I'm not making a scene." "Good." Evelyn bent to pick up the spoon. Even that small movement sent fire through her marrow. Under the table, she pressed hard on her knee and waited for the shaking to stop. Near the end of dinner, the butler casually mentioned that it was also the ninth anniversary of Evelyn's return home. Helena froze, guilt flashing across her face. "I ordered a cake. But Serena's new gown arrived, and she needs to try it on tonight. Could we have your anniversary dinner tomorrow instead?" Serena cut in. "If Evelyn minds, I won't try it on. The ceremony with Adrian isn't that important. You two are fated mates, after all..." She was near tears by the time she finished. "Nobody's stopping you from trying on the gown," Evelyn said. "See? Evelyn's angry again." Helena looked helplessly at her older daughter. Evelyn knew that look. In a moment, her mother would take her hand, gently explain that Serena felt insecure, and ask her to be understanding. "I don't mind. Go and try it on," Evelyn said first. Every year, her anniversary gift arrived on time. And every year, Serena found a way to pull the family away from her anniversary dinner. She was used to it. The living room filled with noise again. Serena's bright laughter floated down from upstairs, where her parents and Adrian were admiring the gown. No one came back down. Evelyn ran her hand over the gift and told herself they still cared. Chapter 2 The laughter downstairs pulled Evelyn back nine years. At fifteen, she had stood in this same hallway in an old coat from her last foster home. The front door was open to her. Afternoon sunlight filled the south-facing bedroom, and Helena told her through tears that they had kept it for her all those years. That night, when Evelyn went to the kitchen for water, she heard Serena crying in the next room. "Now that she's back, will you stop wanting me?" "Never. You're both our daughters," Helena soothed her. "But you spent nine years looking for her. Who knows what she's like now or what she thinks of me? No! She won't like me. I know it. What if she drives me out? What if she thinks I stole Mom and Dad from her? "She stared at my room for so long. The first thing she'll do is take it!" Serena's voice rose. Helena held her, torn. "All right, sweetheart. I promise I won't let you suffer to make things up to Evelyn. But she's been through so much. Let's not be angry anymore, all right? If she wants your bedroom, I'll give you a bigger one." "No! I won't!" Serena screamed. Then she smashed a glass. ... On the other side of the door, Evelyn stood frozen with a glass in her hand, afraid to move. After she was lost at six, she spent nine years moving from one foster home to another. Coming home should have meant she was safe. But in that moment, she understood that while she was gone, this family had become something else. Serena knew exactly how to win their parents' smiles, and she never had to hide how she felt. Evelyn, meanwhile, had spent an entire afternoon rehearsing what to call her own parents. The next day, she offered to move into the attic. "The attic is quiet. I like it," she said. Helena asked again and again if she was sure. When Evelyn said she was, Helena hugged her tight. Marcus stroked her hair and praised her for being so understanding. Serena took her hand for the first time, and they took a family photo. After that, Evelyn memorized her father's medications, learned to cook her mother's favorite dishes, and took care of Serena's school affairs. Whenever she finished a task, someone in the family would sigh, "Thank goodness you came back." She treasured those fleeting moments of warmth. Naively, she believed that if she kept helping long enough, they would love her the way they loved Serena. Nine years later, they had certainly grown used to her. The next day, before they set out, the family posed for a photo on the porch. Helena called to her as she always did. "Evelyn, move over a little. Serena needs room to spread out her skirt." Before, Evelyn would have pressed herself against the wall and given Serena the best light. This time, she glanced at the camera, didn't search for a corner, and walked straight down the steps. "Evelyn won't even take a family photo?" Serena asked. "You go ahead." Marcus frowned. "It's a family outing. Stop shutting yourself out." Evelyn grabbed the porch post. The numbness in her right leg was worse than yesterday, and she nearly fell. Her father finally noticed something was wrong. "Are you exhausted?" For once, he