Novel The Wolf Comes Crawling After the Bond Is Broken

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At the Luna Ceremony, my mateAlpha Ares Grantappears at the altar with his lover in his arms.

He disdainfully throws the Snow Wolf hide, which has been enshrined on the altar, onto the muddy ground.

It's something my mother left for me before she died, and it's also a sacred relic passed down through generations of the Moonriver pack.

Legend says that if one's mate personally drapes this wolf hide over their shoulders, they will live in harmony and be granted a blessed future.

For three years, this is the moment I had been waiting for.

The next moment, he turns and places the Luna's Crown on Arthene Smith's head.

"I swear on the Moon Goddess that Estella is impure, disloyal, and a fraud. I refuse to accept such a filthy she-wolf as my mate. From now on, my Luna is the pure Arthene, and nothing else," he says.

I stare at the scene before me in disbelief and sorrow. "Ares, I'm your fated mate, your one and only Luna"

A heavy slap lands fiercely on my face.

Ares strikes me down from the altar.

The moment I tumble down the steps, I hear his cold, bone-chilling voice say, "You think a whore like you is worthy of being the Luna?"

Chapter 1

"Whore?"

"The Alpha actually called Estella a whore?"

The werewolves present were all startled by the sudden turn of events. The sound of their whispers surged like a tide, nearly drowning me.

As I lay on the ground, I felt my mind go completely blank. Half my face had gone numb, but my heart was the first to sound a shrill alarm, weeping and crying out in pain.

Had I just been rejected by the mate I had silently devoted myself to for three years?

Before I could get up, Ares Grant's voice rang out again. "What? Do you think it's not fair?"

He stood on the platform, took out a handkerchief to wipe the hand that had just struck me, and threw it into a brazier.

"Throughout this week, I've always smelled a Rogue's scent on you. Arthene said you often go out late at night and sneak around. At first, I didn't believe it, but" Ares waved a hand. "Bring it up here!"

Two attendants carried a translucent crystal stonethat was about half a person's heightonto the altar.

It was the Moonbound Soulstone, a sacred object used by werewolf packs to test a mate's loyalty and the purity of their soul.

"Go on. Place your hand on it. Let everyone see how filthy the 'daughter of the Moonriver pack's Alpha' is beneath the skin."

It was only then that I recovered from the ringing in my ears and felt my body go cold.

I went out late at night? That was to gather Moonlight Herbs at the back of the mountains to purify Ares' Blood Frenzy!

The scent of a Rogue? That was the scent of decaying grass I accidentally got on me while brewing his medicine!

"I didn't" I struggled to crawl toward the crystal stone, with each step causing me pain. "Ares, I'm pure These three years, I"

"Do the test!"

With tears in my eyes, I trembled under his Alpha aura and placed my palm on the cold Moonbound Soulstone. For three years, I had given everythingmy body, my heart, my soulto him and the pack.

A second passed, then two The initially transparent crystal stone suddenly erupted with a cloud of black mist.

Black represented the deepest sin possible!

"Goodness!"

The crowd below the platform instantly erupted into murmurs.

"Black! That's the color of depravity!"

"She really cheated! She betrayed the Alpha!"

"Burn this whore!"

Countless malicious curses rained down upon me.

I stared blankly at the stone, which looked as if it had been splashed with ink.

Suddenly, I understoodfor three years, I'd used my body as a vessel to absorb all the violence and Blood Frenzy from Ares' body.

Now, he radiated pure golden light, whereas all those filthy black energies had accumulated within my soul!

What it measured wasn't purity at all! It measured the sins I had borne for my beloved!

"You see that?" The last trace of hesitation in Ares' gaze burned away. "What else do you have to say?"

"No! This isn't an impurity!"

I shook my head frantically, trying to grasp his pant leg. "This blackness is the Blood Frenzy from your body! I absorbed it for you"

"Enough!" Ares kicked my hand away. "Help me absorb the Blood Frenzy? You?

"Estella Simpson, you can't even catch a wild rabbit. You're pathetically weak, and you still want to take credit for Arthene's achievements?

"During the eruption of the Blood Frenzy, it was Arthene who rushed into the tent to calm me without regard for her own life!

"Last month, when the pack's water source was poisoned, it was Arthene who guarded the riverbank for seven days and nights to purify the water!"

He sized me up with a disgusted look. "Meanwhile, you only know how to use filthy means behind my back and sell your body to Rogues for a cheap thrill!"

Boom

My mind went blank.

