Chapter 3

In the memory, I vanished into the night with the Heart of the Moon.

A fresh wave of fury erupted in the cell.

“She stole our sacred artifact!”

“Traitor! For an Alpha from another pack!”

“She brought shame to this pack!”

That last accusation struck Lachlan like a physical blow.

His wolf howled in agony at the mere thought of my betrayal. A crushing wave of his Alpha power spiraled out of control, making it hard for the others to breathe.

SLAP!

A sharp sting exploded across my face.

Sabrina was in front of me, her beautiful face twisted with rage.

"You omega bitch!" she shrieked. "You took the Heart to your secret lover, didn't you? How dare an omega think she's worthy of being an Alpha's fated mate, of having an Alpha's love?"

My cheek burned.

But Lachlan’s eyes hurt more.

"You disappeared for three months," he said, his voice pure ice. "You took the Heart of the Moon and vanished while the whole pack was tearing itself apart looking for you."

"We tore the southern territories apart looking for you!" an elder bellowed. “You went to the Blackstone Pack?! Are you insane?”

I opened my mouth. Still no sound.

I could only watch as the memory continued.

The scene shifted.

Late at night, I arrived alone at the Blackstone Pack's territory.

"Ah, Silvermoon's little Luna," Victor Thorne said with a sly grin.

His eyes flashed with a predator's greed. “Did you bring me what I want?”

I placed the Heart of the Moon before him.

"Let Richard go, and it's yours."

Victor picked up the artifact, stroking it. “So this is the relic that strengthens a wolf's soul, that keeps the Silvermoon Pack unbeatable in the Council? With this, my Blackstone bloodline will no longer be second to yours. I can release him.”

For a fleeting moment, I thought I had saved them.

But he wasn't a man of his word.

"However," he smirked, "I think a little more... payment is required."

The next scene left every wolf in the dungeon breathless.

On the night of the full moon, I was bound to a stone pillar with silver-laced chains.

The agony of a blocked transformation tore through me. My bones broke and reset, over and over, but the silver chains held my human form in place.

My wolf wailed inside me.

And Victor Thorne, that vile Alpha, stood by and watched me suffer.

He used his Alpha command to force my head down—forcing me to submit to him, when I belonged only to Lachlan.

“Sign these treaties,” he said, tossing a stack of papers at my feet. “From now on, the Silvermoon Pack will give my pack half of its hunt each year. You will also cede the northern forests. Your people are forever banned from my lands.”

“You’re dreaming!”

“Then let Richard rot in a Council prison.”

My hand trembled as I picked up the pen.

For Lachlan's father, for the Silvermoon Pack, I signed the treaties. I signed away generations of their pride and honor.

Seeing this, the dungeon fell silent.

The angry shouts vanished, replaced by heavy, ragged breaths.

Lachlan’s fists were clenched.

I could feel his wolf whimpering inside him, grieving for the pain I'd been forced to endure.

His furious Alpha aura filled the cell, but his reason was still trapped by hatred.

“Why…” his voice trembled. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I looked at him, my vision blurred by tears.

If I had told him, with his proud Alpha nature, he would have stopped at nothing to get revenge for me, even if it meant starting a devastating war.

I couldn't let him do that.

I couldn't be the one to destroy the Silvermoon Pack.

“Enough!” Sabrina’s shriek broke the suffocating silence. “She’s just putting on a show! Trying to get sympathy!”

She turned to Lachlan, her voice turning soft and persuasive again. “Darling, give her the last dose. Let’s just end this.”

The elders nodded in agreement.

“Yes, end this farce!”

“Make her confess why she really killed the former Alpha and Luna!”

Lachlan picked up the third vial, his hand shaking slightly.

“Anya, last chance,” he rasped. “Tell me the truth.”

I looked into his eyes.

I saw pain, confusion, and a tiny… almost invisible flicker of warmth.

But I knew some truths would only hurt him more.

I didn’t answer. I met his gaze, shook my head one last time... and took the vial from his hand, swallowing the final dose myself.