sounded like he really wanted to know. "Dad, I—" "I can't find my ceremony shawl!" Serena cried beside the car. "Adrian, I need it for the ceremony. What am I going to do?" Everyone rushed to Serena. Helena looked back at Evelyn. "You know where everything is. Hurry and find it." The words died on her lips. Evelyn went to the laundry room, found the shawl, and handed it to Serena. As Serena took it, she gave Evelyn a small smile only the two of them understood. "I knew you couldn't bear to see me embarrassed in front of everyone." The cars pulled away, and the porch was finally quiet. At dusk, Adrian lost control of his wolf. A summons crashed into Evelyn's mind through the unfinished mark, ordering her to the North Bay villa at once. She had no time to get her cane. Ignoring the pain deep in her bones, she hurried out. Chapter 3 The doors of the North Bay villa stood open. By the time Evelyn arrived, both floor lamps in the living room were smashed. Adrian knelt before the fireplace, veins bulging in his hands as his fingers shifted between claws and human fingers. His wolf, stirred by the old wound, thrashed beneath his skin in a dark gray blur. Every breath came with a hoarse snarl. Serena huddled in Helena's arms, her red gown torn. She wasn't hurt, but she cried as if she had barely escaped a wolf's jaws. Evelyn had run all the way there, and her right leg was almost numb. She leaned against the doorframe, checked Adrian's constricted pupils, and caught the bitter, scorched scent that came from a wolf out of control. "Open all the windows. Everyone outside." Adrian forced his eyes to focus on her and squeezed one word from his throat. "Medicine." "The vial you carry won't be enough," Evelyn said. "This isn't a normal backlash." The pack doctor traveling with Adrian had already given him sedatives. Empty syringes littered the floor. Rosa, the witch, examined the old wound on the back of his neck and shook her head. "His wolf is rejecting medicine from outside his body. There's one option left: transfer some of his pain to another werewolf. It will bring him back to himself for a while, but the person who takes the pain will be seriously hurt. They have to agree to it." The room went silent. Helena helped Evelyn into a chair and handed her a cup of warm water. "You look awful. You can't take any more." The warm cup in her hands gave Evelyn a flicker of hope. She thought they would leave it at that. But after a moment, her father spoke. "It's just that Adrian won't let anyone else touch him. Your wolf is the most stable. If your body can take it, could you help him one last time?" Helena added softly that they all felt safest when Evelyn was there. Those words struck her where she was weakest. She knew what it would cost, yet warmth still swept through her for a moment. She was ashamed of how easily that warmth came. She looked down until the water in her cup stopped trembling. "All right," she said. "One last time." Rosa urged her to reconsider. Evelyn had already pushed up her sleeve, exposing her forearm. "Start." It reminded her of a night years ago. She had been home only six months when Adrian first lost control of his wolf at Hart Manor. Serena rushed forward, insisting she would take all his pain. But when Rosa explained the cost, Serena went pale, backed away, and started crying. Serena clung to Helena's hand. "My wolf is too weak. If I can't hold on, I'll only hurt him. Evelyn survived all those foster homes. She must be tougher than me." Her parents looked uncertainly at Evelyn, then quickly said no. They couldn't let her suffer. She had been through enough. She shouldn't be hurt again. Evelyn was afraid. She didn't even know what a pain transfer felt like. She only knew it would solve the family's problem and make them love her more. She wanted their warmth so badly. Because she loved them, she volunteered. Before the transfer began, Adrian briefly came to his senses. His hair was soaked with sweat, and he looked at her with cold, distant eyes. "Don't misunderstand. This is treatment. It doesn't mean I accept the mate bond." When the pain poured into her, Evelyn clenched her teeth and never cried out in front of anyone. Afterward, her mother made her soup to help her recover, her father sat by her bed until her fever broke, and Adrian stayed at her bedside all night. He said nothing about love, but he held the cup while she drank half a glass of water. She naively believed that if they always needed her, one day that need would turn into love. "Evelyn, look