Chapter 4

Kane saw the blood. His breath caught.

His hand went to his own chest.

But Selene got there first. She dropped to the floor.

"Kane, Damien, I'm scared. I'm dizzy — there's something wrong with her blood, I can't even look at it — has she cursed me with her hate?"

Every eye snapped to her. Kane's whole expression tightened.

Damien panicked.

"Selene, it's okay. She did this to herself. If she'd just behave for once and leave you alone, none of this would be happening."

What was there left to explain?

Something in me went quiet.

I waited for the next blow.

The crying stopped. The trembling stopped.

Selene was still sobbing into Kane's chest.

Her voice was thin and soft. Like a hurt kitten.

Over his shoulder, those tear-filled eyes locked on me.

The rod came down again.

This time I couldn't hold it. Every organ in me screamed at once. Blood burst out of my mouth.

Kane's body jerked, sharp and obvious.

Selene blinked once and gasped.

"I know what it is! That's why her blood is so strange! It's the side effect of a witch's potion — you ran off to the witch's place when we were kids, that's why you went missing! I should have known…"

The faces in the hall shifted.

Even my parents, who'd just been impatient before, were shaking their heads in disgust.

"Lyra. I thought when we brought you home, you just needed time to adjust."

My mother's voice was quiet — but every word went through me like a needle.

"Now I see. Your jealousy of Selene isn't something new."

My father, who never said much, spoke up.

"You haven't stopped since the day you came back. You wanted Selene's dresses. You wrecked her room. You even went after Kane. We've been patient. We thought, she had a rough start, we owed her this."

He looked at me.

There was no love in it. Only cold, dead disappointment.

"And now you've turned to witch's poison. To curse Selene."

"Tell us. What else are you hiding?"

Selene's voice rose, soft and sad. "Just now — she said she'd been switched, because she was the true… she wants to take my place as the Alpha's mate, doesn't she?"

My father let out a heavy breath. "That's it. That's what this is. Lyra. You're beyond saving."

My mother picked it up. Her voice was almost righteous.

"We loved Selene because she's kind. Not because she could be the Alpha's mate. She would never be as greedy as you."

"We were going to let Damien and Kane teach you a lesson, you'd apologize, and we'd move on. But there's no saving you."

Their eyes burned into me.

Damien stood over me, the rod still in his hand.

"You scream when we draw blood. One hit and you cough up this much. If you weren't trying to die, the Alpha would never have made an example of you. Who is this performance for?"

Kane's voice was ice. He looked through me like I was nothing.

"Selene's the one trying to be kind to you. You think you have the right to feel pain? You like watching her suffer like this?"

I'd just thrown up blood. I had nothing left in me to argue.

Selene drifted over, all delicacy, and wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth.

"Lyra, it's not that I'm unwilling to forgive you. I just wish you'd let me go first."

Then, when she was close enough, she dropped her voice.

"I'm bored of your stupid Alpha."

"Be a good girl and roll over. Use that body to make me a new little fool — I want a fresh one to break in. If I'm in a good mood, before I finish him off, maybe I'll send you his ashes. With the rest of your family."

Whatever restraint I had left snapped.

I lunged. Teeth bared. Straight for her throat.

A sharp crack —

My jaw went numb. Kane had dislocated it.

He stared down at me. His eyes were terrifying. Glacial.

"You're still not done? In front of all of us, you'd still attack Selene? Who gave you the nerve?"

"You do not touch our Luna."

The pack erupted.

Water bottles. Trash. Stones. Things came at me from every direction.

I didn't have time to close my eyes.

Blood ran down from my brow and dripped onto my collarbone. I heard the dull crack of bone.

The world blurred. The pain in my chest was worse than any of it.

"You all defend her because she's the Alpha's mate. What if I told you the real Luna is me?"

I couldn't shape the words right anymore. Every syllable hurt.

But the shouting only got louder.

"You? A blood bag? You think you could be Luna?"

"I wish you'd never been born."

"This one doesn't deserve to be called a sister."

Kane's face was stone. The weight of him filled the room. Every shred of patience was gone.

In one more second, he would kill me himself.

"Lyra. Apologize for what you just did. Right now. Admit to every lie, every crime. Or —"

I started to laugh. Tears slid down my face.

"Don't… bother…"

Before he could move, more blood came up.

I wasn't going to die like this. I dragged myself toward the whipping post and picked up a silver dagger.

My father's voice came from behind me, suddenly frantic. "Lyra! What are you doing! Don't be reckless!"

My mother's voice, just as panicked. "All right. We know you're hurt. Forget the apology. Put the knife down. Come back. Just have the child."

I shook my head.

There would be no child.

There wasn't even a me left to have one.

Kane laughed, cold. "She's still playing you. She thinks because we care about her — because Selene cares about her — she can put a knife to her own throat and we'll fold."

"Lyra, are you ever going to stop? Whatever you do tonight, you're going to give my sister her name back."

Damien looked like he wanted to put another fist in my face.

I reached for the silver dagger with bloody fingers.

The dagger slipped. Clattered to the floor.

The strength drained out of me all at once.

Something inside me caved in. The last of me was gone.

Deep in the Alpha's soul, something tore.

Like something was being pulled out of him by the roots.

Inch by inch, his marrow froze. Inch by inch, his blood went cold.

"Lyra?" His voice had broken. His hands had started to shake.