Chapter 6

The Darkwood was full of thorns.

Every time I went in, I came back covered in cuts.

Healing potions were expensive.

So I never used them on myself.

I just let the wounds heal on their own.

Gideon wore the enchanted leather armor I bought him.

He looked at my patched-up clothes with pure disgust.

“Dull, weak, and pathetic. How could someone like you ever be worthy of me?”

But the rare resources I brought back?

He took every single one.

“Giving them to you would be a waste.

Only a wolf spirit like me—one that can truly evolve—deserves them.”

I didn’t care what he said.

As long as he grew stronger, I could use his power to stabilize my wolf blood.

That was all I wanted.

Three years passed like that.

I searched through every old pack record.

At last, I found out.

Gideon was close to ascending. From Legendary to Mythic.

I was so excited that I hunted for ten straight days.

Finally, I found a rare two-headed chimera.

I gave it my all, breaking my left arm in the process.

With my packmates’ help, I finally took its heart.

Still bleeding, barely feeling my wounds,

I rushed back to Gideon—eager, almost giddy with excitement.

But then I heard his voice coming from inside my cabin.

“That useless Selena? She could never fight beside me!”

“You’re the only one who can.”

I froze.

Through the narrow crack in the window,

I saw him holding Clara’s hand—

his gaze burning with a fierce tenderness.