Chapter 6

My father’s funeral was a pathetic affair.

No flowers, no music—just a simple urn. As a low-ranking Delta, he wasn't even granted the cheapest plot in the pack cemetery. I was walking out, clutching the urn to my chest, when I ran into Domine and Ella.

Domine stopped in his tracks. Ella looked at the urn in my arms and smirked.

"Halen, is this part of the act?" she whispered. "Did you really buy a prop urn just to steal Domine back?"

I gripped the urn until my knuckles turned white. My hands were shaking. "My father is dead."

"Dead?" Ella tilted her head. "How possible？You were just throwing a tantrum because he chose me. Now that you see he didn't fall for it, you're carrying that box around to play the victim?"

I looked at Domine. He stood behind her, his eyes flickering with a moment of doubt.

"Domine..." My voice cracked. "He’s really gone. A rogue bit him; the venom was too much. I begged you. I told you I needed that Silvermoon Flower."

"He’s dead, and you still don't believe me?"

Domine’s throat moved as he swallowed. I saw it—that flash of pity. For a split second, looking at me standing there with my father’s ashes, he wavered. Three years of history doesn't just vanish.

I remembered when he was just a "regular Delta" living in a shack. When my father found out we were dating, he wasn't thrilled, but he accepted it. He even invited Domine over for dinner. My father made a feast out of the best ingredients a commoner could afford. Domine ate every bite, praising my father's cooking.

My father was so happy he brought out his private stash of Moonlight Wine.

"Domine, my biggest regret is not being able to give Halen a better life," my father had said, voice thick with drink. "You have to take care of her, okay?"

"I will, sir," Domine had said, gripping his hand. "I’ll take care of her for the rest of my life."

He looked so sincere back then. I really thought he loved me. I remembered when my father got hurt on patrol and Domine carried him all the way back, staying by his side all night and even using his "wages" to pay the medical bill. My father cried, calling him a good man.

But that "good man" had forgotten everything. He had forgotten the kindness of an old man who was now nothing but dust.

Sensing Domine’s hesitation, Ella suddenly grabbed his arm, her voice turning weak. "Domine... I feel dizzy..."

He immediately supported her. "What’s wrong?"

"I think my wound opened again... I don't have a wolf to heal me..." She started to cry. "I’m so scared. Am I going to die?"

She leaned into him, her touch possessive. "How is it such a coincidence? The moment you give me the herb, her father suddenly needs it? There are Silvermoon Flowers all over the apothecary shops—sure, they aren't as high-quality as yours, but how could he die that fast?"

"Is this just a trap to make me look bad? Does she hate me that much for having your attention?"

Domine pulled her closer. "No. I won't let her hurt you."

He looked up at me. The doubt was gone.

"Halen, I don't care what’s in that box. I don't believe he’s dead."

"You’re just bitter because I gave the flower to Ella, and you’re using this to punish me. It won't work. I'm taking Ella for her check-up."

He walked away, guiding her past me. Ella looked back over her shoulder, her lips curling into a triumphant smile. I stood there, clutching my father's ashes, shivering in the cold.

I walked back to my father’s cabin. Every step felt like I was carrying lead. The house was tiny—just a bed, a table, and a wardrobe. All twenty-year-old relics. I placed the urn on the table.

"Dad, we're home."

I started packing his things. Clothes. Shoes. Old junk he couldn't bear to toss. Under the bed, I found a wooden box covered in dust. Inside was a diary and a USB drive.

The cover of the diary read: Seeking Justice for My Daughter.

My hands trembled as I opened the first page.

Halen is sixteen. She came home today with a new scar on her back. She said she fell, but I know a silver burn when I see one. People at school say it’s Ella Whitmore. I wanted to go to the school and demand answers, but the Elders warned me. They said Ella is a former Elder’s daughter. A Delta like me has no right to accuse her. If I make trouble, they'll exile me. I can't leave Halen alone. But I won't let this go. I’ll gather evidence. One day, I will get her justice.

Page after page. Every entry was a record of my pain, written in my father's blood and sweat. My tears hit the paper. He knew. He knew about the bullying, the injuries, the agony. He couldn't protect me then because he was too weak, so he spent years gathering evidence in secret, hoping to one day set things right.

I wiped my eyes and plugged the USB into his old computer. There were hundreds of photos, dozens of videos, and recordings. Every file was a knife to the heart. Then, I found the most recent video.

It was the border woods. Ella was standing there, talking to a red-eyed Rogue.

"I gave you the items," Ella's voice was crystal clear. "Proceed as planned."

"Yes, Luna," the Rogue replied. "As soon as the old man shows up, I’ll take him out."

"Good." Ella smirked. "That bitch Halen has kept Domine from me for too long. It’s time she felt what it’s like to lose someone."

She pulled out a small vial.

"This is your payment. Drink it, and your strength will triple—enough to defeat any enemy."

Then, they went their separate ways.

Ella headed toward the center of the Moonlight Pack.

My father was hiding behind a tree, and he caught them in the middle of the deal.

But he accidentally snapped a branch.

*Crack—*

Ella turned around. She saw my father.

"Who's there?!"

My father turned and ran.

Ella let out a sharp whistle.

The Rogue lunged out from the woods and tackled my father.

The footage cut out.

The last few seconds showed my father's phone hitting the ground.

But the video had already automatically uploaded to the cloud.

My body was shaking.

So that was it.

Ella was the one who killed my father.

She thought the evidence died with him.

I kept digging. I found another video from three years ago—the day Ella supposedly "lost her wolf."

Ella was in a cave with a vial. "A temporary wolf-suppressant," she told the camera, grinning. "If I drink this, I can fake losing my wolf. Domine will be devastated."

"As for that idiot Halen, she’ll think she saved me. She won't know I was never poisoned. I just ate some harmless berries to look weak."

"She actually thinks she’s a hero."

Ella drank the potion, shivered, and collapsed. Seconds later, she got up and checked her pulse. "Perfect. My wolf is suppressed. Now I'm just a 'poor, defenseless girl.' Domine will never leave me."

"And Halen..." Her eyes turned venomous. "I won't let a low-life werewolf be better than me. I’ll take everything from her. Her job, her name, her love, her family. I won't leave her with anything."

The video ended. I sat there, my soul on fire.

So it was all just an act by Ella.

She lied to everyone, including Domine.

And I was the only victim.

I gripped the USB drive in my fist. This was it. The evidence that would shatter every lie she ever told. Evidence bought with my father’s life.

I touched the cold surface of his urn. "Thank you, Dad," I whispered. "Thank you for everything."

"I’ll use this to destroy them. I’ll make her pay, and I’ll make Domine realize exactly who he gave his heart to."

"I’ll make the whole pack see the truth."

I tucked the drive and the diary away. Something inside me had burned to ash and been replaced by a cold, hard flame. I wasn't the kind, weak Halen anymore. No more crying. No more begging. No more backing down.

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