Alpha Gabriel Conroy swapped my lifespan with that of a cancer patient, leaving me with only seven days to live.

He held my hand and apologized.

"She's so young. I couldn't just watch her die, so I had to swap your lifespans, just for now. You're a witch. You'll be fine. I'll find a cure to save you asap."

I pulled my hand away and told him I couldn't afford to wait.

"I'm the witch of the Sanguine Circle Pack. If my body's functions become unstable, I'll die too."

He flew into a rage.

"Stop lying! You've been perfectly fine for the past seven years! And I've never even heard of this pack."

He told me to stop making a scene, that he'd have news about the cure within three days.

On the first day, he married her, screwing her on our bed, while I fainted three times.

On the second day, he took her to celebrate with friends, while I had 24 nosebleeds.

On the third day, he brought her to the hospital for a follow-up, while I lay in the ER next door.

Our seven years together were rendered meaningless in the face of his new lover.

Gabriel, this time, I really was going home...

***

At the pack's gate, 9,999 roses were delivered.

Everyone gasped.

"Ms. Emerson, Alpha loves you so much! He even remembers today marks the fourth anniversary of your farm's opening..."

A dull ache stirred in my chest, and I gave a bitter smile.

If he really loved me, how could he not know I'd always hated flowers?

Gabriel called, his voice lazy, as if he'd just woken up.

"Thia, sorry, I forgot today was the fourth day. Still no word about the cure. Are you alright?"

If I said no, he'd mock me, accusing me of putting on an act.

"Mhm..."

Hearing my voice, he sighed in relief.

"Good, hang in there. I have meetings at the hotel next to your farm, so I won't be with you today."

Before I could say anything, he hurriedly hung up.

Still, I heard the soft moan of a woman beside him.

A few kilometers from the farm stood the pack's finest hotel.

When I delivered vegetables there, the kitchen staff chatted while they worked.

"Alpha booked the entire hotel for Ms. Grover's birthday. Did you see those 90,000 roses? That was his grand declaration of love..."

"Exactly! Not one more, not one less—a perfect 90,000. I heard the rejects were sent to local farms..."

"Hey, Ms. Emerson, aren't you the farm owner? Did you get any? Alpha said the extra roses could be fed to the pigs..."

I nodded with a faint smile, but my body trembled uncontrollably.

I made a hasty excuse and fled to the hotel lobby, and my tears finally broke free.

From around the corner, I heard Gabriel and his friends by the elevator.

"Gabe, you really found a way to swap lifespans? What about Cynthia? Didn't she make a fuss?"

Hands in his pockets, Gabriel raised an indifferent brow.

"A fuss? She wouldn't dare. She's got no family or friends. I gave her that farm. For seven years, every time we argued, she threatened to leave me by dying—but in the end, she always stayed."

His friends gave him a thumbs-up.

"Dating an orphan is a genius idea, Gabe. She wouldn't even dare break up with you."

One of them hesitated.

"But Gabe, from what I've heard, Betty could last another six months with proper chemo, and the elder said Cynthia only has seven days. Why make Cynthia..."

The elevator doors opened. Gabriel's reply grew quieter, but I still heard his every word.

He said, "I can't let Betty suffer through the pain of hair loss. As for Cynthia, she's used to hardship. She can handle this. I'll find a way to keep her alive..."

In the stairwell, I couldn't stop the blood that burst from my mouth.

I fainted and stayed unconscious the whole night.

Then, the fifth day arrived.

Pain jolted me awake, my body aching all over as my phone rang nonstop.

The moment I answered, Gabriel's anxious voice came through.

"Thia, I need you here! Hurry!"

I thought something had happened to him.

But when I arrived, I saw Betty lying in Gabriel's lap, while he frowned at a thermometer.

"36.5 degrees Celsius," he muttered.

She wasn't running a fever, but she kept whining.

"Gabe, I feel awful. My normal temperature is 36.2. Even a little higher means I've got a fever, ugh..."

Gabriel comforted her, gently pressing a cooling patch to her forehead, then looked up at me.

"Thia, the elder says fever is a bad sign."