at me." Rosa's voice pulled her back. "You can still refuse." She looked up at Adrian, who was still fighting his wolf. He didn't beg her or tell her to stop. "Begin." Rosa placed a hand on each of their shoulders. There was no elaborate ritual, only one last check that Evelyn had agreed to it. A second later, the pain churning inside Adrian poured through their joined hands into Evelyn's bones like molten iron. Her back stiffened, and she nearly fell off the chair. The dormant silver flared to life. The pain went deeper than flesh. Fire seemed to scrape through her marrow over and over. Something hot and metallic rose in her throat, and her mouth filled with the taste of blood. She held on. Adrian's breathing slowed. His eyes returned to their usual dark gray. Just then, the door opened. Serena stood there, tears streaking her face. "Every time something happens, you shut me out. Evelyn, do you only feel like his mate when he's at his weakest? "I'm just scared." Serena looked at Adrian. "You promised you'd make me Luna. But every time he's in pain, he calls for her. Are you two hiding something? I knew it. I knew I was the one who didn't belong!" "We're hiding nothing." Adrian took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. "There's nothing between us except the treatment. Go back to your room." Without Adrian to support her, Evelyn's elbow struck the corner of the table. He came back only after someone had led Serena away. Seeing the cold sweat on Evelyn's forehead, he picked up a towel to wipe it away and dimmed the harsh light. Those small, familiar gestures still stirred something in her. A little hope remained. If he asked where it hurt, just once, she would tell him everything. "Don't let Serena get the wrong idea about tonight." Adrian set down the towel. "I accept your help because your remedies and your wolf are the best match for me. I feel only the duty that comes with our bond." Evelyn watched him for a long moment. Then she lowered her head and coughed. A fleck of dark blood landed in her palm. She quickly closed her hand so he wouldn't see. Never mind. Her parents came in. Adrian was stable now. Helena hugged Evelyn, and Marcus looked at her with relief. "After the birthday party, we'll turn the study on the ground floor into a new workroom for you. Those attic stairs are hard on you. You'll be more comfortable." Once, a promise like that would have made Evelyn happy for a long time. "There's no need," she said. "Why not? Isn't making remedies what you love most?" "I won't need one anymore." Marcus assumed she was sulking. Before leaving for Black Pine, Evelyn wrote a care manual for Adrian's next episode. It included the dosages, what to avoid, and what to do in an emergency. She left it where he couldn't miss it in his car. Adrian flipped through a few pages and frowned. "Did you write all this to make me admit I can't manage without you?" "No." "Then why do it now?" She pressed the book back into his hands. "Because you should have learned this a long time ago." Chapter 4 The morning after they returned to the manor, Evelyn laid out a roll of labels. The main-house pharmacy, the kitchen pantry, the medicine cabinet, the winter storage, the cellar, the greenhouse: six keys lay in a neat row on her desk. She had wiped each one clean and labeled what it opened and where to find the spare. Baker, the butler, took the keys, looking confused. "Are you going on vacation?" "No. From now on, none of this should be my responsibility alone." "But Mrs. Hart's allergy medicine..." "Second shelf of the medicine cabinet. The yellow label is for daily use. The red one is only for when she can't breathe. If Father has spasms at night, call Ellis first. Don't increase the dose yourself. And Serena must never touch the bitterleaf in the south greenhouse." Baker wrote it all down. Before half a day had passed, though, he was back with his notebook. "Does Mr. Hart take his medicine before or after meals? Which herb goes in Adrian's coffee during the Blood Moon? Ms. Serena's birthday perfume contains laurel. Will that trigger her allergy?" For nine years, Evelyn had kept track of countless little details. No one else knew them. When Helena found out Baker kept making mistakes, she didn't ask why her older daughter had handed over the keys so suddenly. She just asked Evelyn to write a complete manual. "You're so thorough. If you're handing these things over, you need to teach people how to do them," her mother said. "Take a long rest after the