Chapter 4

"Seven works fine," I said, meeting Roderick's sharp stare. My voice did not shake.

An earlier death made zero difference to me.

Roderick's jaw tightened. He searched my face for anger or tears. He found nothing. My eyes were completely empty. He finally looked away, wrapped his arm around Chloe, and led her out the door.

The next night, the full moon rose.

Inside the underground vault, heavy blackout curtains blocked out the moonlight entirely.

Near the inner gate, Nora held a white sterilization gown, crying uncontrollably.

"Doctor, please let me come with you! Your wolf is still wounded. You will die out there without medical support!"

"Don't be stupid, Nora." I pulled off my coat and tucked the patent transfer papers into her uniform. "It's not much, but it's enough. Live your life. Build your own clinic. You have real talent. Don't waste your life on some Alpha's empty promises like I did."

Two armored guards stepped up from behind. They grabbed Nora's arms and dragged her backward.

"Lock her in the basement holding cell. No phones. No visitors until the Luna ceremony ends," the squad leader sneered.

The heavy steel door slammed shut. Her screams died on the other side.

In the middle of the freezing hall sat a heavy steel isolation pod, built to contain wolf shifts.

Footsteps echoed across the stone floor.

My parents and Lucas walked in together.

Mom rushed over and grabbed my hands. Something cold pressed into my palm. I looked down. Her old moonstone pendant, the one I begged to wear as a pup.

"Don't contact us once you hit Florida," she hissed, her voice trembling with panic. "Your sister's betrothal to the Rocky Mountain pack is next week. If anyone knows you are alive and talking to us, the deal is dead."

I wrapped my fingers around the cold stone. I said nothing.

Lucas stood beside the isolation pod. He put on a gentle voice. "I checked out the villa in Florida myself. Big yard full of palms. Warm weather. You're going to love it."

I looked at my ex-husband of four years. "My wolf hates the damp heat. I despise palm trees. I always loved the snow."

The fake warmth on Lucas's face froze solid. His lips parted, but nothing came out.

My father checked his watch, scowling with impatience. "Enough small talk. It's almost seven. Where the hell is the Alpha?"

The vault door swung open.

Only Roderick's captain of the guard walked through.

The guard handed a tablet to my father. "Lady Chloe twisted her ankle trying on her Luna dress. The Alpha is upstairs putting ice on it. He said Dr. Winslet is a practical woman. Start the ritual without him."

My father let out a long sigh of relief. He grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the altar. "Good. If the Alpha gave the order, drink the damn serum! We have to clear out before the gala begins!"

Lucas picked up a silver tray. On it sat a glass of dark brown liquid, the concentrated bond-severing serum.

"Drink it, Winslet," Lucas said softly. "The backlash will sting for a second. Once the chopper clears the border, it's all over."

I took the glass. I turned my back to adjust the collar around my neck, slipping my thumb into the secret pocket of my cuff. The pure aconite slid along the inner rim of the glass. The liquid swirled once, turning clear and deadly.

Mom fished a small piece of pine maple candy from her pocket. She held it to my lips. "You always hated bitter herbs when you were small. You always needed a piece of maple snow candy to wash it down. Be a good girl. Just swallow it. One last time for the family."

They formed a tight circle around me. Every pair of eyes stared at the glass in my hands, waiting, begging me to cooperate.

For the Winston family's pride. For my sister's rich match. For Lucas's clean slate. For Roderick's real girl.

They were all waiting for me to drink my own poison.

I looked at the candy in Mom's hand. I pushed her wrist away.

"Keep it."

You only need candy for medicine that saves you.

What I had in my hand was meant to kill.

I tipped the glass back and drank every single drop.

The poison struck like pure acid.

My inner wolf let out a dying shriek inside my head. The mate bond snapped. Raw agony ripped through my chest, tearing my soul in half.

Blood rose in my throat. I swallowed it down, keeping my face dead.

I turned around and walked into the steel pod.

Lucas pulled the heavy door down. "Hang in there. Once you reach the coast, this will all be behind you."

The metal hatch sealed. The locks clicked into place, shutting out the world.

The poison ripped through my organs. My heartbeat slowed down to a heavy crawl.

Right before the magnetic locks engaged completely, boots hammered down the concrete hall.

Roderick's scent crashed into the room.

He gripped his chest, looking pale as a ghost. The severed bond hit him too. He lunged at the glass window of the pod, his eyes wide.

He saw my bloodless face. He saw my empty hands. Panic cracked across his features.

"Why does she look like that? Suppressants don't cause that kind of damage!"

The warning lights flashed violently red.

The heart monitor flatlined into a high, piercing whine.

I held tight to the cold moonstone against my chest. In the silence where my life and my beast faded away, I closed my eyes forever.