He hesitated, then finally spoke.

"I'm gonna need a small piece of your flesh—it's for the medicine.

"Just a tiny bit. I'll take it from somewhere hidden—there won't be a scar.

"You've been wanting that new, high-yield crop seed, right? I got some for you..."

So he'd always known what I wanted.

I lowered my gaze, watching as he gripped my hand.

"Gabriel, do you feel anything?" I asked.

He looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

When I arrived, I was already coughing blood. The pharmacy on the corner kindly checked my temperature—it was 41 degrees Celsius.

His cold hand pulled me along, but he didn't notice how feverish I was.

I smiled and held out my arm.

"Which part do you want? Go ahead—cut it."

I was afraid I'd faint right before him if I stood for too long.

And he'd think I was faking it again.

Gabriel's hands trembled as he held the knife. He was sweating more heavily than I was, though I was the one being cut.

Just as he finished, Betty suddenly stumbled toward us.

The knife, which had already left my skin, plunged back into my flesh, deep and hard.

Blood gushed out. The pain nearly knocked me off my feet. I staggered back, barely managing to steady myself against the table.

Gabriel didn't even notice. He rushed to cradle Betty, frantic with concern.

Betty kept saying she was cold.

He checked the instructions again—they said she needed to soak in warm water.

Gabriel carried her himself to the bathtub in our room, then came back to bandage my wound.

After that, he stripped down and got into the tub with Betty, holding her gently in his arms.

He looked at her as if she were a fragile treasure.

I finally couldn't keep my balance and collapsed onto the bed in our room.

Gabriel gazed at her lovingly, speaking to me through the closed door.

"Thia, you know, when I look at Betty, it's like seeing you when we first met.

"You were just as helpless back then, like a little bunny.

"She needs me, just like you did. So you'll understand, right?"

Blood seeped from my wound as I forced a weak smile through the pain.

"Yeah, of course..."

Seeing me nod, he finally relaxed.

"Thia, you've had a hard day. Go home and get some rest."

Go home?

But this was our home—the place we spent countless nights decorating together.

We seemed to have become strangers.

As I closed the door behind them, I paused.

"Gabriel, thank you."

Thank you for spending your last savings to buy me fever meds.

Thank you for staying by my side for seven years.

Thank you for showing me that the mate bond was nothing but a joke.

I thought giving up a piece of myself would be the end of it.

But after Betty recovered, she insisted on coming to thank me.

She made me a pot of nourishing, blood-replenishing soup in the farm's kitchen.

Just as I reached out to take it, she let out a cold laugh and let the bowl slip.

"Cynthia, I'm going to be the one who wins."

While I was still mourning the wasted soup, Betty threw herself to the ground.

She shrieked, dropped to her knees, grabbed scissors from the vegetable basket, and began slashing at herself.

"Luna, I shouldn't have gotten sick. I shouldn't have made you give up your flesh. I'm sorry, please don't hurt me—I'll give you back the meat right now."

Gabriel, who'd been outside on a work call, burst into the room, shoving me aside and scooping Betty up into his arms.

Betty sobbed and whimpered, "Alpha, I just wanted to thank Luna. I didn't expect her to hurt me out of jealousy..."

The farmhands rushed to defend me.

"Alpha, Ms. Emerson won't do such things... We've got security cameras here. Let's check the footage—it might all be a misunderstanding."

Gabriel nodded, his face grim.

Unfortunately, the cameras had mysteriously stopped working just as they arrived.

Gabriel turned to me, sneering.

"Cynthia Emerson, apologize to Betty!"

The others tried to speak up for me, but he cut them off with a furious roar.

"Anyone who pleads for her will be banished from my pack!"

All the women working on my farm were orphans; they couldn't afford to lose their jobs or leave the pack.

So, facing Betty's tearful, triumphant gaze, I bowed deeply.

"Ms. Grover, I'm sorry."

I stayed bent over for nearly a minute, barely able to stand, before Betty finally spoke.

"Oh, Luna, it's okay. No need for such a formal apology..."

Satisfied, Betty strutted out to enjoy her day.

