---- in that morning. But he had forgotten to put on the pair of worn socks I had mended four times. He greeted me gently, "Darling, you look pale. Is the work too tiring?" He sighed dramatically. "I feel so sorry. You should have a much happier life as my Luna. But I lost my Alpha position when I became paralyzed. Now you're the one providing for us. I owe you so much..." Istared at him. He was right about one thing: only when I was too busy did I stop thinking. I had been sleeping just three hours a night-1 a.m. to 3 a.m.-never stopping to question why a man who couldn't move hadn't developed bedsores or muscle atrophy, or why his skin was so smooth. The more I looked at him, the colder I felt inside. Yeats grew nervous under my silence. "What happened? Did your boss scold you? Don't worry. I can borrow $500 from a friend so you can rest for a ---- few days." Still pretending. He thought $500 was enough to convince me he was a loving, supportive mate. Yet just days ago, he had spent $700,000 on dinner with Lily. That icy numbness spread through my chest and out into my limbs. I began to sweat. Yeats reached out, intending to caress my face-but stopped halfway, remembering he was supposed to be paralyzed. His hand froze in midair. "Jasmin... are you okay? Are you sick...?" I couldn't bear it any longer. I turned and walked to the bathroom. Passing through the living room, I saw Yelena quickly hide a brand-new phone under a cushion. I closed the bathroom door and took out my old, outdated cellphone. Its buttons were so worn I had to type from memory. I typed a message: ---- "Dear Daddy and Mommy, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me for not following your advice. I was too headstrong." As I waited for a reply, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. The she-wolf staring back at me had aged far beyond her years. Ten years had gone by, but it looked like twenty. My skin was sallow, my face lined with fatigue, and strands of white ran through my hair. Who would believe this female wolf was once the only daughter of the Lycan King of Lupus Celestial? My phone buzzed. "You are forever our daughter-as long as you are willing to be." Arush of emotion swelled in my chest. Relief, sorrow, and a faint glimmer of hope. But before I returned to where I truly belonged... ---- Ihad to uncover the rest of the lies they had been hiding from me.