His Serum, My Soul's Escape

In the end, Caspian never took me to see the Northern Lights. On the morning we were scheduled to leave, news broke that Jocelyn was trading forbidden alchemical materials on the black market, sending shockwaves through the pack.

Before Caspian could even board the private jet, several pack members rushed over, their voices trembling as they begged him to handle the scandal.

He looked back at me, his eyes filled with guilt. "Rowan, the pack is in a critical situation. Can we go see the Northern Lights another day?"

I waved him off, forcing a tight smile while swallowing the ache in my chest. "It's okay. Go handle it."

The pack members bowed to me repeatedly in thanks. By then, Caspian had already turned away, his phone pressed to his ear as he urgently contacted his legal team.

This wasn't the first time he had ditched me for an emergency. It wasn't that I was no longer sad; I just refused to be another burden. I had accepted that other things could take priority over me. But I never imagined Jocelyn would come before everything else.

When I returned to the mansion the next day, Caspian was in his private lab. His hair was a mess, his sleeves were rolled up, and he was frantically mixing a detoxifying serum that had nothing to do with the pack's crisis.

He spotted me and let out an exasperated sigh. "Jocelyn tested a new poison on another pack member. Someone reported her to the council of elders. I have to make this serum quickly to get her out of trouble."

I looked at him in disbelief. "What about the pack's crisis?"

Caspian paused, then said in a low voice, "The other lawyers will handle it."

He hadn't been dealing with pack affairs at all.

Watching his anxious, focused profile as he worked for Jocelyn, he suddenly seemed like a stranger. The man I loved was kind and principled, a man who couldn't bear to see even a small animal get hurt. Yet, for Jocelyn, he was willing to cast aside all his responsibilities.

After he finished the serum, he invited me to a high-end auction. The moment she was bailed out, she threw herself into Caspian's arms and flashed me a triumphant smirk over his shoulder.

"Thank you, Caspian. I knew you would drop everything to help me if I needed you," she said.

The absurdity of it all washed over me.

At the auction, I was drinking champagne alone in a corner. My gaze inadvertently fell on Caspian's arm—the laurel tree mate mark, which should have been mine, was now entwined and being corroded by a vicious black snake. That was Jocelyn's family crest.

Jocelyn's voice drifted over from a short distance away. "Caspian, it's all my fault. If I hadn't made that blood pact to protect myself, your mark wouldn't have been tainted…"

So, on the day I refused the photo and Caspian stormed off with her, they had bound themselves through some dark ritual.

I couldn't listen anymore and fled the auction.

Back in my room, tears flowed uncontrollably. I thought I had let go, but how could a fated mate bond be severed so easily?

A metallic tang flooded my mouth. I wiped my mouth with a handkerchief, coughing up black blood as a sharp pain twisted in my chest. My vision blurred, and I slipped back into a dream.

The Moon Goddess appeared again, her voice tinged with an imperceptible pity. She said, "Inject one more dose today, and you can return to the human world."

I smiled numbly. "Really? That's wonderful news."

That night, Caspian returned.

He leaned in, studying my face, a flicker of concern in his eyes. "Are you not feeling well? You look so pale."

I lowered my head, letting my hair hide my sickly pallor. "I'm fine. It's probably just the treatment."

Caspian quickly brought the syringe over, offering it to me gently. "I know you hate this, but it will heal your inner wolf. Just bear with it. Come on, Rowan, I'll help you inject it."

I obediently extended my arm, letting the cool liquid slide into my veins. Agony instantly tore through my abdomen. I bit my lip and forced a broken smile.

'Remember this moment, Caspian Thorne. You're the one who personally granted me this release.'