party." Evelyn nodded. A moment later, her mother gently put her arms around her. "If you really don't want to do any of this, you can let it all go. You're my daughter. Whatever you choose, I'll always love you." Evelyn nearly cried. She almost told her mother. But her throat hurt, and when she looked at Helena's face, the words wouldn't come. ... At noon, Serena entered the pharmacy with the perfumer. On the table lay the laurel-based calming formula Evelyn had spent six months perfecting. She had annotated every dosage and recorded the data from three failed trials at the end. "We're launching the Luna charity scent at the party," Serena said. "I've already announced that I created it for wolves who lose control during the Blood Moon. Evelyn, will you sign the description card?" The perfumer turned to the end of the draft and hesitated. "These initials are E.H. Did Evelyn Hart create the original formula?" "We developed it together." Serena smiled easily. "Evelyn doesn't like being in the public eye. I've always presented it for her." Evelyn looked at her. "We did not develop it together." Serena's smile froze for a second. "But you already agreed to help me with the party." "I'll check that the dosage is safe, but I won't put your name down as the creator." "Why draw lines within the family?" Helena came in just then. "Evelyn, we've already announced who created it. If we change that now, the guests will laugh at Serena. Help her this once more, won't you?" Adrian arrived right behind her. He didn't ask who had created the formula. He handed the draft to the perfumer. "Go ahead as planned. Evelyn will make sure the scent is safe." "You don't get to decide whose name goes on it," Evelyn said. Adrian studied her, as if trying to figure out what game she was playing. "You don't want to stand onstage. Serena does. The work stays in the family. No one loses anything." "I do." "What do you lose?" "My name. It's my work!" Evelyn's eyes reddened before she could stop them. The room fell silent. Tears rolled down Serena's cheeks. "Evelyn, sweetheart." Helena sat beside her older daughter and stroked her hair. "Have we been so busy with Serena that you feel neglected? After the party, I'll take you to Gray Harbor for a few days. We'll get some real rest." Evelyn looked at her mother. She had heard so many gentle promises like that. It was always "after Serena's latest problem is over"—her exams, her illnesses, her birthdays, her ceremony. One thing would end, and another would take its place. "There's no need." ... By dinnertime, the kitchen was in chaos. Her father couldn't find the right medicine. Serena complained that the caterer's soup was too salty. Adrian waited in the living room for his Blood Moon herbal coffee, but it never came. For the first time, they all felt the gap Evelyn left when she stopped doing everything for them. Marcus climbed the stairs and knocked on the attic door. "All this over your sister's birthday? You won't even cook one meal? You never used to act like this." "That's right. I used to do everything." "Then why not now?" Evelyn didn't answer. The real reason was too complicated to explain, and she had so little time left. They could misunderstand her and blame her. She no longer wanted to explain herself or change anything. Late that night, the old wound flared up. It was barely a dozen steps from her bed to the bathroom. As soon as she shut the door, her strength gave out and she slid down the cold tiled wall. The fire in her marrow was worse than it had been at North Bay. Afraid of staining the carpet, she stayed on the tiles until dawn. The next day, she washed the bloodstained towels and left the handover manual in the kitchen. Then she burned every photo of herself and Adrian taken after his Blood Moon episodes over the years. She got rid of her belongings in batches, keeping fewer and fewer clothes. In the end, a whole life that had once filled two suitcases fit into a single handbag. That afternoon, her father came to the pharmacy carrying an old medicine box with scorched edges. The lid still bore the black burn mark from a silver-laced arrow. "The pain's been bad these past few days." Marcus pushed the box toward her. "Make another batch of the antidote while you're at it. Serena says she can do it, but you've prepared it for years, and she hasn't helped in a long time. I'd rather you made it." Evelyn stared at the box. The smell of blood in the rain five years ago, and the high fever that followed, came rushing back. Her father had no