Episode 4

The carriage wheels bump over the rough road leading deeper into Shadowmoon territory. I'm sitting across from the two guards who captured me, my hands bound with silver chains that burn against my skin. They haven't said much since we left the border, but I can feel them watching me.

"You really think this is going to work?" the first guard asks. His name is Kane, and he's been glancing at me like I'm a dead woman walking.

"What do you mean?"

"Your plan to get Alpha Jeremy to help you. You might want to reconsider."

The second guard, Michael shifts in his seat. "Kane's right. There's something you should know before we get there."

"What?"

"Alpha Jeremy hasn't been himself lately. Over the last few months, he's been staying indoors more. His son Dylan has been taking over most of the pack business."

My stomach drops. "His son?"

"Yeah. And here's the thing – Dylan hates your father even more than his dad does. Jeremy wants your father dead, but Dylan wants your entire pack wiped off the map."

Kane leans forward. "Dylan was only seven when your father's beta killed his uncle. But he was nine when Jeremy brought back your mother's body. He saw what your father's revenge did to his dad, how it ate Alpha Jeremy alive for years."

"Dylan grew up hearing stories about how your family destroyed his. He's been planning ways to get back at the Silvermoon pack since he was a teenager."

"So you might not get Jeremy," Michael continues. "You might get the son who wishes you and your pack dead. And if that happens, do you really think he'll agree to help you?"

I stare out the window at the dark forest passing by. This is worse than I thought. At least Jeremy is rational in his hatred. He wants Dad dead for specific reasons. But Dylan sounds like he just wants to watch the world burn.

"What's Dylan like?" I ask.

"Brutal. Smart. Completely ruthless. He's been alpha-in-training for five years now, and he's turned the Shadowmoon pack into a killing machine."

"He's also unpredictable. Sometimes he'll let enemies live just to watch them suffer. Other times he'll kill someone for looking at him wrong."

"Great," I mutter. "So I'm walking into a den of psychopaths."

"Pretty much. You sure you don't want to reconsider? We could take you back to the border, let you disappear into the rogue forest."

"No. I need their help. Even if it kills me."

Kane and Michael exchange a look.

"Your funeral," Kane says.

We ride in silence for another hour. The sun is almost completely gone now, and the forest looks like something out of a nightmare. I can see lights in the distance – the Shadowmoon pack house.

"Almost there," Michael says. "Whatever happens, don't show fear. These wolves can smell weakness from a mile away."

"And don't mention your mother unless Alpha Prince Dylan brings her up first. That's still a sore spot."

I nod, trying to calm my racing heart. My wolf is pacing inside me, nervous about what's coming. She doesn't like being in enemy territory any more than I do.

The carriage slows down as we approach a checkpoint. I can hear voices outside, guards asking for identification. After a few minutes, we start moving again.

"Won't be long now," Kane says.

That's when I hear it. Kane looks out the window and curses.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Cars. Moving fast. That's not normal for this area."

The carriage driver shouts something I can't understand, and suddenly we're moving faster. The wheels are bouncing over rocks and holes in the road, throwing me around in my seat.

"Something's wrong," Michael says, pulling out a knife.

The first gunshot shatters the window next to my head. I scream and duck down as glass rains over me. Kane throws himself across the carriage, trying to shield me.

"Ambush!" he yells.

More gunshots. I can hear the horses screaming, the driver shouting orders. The carriage tilts dangerously to one side, then crashes into something hard.

Kane's body goes limp on top of me. When I push him off, I see the blood spreading across his chest. He's dead.

Michael is slumped against the opposite wall, his eyes staring at nothing. Also dead.

The carriage door rips open. Three men in black masks grab me, dragging me out. I try to fight, but the silver chains make me weak. My wolf can barely surface.

"Got her," one of them says into a radio. "Package secured."

They drag me through the forest toward a road where a black SUV is waiting. The headlights are so bright I can barely see, but I can make out the shape of someone sitting in the driver's seat.

"Let me go!" I struggle, but it's useless.

"Not happening, princess. Someone wants to say hello."

They force me to my knees next to the car. One of them grabs my hair and yanks my head up so I'm looking directly at the passenger window.

The window rolls down slowly. When I see who's inside, my blood turns to ice.

Marcus leans out, grinning like the cat who caught the canary. "Well, well. Look what we have here."

"Marcus."

"Did you really think you could run from me, sweetheart? Did you honestly believe you could embarrass me in front of everyone and just disappear?"

"How did you find me?"

"I have friends everywhere. Including in the Shadowmoon pack. The second you showed up at their border, I knew exactly where you were."

He reaches out and traces his finger along my jaw. I try to pull away, but the man holding my hair tightens his grip.

"You look terrible, baby. All dirty and scratched up. That's what happens when spoiled princesses try to survive in the real world."

"Go to hell."

"I'll get there eventually. But first, I have some good news. Your stepmother can't wait to see you. She's been running the pack since you disappeared, and she's doing a fantastic job."

"Dad's not dead?"

"Not yet. But he's getting weaker every day. The heart attack really took it out of him. Rebecca's been such a devoted wife, taking care of him around the clock."

"She's poisoning him."

"Is she? That's a serious accusation. Do you have any proof?"

I glare at him. "You know she is. You were both there this morning when she threatened to kill him."

"This morning feels like a lifetime ago. A lot has changed since then."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters, Rebecca and I don't have to hide anymore. With you gone and your father bedridden, we're free to be together openly. The pack loves us. They think we're grieving your disappearance together."

"They don't know about you two?"

"Of course not. We're very good at keeping secrets. And now that you're coming home, we can finally finish what we started."

"I'm not going home with you."

"Yes, you are. Because if you don't, Rebecca's going to give your father a very special dose of his medicine tonight. One that will stop his heart permanently."

My wolf howls inside me, desperate to break free and tear his throat out. But the silver chains hold her back.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Once we're married, everything will be perfect. You'll be the obedient wife you were always meant to be, and I'll be the alpha I was born to be."

"I will never bow to you!"

"Then you'll watch your father die slowly and painfully, knowing it's all your fault."

He signals to his men. "Put her in the trunk. It's time to go home."

As they drag me toward the back of the SUV, I get one last look at the forest where the Shadowmoon pack lives. So close to getting help, but not close enough.

The trunk slams shut, leaving me in complete darkness. As the car starts moving, I hear Marcus laughing in the front seat.

"Welcom

e home, princess. Your stepmother is going to be so happy to see you."