So... he always thought the one who saved him was Arthene?

Chapter 2

Not only did Arthene steal the credit for me protecting him with my life, but it even became proof of my infidelity?

"No It was me that night"

Crying, I tried to explain while desperately grabbing at his pant leg. "You drank my blood Arthene's lying to you"

"Get off!" Ares stepped on my palm and ground it hard into the dirt.

"Ah!"

After a while, he finally grew tired of it and kicked me away again.

I fell into a muddy pit with a thud. If only I were a vase, then I could just shatter into pieces right here and now.

But through my blurred vision, I saw my Snow Wolf hide that was covered in footprints. That was my last memento, my last thing I had of my "home".

Gritting my teeth, I stretched out my hand with all my might. If only I could touch just a little bit

"Oh dear. Trash is such an unsightly thing here." Arthene thoughtfully picked it up and extended it toward the nearby bonfire.

"No!" I summoned the strength I didn't know I had and lunged for the hide.

"Ah! Ares, she's trying to hurt me!" Arthene shouted.

In the chaos, my hair was pulled, and my face was slapped. I didn't know who were the ones doing this to me.

"If you like it so much, then take it!"

The burning wolf hide was thrown at me, but I staggered toward it without hesitation.

For a moment, I thought I was in the embrace of my mate. I paid the price for a brief warmth by subsequently scrambling on the ground to put out the fire.

By the time the fire was put out, I had no strength left. While wrapped in the wolf hide that now sported a large hole, I slumped into the mud.

The crowd averted their gaze.

Ares turned to the pack members who had spoken up for him and Arthene.

"I swear on the Moon Goddess that Estella is impure, disloyal, and a fraud. I refuse to accept such a filthy she-wolf as my mate.

"From this day forward, my Luna will only be the untainted Arthene."

An earth-shattering snap echoed in my mind. Deep in my soul, I felt the golden thread of our mate bond get brutally broken apart by him.

I spat out a mouthful of blood.

At the very moment the bond broke, a pain a hundred times worse than my soul being torn apart erupted from deep within my bones.

The curse had descended. This was the most tragic destined constitution among a very select few of the females of the Moonriver packthe Seven-Day Withering.

Once rejected by one's fated mate in public, their life would start counting down. The flesh would wither, and their bones would shatter as a sign of the curse's backlash.

Seven days. I only had seven days left.

"Ugh"I curled up on the ground, writhing in agony.

"Stop pretending." Ares scoffed.

He approached me and nudged my still-twitching hand with the toe of his boot.

"Everyone knows breaking a bond at most causes dizziness for a couple of days. You're in so much pain that you spit blood and have full-body convulsions?"

He crouched down, mocking, "Estella, are you trying to win sympathy with such lousy displays of suffering?

"Save it. It just proves how utterly shameless you really are."

I opened my mouth, but the pain I felt left me voiceless. He had no idea about the curse!

"Throw her to the mass graves at the back of the mountain. Don't let her taint Arthene's Luna Ceremony," Ares said.

Two guards stepped forward, lifted me up, and dragged me away.

Spit, stones, and rotten vegetables rained down upon me. Every werewolf present cursed me for being filthy while cheering for Ares' wise decision.

I had no strength to resist. I could only grip the tattered wolf hide tightly and turn back with effort, taking one last look at the platform.

Ares was lowering his head to kiss Arthene, while the fool who willingly "dirtied" herself to keep him "pure" fell apart.

"Ares" In my heart, I silently spoke the final words to that fading silhouette. "You goddamn bastard."

Just before I lost consciousness, in the center of the square, I saw the totem pillar that survived only because of my Blood Offering crack ever so slightly.

Chapter 3

The wind blowing in the mass graves cut like knives on my face. It was so cold.

I curled up at the bottom of a pit filled with rotting corpses and mud, clutching the stained Snow Wolf hide.

While I was lost in excruciating pain, my mind drifted back to three years ago

Back then, I was the most beloved daughter of the Moonriver pack's Alpha. For the sake of peace between the two packs, I bore my pack's hopes and mated into the powerful Thunderhowl pack.

On the night of my mating ceremony, I saw Ares for the first time.

"Are all she-wolves from the Moonriver pack this thin?" He'd frowned slightly before taking my cold hand without any disdain in his expression.

"Don't be afraid. Since we're fated mates, I'll protect you."

Back then, Ares was truly amazing. When he saw that I lost weight due to my inability to adapt to my environment, the mighty Alpha of the Thunderhowl pack went up Frostpeak Summit to catch a snow rabbit himself.