idea the remedy he trusted so much had nearly killed her. Chapter 5 The box had been scorched five years ago, but Evelyn could almost still smell the blood in that heavy rain. That year, a hunter ambushed Marcus in the northern timberland and shot him with a silver-laced arrow. Even after the arrow was pulled out, the silver kept burning in the wound. His wolf instinctively rejected every ordinary antidote he was given. The pack doctor said only a new Moon Eclipse remedy could save him. But no one had tested the new dosage for safety. One mistake, and it would destroy his wolf along with the poison. Evelyn was an intern at the Academy of Pharmacy then. She took a sample of her father's blood, revised the formula three times, and injected herself with the first dose. A fierce fever swept over her. Before she collapsed, she gave the finished remedy to her mentor and begged him to take it to the manor. That one shot saved Marcus's life. The silver settled permanently in Evelyn's body and in Lyra's. Her mentor gave the remedy, a copy of the formula, and Evelyn's bloodstained sleeve to Serena to deliver. At the manor gate, Serena secretly hid the formula, cut her own arm with a knife, and ran into her father's bedroom clutching the vial. When Marcus opened his eyes, he saw his younger daughter with blood running down her arm. "She got past the hunters and risked her life to bring the medicine back," Helena told her husband through tears. Evelyn lay unconscious with fever for a night before she could return to the manor and say she had made the remedy. Serena burst into tears. "Father just got out of danger. Evelyn, do you really have to fight me for the credit?" It wasn't as if no one had questioned Serena's story. But Serena said through her tears, "Is Evelyn really willing to shame the family just to make herself look good?" Marcus gave in at once. At the celebration for Marcus's recovery, he put the family's moon-shell necklace around Serena's neck and publicly thanked his younger daughter for risking her life to save him. Evelyn pulled out the receipt her mentor had sent back. With guests all around them, Helena gripped her hand and whispered, "Don't cause trouble on your sister's proudest day." In the end she obeyed. From then on, Serena was known as the daughter who had saved her father's life. Evelyn was known for trying to steal the credit. Now Serena reached for the new batch of medicine Evelyn had just finished. "I'll take it to Dad," she said. "All these years, I've been the one who's sat with him while he takes his medicine." Evelyn watched Serena casually set the light-sensitive vial on the windowsill. The sun heated the glass and ruined the whole batch. Evelyn didn't argue. She turned around, spent three hours making a new batch, and took it to her father herself. But as Marcus closed the box, he said only, "Serena risked her life to save me back then, and you still haven't changed. Stop putting your sister down just to get attention." Evelyn looked at him quietly. "Follow the instructions on the label exactly," she said. "From now on, Baker will bring you your medicine." Her father frowned and called after her. Evelyn didn't look back. Chapter 6 The day before the birthday party, something went wrong with Serena's gown. Serena complained that the moon-white silk thread wasn't shiny enough. Then, when the tailor wasn't looking, she yanked at the trim around the waist. A broken needle tip caught in the lining and cut her finger. During the guests' perfume-testing session, Serena approached Adrian and held out her bleeding hand. "Evelyn won't help me with anything lately. She didn't even check the stitching on my gown. Maybe she doesn't want my ceremony to go well." Everyone in the room turned to Evelyn, who stood beside the gown. The familiar accusation took Evelyn back two months. Almost the same thing had happened then. Back then, her assistant Carla had knelt down, opened the lining, and pointed out that a needle only broke that way if someone had pulled the fabric hard from the inside. Carla had explained everything. Adrian could see the evidence, and her parents understood it too. But Serena cried and accused Carla of siding with Evelyn and lying about her. Helena feared the gossip would spread, so she told Carla to leave the manor for the night until things calmed down. Adrian could have stopped her. Instead, he said, "Let her go and cool off for a night. She'll be fine." That night, a blizzard hit under the Blood Moon, closing the forest roads. Evelyn