Chapter 3

Damian pushed past me with Chloe in his arms, leaving without a glance.

At the banquet, Damian was the perfect doting husband—serving Chloe food, gently wiping her mouth, and showering her with care. They were the image of newlywed bliss. Even my father, who had once harbored resentment over Damian's potential, seemed to warm up, his scowl easing into a faint smile.

In my previous life, Damian had been considerate to me, but he never served or doted on me like this. In his eyes, I was beneath him, someone expected to serve, not be served. Now, his ostentatious display was nothing more than a deliberate attempt to provoke me. As if he thought he was the only Golden Lycan in the world.

But what if I could borrow that bloodline? Borrow it! That could work. I wouldn't even need to marry anyone—no strings attached. I could have a Golden Lycan child, just to spite Damian. And it would fill the void of never becoming a mother in my previous life. The problem was, the Golden Lycans I knew of were either too old or too young. Where could I find one who was just right?

"You're looking for a young Golden Lycan?"

Startled, I clamped my hand over Lilith's mouth. "Could you keep your voice down?" Lilith, a thousand-year-old oak tree spirit and my closest confidante, always had a knack for making scenes.

"Mmmph... let go," she mumbled under my hand.

I released her, and she leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "I actually know of someone—a true Golden Lycan of unmatched lineage."

"Really?" I was skeptical. Lilith had a tendency to exaggerate.

"Legend has it, on the forbidden grounds of Silent Peak, at the Heart of the Moonlight, there resides a Primordial Golden Lycan. He's the purest bloodline your werewolf alliance has ever known. Even your elders would kneel in reverence before him."

"Is that so?" I frowned, unsure whether to believe her. Lilith did love her tall tales.

"Oh, it's true. They say anyone who's seen him was blinded by his golden aura. But ever since he ascended Silent Peak, no one's seen him come down. The mountain became forbidden because no one could reach him."

I thought back to the warnings I'd heard as a child about staying away from that mountain. "How is it you know more about werewolf lore than me?"

"I've been alive for nearly a thousand years. Of course I know more," she retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Well... hypothetically, if I wanted to, let's say... borrow his bloodline, could I?"

Lilith's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

Before she could shout, I quickly covered her mouth again. "Keep it down! Do you want everyone to hear?"

"You can't be serious! First of all, no one's been able to enter that mountain for a century. No one knows what the situation is up there. And now you want to approach the Primordial Golden Lycan and ask him for a favor? Are you insane?"

"How will I know if I don't try? If I'm lucky enough to find him, I'll use some moon petal pollen. One night with him, and by morning, he'll forget it ever happened."

Lilith was utterly stunned, her mouth agape as if she'd just swallowed an apple whole.

What she didn't know was that I had a way to get to Silent Peak. In my previous life, I had followed Damian as he searched for forbidden methods to hide his Omega identity. Among the countless ancient texts he studied, one described a ritual to gain entry to Silent Peak. The ritual required grinding golden-glow grass into a paste and applying it to one's fur, giving the body a golden hue that would last for days. To access the mountain, you needed to draw a rune on the unbreakable stone at the southwest base, using the blood of a high-ranking Alpha. I still remembered the exact shape of that rune. I'd even paid the price for it—Damian had taken half a bowl of my blood for his attempt. When he returned, empty-handed and severely injured, he had refused to explain what happened.

"You're mad," Lilith said, shaking her head. "That's a Primordial Lycan! If he finds out a wolf of your rank is scheming against him, he'll tear you to pieces with a single swipe." She mimicked clawing gestures with two of her leaves.

"Excuse me? I'm a high-ranking Silver Moon Alpha, thank you very much."

"You're serious about this?"

"Dead serious."

Lilith sighed, her leaves drooping slightly. "Fine. I've heard about what's been happening to you in the alliance. Given how much spirit water you've poured on me, I'll help as much as I can." She plucked a tender, shimmering leaf from her core and handed it to me. "I'm actually a 'Fertility Tree.' Eat this, and I guarantee you'll conceive on the first try."

I stared at the delicate leaf in disbelief. "This whole time, you've been lying to me about your powers—saying your leaves could double my strength or make me eternally youthful."

"Stop laughing!" she huffed, crossing her branches.

"Alright, alright." I stifled my chuckles and took the leaf.

"You better come back in one piece," she warned. "I need you to keep watering me."

"I'll be fine," I said with a wave of my hand, already turning toward the direction of Silent Peak.