Chapter 3

I lay unconscious in the stone cell all night.

When I came to, it was already light.

The maid who brought my breakfast said Alric had stayed with Yvette all night.

Apparently Yvette had suffered a terrible fright, so he'd kept the healer at her side until morning.

And I had lain there alone, unconscious, in a pool of my own blood.

Alric had sent Osric to check on me. The healer glanced at the blood on the floor, then quickly averted his eyes. He said my wolf's heart was still damaged from the old injury and told me to keep taking my medicine.

Alric had given Yvette an entire night. All he left me was a bowl of stone-cold medicine.

After a while, the door creaked open.

It was Yvette.

She had brought her three daughters to see me.

Liv and Nora held their noses and whined, "It stinks in here. Can we go now?"

"You're bad!"

Freya shoved me hard. There was nothing timid or childlike in her eyes.

"Why did you make up lies about my mom? Bad people like you should be locked up in here forever!"

My back slammed into the wall, and I curled up in pain.

Yvette stayed where she was and didn't stop them.

Freya wasn't done.

"You can't have pups, so you can't stand it when Mom's pregnant.

"Father didn't sleep all night because of you. I wish you were dead!"

I looked at her and suddenly remembered the high fever she'd had when she was two.

I was the one who shifted into my white wolf and ran across three snowy mountains in a single night to bring back silverleaf to break her fever.

She was so feverish she barely knew where she was, and the first word she ever said wasn't Mama. It was Auntie.

After that, my sister stopped letting her cling to me.

"If I really did die one day," I asked her softly, "would you be happy?"

Freya didn't even hesitate. "Of course! Nobody wants you here!"

A pup is a blank page. Adults decide what gets written on it.

She wasn't the one at fault. Yvette and Alric were.

"Yvette," I said, looking up at her, "you know perfectly well I gave you that necklace."

Yvette smiled.

She took the necklace out of her pocket and set it on the table by my hand.

"Alric specifically asked me to return this to you."

She paused, then drew out the words. "Looks like he still cares about you after all."

I didn't reach for it.

Yvette stood there a moment longer, then left with the girls.

That evening, Alric sent word that I was to attend the full moon feast.

The maid who brought the message stood in the doorway with her head bowed.

"The Alpha says you're to wear the moonstone necklace."

I changed into a clean dress and put on the necklace.

At the feast, Alric poured the first glass of moon wine himself.

By Frostmoon custom, the first glass went to the Luna.

But he turned and handed it to Yvette.

The hall fell quiet for a moment.

Yvette took the wine and spoke softly.

"Alpha, you're giving me the first glass? Won't Sigrid be upset?"

Alric looked over at me.

"What's there to be upset about? It's just a cup of wine.

"Have I ever treated her badly in all these years?"

No, he hadn't.

Gems, furs, jewelry. He had given me plenty.

He gave me everything money could buy.

Everything except his heart. That belonged to Yvette.

Yvette drank it down in one go.

"Sigrid, toast Yvette."

Alric lifted his chin at me. "Consider it your apology for last night."

Suddenly, I didn't want to defend myself anymore.

To him, the truth did not matter. Only what he chose to believe did.

No matter what I said, in his eyes, I was guilty.

I picked up the glass and walked over to Yvette.

My throat suddenly tightened.

The next second, a violent cough seized me.

Wine spilled all over Yvette.

She jerked back as if she'd been burned and nearly fell.

Alric pulled her into his arms at once.

"Alpha..." She clutched her stomach. "I think something's wrong..."

Alric's face changed. "Get the healer, now!" he shouted.

Several maids rushed over and hurried Yvette out.

Alric turned back and fixed me with a cold stare.

"You can't even hold a wine glass steady?"

I looked down at my hands. They were still shaking.

"I'm sorry. I'll apologize to my sister later."

Alric looked taken aback.

The old me had a hot temper. I would never have backed down and admitted I was wrong so quickly.

What he didn't know was that I used to be headstrong because I still cared. Because I still had hope.

I had cried, I had screamed, I had smashed things until the floor was covered in pieces.

As I lost hope in him, my tears slowly gave way to silence.

My indifference gave Alric nowhere to direct his anger.

It was like throwing a punch with all his might, only to hit thin air.

Yvette returned from the side hall, one hand still resting on her stomach, and tugged at his sleeve. "It's still snowing out there. Sigrid's wolf won't be able to take it."

His voice hardened. "I've spoiled her for so long that she keeps taking my patience for granted."

Alric suddenly grabbed my wrist.

"Go kneel at the Moon Goddess's altar for an hour."

His thumb pressed hard against my wrist bone, and he didn't let go even when I winced.

"Think about what you've done before the feast ends."

I didn't fight him. I only asked, "After the hour is up, can I leave the Frostmoon pack?"

His fingers clamped down.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To the sea."

"No."

He answered so quickly that he seemed to surprise himself.

I looked at him. "I don't want to be the Frostmoon Luna anymore. And I don't want to stay here."

"Sigrid!"

Alric stepped into my path, his voice low.

"You can't just decide to stop being Luna whenever you throw a tantrum. Unless I strip you of that title, you'll belong to the Frostmoon pack forever."

I asked quietly, "And do I belong to you?"

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

A maid's panicked cry suddenly rang out from the side hall.

"Alpha, Yvette's having terrible stomach pains!"

Alric let go of me and headed straight for the side hall.

Two steps later, he looked back.

"Just one hour.

"I'll come get you myself."

I didn't answer.

He stared at me for a moment, then went to the side hall after all.

I took the moonstone necklace from around my neck, closed it in my fist, and walked alone through the snow to the Moon Goddess's altar.