Chapter 3

I slipped off the bed, my bare feet meeting the icy floor. Then, I unrolled a sheet of parchment and hurriedly scribbled a letter.

After I was done writing the letter, I summoned my most trusted confidant, a loyal servant who had followed me here to the Scarlet Flame pack all those years ago. "Deliver this letter to Ayden personally, as fast as you can."

He took the letter, nodded solemnly, and vanished into the night.

I threw on an outer robe and headed to another room to pack my things. As I turned a corner in the hallway, muffled moans drifted from the guest chamber.

"Evan… It's been seven years… I've finally waited long enough…" It was Lilian's voice.

Something compelled me forward. The door was left slightly ajar, and through the narrow gap, I saw an unsightly scene.

Lilian's legs were spread wide, suspended in the air, swaying lewdly with the intense rhythm of Evan's thrusts. Her cheeks were flushed, and her moans unrestrained. "Deeper, Evan… Don't stop…"

Evan's back tensed as he drove harder, faster.

I stood frozen, my blood turning to ice. Whatever lingering feelings I had left for him died in that moment.

I turned away and returned to our bedroom. When I flung open the wardrobe, I saw our clothes hanging neatly in perfect order. I seized one of his shirts and hurled it out the window. Then another. And another.

When all the clothes were gone, I moved on to everything else that belonged to him—his ring, his hunting bow, and every gift he had ever given me. One by one, I threw them out the window and into the mud outside.

Finally, my gaze fell on the wolf-fang bracelet around my wrist. I gripped it and yanked hard. The cord snapped, and fangs scattered across the floor.

When that was done, I returned to the desk, spread out a piece of fresh parchment, and drafted an application to dissolve the mate bond between Evan and me. Then, I signed my name at the bottom—Erin Bloodmoon.

At daybreak, I carried the document to the Council of Elders.

I waited all day. But in the end, it wasn't the Elders who came. It was Evan and Lilian. She clung to his arm, glowing with triumph.

When Evan spotted me, he instinctively shook her off. His face darkened. "Erin, what nonsense are you up to now?"

"I'm dissolving the mate bond." I looked him straight in the eye and enunciated each word clearly, "This decision is final, and nothing you say will change it!"

Lilian let out a theatrical gasp, but her eyes danced with barely contained glee. The very next instant, her expression shifted to one of worry. Her voice trembled with helplessness.

"Luna, you may not be aware, but in the Scarlet Flame pack, a she-wolf cannot dissolve the bond unless her mate consents. The only exception is if… if the she-wolf voluntarily submits to the Trial of Redemption."

She let the words hang as malicious delight flashed in her eyes. "A hundred lashes as you walk barefoot over ten yards of burning coals."

It was clearly a punishment designed to terrorize any she-wolf who dared seek freedom after betrayal by her mates, yet they called it redemption. How absurd, and how bitterly ironic.

I paled and stepped back involuntarily.

"There's no need for this, Erin," Evan said, reaching a hand out toward me.

But I sidestepped his reach. My voice came out clean and decisive. "Fine. I accept it."

Evan's head snapped up. Disbelief, raw panic, and something close to fear crossed his face. "Erin! Why must it come to this? It's just a pup! Why can't you just endure it?"

I looked at him and forced a bitter smile. "Evan, the pups have never been the problem. The problem is that your heart is no longer pure."

He stared at me with a complex expression on his face, not able to utter a single word.

Before he could speak again, Lilian leaned into his chest weakly. "How did it come to this? This is all my fault..."

The sight of them turned my stomach. I let out a cold laugh and walked away.

The trial began under the witness of the Alpha and the Council of Elders. Glowing red coals stretched ten full yards ahead. Even from a distance away, the heat slammed into me like a wall.

I stepped onto the coals barefoot.

With a sharp hiss, the stench of scorched skin rose immediately.

At the same time, barbed lashes tore into my back. Each one ripped away strips of flesh.

I didn't scream. Instead, I simply clenched my jaw, stayed silent, and forced one step after another.

Evan stood a short distance away, his face ashen. Several times he lurched forward, only to be held back by Lilian in an iron grip. "Alpha, this is the Luna's choice. It's also pack law!"

My vision began to blur. Every step was pure agony.

I had no idea how long it took me, but eventually, I reached the end.

The executioner of the Council of Elders placed the stamped document in front of me.

With the last of my strength, I reached out and took it. The moment my fingers closed around the paper, my body gave out. I pitched forward.

Evan cried out and started toward me, then froze mid-step.

A powerful arm had caught me before I hit the ground.

Then, a voice—cold, furious, and achingly familiar—sounded above my head. "What have you done to my sister?"

I whipped around immediately, and there stood Ayden Bloodmoon, my brother who had once sworn to tear me to pieces.