Chapter 6

"Toxin?" Fenris's voice was strangled. "You've been poisoned? When? Who did this to you?"

I looked at his terrified expression and felt a sudden urge to laugh. For ten long years, he had never known what I had done for him.

"No one did this to me."

I brought this upon myself.

"Fenris, I'm going to die. Tonight."

"No!" His roar was a raw, primal agony that rattled the windows. "I forbid you to die! Do you hear me?"

"You forbid it?" I used all my strength to meet his gaze. "Who do you think you are? The Moon Goddess?"

As the words left my lips, I felt something inside me snap completely, like a violin string stretched too tight. Silver veins began to surface beneath my skin, spreading like a crazed spiderweb across my entire body. Blood began to seep from the corners of my eyes, my nose, my ears.

It was silver blood, glowing with an unholy light.

"Freya!" Fenris let out a primal, animalistic roar and reached for me.

But my body was already growing rigid.

Just then, the door was thrown open.

"Fenris!" Vanessa rushed in. "I heard you shouting… Oh my goddess!"

She saw me on the bed, covered in silver blood. A flicker of triumph crossed her eyes before she masked it with a look of horror. "What's wrong with Freya? She looks…"

"Get out!" Fenris roared without turning around.

"But Fenris, I'm worried about you—"

"I said, get out!" he spun around, the murderous intent in his eyes making Vanessa stumble backward. "If you don't leave now, I will kill you myself!"

Terrified by his fury, Vanessa scrambled out of the room.

Fenris gathered me into his arms, but my body temperature was plummeting, and my breathing grew fainter and fainter.

"No… don't…" His voice was shattered. "Freya, listen to me. You wanted to hear me say I love you, didn't you? I love you! I truly love you!"

I tried, but my eyelids were as heavy as lead. The light in my vision dimmed, fading until it was completely swallowed by darkness.

I couldn't hold on any longer. I closed my eyes.

This time, it was for good.

The world fell silent.

"Freya!" Fenris shook my lifeless body, his voice raw with desperation. "Wake up! I command you to wake up! That's an Alpha's order!"

His voice grew hoarser, more hopeless. "Freya! Freya!"

Frantic footsteps approached the door.

"Alpha!" Marcus burst into the room and paled at the sight of me on the bed.

"Save her!" Fenris grabbed Marcus by the collar, his eyes shot with blood. "Save her now!"

"I don't care what it takes!" Fenris's voice was unhinged. "If she dies, you all die with her! I want this entire medical team buried by dawn!"

The head physician was pushed into the room, trembling as he examined my body. A few minutes later, he looked up, his voice shaking.

"Alpha, I'm so sorry… Her heart has completely stopped. The toxin in her system has destroyed all of her organ functions. We… there's nothing we can do."

Fenris froze, looking as if he'd been struck by lightning. "What did you say? She was really poisoned…"

"My condolences, Alpha," the physician whispered.

"Get out!" Fenris suddenly exploded. "All of you, get out! Go!"

Terrified, everyone fled the room.

Fenris collapsed onto the side of the bed, his hand trembling as he stroked my cold cheek.

"Freya… Freya…" He sobbed like a child. "You can't die… you can't leave me…"

Just then, a guard rushed in.

"Alpha, there's a hedge witch at the gate demanding to see you. She says…"

Fenris's head snapped up, his eyes burning with a final, desperate sliver of hope. "What does she say? Can she help? Speak!"

The guard hesitated, as if steeling himself for death.

"She says… she says that you, Alpha… you are the one who killed Freya."