Accused Of Murder

Betrayed. Framed. Discarded.

Ravenna was raised as a replacement daughter—loved, or so she believed—until the real heir returned and she became expendable.

One night, everything shattered.

A noble’s daughter lies dead. Blood stains her foster sister’s hands… yet Ravenna is the one condemned.

Her chosen mate doesn’t defend her. Her family doesn’t hesitate. Within hours, she is branded a murderer and cast into the hatred of an entire pack.

But the truth is worse than the lie.

She was never their family.

She was their pawn.

And when she learns the reason they kept her all these years, something inside her breaks beyond repair.

No more tears.

No more mercy.

Only revenge.

But just as Ravenna rises from ruin, something far more dangerous takes interest in her…

Lucivar—the feared Lycan King—doesn’t want to save her.

He wants to own her.

And obsession has never been something he knows how to release.

Ravenna's POV

Loud music pulsed from the speakers nearby. The hall was beautifully decorated with pink flowers, shimmering lights, and a towering pink cake standing at the center of the room.

It was my eighteenth birthday.

Yet none of the decorations reflected my taste.

I loved bold red, not soft pink. I hated extravagant parties and preferred simple celebrations instead.

But everything about tonight had been arranged according to my foster sister Nyran's preferences.

She had practically planned the entire event, turning it into a princess-themed celebration.

I disliked it, but I never spoke up.

Because deep down, I always felt indebted to her.

After all, I had occupied her place in this family for years.

Ironically, on my own birthday, Nyran looked more like the celebrant than I did.

She wore a stunning pink ball gown that drew everyone's attention the moment she entered the hall.

Meanwhile, I was dressed in a short black gown chosen by Nyran herself. She claimed it suited me.

I had wanted to refuse, but my foster parents, Andrew and Celery, told me not to make a fuss and to let her dress me up.

In the end, I looked more like a servant accompanying the guests than the birthday girl.

When the party officially began, Nyran was the one who gave the opening speech.

And to make things worse, she opened the dance floor with my chosen mate, Lycon.

All eyes were on her.

Everyone praised her beauty, her elegance, and her charm.

No one seemed to notice me at all.

I stood quietly in a corner like a stranger at my own birthday party.

My chest tightened painfully as I watched Nyran dance with Lycon.

Then suddenly, she leaned forward and kissed him.

Right in front of everyone.

The sight stung more than I wanted to admit.

Even though Lycon and I were not fated mates, I was still his chosen mate.

But apparently, my feelings no longer mattered.

Instead of reacting with shock, the crowd cheered excitedly.

"They look so perfect together!"

"What a beautiful couple!"

It was as if everyone had forgotten that Lycon was supposed to be mine.

I lowered my gaze, blinking rapidly as tears clouded my vision.

Inside my head, my wolf, Xevira, growled angrily.

"I told you he was a scumbag, but you still fell for him."

Xevira had never liked Lycon. She had always been wary of him, and I used to think it was simply because he wasn't my fated mate.

"What are you standing there crying for?" she hissed again. "Go tear him apart."

I shook my head weakly.

"It’s what I owe her," I whispered quietly.

"You owe her nothing!" Xevira snapped. "You didn’t force them to raise you, and you certainly didn’t tell their daughter to disappear as a child."

Her anger burned through our bond.

Just then, I heard someone call my name.

"Ravenna."

I looked up to see Nyran standing in front of me.

"Can I help me you the cake?" she asked softly.

Her eyes blinked innocently, but she wasn’t even looking at me.

She was looking at Lycon.

Completely smitten, Lycon immediately spoke up.

"Just agree already. She's being sincere."

I hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly.

What else could I possibly do?

Nyran beamed happily.

"Thank you!"

She immediately linked her arm through Lycon’s and pulled him away toward the cake.

Inside my head, Xevira scoffed in disbelief.

"You actually agreed? Seriously?"

"I’m sorry, Xevira," I murmured.