Gabriel's attitude softened a little. He handed me a bag from behind his back.

"Thia, these are the seeds you've always wanted. This variety can survive even in extreme conditions. You've learned so much over the years—you don't really need good seeds to grow a decent crop..."

I shook my head.

Gabriel had no idea that at the place where I grew up, conditions weren't just extreme, they were nearly impossible.

Still, I thanked him sincerely.

There was nothing else left to say between us.

Just as I turned to leave, old Joe, one of the farmhands, came rushing in.

"Ms. Emerson, you'd better come quick! Ms. Grover's set the whole farm on fire just to force the rabbits out of their holes!"

It was harvest season. All that grain was meant for the struggling packs in need.

I sprinted outside, only to freeze at the sight of flames engulfing everything.

As soon as I snapped out of it, I grabbed the hose and shouted for help.

Gabriel yanked me back, his voice icy.

"Are you crazy? It's just some grain. Do you want everyone here to die with you?"

The fire raged on, burning through the fields, and my heart bled with every flicker.

I couldn't bear to watch the life-saving harvest vanish before my eyes, so I turned and slapped Betty across the face.

Gabriel was pissed off.

"Cynthia, who gave you the right to lay a hand on Betty?!"

He immediately declared the farm was his again and threw me out.

He tossed my tattered clothes at me, reminding me that he was the one who'd saved me.

"Cynthia, maybe a little hardship will teach you a lesson."

When we first met, I was a mess—hair disheveled, clothes thin and ragged, hanging off me like an old, worn-out bedsheet. Yet, when he looked at me, his eyes were sparkling.

Now, I had become that homeless orphan again.

But he'd kept me so sheltered and delicate that even hiding in the shadows, I couldn't escape the hungry stares of men passing by.

Desperate, I scooped up dirt from the flowerbed and smeared it over my face and body, ready to head to the Elders' Hall for help.

But in the darkness, a group of sleazy rogues blocked my way. Their words froze me in place.

"So this is Alpha Gabriel's Luna? She's a looker, I'll give her that."

"Alpha said after all these years, you've become wild. He wants us to teach you a lesson."

"Tonight, you're all ours."

The night closed in as they pressed me down.

All I could remember was pain so deep I couldn't even scream, my body convulsing uncontrollably.

I slipped in and out of consciousness, waking only when the agony became too much to bear.

Through the haze, I felt their fingers checking if I was still breathing.

"She's not dead, is she?

"Why is her body so hot? Let's get out of here."

When I finally came to, it was dawn on the seventh day.

Burning with fever, I scrubbed myself raw in the icy water of a park restroom, desperate for the cold to numb the pain.

Leaning against the wall, I stumbled out and saw Gabriel's luxury car parked by the curb.

He stood against the hood, watching me.

Betty was curled up in the backseat, sleeping soundly beneath his suit jacket.

Seeing my sorry state, Gabriel reached out his hand.

"Rough night, huh? Are you gonna behave yourself now?"

His fingers were clean and graceful—the same hands that had pulled me out of the dark so many times before.

But this time, he was the one who had cast me into the abyss.

Terrified, I nodded, my knees buckling as I dropped to the ground. I didn't dare take his hand.

Frantically, I wiped at the marks those men had left with the edge of my clothes.

But how could the bruises disappear with just a few scrubs?

Gabriel frowned at my desperate attempts.

"So you're a little dirty. When have I ever cared about that?"

He chuckled, yanked me to my feet, and shoved me into the car.

"Thia, someone sent over the cure. You won't die."

Gabriel brought me back to the villa, where two vials of medicine sat on the table.

I was wondering why there were two when Gabriel rubbed his nose and explained with a look of guilt.

"Betty's cancer cells have started growing again. The elder said that after tonight, the swap would no longer be effective.

"In other words, Betty will fall ill again tomorrow—cancer will take hold."

A chill ran through me.

If my body would recover after tonight, why did he bother bringing me back?

Gabriel suddenly grabbed my hand, pleading.

"Thia, this drug has never been tested on a living person. Since you're already suffering from cancer—can you try it first for Betty's sake?"

