Chapter 4

Ella

The room erupted in gasps and murmurs. I felt the floor tilt beneath me.

"That's bullshit," I whispered, reaching for the paper. "That's absolutely bullshit!"

Ava handed the test results to Marcus, whose face had gone ashen. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Marcus. But when I noticed certain... inconsistencies in Jackson's development, I felt obligated to investigate."

"Inconsistencies? What inconsistencies?" I demanded. "My son is perfectly normal!"

"Is he, though?" Ava tilted her head. "He doesn't look much like Marcus, does he? And his abilities are below what we'd expect from an Alpha's offspring."

I looked around the room, expecting to see outrage on everyone's faces at this ridiculous accusation. Instead, I saw doubt. Suspicion. Some were even nodding along with Ava's words.

"This is absurd," I said, crossing my arms and letting out a small laugh. "Ava, if you're making things up because you couldn't end up with Marcus, that has nothing to do with my son. How shameless are you to drag a child into this? Jackson actually liked you, you know."

I turned to face the room, my voice steady and clear. "I understand everyone's shock, but let's be reasonable. A DNA test can be easily faked, especially by someone with the motivation to do so." I gestured toward Ava, wanting to smack that smug expression out of her face. "I propose we do another test right here, right now, with everyone as witnesses. We can collect the results in a few days and announce them publicly."

I met each council member's eyes one by one. "I have nothing to hide."

Marcus stared at the paper, his jaw clenched so tight I could see a muscle twitching in his cheek.

"Marcus," I pleaded, reaching for his arm. "You know this isn't true. Jackson is your son. He has your eyes, your smile—"

"Actually," one of the older council members interjected, "the boy does favor his mother quite strongly. I've always thought—"

"Don't you dare," I snapped, whirling on him. "Don't you dare question my loyalty or my son's paternity based on some fabricated 'evidence' from a woman who's clearly trying to manipulate her way into my husband's bed!"

"Wait a minute." Our pack's medical director, Dr. Lena Forrester, stepped forward from the group gathered at the door. "I believe most pack members have benefited from Luna's grace. Her contributions and dedication to the pack are plain for all to see. Questioning her loyalty to the pack is hilarious."

"Thank you, Lena," I said, relief washing over me to have at least one ally.

"Luna saved my daughter's life last summer, and we all know how much she did to this pack, saving so many lives," said Robert, another council member. "Is it possible there's some misunderstanding here? I find it hard to believe our Luna would betray the pack this way."

I felt a surge of gratitude toward Robert. At least someone was thinking clearly.

But around the room, I noticed others weren't so convinced.

Small clusters formed, some nodding along with Ava's accusations while others looked confused or uncertain.

"I can explain exactly how she faked this," I said, jabbing my finger at the test results. "DNA tests can be manipulated. Samples can be contaminated. Results can be altered. Anyone with basic knowledge of medical procedures would know that."

"And you would know all about that, wouldn't you?" Ava's voice stern, like she's telling some truth. "Being a medical professional and all."

"This is ridiculous," I said, not believing how shameless she was for spilling such a blatant lie. "We can easily redo the test. I'll provide samples from Jackson myself right now. We can conduct the DNA test again, and this time, we'll do it with witnesses present to ensure there are no doubts."

I turned to Marcus, who still hadn't said a word. "You know this isn't true. You have to know."

"Why bother with all that?" Ava interrupted, her red lips curving into a confident smile. "When we can know the truth immediately."

Marcus, who had been unnervingly quiet, finally looked up from the papers. "What do you mean?"

Ava's smile widened as she snapped her fingers. One of her lackeys, I hadn't even noticed him hovering in the doorway, disappeared down the hallway.

"I propose we settle this right now," she said, her voice carrying through the now-silent office. "No labs, no waiting periods, no chance for tampering with samples."

My heart pounded against my ribs. "What are you talking about?"

"The Crimson Verity," Ava announced dramatically.

A collective gasp rippled through the room. Even Marcus looked taken aback.

"That's ancient pack magic," one of the council members protested. "It hasn't been used in generations."

"For good reason," another added. "It's powerful stuff."

I glanced between their faces, trying to understand. "What is the Crimson Verity?"

No one answered me directly, but their expressions told me everything I needed to know. Whatever this ritual was, it wasn't good news for me.

The lackey returned, carrying a wooden box that looked centuries old. Its dark surface was carved with symbols I didn't recognize, and it seemed to hum with an energy that made the hair on my arms stand up.

"This is nonsense," I scoffed, though my heart hammered against my ribs. "Some dusty old box isn't going to prove anything."

"Of course, you wouldn't know about the Crimson Verity." Ava's lips curled into a patronizing smile. "It's a sacred artifact, passed down through the elite families for generations. Those of... humbler origins wouldn't have heard of it."

My cheeks burned at her thinly veiled insult. The room felt smaller and stuffier as council members shifted and whispered.

"On the contrary," Ava continued, taking the box from her assistant with exaggerated care. "The Crimson Verity is the most reliable bloodline test our kind has ever known. It cannot be fooled or manipulated." She placed the box on Marcus's desk like it was made of glass. "It simply reveals what is."

The carved symbols seemed to pulse in the fluorescent office light, and despite my skepticism, something primitive inside me wanted to run from that ancient wood and whatever secrets it claimed to hold.

Marcus stared at the box, his jaw working. I'd seen that look before - when he was weighing difficult decisions that affected the pack. But this wasn't about the pack. This was about us. About Jackson.

"Ava, this is extreme," he said finally.

"Is it?" She arched a perfect eyebrow. "Don't you want to know the truth? Don't you deserve to know if you've been raising another man's child?"

I stepped between them, planting myself firmly in front of that cursed box. "This is absurd. I'm not subjecting my son to some archaic blood ritual because of her unfounded accusations." My hands trembled with anger. As an omega, there were many pack traditions I wasn't privy to, but anything involving blood and my child was an absolute no.

"Actually," Marcus's voice was soft, dangerous. "I think we should do it."

I spun to face him, my heart cracking. "What?"

"If you have nothing to hide, Ella," he met my gaze, his eyes hard. "Then you have nothing to fear from the Crimson Verity."