Chapter 3

The voice of a forensic technician crackled over the communicator.

"Enforcer... the moonstone is too damaged. We can't fully restore the audio or video just yet."

The veins on the back of Ronan's hand bulged as he gripped the phone, ready to explode, but the voice on the other end suddenly rose in pitch.

"But! We restored the insignia it projected! It's the 'Silver Moon Wolf Sigil'!"

Ronan nearly staggered. The communicator clattered to the stone ground, its screen shattering on impact.

The Silver Moon Wolf Sigil.

It was my personal crest, a one-of-a-kind design from my father for my eighteenth birthday.

Ronan stared at the shattered device on the ground, his eyes instantly turning red.

After a long moment, as if his soul had returned to his body, he bent down to pick it up.

But Sienna, standing beside him, let out a scoff.

"Enforcer, how hard is it for a Rogue Alpha who specializes in illusions to fake a magical sigil?"

She clutched Kian's arm, her nails digging into the fabric of his ceremonial suit, her expression innocent but laced with venom.

"Wren was willing to abandon her family's honor to elope with him. She might have even given her personal sigil to that Rogue as a trophy."

Hearing this, the flicker of doubt in Kian's eyes hardened once more.

"Ronan, stop disgusting me with this ambiguous nonsense. Not unless you have ironclad proof."

Ronan gritted his teeth, forcing himself to maintain the composure of an enforcer.

"Then use the Bloodline Resonance!"

Ronan's voice thundered. "The moonstone she swallowed... if that stone has been soaking in her spiritual essence inside her body, it will react to kin blood! I want definitive proof of her bloodline!"

The technician fell silent for a few seconds before being forced to admit the truth.

"We need more time, Enforcer. The moonstone was shattered into fragments. We are trying to fuse the pieces back together. Only when it is whole can we test the resonance with your blood."

I watched Ronan take a deep, frustrated breath and walk away.

I floated in the air, feeling helpless.

My memory drifted back to the day my wolf first awakened.

I had excitedly shown my brother. "Brother, I'm going to be the sharpest blade in the pack!"

"I'm going to protect the pack just like you, and tear apart all the darkness that tries to invade our territory!"

The moonlight was beautiful that night as I clung to his strong arm, pleading playfully.

"If I ever die in some unseen corner of the world, you have to bring my soul back to Moon Goddess Mountain!"

Back then, Ronan had just affectionately ruffled my long hair.

"Silly girl. With your brother around, who would dare touch you?"

But later, I didn't become a revered guardian, but a traitor condemned by all.

I didn't make him proud of me. Instead, I left him clinging to a blurry sigil, deceiving himself in his despair,waiting for a healer's report that would either be my death sentence or the proof of my innocence.

I watched his dejected figure, my heart twisting in agony.

"How could this rotten piece of meat possibly be Wren, that pampered little princess?"

A mocking voice broke my thoughts. I realized Kian and Sienna had followed him.

The healer responsible for the autopsy was pulling off her blackened gloves, her face as pale as a sheet.

"Enforcer, it's too horrific! I've been doing this for thirty years, and I have never seen such a cruel method of torture and murder."

She lifted the white sheet covering the body, revealing the gruesome hands.

"While the victim was alive, the nails of all ten fingers were ripped out. They used a blunt instrument, prying them off piece by piece."

"The main tendons in her limbs were severed with a blade soaked in concentrated aconite. To prevent healing, the wounds were packed with crushed, toxic wolfsbane root."

"She was thrown into the pool of corrupting wolfsbane while she was still alive. She was conscious as the venom slowly dissolved her skin."

"And what's even more horrifying..."

The healer paused for a second. "While fully conscious, she forced herself to swallow that moonstone to hide it."

"Her throat was shredded by its sharp edges."

The werewolf warriors present drew in a collective gasp.

Even for werewolves, renowned for their resilience, such agony would cause them to pass out in under three seconds.

But she had held on, swallowing the intel with her last breath.

A sudden, jarring applause broke the heavy silence.

Kian stepped forward, his face blank as he clapped his hands.

"A brilliant story. Truly tragic."

"But what does that have to do with your thrill-seeking, pack-betraying sister?"

He let out a dry laugh, as if trying to convince himself.

"Don't try to attribute this honor to that bitch. One moment she was vowing to protect the pack, the next she was warming some Rogue Alpha's bed."

"She's probably enjoying herself in some filthy den right now. She wouldn't have the guts to endure this kind of suffering."

"You!" Ronan trembled with rage, his fists clenched.

Suddenly, Sienna, who had been observing from the entrance, let out a cry of surprise.

"Alpha! Enforcer Ronan! Look!"

She pointed outside the camp, where a group of warriors were escorting a prisoner back, her voice shaking with excitement.

"They've caught a rogue! He claims to have news about Wren!"