Chapter 1

Maia's POV

I was dead, but my soul hadn't moved on.

I drifted through the world of the living and watched them discover my body in that dungeon—or what was left of it. The sight made me want to scream, but ghosts couldn't make a sound.

Silver Wood territory erupted in panic.

My brother, Alpha Ethan Wells, decided to handle the murder investigation himself.

My chest tightened. He was going to be pissed that I'd caused trouble again.

I floated beside my mangled corpse in the inner chamber of the Moon Shrine. Silver blades had carved me into pieces, and I couldn't look away.

Ethan stood over the body, his jaw locked tight.

"What do we know about the victim?" His voice came out strained.

Beta Elder Hugo Stark rubbed his temples. "A young female. Dead for over forty-eight hours. The body's too damaged—we can't pick up her scent. We'll need at least two days to identify her."

He paused, his face gray. "There's more. She was tortured before she died. The killer used silver blades to sever her limbs while she was still alive and stopped her from shifting to escape. We also found traces of dark ritual magic. Her wolf spirit was forcibly ripped apart."

Everyone in the room gasped.

"Fucking monster," someone snarled.

"That poor girl must have suffered so much..."

Ethan's fist slammed down on the table. "I'm going to find whoever did this and make them pay."

Lucian squeezed his shoulder. "You've been working yourself to the bone. But you might have to miss Maia's birthday this time."

Lucian was Ethan's mentor and my father Julian's best friend. After our parents, Julian and Aurora, died, he'd looked after us. He was the one who'd trained Ethan.

The moment my name left his lips, Ethan's expression went cold.

"Don't mention her in front of me." His voice turned icy. "Bad luck. Why would I go to her ceremony? I need to prepare for Lyra's coming-of-age celebration."

After Julian and Aurora died, Ethan hated me. He blamed me for our parents' deaths.

He kicked me out and refused to call me his sister anymore. Then he found Lyra during a border patrol. When he learned she was a rogue, he brought her home and claimed her as family.

And me? I became an orphan.

Even before I died, he was still furious with me. He was angry I'd delayed his sister's ceremony, angry I'd made his sister feel wronged. If he knew the body lying in that room was mine, he'd probably turn around and walk away.

No one wanted me dead more than Ethan.

So there you go, Ethan. I'm dead now. Are you happy?

Lucian's fist slammed into Ethan's chest. "How can you even say that? Maia cared about you more than anyone. She knew you didn't want to see her, knew you hated her, but she still brought you meals every single day during your busiest hours. Three years! Rain or shine, she'd show up at your council hall doors right on time."

His voice grew louder. "And you? You threw those lunch boxes outside your door every single time! One winter, she waited in the snow for two hours just to make sure you'd eaten at least one bite. Don't you dare ignore everything she did for you!"

Ethan's face twitched, but the cold expression slammed back into place. "She was delusional. I never asked her to bring me anything."

"She made your favorite dishes!" Lucian's voice came out as a growl. "Roasted venison with blueberry sauce—your mother's recipe! She burned her fingers learning how to make it!"

Ethan let out a cold snort. "I don't care. Drop it, Lucian. We've got more important things to deal with. Any missing persons reports come in recently?"

Beta James shook his head. "No, Alpha. We haven't received any reports in the past few days."

"Tch." Ethan's voice dripped with irritation. "The victim's been missing for days and nobody in their family even noticed? Completely irresponsible."

I floated in the corner, wanting to cry but unable to produce a single tear.

When prayer time rolled around, Ethan headed toward the Moon Shrine with a few Betas for evening devotions.

Lucian suddenly stopped walking. "Maia hasn't brought you dinner in days. Where is she?"

Ethan's mouth twisted into a smile. "She got tired of playing her little game, that's all. This is who she really is."

Lucian's expression darkened. "That's impossible. For years, she's brought you dinner at the council hall every single night before moonrise. Something must have happened to her. Mind-link her right now!"

Ethan looked annoyed. "Lucian, stop defending her. This is just another one of her tricks. She called me a few days ago with some nonsense, and I told her to come to Lyra's party. She didn't show up. Obviously she's throwing a tantrum."

Lucian opened his mouth to argue, but Ethan's phone lit up.

He glanced at the caller ID, and his expression immediately softened. Even his voice turned gentle. "Hello? Lyra?"