begged Adrian to send a search party. But Serena was hyperventilating with fear and crying nonstop, so Adrian stayed to comfort her. He sent only one guard, who didn't know the forest roads. The next day, they found Carla's frozen body at the edge of the woods. Serena said she had only been afraid of getting scolded. Evelyn's parents sent Carla's family money and announced that the weather had caused an accident. Carla's younger brother refused the money. He took only the scarf his sister had worn. That was when Evelyn finally understood: one lie, backed by the entire family's willful favoritism, was enough to cost someone their life. Back in the present, Evelyn opened the gown's lining in front of the assembled guests. "The needle was torn from the inside. I never touched it." Adrian looked at the torn stitching, and his expression shifted. "Send the guests home first," he said, just as he had before. "Serena can't be humiliated in public. We'll deal with this later." "Does the whole world have to revolve around her? Does everything have to wait until she won't be embarrassed?" Serena couldn't contain her anger. "You're nothing like my sister at all." "You're right." Anger surged through Evelyn, and she slapped Serena hard across the face. "I don't want to be that sister anymore. "You can't keep acting like this! You need to learn to respect other people!" Everyone stood frozen. Chapter 7 Two months earlier, the day after Carla died, leaflets condemning Serena appeared all over Black Pine. Evelyn had demanded accountability for Carla's death for the first time, and everyone pointed the finger at her. Serena wept and accused Evelyn of trying to destroy her. She said Evelyn had always been jealous and wanted to drive her to her death. So the family locked Evelyn in the cell. That night, the suppression mist stirred the dormant silver. First, Evelyn lost feeling in her legs. Then fever swept through her. She knocked on the door for help. From beyond the wall came laughter from dinner in the main house. It carried through the wall, warm and lively, mingling with the sound of Evelyn's chattering teeth. The guard reported to Adrian when Evelyn's fever wouldn't break. Adrian told him to keep watching. The pack doctor warned him again that her reaction was far worse than any normal punishment. Still, Adrian kept the key and waited for Serena to fall asleep. "One more hour. She's only in there to reflect. It won't do any harm." In that hour, the silver spread across her spine and caused permanent damage. Adrian didn't open the cell door until the third alarm. Evelyn was unconscious when they carried her out. The attending doctor asked about her medical history. Her parents insisted she was strong and healthy, and Serena flatly denied that she had ever been exposed to concentrated silver. The doctor could only treat the fever, and they lost their chance to stop the poison. When Evelyn woke, she asked Adrian, "I didn't make the leaflets. You knew that all along, didn't you?" After a long silence, he admitted it. "I didn't think it would go this far," he said. "I'm sorry you went through that." Evelyn turned to leave, but her right leg gave way on the step. Adrian caught her and felt the heat of her wrist. Once the fever passed, she recovered enough to walk, but the numbness in her right leg never fully went away. No one knew the silver was still spreading deeper into her marrow. That night, for the first time, he wasn't called away by Serena's crying. He sat beside her bed, wiped away her cold sweat, and fed her medicine one spoonful at a time. Near dawn, he took her hand and promised softly, "Next time, I will choose you first." Evelyn kept her eyes shut and gave no answer. His promise still stirred something in her. The pain it caused showed how badly she had once wanted to hear it. Chapter 8 The memory ended at that dawn two months earlier. Adrian really had stayed with her until morning. In the past, one night of care would have kept Evelyn waiting for years. Now she felt only a faint regret. If his tenderness had come a little sooner, perhaps she would have chosen to live. As it was, Serena's birthday party went ahead as scheduled. Evelyn made the cake herself and gave it to the kitchen. When Serena saw that the sugar flowers bore no Luna crest, she had the cake replated and announced that both sisters had designed it. At the launch of the laurel calming scent, the perfumer publicly thanked its true creator, Evelyn. To placate Serena, Adrian pinned the moonstone brooch