He returned covered in frost and snow and tore the roasted meat into strips to feed me.

The pack members teased him for not acting Alpha-like, but Ares wiped the corner of my mouth and smiled.

"Of course, my mate must be cherished," he said.

In his eyes, I was a frail she-wolf who needed to be protected by him at all times.

Still, he didn't mind how weak I was. Instead, he showered me with the most obsessive affection.

Later on, I stubbornly insisted on accompanying him to a hunt, but we ended up ambushed by the Bloodbone pack.

When a poison-coated silver dagger flew toward me, I was terrified, but Ares didn't hesitate to shield me with his body. The blade pierced through his arm, and black blood instantly gushed out.

That night, he ran a high fever and fell unconscious. I cried as I secretly sucked out the poisoned blood and fed him my own to heal his wounds.

I felt like a burden who was unworthy of standing by his side. But even when he was delirious, the name Ares murmured was mine.

When he woke up the next morning, he didn't even look at his own wound as he immediately pulled me into his arms. His voice shook as he said, "You scared me to death Thank goodness you're okay."

I felt deeply moved at that moment. I really wanted to tell him that it was my blood that healed him. I wanted to say that I wasn't completely useless and that I could contribute to the pack.

But I couldn't.

The Elders of the Moonriver pack had said that if my powerful, pure Alpha bloodline wasn't concealed, it would be coveted by those with ill intentions. They warned me not to reveal the secret easily before firmly establishing my position as Luna.

Ares sensed my hesitation and comforted me, saying, "It's okay. Everyone has secrets.

"But at the very least, don't feel inferior because of your weakness. No matter what, I'll always stand behind you. Whether it's gossip or hidden daggers, I'll shield you from it all."

That was absolutely the most beautiful confession I had ever heard.

At those words, I broke through the final barrier without hesitation, grabbing his shoulders and kissing him.

We had fallen in love. Our love was the most pure and radiant treasure I had ever known.

To protect what we had, I didn't tell Ares about the Seven-Day Withering curse. I feared that if he knew about it, he'd think all my affection and care were just to win his love so that I could survive.

I didn't want our love to turn into something calculated. I wanted to wait.

I wanted to wait for when we were old and graywhen he couldn't live without me anymoreand then I would tell him about it as a joke.

Although the Alpha of the Thunderhowl pack had a strong bloodline among ordinary Alphas, it came with the fatal "Blood Frenzy".

Every full moon night, Ares would suffer splitting headaches and lose his sanity.

I was willing to be his Shadow Medicine. I secretly cut my wrist every night he became frenzied, mixing my blood imbued with the Moonriver pack's purifying power into his wine.

While he slept, I kneeled before the totem pillar, praying and chanting incantations all night. I gradually transferred the ferocity from his body into mine.

The most ironic part was that the night before last year's pack assembly, Ares' Blood Frenzy erupted so severely that he couldn't even stand.

To ensure he could attend the assembly the next day, I exhausted myself by using my blood to nourish him all night.

As a result, the next morning, I was so weak that I fainted by the bedside.

Ares woke up, feeling refreshed and clear-headed. But when he saw I had fallen ill, his expression drastically changed. He even canceled the assembly concerning the pack's future and instead constantly stayed by my side.

I felt helpless, so I lied that I just had a cold and pushed him to leave.

However, he held my hand and kissed my fingertips. His gaze brimmed with deep affection as he said, "The pack is important, but that's my responsibility. You're different, Estella. You're my heart. What use is power to me if my heart is ailing?"

He had said such beautiful vows back then.

Later, even as my body grew weaker and I was nearly anemic, it felt worth it to me as long as he was well.

That was until three months ago, when Ares returned on a rainy night. He was covered in blood and holding a barely-alive Rogue in his armsArthene.

Chapter 4

"Arthene saved me by taking a fatal blow meant for me from a Rogue," Ares explained with an anxious gaze.

He didn't even glance at me as he shouted for healers.

My heart ached at the time. But that night, Ares held me and spent all night comforting me.

"Don't overthink it. She's my savior. If we don't save her, the Thunderhowl pack will become a joke. I'll send her away once she recovers."

I'd believed what he'd said.

But when Arthene recovered, she didn't leave. Not only did she stay, but she also became Ares' battle partner.

Wild, agile, and untamable, she was capable of keeping up with Ares' high-intensity combat pace.

