Chapter 3

"What does it have to do with me?" I turned around and continued packing my luggage.

Lucas suddenly leaned close to my ear, his voice dropping to an extremely low whisper: "You were reborn too, weren't you? Stop pretending!"

My heart skipped a beat, but I maintained my cold expression: "Reborn or not, what difference does it make?"

"Elena, I know I wronged you in our past life..." Pain flashed in Lucas's eyes, "I..."

"After all this time, that's all you have to say?" I interrupted.

Lucas suddenly embraced me, his grip so tight I could barely breathe: "I swear! This is the last time you'll experience such pain! Just come with us to save Sarah."

I pushed him away with all my strength: "Can't you see that this whole thing has been her scheme from beginning to end?!"

Lucas's eyes darted away: "I... I don't know..."

Don't know, or playing dumb?

Kieran urged impatiently: "Stop wasting time! Sarah can't wait much longer!"

When we reached the depths of the Forbidden Forest, the scene before us made everyone gasp in horror. Sarah was trapped on an ancient blood altar, surrounded by countless shadow wolves circling around her.

"Save me... please save me..." Her voice was weak and trembling.

The shadow wolves kept closing in, but seemed to be blocked by some force, unable to directly attack Sarah.

Lucas wanted to rush forward when suddenly a sinister voice rang out.

"I'd advise against any rash moves."

A tall figure emerged from the shadows—Viktor, the rogue wolf leader.

"The rules of the blood altar," Viktor sneered, "to save her, someone with Alpha blood must take her place."

Lucas was shocked: "What?!"

"Otherwise, when the blood moon reaches its peak, she'll be torn apart."

Lucas's gaze slowly shifted to me, a terrible hesitation flickering in his eyes.

I felt my blood gradually freezing until Lucas slowly spoke, "Elena also has Alpha bloodline..."

Viktor looked at us with interest: "Oh? Pack politics?"

"It's Elena's coldness that drove Sarah to desperately run into the Forbidden Forest!" Kieran argued, his voice growing more agitated, "It's only fair for Elena to take responsibility!"

Hearing this, Lucas clenched his fists tightly, but didn't object.

My heart sank completely to the bottom. Once again, he was consenting to my death.

Sarah's crying voice came: "Lucas... I don't want to die... please save me..."

The blood moon rose higher and higher, the shadow wolves howling incessantly.

This sound completely swayed Lucas.

He turned to me, his voice pleading: "Elena, you go save Sarah. I promise I'll find a way to rescue you."

I twisted my mouth into a smile: "You want me to die to save her?"

"I will definitely save you!" Lucas's eyes were full of feigned guilt.

Viktor scoffed impatiently: "What's the big deal? Someone's going to die anyway."

Suddenly, several rogue wolves grabbed me, forcibly pushing me toward the blood moon altar.

"No!" I grabbed Lucas's wrist, my nails digging deep into his skin, "Are you really going to watch me die?!"

Lucas reached out to stop them, but Sarah cried out from the altar, extending her hand toward him: "Lucas... save me..."

That cry made Lucas release my hand without hesitation.

The conflict in his eyes disappeared as he turned toward Sarah: "Sarah cannot die."

Once again. Once again he chose her.

"So, you'll sacrifice me?" I laughed in despair.

Lucas was no longer looking at me, all his attention focused on Sarah.

The rogue wolves pushed me toward the blood moon altar. I didn't resist.

After all, I died this way in my past life too. What difference would it make in this one?

I slowly walked toward the center of the altar, silver moonlight bathing my body.

"Elena!" Lucas was shocked and wanted to rush over.

Now he pretends to care?

Viktor sneered as he blocked his path: "Too late. The ritual has already begun."

The blood moon slowly rose, and I stood at the center of the altar, letting that eerie red light envelop my entire body.

"No... don't..." Sarah weakly crawled up from the edge of the altar, "Elena, I'm sorry... it's all my fault..."

Her body swayed unsteadily, clearly exhausted.

"Sarah!" Lucas immediately rushed over to support her.

Kieran also hurried over: "She needs immediate treatment!"

"What about Elena?" Lucas looked back at me, his eyes full of pain.

Viktor grinned menacingly: "The blood moon sacrifice cannot be stopped. There's no turning back now."

Lucas looked at the weakened Sarah in his arms, then at me trapped in the center of the altar.

The blood moon rose higher and higher, and Sarah's breathing grew weaker and weaker.

Finally, Lucas gritted his teeth and made his choice: "We'll take Sarah back first!"

Of course.

"Elena, I will definitely come back to save you!" he shouted hoarsely.

Kieran picked up Sarah and disappeared into the night of the Forbidden Forest.

The blood moon reached its zenith, and I stood at the center of the altar, completely surrounded by the eerie red light.

Lucas stood at the edge of the forest, turning back to look at me one last time.

From Lucas's departing perspective, I had already been completely consumed by the blood moon sacrifice ritual.

But in the end, he still turned and left without looking back, just as he had in our previous life.

Only after his figure completely disappeared did I slowly speak:

"Beta Viktor, commence the mate bond severing ritual."

Viktor stepped forward respectfully: "As you command, Luna Queen."