Chapter 2

Gloria took one look at the injuries on Daisy's body and lost it completely. She threw herself at her daughter, dropping to her knees.

"My baby! My poor baby!" She reached out with shaking hands toward the bruises and claw marks, but couldn't bring herself to make contact. Her fingers stopped just short of Daisy's skin as she choked on her own sobs.

"Look at her! All of you, look at what that animal did to my daughter!"

Daisy knelt half-naked in the center of the training grounds, hands covering her face, shoulders heaving.

"It was Koda... he dragged me into the woods... he said he'd kill me if I didn't comply..." Her voice came in broken fragments, barely audible.

Harold's head snapped up, his glare burning into me.

"Take a good look!" he snarled, voice raw. "Look at what your son did to my girl!"

The three of them clung to each other on the training grounds, sobbing. It was a wretched sight.

Among the watching pack members, many had tears burning in their own eyes, anger building behind them.

Hostile glares converged on me. Someone screamed that I was heartless.

Several warriors turned directly to Alpha, shouting their objections.

"Alpha, how can someone like her be our Beta?"

"Vera can't even control her own son — how is she supposed to manage the pack?"

Through all of it, I stood exactly where I was, watching with flat detachment.

Not so much as a flinch.

It wasn't that I was heartless. Their performance was just that pathetic.

Seeing the situation about to implode, Alpha Kieran released an even heavier pulse of dominance. The pressure swept over the grounds, and the noise died instantly.

"Both sides will state their case." His voice was low and final. "Until I've made my ruling, no one moves."

At the Alpha's command, Harold hauled himself to his feet.

Breathing hard, he launched into his account.

"Last night, Daisy was walking back from the patrol outpost at the edge of the woods."

"She took the path behind Pack House, and someone grabbed her from behind — covered her mouth and dragged her into the trees!"

Daisy clutched Harold's arm, trembling as she picked up where he left off.

"I saw his face while I was fighting back."

"It was Koda! He even told me he was the new neighbor who'd just moved in."

My gaze settled on Daisy's tear-streaked face, and I cut in without warmth.

"How exactly did you identify him as my son?"

Daisy flinched, then bit her lip and answered loudly.

"Because on moving day, I ran into Koda in the hallway!"

"He came up to me and introduced himself — he told me his name was Koda!"

I listened to every word of her tearful accusation, then called her out without an ounce of mercy.

"Every word of that is a lie." I held her stare, my voice quiet but cutting.

That pushed Harold over the edge. He let out a roar and lunged at me.

Several warriors reacted instantly, grabbing him and holding him in place.

Harold thrashed against them, screaming. "Are the injuries on my daughter's body fake too? Vera, do you have any conscience at all?"

Daisy broke down completely, covering her face and shrieking.

"Why would I use my own honor to frame someone?" She was sobbing so hard she could barely stay upright.

I watched their collective hysteria and felt nothing I needed to show them.

"If she'd actually seen my son, she would never have made such a ridiculous claim."

Daisy was wailing on the ground, and I almost felt amused.

I knew the truth.

On moving day, the Pembertons had only ever seen me. Koda had stayed in the car the entire time. He hadn't shown his face to a single person.

More importantly — if they had actually seen Koda, they never would have pinned a charge like sexual assault on him.