But she refused to answer me.

Whenever she got angry, she would ignore me for days.

I sighed quietly.

At that moment, all I wanted was for the party to end so I could finally rest.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated inside my pocket.

I pulled it out and saw the caller ID.

It was Eryndra, my best friend.

The music inside the hall was far too loud to answer properly, so I walked outside to take the call.

But the moment I stepped outside, Xevira suddenly spoke again.

"Why do I feel like something terrible is about to happen?"

I froze.

Surprise flashed through me because she rarely spoke while angry.

At the same time, fear slowly crept into my chest.

Xevira’s instincts were never wrong.

She possessed incredibly sharp senses.

Just as I was trying to decide what to do, my eyes landed on a horrifying sight.

Nyran stood over a lifeless body.

Blood covered her trembling hands.

Her expression was cold, and her eyes glowed blood-red.

For the first time in my life, she didn’t look like the sweet, innocent girl everyone adored.

She looked like a monster.

Lying motionless on the ground was Zephyra, the daughter of Beta Theron.

Fear shot through my entire body.

"Nyran..." I whispered weakly.

Nyran slowly lifted her head to look at me.

But the very next second, her entire expression changed.

Her lips trembled violently before she suddenly collapsed to her knees with a loud thud.

Confusion filled me instantly.

Just then, Lycon rushed past me.

He immediately knelt beside Nyran and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"What happened, Nyran?" he asked in panic.

Nyran’s shoulders shook violently as tears streamed down her face.

"I didn’t mean to..." she sobbed.

Lycon glanced toward Zephyra’s lifeless body.

At that same moment, Alpha Andrew and Luna Celery rushed over as well.

They looked at the corpse on the floor.

I expected anger.

I expected outrage.

Instead, Lycon pulled Nyran closer.

"Don’t worry," he whispered gently. "I’m here. I’ll protect you."

My foster parents immediately joined in.

"Don’t cry so hard, Nyran,"Luna Celery comforted softly while rubbing her back. "Your face is getting swollen."

I stared at them in shock.

They once locked me inside the dungeon for accidentally breaking a noble’s gemstone.

Yet here they were comforting Nyran after she murdered a noble’s daughter.

I was still trying to process everything when Alpha Andrew suddenly muttered,

"Someone has to take the blame."

The moment those words left his mouth, Nyran cried even harder.

Luna Celery quickly turned toward me.

"Ravenna," she said coldly, "you should take responsibility for your sister. Nyran is too fragile to carry the title of murderer."

I stood there completely dumbfounded.

"What?"

Inside my head, Xevira exploded in fury.

"What the hell is wrong with this witch?! Take the blame for her? Has she lost her mind?!"

Before I could react further, loud footsteps echoed nearby.

The guests had noticed something was wrong.

The moment they arrived and saw the scene, chaos erupted.

"Someone's been killed!" a voice shouted.

Beta Theron pushed through the crowd before freezing at the sight of his daughter.

He immediately fell beside her body.

"Zephyra?" he whispered shakily.

There was no response.

He shook her desperately, hoping she would wake up.

Nothing happened.

Slowly, Beta Theron lifted his head.

His eyes glowed with rage.

"Who did this?"

Before I could even speak, Celery pointed directly at me.

"It was her."

At the same time, she subtly signaled Lycon, who quickly hid Nyran’s bloodstained hands behind him.

Alpha Andrew nodded immediately.

"It was Ravenna."

Their words struck me like a physical blow.

For the first time in my life, I truly questioned whether they had ever seen me as their daughter.

Desperately, I turned toward Lycon, hoping he would defend me.

Instead, he tightened his hold around Nyran and coldly said,

"Even if Zephyra liked me, you still had no right to kill her."

My legs gave out beneath me.

I collapsed onto the floor, trembling violently.

What... was he saying?

Disbelief consumed me entirely.

It felt as though I had been thrown into a living nightmare.