Chapter 2

The next evening, Yvette had a carriage ready for me. She came to see me off, her pregnant belly clearly showing.

"I've booked the whole Greenpine Moon Spring for you. It's the biggest one in the North. Go and get some rest.

"Don't worry about the Alpha. I'll talk to him for you and calm him down."

I nodded and climbed in.

The crunch of the wheels over the snow sounded like a farewell.

Seven years ago, I had entered this estate as a decorated war hero, full of pride.

Seven years later, they had worn me down until I became exactly what they wanted.

I didn't even have the courage left to say goodbye.

I looked back at the Alpha's estate one last time.

The old tree by the gate had been eaten nearly hollow and had shed all its leaves early.

Like me, it wouldn't put out a single new bud when spring came.

Just go.

Once the moon spring gave me a little strength back, it would be time to see the sea.

The Greenpine Moon Spring was tucked away behind Greenpine Mountain.

The maids left towels and a plate of fruit, scattered a few lily petals on the water, then disappeared into the drifting steam.

The spring water reached my chest, its warmth spreading through my body as I slowly washed.

The three arrow wounds were scars now. But the wolfsbane those arrows had carried deep into my body still sent waves of chills through me.

I closed my eyes and sank all the way under.

Out of nowhere, I wondered if all the tears I had cried over seven years could fill this spring.

The surface of the water suddenly rippled.

I broke the surface and opened my eyes. An unfamiliar man stood on the bank!

I screamed and scrambled back.

"Who are you?!"

The scruffy man gave me a leering grin. "Didn't you pay me to come here, sweetheart? Why play innocent now?"

I shot to my feet, grabbed my clothes off the bank, and tried to run.

But he shifted into wolf form and lunged at me, cutting off my escape and pinning me against the edge of the spring.

He leaned in, his foul breath washing over my face.

With the last of my strength, I shifted and raked my claws across his chest, opening three bloody lines.

He swore at me. "You filthy bitch!" Then he slammed me into the rock wall.

Thud!

My back went numb from the impact, and I tasted blood.

Before I could get to my feet, torchlight flooded the bank.

Alric walked slowly toward me, and the look in his eyes was cold enough to freeze my heart solid.

Before the wolf could even turn around, Alric kicked him into the water, tore off his own cloak to wrap me in, and ordered his warriors to pin the wolf down.

"Luna, someone reported that you were secretly meeting another male. I thought it was a false accusation."

His gaze swept over me and finally settled on the wolf's neck.

I followed his eyes and saw that the wolf was wearing my moonstone necklace!

The same moonstone necklace I had left with my sister!

Alric demanded through gritted teeth, "Why is he wearing that necklace?"

My mind went blank.

The wolf dropped to his knees at Alric's feet.

"Alpha! The Luna gave me this necklace! She said if you could cheat on her, she could cheat on you too!"

Alric unleashed a furious surge of Alpha power.

My wolf was far too weak to withstand it. The force slammed into me all at once, and everything went black.

Just before I lost consciousness, someone caught me in their arms. The familiar scent of cedar surrounded me.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in my own bed.

Alric stood at the window with his hands clasped behind his back, stiff and straight as a spear.

Yvette sat at my bedside, holding my hand.

"You're awake?"

She sighed as if she could no longer hold it in. "Sigrid, I know you like to have your fun. Riding horses and hunting bears is one thing, but this time you've gone too far!"

My ears rang.

I couldn't believe my sister had set me up. I didn't want to believe it.

She was my sister. We had grown up together.

Crash!

Alric smashed a vase. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at me.

A sharp pain went through my heart.

I had wanted to leave, but not like this.

"I don't know that wolf." I clutched the edge of the blanket. "And the necklace? Yesterday I—"

I paused and looked at Yvette. "I gave it to my sister yesterday."

Alric was taken aback. He turned to look at Yvette.

Yvette sprang to her feet, her voice breaking.

"What are you saying? That I'm the one who brought that wolf there?

"I'm carrying a pup, and I still went to all the trouble of planning your trip. And this is how you repay me? By accusing me?"

She was so upset that she swayed on her feet.

Alric caught her right away.

When he looked at me again, his eyes were as cold as the snow outside.

"Sigrid! When are you going to learn to take responsibility for your own mistakes? Yvette isn't your scapegoat! She arranged a place for you to rest, and this is how you thank her?"

I bit down hard on my lip until I tasted blood.

Yvette leaned against his chest, still choked up. "Let it go. She's just upset that I'm having another pup, so she's taking it out on me."

Alric scoffed.

"It's a good thing she can't have pups. I can't imagine what a she-wolf that vicious would give birth to!"

I went rigid.

This was the man I had loved with everything I had.

I had been wounded protecting him.

And this was how he trampled on my dignity.

"Under pack law, a Luna caught cheating is banished from our territory. But given your poor health, I'll be merciful."

Alric spat the words out.

I coughed. He reached for me on instinct, then stopped when Yvette let out a sob.

"But I can't let you keep running wild, either. You'll be locked in the stone cell until you've thought about what you did."

I looked at the two of them and gave a soft laugh.

Nothing I said would make a difference. He had already decided I was guilty.

Before the door of the stone cell was locked, he looked back at me one last time.

"I've spoiled you for seven years! Even the most unruly child would have grown up by now! But you've only gotten worse! And now you've made me the laughingstock of the entire North by fooling around with some worthless rogue!"

Tears streamed down my face. My chest heaved with sobs, but I couldn't get a single word out.

Alric's eyes were ice. "Stop trying to fool me with your tears, Sigrid."

The stone door slammed shut.

I collapsed to the floor and coughed up blood.

So that was all it had ever meant to him.

My seven years of loving him with my whole heart were nothing but a joke.