Chapter 4

Damon abandoned me in an instant, running toward the bonfire like a madman.

"Chloe! What happened?"

He held her tight, his eyes filled with panic.

My heart clenched. He had never, ever worried about me like that.

"Damon! My birthmark!" Chloe pointed a trembling finger at her collarbone. "It's burning! Like some evil force is eating it away!"

Her crescent moon mark was indeed red and hot, a terrifying sight.

"It's a curse!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "Someone is using dark magic to hurt me!"

The pack members gathered around, murmuring.

"Dark magic? How could we have that in our pack?"

"Who would do something so evil?"

Just then, a warrior ran over.

"Alpha! We found these in Harper's office!"

He held up a black cloth bag. Inside was a curse doll and dark crystals.

My heart went cold.

"Those aren't mine!" I shook my head frantically. "I've never seen them before!"

But no one was listening. They all stared at me with fear and disgust.

"Gods… Harper really knows dark magic?"

"No wonder her wolf… we could barely sense it lately."

"She's been hiding her true self this whole time!"

Damon looked at the evil objects, his face pale.

I saw the pain and conflict in his eyes.

"I don't want to believe it…" his voice trembled. "But the evidence is right here."

"Damon! You have to believe me!" I ran toward him, desperate. "It's a setup! Someone framed me!"

But he took a step back. The warmth in his eyes was gone.

"Harper, I thought I knew you," his voice was as cold as ice. "I never thought you could be so vicious."

Chloe cried even harder in his arms. "I just want to be happy with you! Why would you do this to me? We've known each other since the academy, I've never hurt anyone…"

Her words stabbed my heart like needles.

I scanned the faces around me, searching for a single look of understanding. But I only found fear, disgust, and disappointment.

Even Marcus was shaking his head.

"Harper… how could you do something like this?"

Despair washed over me like a tidal wave.

No one believed me.

Damon took a deep breath, like he was making a painful decision.

"Take Harper to the center of the pack circle!"

"What?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"Perform the purification ritual!"

The Purification Ritual. The ultimate shame, reserved only for traitors and dark magic users.

A few of the senior warriors hesitated, but they still moved toward me.

"I'm sorry, Harper…" Marcus choked out. "We don't want to do this, but the law is the law."

They dragged me to the open space in front of the bonfire.

The entire pack formed a circle, staring at me like I was a criminal.

A silver collar was clasped around my neck. It seared my skin instantly.

I fell to my knees in agony, enduring everyone's judgment.

"I didn't do it!" I tried to defend myself, my voice hoarse. "I didn't use dark magic! Those things aren't mine!"

But no one listened.

The ritual began.

Silver chains were bound to my wrists. Every second was torture.

I looked at Damon, hoping to find a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

I did. I saw a flash of pity. But it was quickly replaced by resolve.

"Continue," he said in a low voice.

The ritual lasted for half an hour. The burn of the silver nearly made me pass out.

Just when I thought I was going to die there, the crowd gasped.

"Look! Chloe's birthmark!"

I managed to lift my head.

The redness and swelling on Chloe's collarbone was fading. The mark was returning to its normal color.

"It's a miracle!" Chloe feigned surprise. "The purification ritual worked!"

"Harper's curse is broken!"

The pack members marveled at the ritual's power.

But I knew the truth.

It wasn't the ritual. It was the salve she had used earlier wearing off.

I saw the flash of triumph in Chloe's eyes, and in that moment, whatever was left of my heart turned to ash.

This was all her trap.

And I had walked right into it like a fool.

Worse, no one would ever believe me.

Damon let out a sigh of relief. He came over and unfastened the silver chains.

His fingers trembled slightly as they brushed against my burned skin.

"Harper… I hope this lesson will be enough."

His voice was quiet, like a comfort, like an apology.

But a second later, he turned and embraced Chloe.

"It's okay now, my Luna. No one will ever hurt you again."

I knelt on the ground, watching them hold each other.

Something inside me was waking up. Through the searing pain, I felt a clarity I had never known.

The power that had been suppressed for years was breaking its seal.

The seal my brother had placed on my wolf's energy when I left the royal family—it was finally broken.

My bloodline was awakening.

I slowly got to my feet. No one noticed the flash of gold in my eyes.

Then, I shifted into my wolf, ready to leave this heartbreaking place for good.

Just as I turned, Damon's voice echoed in my mind.

"Your bloodline is common, Harper. It's not worthy. There's nothing to be done."

I let the silence hang for a moment, letting him savor his ignorance. Then, I delivered the final blow, not with my claws, but with the ancient words he never thought I'd use.

"I, Harper of the Silver Moon Royal Bloodline, reject you, Damon Blackwood, as my mate."

A shockwave of agony tore through the bond between us. I felt it snap—a brutal, liberating sound in my soul.

I cut all my ties to Damon and vanished into the moonlight.