Chapter 1
I followed behind Alpha Kamden for three hundred years.
On the ninety-ninth time he abandoned me, I finally stopped in my tracks.
I offered myself to the rogue portal seal, vanishing completely from his world.
Alpha Kamden’s eyes turned red, vowing to search for me from the highest peaks to the deepest valleys:
“Skyla, come back!”
But there was no longer a Skyla who would follow behind him.
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“Skyla, are you certain about this? Sealing the rogue portal is no small task. One misstep, and you could be utterly destroyed. Even if the Moon Goddess grants you the chance to restore your inner wolf, you’d still need to survive to see it through…”
My gaze was unwavering. “Elder Jasper, I’ve made up my mind. Protecting the balance between packs is the sacred duty of the Phoenix Pack. I am the most suitable to seal the rogue portal. Besides, I have no attachments left in this world.”
Was there truly nothing left to hold me here?
I lowered my eyes, the image of that tall, commanding figure threatening to surface, but I pushed it down harshly.
The three Elders—Jasper, Arlo, and Brock—looked at me with pity. “You are the last of the Phoenix Pack… If you fail, it will mean the end of your lineage. Are you truly resolved?”
Their hearts ached for me. In their eyes, I was still a child.
Werewolves reached adulthood at eighteen. I had only lived for three centuries.
These three hundred years had been spent confined to the Xuanqing territory, never experiencing the wonders of the human world or the beauty of the wilderness.
If the Phoenix Pack were still intact, at my age, I would still be nestled in my parents’ care, their cherished treasure.
Now, this young, untested werewolf was about to gamble her life for the sake of all packs.
I tilted my head up, smiling brightly. “The Phoenix Pack was born from the essence of the Moon Goddess. Our ancestors protected the balance for countless millennia. Today, this responsibility falls to me, and I will carry it out just as they did.”
Someone had to make the sacrifice. The path had been laid out by those who came before, and even if it was a slim chance, it was still a chance.
A weathered hand rested gently on my head. Elder Jasper’s eyes were rimmed with red. “Go and prepare. We’ll give you three days. Say your goodbyes, and don’t leave any regrets.”
I touched the pouch and the Elder’s token now hanging at my waist, tears welling in my eyes. With a grateful nod, I hurried away from the rogue portal.
Three days. For me, it was more than enough.
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