he had intended for Evelyn onto Serena's gown. Evelyn returned to the attic and finished her will. She left the pharmacy to Graystone Clinic, Carla's diary to Carla's family, and all her savings to pay for a burial at sea. That night Adrian stayed by her bed again. Glass shattered outside the door, and Serena cried out for him. Evelyn assumed he would leave, as always. This time, Adrian told the butler to handle it. He stayed and changed the cold compress on her forehead. "When the Blood Moon is over," he said, "we'll talk properly about our future." Evelyn looked at him. Seven days had already been crossed off the calendar. Twenty-three remained until the end she had chosen for herself. They no longer had a future to speak of. Chapter 9 After the party, Evelyn rarely went into the main house. She sorted the remedies and left them at the door for Baker to collect. Adrian followed the manual to mix his own medicine for the first time, but he missed a line in the Blood Moon dosage notes and nearly lost control of his wolf again. Only then did he realize that every simple dosage in the manual came from years of Evelyn's careful observation. He followed her to Graystone Clinic and cornered her in the corridor. "What is it you actually want?" "I have never wanted the position of Luna." "Then why have you dropped everything?" Evelyn lowered her head as a bitter ache filled her chest. What did she want? Half the care they gave Serena. No, even a third would do. "Evelyn, we have never hurt you." Meanwhile, Serena told her parents she would give up the Luna ceremony if her sister would stop being angry with her. Then she ran into Broken Moon Forest alone, deliberately leaving strips of cloth and footprints so everyone could find her. As Evelyn stepped into the driving snow, she knew her sister was staging a fake rescue. But rogues roamed Broken Moon Forest, and hunters had left silver-laced snare bridges there. She couldn't stand by while Serena put her life at risk in a place Evelyn knew was dangerous. The corner of a red shawl hung over the edge of Broken Moon Cliff. As Evelyn drew near, the rotten boards beneath her feet gave way. A silver-laced hunter's snare sprang from the snow, one end wrapping around Serena's waist and the other locking around Evelyn's legs. It flung them to opposite sides of the cliff. The load-bearing rope creaked in the wind. It couldn't hold their weight. Serena's scream cut through the snow. Chapter 10 The thin silver cord had already reached Serena's neck. Evelyn fought the burning in her legs and hacked at the cord around Serena with her herb knife. Serena could breathe again, but the main rope only tightened around her. "Don't move," Evelyn called. "Struggling only pulls the rope tighter." Serena wouldn't listen. She only screamed for Adrian, shaking all over. That was the scene Adrian found when he reached the cliff. Serena was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. Evelyn still held her knife and was calling out exactly where the main rope bore their weight. Adrian could have thrown Evelyn the cutting knife so she could hold the rope steady while he helped Serena. He could have cut the middle rope and let them both fall onto the buffer slope below. But when he heard Serena's piercing screams, he instinctively ran to the person he always protected first. "Evelyn, hold on a little longer," he said. "I'll be right there!" Evelyn's heart seemed to stop. Adrian had promised only moments ago that he would choose her first. Her voice caught slightly. "Adrian..." Before she could say more, Serena screamed again, and the main rope swung violently. Adrian lunged forward and caught Serena in his arms. Evelyn watched his back. She didn't cut the rope yet. She counted silently. One. Adrian checked whether Serena was breathing. Two. He worked to free the snare around Serena's waist. Three. Her parents arrived with the search party, and Serena was the first name they called. Four. The silver burned into her old wound, and feeling faded from her fingers bit by bit. Five. The blank emergency contact form flashed through her mind. Six. She remembered Carla standing outside the door, saying she'd be back tomorrow. Seven. The black iron key to the suppression cell, and the extra hour she had waited behind its door. Eight. Adrian wrapped his own coat around Serena. Nine. No one noticed that the silver had burned through her leg. Ten. The last scrap of hope inside her went out for good. She raised the knife and cut the main rope clean through.