His words cut deeper than any poison.

I swallowed my sobs and forced myself to speak, voice trembling.

"If I die from testing this, will you regret it?"

Gabriel looked surprised.

"It's just a trial—why would you die?"

If that were true, why not let Betty take it herself?

I didn't ask again. Instead, I set my own condition.

"Can you get me the method for cultivating those seeds?"

He sighed in relief, flashing a confident smile.

"I knew you'd ask. I already have it."

He handed me a thin instruction sheet, which I memorized instantly.

Then I looked up, feeling nothing for him anymore.

"Gabriel, give me the medicine."

As the injection seeped into my veins, a flush of color returned to my cheeks.

He turned away, scooping Betty into his arms and spinning with joy.

"Betty, you'll be okay!"

Everyone in the villa erupted in celebration.

Only I stood frozen like an outsider.

Gabriel didn't notice as I quietly slipped out the door.

I returned to the park where we first met.

I held on until midnight, my body finally restored to its natural lifespan.

But the beam of light that came for me still shone overhead.

Clutching the precious seeds to my chest, I vanished into the beam of light, leaving this era behind.

After midnight, Gabriel injected the second vial into Betty. Watching her sleep peacefully, he finally relaxed.

But a servant came to call him.

"Alpha, there are two people from the Sanguine Circle Pack outside. They say they want to see Ms. Emerson."

Gabriel frowned as he came downstairs and found himself face-to-face with two strangers dressed in odd, eccentric clothes.

The girl stepped forward, her voice trembling with excitement.

"Alpha, could you tell us where Cynthia is right now? May we see her, please?"

The man handed Gabriel a business card.

Its rough texture and the strange occupation printed on it made Gabriel scoff.

"Sanguine Circle Pack? Seriously? Cynthia must be getting creative if she's hiring con artists to put on a show."

The girl hurried to explain.

"Alpha, we're not frauds. The witches of the Sanguine Circle Pack are rare—they hold the power to bring the dead back to life..."

Gabriel rubbed his brow, clearly losing patience.

"How much did she pay you? I'll double it, alright? Tell Cynthia I'll visit her later. Enough with these ridiculous, made-up stories."

In the misty morning outside the Conroy family's villa, the pair were ushered out.

Gabriel turned to head back inside, but the man called after him.

"Alpha! It seems Ms. Emerson has shared some things about herself with you.

"But if you can believe in trading lifespans, why won't you believe Cynthia?

"Do you really know Cynthia? Do you know where she came from? Do you have any idea how much she's suffered?"

Gabriel stopped, his eyes cold as ice when he looked up.

"Suffered? Haven't I treated her well all these years? She's always lied to me, just for money.

"Betty was terminally ill, and Cynthia didn't show an ounce of sympathy. Instead, she got jealous and lied—she's only ever taken advantage of my kindness.

"Get lost. I never want to see either of you again."

The girl looked up at the man, worry lacing her voice.

"Brother, if he doesn't believe us, what will we do if we can't find Ms. Emerson?"

The man smiled calmly.

"Let's go. Cynthia's not here anymore.

"As for Gabriel, he'll come begging for our help soon enough."

Two days later, after a thorough examination, Betty was declared completely cured.

Gabriel took her to the pack's ceremony to receive her blessing.

"Alpha, you went to great lengths to help Ms. Grover recover. I heard you even found an elder to trade lifespans and delay her illness?"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow but denied it immediately.

"That's not true. I just talked to Betty through things to keep her from overthinking."

He didn't want anyone to know he'd traded my life for hers, so he denied everything.

Just when he thought the matter was settled, the elder he had denied suddenly appeared at the ceremony.

Pointing at Gabriel, the elder snapped, "Ungrateful hypocrite!

"Deny me all you want, but it's a shame about the girl who gave up her life for you. You'll never see her again!"

Gabriel shot to his feet.

"Sir, don't spread lies. What do you mean, someone gave me their life?"

The elder sneered.

"Alpha, did you really think this was my first time coming here to trade lifespans?"