Chapter 3

Vivienne immediately shrank behind Cain, trembling like a leaf.

Her eyes were red, her lips quivering. She didn't say a single word — but that look on her face was a hundred times more effective than begging.

Cain didn't even glance at me.

"Ivy, can you stop being so paranoid? Vivienne would never do something like that."

I pointed at the traces of silver powder still on the floor.

"Cain, just look down —"

"Enough."

His voice wasn't loud, but it shut down everything I was about to say.

Vivienne peeked out from behind him, tears clinging to her lashes, looking as innocent as a fawn wrongly accused.

I was shaking all over. But I had no proof — Mira had bolted into the kitchen during the chaos and dumped the entire pouch of silver powder down the drain.

The faint traces on the floor? Cain wouldn't even look.

He put his arm around Vivienne's shoulders and walked out.

That night I sat in the hallway, back against the cold stone wall, turning one thought over and over — he'd been deceived. He didn't know the truth. Once I found evidence, he'd believe me.

Then I heard voices from the next room.

Vivienne's voice, with that coy little lilt at the end.

"Such a waste — you went through so much trouble getting that silver powder from the vampires, and she just had to walk in on us. All of it, gone."

Cain laughed. Soft, careless, like they were talking about nothing.

"It's fine. We'll just be more careful next time."

I sat against the wall, unable to move.

The silver powder was Cain's doing.

He'd known everything from the start.

I thought he'd been blinded. But he'd been perfectly clear-headed the whole time. From the day he married me, I was never his mate — I was an obstacle he needed removed.

In this life, I had no expectations left.

The captain said that when he arrived at the pack estate with the Alpha King's token, Cain was nowhere to be found. The only person there was an Omega servant.

Mira walked over with the captain, barely bothering to hide the smugness on her face.

She glanced down at me lying on the ground, then looked at Alaric beside me.

Alaric had just been pulled back from vampire venom. His armor was half-shattered, the lining soaked in blood, his hair disheveled, his face pale — he looked no different from any wounded warrior.

Mira didn't recognize him.

Her spine straightened immediately.

"Luna, the Alpha asked me to pass along a message — he's gone to the hunting grounds with Vivienne to help her relax. He has no time for your dramatics. If you send anyone to bother him again, he'll go straight to the Elders' Council and have your Luna title stripped. Then you can get out of Shadowfang Pack."

"The Alpha also said he never intended to build a life with you. He only accepted the mate bond to absorb your father Alpha Thomas's pack and his three thousand warriors. Now that Thomas is dead, you don't even have value as a pawn anymore."

I listened to every word, and I was terrifyingly calm.

Because I'd already paid for each one of those truths with my life.

After delivering the message, Mira's gaze drifted to Alaric.

She scoffed.

"Luna, the Alpha's not around so you found yourself some blood-soaked rogue? You think that's going to make the Alpha jealous? He looks at you and feels nothing but disgust. When I go back and tell him you've been cozying up to some random rogue — he'll skin you alive."

She actually reached out and poked Alaric's chest with her finger.

Alaric didn't move.

He simply raised his eyes and looked at Mira. Quiet. Still.

Then he tilted his head slightly.

Two guards stepped forward in unison, one on each side, and forced Mira to the ground.

Her face was pressed into the dirt. She let out a shrill scream.

Alaric's voice was low — calm, even.

"Use silver to kill her wolf. Then banish her beyond the borders. Permanent exile. She is never to set foot in any werewolf territory again."