Chapter 2

Miranda's Point of View

The crowd fell into a sudden silence. Everyone was looking at Vincenzo, curiously waiting to hear what he had to say.

"You're all making a mistake," he said. "Don't you all know her character so well? How can someone as loving and caring as her have the mind to kill a little child?"

Lorenzo didn't seem to like Vincenzo's interference. He released a warning growl. "Your opinion isn't needed here. She committed a crime, and she must pay with her life!" He faced the seer. "Do it!"

"Don't you dare!" Vincenzo snarled. His eyes suddenly darkened as they flickered between green and brown, as though his wolf was fighting for control. Ever since I had known Vincenzo, this was the angriest he'd been.

"Are you defying your Alpha?" Lorenzo's tone was challenging.

Vincenzo scoffed. "Alpha? You're too corruptible to be Alpha, Lorenzo."

As if he'd just said the funniest joke, Lorenzo let out a hysterical laugh. "Whine all you want. I, Lorenzo Storm, am and will remain the Alpha of Iron Fang Pack, and my words are the law!" Mockery dripped from his words.

"Listen to me, brother. Karma is a bitch, and you will regret your actions soon."

"I don't care," Lorenzo replied, then faced the seer. "Do it. I want to hear her screams as she burns!"

I can't explain why, but I felt a gush of hope when I saw Vincenzo. I suddenly felt like he could rescue me—but that hope has vanished. Just as the seer lowered his hand toward me, Vincenzo spoke again, making the seer stop abruptly. A murmur erupted from the crowd.

He ignored the grumbling crowd as he faced Lorenzo. "I have something to say to her," he said. Before Lorenzo could approve or disapprove, he was already walking toward me.

I saw Lorenzo narrow his eyes as if trying to figure something out. "Are you in love with her?" he asked.

"That is none of your business!" Vincenzo replied simply.

My brows furrowed in confusion when he stopped in front of me and leaned closer to my face. I quickly turned my face away, thinking he was about to kiss me, but he simply whispered in my ear.

"I'm going to cut the ropes. Make a run for it immediately after I cut them."

"What? I..."

"Shhhh!" He shushed me. "Run straight to the north border. I've made arrangements to help you escape from the pack."

"You believe I'm innocent?" I whispered back.

"Yes."

"You've always helped me. Why are you helping me?" I asked, seriously confused.

He stared at me for a brief moment. He reached his hand forward as though about to cup my face, but quickly stopped himself and balled his fist.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked again.

"I love you!" he answered. "It's because I love you!"

The whole world went silent at his confession. He loves me? How come I never noticed his love all these years?

"Are you done talking?" Lorenzo's voice broke my thoughts. "Make way for her to face her punishment, or you can join her and burn to death with her!"

Vincenzo ignored his brother. His focus was solely on me.

"Are you ready?" he asked me, and I nodded. "On the count of three?" I nodded again. He slowly counted to three as he cut the ropes, and as soon as he was done, I dashed toward the woods.

"What the hell have you done?!" I heard Lorenzo growl angrily at Vincenzo, but I didn't stop or turn back.

"Everyone, get her! Anyone who catches her first should kill her on the spot!" he ordered.

Taking a brief look behind me, I saw a multitude of people chasing after me, and I subconsciously hastened my pace.

> > > > > > > 

My feet hurt as I ran, but I couldn't stop, because at every turn I took, I always came face-to-face with chasers. I felt dizzy and weak. I hadn't eaten a proper meal in months, and I would have passed out—but the desperation to escape this hellish place kept me running.

But I guessed my time on earth was up. My eyes widened in disbelief as I ran straight into a silver sword, and it pierced deeply into my heart. I raised my head to see a teenage boy smiling victoriously.

"I did it! I did it! I did it!" he rejoiced.

"Why? You... you... you're too young to have blood on your hands," I said.

"Killing you isn't a sin. You're a wicked woman," he replied, pushing the sword deeper into my chest.

I wanted to push him off, but the sword was made of silver, and it had weakened me. Just then, I heard Vincenzo's voice.

"What are you doing?!" he screamed at the boy. He rushed forward and pushed the boy away from me. "Leave, or I swear, I'll kill you!" he threatened.

"Alpha wants her dead," the boy argued.

"Your life is irrelevant to him, and trust me—he won't avenge you if I kill you." His threat seemed to scare the boy, and he ran off.

Vincenzo turned back to me, his eyes filled with worry and concern. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head. "I..." I couldn't speak as I began coughing and spitting out lumps of blood.

"Oh, fuck!" he exclaimed. "That bastard stabbed your heart!"

He quickly put his arm around my shoulders and led me to a tree. He helped me sit down with my back resting against it.

"It's going to hurt, but I have to pull the sword out," he said.

Judging from how deeply the sword pierced my heart, I knew I wouldn't survive. I held his hand and stopped him from pulling it out.

"It's useless," I told him weakly.

"You're—you're going to die if I don't pull it out!"

"I'm going to die either way, so why not just choose the painless way?" I let out a weak laugh.

As if the laugh had triggered something in me, I began coughing nonstop and spitting out large lumps of blood. Vincenzo's panic increased, his eyes watered, and tears started running down his cheeks.

"No! No! No! You can't die yet," he cried. "I just found out that it wasn't just Mia who framed you. Don't you want to stay alive and get your revenge?"

"Who... who else was involved?" I asked, even though I was already guessing.

"It was Lorenzo!" he said. "Lorenzo ordered her to frame you so that you could be killed, and she'd be made the Luna. Don't you want to get revenge? I promise I'll help you. I'll make sure they come crying for your forgiveness!"

I smiled weakly as I stretched out my right hand, reaching for his cheek. "If there's another life, I'll let you love me."

"No, no. I don't want another life, I..."

His voice trailed off as my eyelids became too weak to stay open, and I began losing consciousness—until there was total darkness. My life was a joke. I was a fool. I had allowed Lorenzo to use and discard me.

Just when I was about to give up, a bright light shone on me, and a woman dressed in pure white clothes, with silver hair and pale skin, appeared before me.

She stared at me for a moment, then sighed deeply.

"You still didn't fulfill your mission this time, child," she said, her voice sounding like music.

Mission? I was confused.

"Who are you? And what is my mission?" I asked.

"This is your final life, child. I will return your memories—but if you fail this time, there will be no resurrection."

My eyes widened when I heard her say resurrection. I didn't understand what she was talking about, but I nodded anyway. She leaned forward and placed her hand on my forehead.

"Don't waste this life!" she ordered.