Chapter 4

When the potion took hold, the agony of my brain being eaten alive made me want nothing more than to die.

But I would cling to life, no matter the cost, until every last person here knew the truth.

The crowd pressed closer, every eye fixed on me, hungry to finally learn what was behind these murders.

One year ago.

The season when the apple trees bloomed.

Owen asked me to be his mate beneath a canopy of white apple blossoms.

His hands were covered in cuts and scars from forging the silver dagger.

I held his hands and looked at the wounds, my heart aching. He just smiled softly and brushed a strand of hair from my face.

"As long as it makes you happy, it's all worth it."

"Being your mate is the greatest blessing of my life."

When Alpha Elbert and Luna heard the news, they immediately threw themselves into planning the marking ceremony, practically glowing with excitement.

Three years had passed since the Alpha's recovery, and in that time the neighboring packs had grown considerably more cautious. There were even rumors that Moonlight Pack had survived its crises because it was blessed by the Moon Goddess herself, and that anyone who dared attack would face divine punishment.

For a while, no one dared make a move against Moonlight Pack.

Owen had started those rumors himself. The ordeal had forged him into something sharper, stronger.

Alpha Elbert was already beginning to hand pack affairs over to him.

Luna said: "The gemstone on the ceremonial crown absolutely must be the rarest color. And the gown, nothing less than silk."

Alpha Elbert turned to Owen. "Son, make the trip yourself. Go to the mines in the Nolan Mountains and pick out the most extraordinary gemstone you can find."

Owen nodded. He didn't even stay for dinner. He just mounted a fast horse and rode for the mountains.

The night he left.

I cooked an entire table of food with my own hands, and slipped a sedative into the wine.

Once it took effect, I used the silver dagger to deliver a killing blow to every one of them.

The generous, kindhearted Alpha.

The gentle, loving Luna.

The honest, loyal coachman.

Aunt Sandra, who made those sweet, golden apple pies.

The bright, hardworking young maid.

Every person in Owen's household. Not a single one survived.

Throughout it all, my expression was calm. My hand didn't tremble. I didn't hesitate once.

When Owen came racing back, carrying an armful of my favorite grapes,

What he found was a floor full of bodies, and me, bound hand and foot.

Blood had soaked through my white ceremonial gown, a red more vivid than the gemstone he'd brought home.

He asked me over and over, like a man losing his mind: "Why?"

I said nothing.

The Beta had me thrown into the dungeon, where they tested every form of torture the prison had to offer.

They tore out every one of my fingernails. They broke my legs and set them, then broke them again. They sliced my skin open and poured concentrated salt water into the wounds.

Even the most hardened criminals in that prison only had to glance in my direction before they broke down and confessed to their own crimes.

But I never made a sound. As if I'd lost the ability to speak.

"I told you. Salia is nothing but a twisted monster."

"She's an animal."

"Alpha, the evidence is more than sufficient to convict her of murder. This is an unforgivable crime. Give the order and have her executed."

The rage in the crowd was absolute.

The chant demanding my death echoed down the entire street.

And then, in that moment, Owen spoke.

"My father's sense of smell was a hundred times sharper than any ordinary wolf's. There's no way he wouldn't have detected a sedative in the wine. But he still drank it."

"Why would he do that? Salia, what are you and my father hiding from me?"

Owen strode toward me and seized my shoulders, his grip so tight it might have crushed bone. His eyes burned with anger, but look closer, and all you'd find was despair.

"Say something! Tell me what this is all about."

I gazed at Owen in silence.

Then blood surged up my throat and spilled from my lips, beyond my control.

Owen moved to catch me, but his eyes were pulled away by a new image forming in the air.

It was the truth behind the murders.

And the origin of every tragedy.