Chapter 3

I was thrown into a cell with walls of pure silver.

It was the Silver Moon Pack’s prison for werewolves.

The pure silver walls leeched our healing abilities, forcing every wound to heal at a human's agonizingly slow pace.

I sat on the cold, silver floor, the gash on my forehead still slowly oozing blood.

No light.

No windows.

Just dead, suffocating darkness.

My wolf was frantic without the music box to soothe it.

The silver in the room made it worse—I could feel it weakening me, throwing my gift into chaos.

I don't know how long I was in there before the door opened.

Blinding light flooded in, and I squinted.

A man in a white coat walked in.

The pack’s private doctor, Alan.

Behind him were Seraphina and several guards.

"Is the examination finished?" Seraphina asked.

Alan nodded, his expression grave. "It's not good. The shock caused the pup’s wolf soul to become unstable. If we don't act quickly, Miss Lilith could miscarry."

I felt the static of a lie from him.

He was lying.

But why?

"Is there a way to fix it?" Seraphina demanded.

"There is a special treatment," Alan said, his voice hesitant. "But..."

"Spit it out!"

"It requires a transfer of Moonglow energy," Alan explained. "It's a rare power that only forms within a mate who has a deep, established bond with an Alpha. It can stabilize the fetus and repair the damaged connection."

Seraphina's eyes lit up.

She looked at me, a cruel smile playing on her lips.

"Does Becca still have this energy?"

"She should," Alan nodded. "After all, her bond with the Alpha lasted for eight years. Even though it's broken, there should be enough residual energy."

More static. More lies.

This time it was so sharp it felt like it would tear my brain apart.

"Excellent," Seraphina said with a satisfied nod. "Then she will transfer her energy to Lilith."

"Wait." I struggled to stand. "I don't agree."

"You don't have a choice," Seraphina sneered. "You're the one who hurt Lilith, who almost killed my grandchild. Saving him is your responsibility."

"I told you, I didn't hurt her!"

"The evidence is clear, and you still want to argue?" Seraphina waved a hand. "Take her."

The guards rushed me.

I tried to fight, but the silver room had sapped my strength.

I was as weak as a human.

They grabbed my arms and dragged me from the cell.

Upstairs, Cayden was sitting by Lilith's bed.

She lay there, pale and looking fragile.

But my gift told me she was radiating pure satisfaction.

"Cayden," Seraphina said, approaching her son. "Dr. Alan has found a way to save the child, but it requires Becca's cooperation."

Cayden looked up and saw me, held captive by the guards.

"What way?"

Alan explained the Moonglow energy transfer.

Cayden's expression grew complicated.

"This process... what will it do to her?" he asked.

Alan hesitated. "It will be excruciating. And it will drain all of her wolf energy. She'll be extremely weak for some time."

"But she won't die," Seraphina added.

"She won't die," Alan confirmed.

Cayden looked at me, a flicker of struggle in his eyes.

I stared back, trying to find the love that was once there, trying to tell him the truth with my gaze alone.

It's a lie, Cayden! Please don't believe them! They're trying to kill me.

I sent the message through our broken mind-link.

But in that moment of hesitation, Lilith reached out a weak hand.

"Cayden... save our child... please..."

Her words struck the softest part of his heart.

Cayden took her hand, then looked at me.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I can't let anything threaten the life of my heir."

Two words.

Just two words sealed my fate.

"Begin," he said to Alan.

Alan brought out a complex set of instruments.

Silver needles connected by strange tubes.

"Strap her to this chair," Alan ordered, pointing to a chair by the bed.

The guards forced me into it, binding my wrists and ankles with silver restraints.

The silver seared my skin.

The tearing pain and my disappointment in Cayden tortured me at the same time.

"This will hurt," Alan said as he prepped the device. "But for the sake of the child, you must endure it."

He plunged a needle into my vein.

Instantly, agony exploded from the needle, racing through my veins like fire.

But this wasn't just physical pain.

It felt like my very soul was being siphoned from my body, ripped away piece by piece.

I couldn't help but cry out.

Cayden turned his back, unable to watch.

But he didn't stop it.

The ritual lasted for an hour.

When Alan finally removed the needle, I was too weak to speak.

All my strength was gone.

My wolf was dying.

"How is she?" Seraphina asked.

Alan checked Lilith. "Excellent. The child is stable. But it might not be enough."

Lilith gave a weak, triumphant smile. "Thank you, Becca."

Her eyes were filled with mockery.

"Take her back to the silver room. I won't have her trying anything else," Seraphina commanded.

The guards hauled me up again.

As we passed the door, I heard Cayden and Seraphina talking.

"Keep her alive until Lilith gives birth," Cayden's voice was low and cold. "Her energy is still useful. "