Meanwhile, due to long-term bloodletting and physical exhaustion, I could only wait in the tent for his return.

Later, the time they spent together gradually became longer than the time he spent with me.

Then one day, I sensed the scent of the Bloodbone pack on Arthene, so I wanted to catch up to Ares and tell him about it.

Deep in the jungle, I saw a scene that left me gasping for airtwo bodies were entangled with each other on the grass. It was my mate and the pack's "savior".

Their heavy panting sounded even more piercing than a beast's roar.

I stepped back in shock, but my foot snapped a dry branch and startled a nearby corrupted beast. It was then that a black panther pounced on me!

At the critical moment, it was the disheveled Arthene who rushed over and took a swipe meant for me, causing blood to instantly spurt out.

Arthene collapsed in a pool of blood. Her face was deathly pale as she mumbled, "Estella Run"

Ares rushed over like a madman and scooped her up.

Back at the pack, I cried and demanded to know why he had betrayed me.

His eyes were bloodshot as he said coldly, "If you hadn't run amok, Arthene wouldn't have gotten hurt at all! Why did you follow me? Do you realize you could have killed her? It's all your fault!"

I tried to explain myself. "But she had the scent of an enemy pack. I was worried about you"

"Enough!" That was the first time he'd shouted at me.

"Estella, I never thought you could be so jealous. Arthene was kind enough to save you, but you dare call her a spy?" Ares roared.

In that instant, a deep crack appeared in our perfect "love". He was the one who cheated and did something wrong. Why did it become my fault in the end?

Afterward, Ares came to me. His tone was slightly softer, but it still carried that lofty self-righteousness from before.

"It was just an accident, a primal instinct. I'm an Alpha, so mating with a strong she-wolf is my nature. Arthene is stronger than you. She can fight alongside me and also protect you."

He patted my head like taming a disobedient pet. "As long as you behave and stop making a fuss, the position of Luna will always be yours."

Thus, I endured itfor the guilt I felt toward Arthene blocking the blow, for the trust I still had in him, and for the damn Seven-Day Withering curse.

And what happened in the end?

My restraint fed his greed, my silence became weakness in his eyes, and my feelings turned into "filth" to him.

Suddenly, a rough hand groped my thigh, and I was jolted awake from my memories.

Before me loomed the face of an unfamiliar werewolf.

"Hey, you're awake?" The werewolf grinned, his yellowed teeth reeking of foul odor.

He clicked his tongue. "The test said you were impure, but this face and this figure You're truly worthy of being the Alpha's former mate."

He then roughly tore at my collar.

"Get off!" I shouted.

"Why are you acting like a virgin?"

The werewolf pinned me down and pressed his entire body on me. He said lewdly, "When the Alpha threw you down here, he said He said anyone could go for a whore like you.

"Since you're already tainted anyway, why not let a few of us have some fun? Consider it your last bit of usefulness before death."

An explosion went off in my mind.

Anyone could have me? Ares You had actually become this cruel?

Before, he would worry for half a long time if my finger got a tiny cut. But now, he wanted to throw me to random wolves to be ravaged?

He not only wanted to kill me, but he wanted to break my heart as well.

"Don't touch me" I said through gritted teeth.

My tears had long dried up, leaving only immense hatred behind.

The werewolf sneered and lowered his head to bite my neck. "Be good and let me cherish you"

What followed instead was a muffled sound of a sharp blade entering flesh. The wolf froze, and he widened his eyes in disbelief as he looked down.

A sharp claw had been brutally pierced through his chest.

I had half-shifted.

Before, to sustain Ares and his pack, I drained all my powersincluding my ability to shiftand fed it to him.

But all my sacrifices were in vain, so I'd reclaimed my power. My pure Alpha bloodline couldn't only suppress the pain brought by the curse, but it could also sustain me.

Panting, the wolf clutched his torn chest. Blood came gushing out and splattered all over my face.

He collapsed, twitched twice, and stopped moving.

I pushed the heavy corpse aside and staggered to my feet. I picked up the Snow Wolf hide from the ground, shook off the mud, and draped it over my shoulders again.

It was now filthy, but it felt like my mom's embrace.

I looked down at the dead wolf, then glanced toward the brightly lit square of the Thunderhowl pack in the distance. Celebrations for Arthene's Luna Ceremony were in full swing there.

I wiped the blood from my face and smiled.

Seven days, huh? Since I was going to die anyway

Then, before I died, I would settle the score of these three years with him.