3

The sound of Lydia’s whimpers filled the room, and I could barely process what had just happened. Her parents rushed to her side as I stood frozen in shock. My heart raced as they carefully carried her unconscious body out of the room. Before her head lolled to the side, Lydia’s eyes burned into mine with a piercing gaze, filled with accusation and something darker. My breath hitched as her eyelids fell shut, her body limp in their arms.

Why? The question screamed in my mind. Why would she do this to herself? I thought she was going to attack me, but…this? The gravity of the moment felt crushing, like the walls were closing in around me. My legs moved instinctively as I followed them to the pack clinic.

In the hallway, I caught sight of Uncle John and Aunt Betty. Their grief-stricken faces twisted into something far more terrifying when they saw me.

“You,” Aunt Betty hissed, her voice venomous. She stormed toward me and grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. “What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t—” My words came out in stammers as my chest tightened. “Aunt Betty, I swear, I didn’t do anything to Lydia. She—”

“She what?” she barked, her voice rising.

“She did it to herself!" 

“Why would my daughter do that to herself? The knife…" 

“She handed me the knife! I didn’t hurt her—”

But before I could say more, a strong hand gripped my arm, yanking me back with brutal force. I turned and met the steely, cold eyes of Rowan.

“How could you do that to Lydia and then lie about it?” His sneer was sharp enough to cut through bone, and his grip tightened painfully.

“I didn’t do anything!” I protested, trying to twist free. “Rowan, you know what this is about—”

“Shut up!” he growled, his voice echoing in the narrow hallway. His jaw clenched, and he turned toward Lydia’s parents, ignoring my struggles. “She’s vicious. You can’t believe her lies.”

Uncle John said nothing, his face etched with disbelief, while Aunt Betty clutched her chest, her tear-streaked face glaring at me like I was a monster.

The door to the clinic room creaked open, and the pack doctor emerged. Rowan was on him instantly, his concern pouring out in waves.

“How is she, Doctor? Will she be okay?”

The doctor’s face was grim as he wiped his hands on his coat. “She’s stable, but she lost a significant amount of blood. Another inch deeper, and she wouldn’t have made it.”

Rowan shot me a hateful glance. “I’m sure that’s exactly what she wanted.”

“That’s not true!” I shouted, my voice breaking. “I would never—”

But Rowan ignored me, brushing past to storm into the room. Aunt Betty and Uncle John followed, their faces still twisted in anguish. My heart sank as I reluctantly stepped inside.

Lydia lay upright in bed, her pale face a stark contrast to her dark hair. The moment her eyes landed on me, she flinched and began mumbling incoherently.

“Save me from her,” she whimpered, her voice trembling as she clung to Rowan. “She’ll hurt me again, I know it.”

“Stop this, Lydia!” I shouted, my frustration bubbling over. “What are you trying to prove? You know I didn’t do this to you!”

Lydia’s tear-filled eyes turned to her parents. “She…she cut me in anger,” she whispered.

Uncle John frowned, looking between us. “Alina, we saw you holding the knife.”

“I swear, she handed it to me!” I protested. “Why would I hurt her? I have no reason to!”

But Rowan’s hand lashed out, his palm striking my cheek with a resounding slap. “Lies,” he snarled. “You had a reason. A big one.”

“What do you mean, Alpha?” Aunt Betty asked cautiously.

Rowan’s lips curled into a cruel smirk. “Alina found out Lydia is the one I want to be with forever. She saw us together and couldn’t handle it. She got jealous and swore to get back at Lydia.”

I stumbled back as the words hit me like a punch to the gut. My lips trembled. “That’s not true,” I whispered, but my voice felt small and insignificant.

Lydia wiped her fake tears, her voice trembling as she spoke. “I came to see her, to promise that I wouldn’t get between her and Rowan. I wanted to assure her the mating ceremony would happen tomorrow. But she became vicious and attacked me.”

“No!” I screamed, my voice raw with desperation. “You’re twisting the truth, Lydia!”

Aunt Betty’s hand struck me next, her eyes blazing with fury. “How dare you lie to our faces after what you’ve done? I loved you like my own daughter, Alina, and this is how you repay me? By trying to kill my only child out of jealousy?”

Uncle John grabbed my arm, his grip bruising as he growled, “You should be ashamed, Alina.”

Rowan stepped forward, his towering frame casting a dark shadow over me. His hand shot out, gripping my wrist with a venomous force. “You’re going to be punished for this, Alina. You won’t get away with it.”

He shoved me to the ground, his hand tangling in my hair as he yanked my head back. “You’re going to suffer for what you did to Lydia.”

Fueled by adrenaline and indignation, I jerked up and pushed him away, my voice trembling with anger. “I didn’t do anything, Rowan! You’re blind to her manipulation!”

But my defiance only seemed to fuel his wrath. His lips curled into a cruel smile as he called out, “Guards!”

Two guards appeared instantly, their expressions cold and unyielding.

“Take her to the cell,” Rowan ordered, his voice like ice.

“No!” I screamed, struggling against the guards as they seized me. “Rowan, you have to listen! This isn’t what it seems!”

But my pleas fell on deaf ears. The guards dragged me out of the room, my heart sinking as Lydia’s smug smile lingered in my mind.