Before I could even process what happened, Chloe let out a piercing scream, her eyes wide with terror.

"Eleanor, I already gave the dagger back! Why won't you just leave me alone!"

I opened my mouth to explain, but Aiden shoved me against the wall and rushed to Chloe, cradling her in his arms.

"Eleanor, how could you be so fucking vicious!"

"Chloe already gave you the dagger! Why can't you just let her be!"

The rough floor tore open my knees. I bit my lip, looking down at my bleeding legs.

Hot, bitter tears filled my eyes.

Chloe scrambled to her knees, bowing her head to me over and over.

"Eleanor, I'm giving you the dagger back, I'm begging you, just leave me alone!"

"Please don't push me again! My leg can't take another injury!"

She cried out in pain, showing him the old scars on her leg.

She knew. She knew that Aiden would believe anything she said, without question.

Sure enough, Aiden's face darkened as he turned on me.

"Eleanor, you've put your hands on her before?"

I shook my head frantically. "No, I didn't! I hadn't even touched the dagger before she—"

"You're still thinking about your damn dagger!"

Aiden's rage exploded. He picked the dagger up from the floor and glared at me.

"Is a single dagger worth more than a person's life to you?"

He didn't give me a chance to answer. He hurled the dagger against the wall.

With a sharp crack, the inlaid moonstone shattered into a dozen pieces, the silver hilt twisting out of shape.

The shock and the gut-wrenching pain suffocated me.

I don't know how I managed to crawl over to the broken pieces.

All I knew was that in that single moment, my past happiness and my future dreams shattered right along with it.

Aiden lifted Chloe into his arms and looked down at me, his cold stare like a thousand knives slicing me apart.

"I'll find out what really happened here."

"But you remember this. You will always owe Chloe a lifetime of happiness."

As he left, Chloe shot me a look of pure, triumphant mockery over his shoulder.

I stared at the broken dagger in my hands, a bitter taste filling my mouth.

I owe her happiness? Then who is going to give me my happiness back?

What did I even do wrong?

If you didn't love me, why were you ever so good to me?

Why did you cross the entire territory on a frozen winter night, just to be there when I completed my first shift and whisper...

"Happy birthday, Eleanor."

Why did you pinch my cheeks when we were kids and ask...

"Eleanor, when you grow up, I'll ask the Moon Goddess to make you my mate, okay?"

Every wolf in the pack assumed we were destined to be together. Even I believed it.

I couldn't wait to grow up, couldn't wait for him to make that same promise on my birthday, just like when we were little.

But the promise never came. Instead, he walked through the door holding the hand of his family's human housekeeper's daughter.

Aiden smiled at me, just like he always had.

"Eleanor, this is Chloe. From now on, we're all family."

I don't remember how I got through that night.

I just remember that the birthday cake tasted bitter. So, so bitter.