Chapter 3

Julia was eventually persuaded to return to her room, while Mom and Dad sank wearily onto the couch.

After a long silence, Dad finally said, "Maybe we should let Tessa out. It's the last day. At least let the sisters say goodbye."

Mom's eyes reddened at once, but she still shook her head.

"No."

She wiped away her tears, struggling to keep herself from breaking down.

"She'll have to put up with this one last time. This is Julia's final birthday. Once today is over, I'll make it up to Tessa properly. Whatever she wants, she can have."

Then, as though she were trying to convince herself, Mom added, "Tessa will understand."

Dad said nothing more and asked a servant to prepare a steak.

Carrying the plate to the dungeon, he stopped outside the iron door and spoke gently. "Tessa, Dad brought you some steak. Get up and eat something."

I drifted through the door and saw my own body lying facedown on the floor, stiff and motionless, my skin already taking on a grayish-blue hue.

Not a sound came from inside.

Dad's patience began to wear thin.

As Alpha of the pack, he believed that even his own daughter had no right to defy his orders.

His expression hardened as he addressed the silent cell. "Tessa, I thought Helena was being too harsh when she locked you in here, but now I can see she was right. You really do need to learn to correct this behavior."

I floated in front of him, my eyes burning with desperation.

"Dad, please open the door and look at me. I'm not disobeying you. I'm dead. Please, just go inside and look."

"Tessa, are you really going to keep sulking?"

Dad's commanding voice echoed through the corridor, making the silence behind the iron door feel even more absolute.

When his patience finally ran out, he dropped the plate of steak outside and left me with one final warning. "Think carefully about what you've done, Tessa. You're staying in here tomorrow too."

Watching him walk away, I whispered, "Dad, I'll never get another chance to come out."

The corridor fell silent again.

I curled up in the corner with my arms around my knees, unwilling to go back upstairs and watch Mom and Dad pour all their love into Julia.

Before long, the door leading to the dungeon opened again.

Mom stepped inside and crouched where Dad had been standing moments earlier, pressing her entire palm against the iron door as though she might somehow feel me through it.

But the bond that could truly connect us remained dark and silent.

"Tessa, don't blame me, okay?"

Her voice was soft, heavy with exhaustion and grief.

"I know this isn't fair to you, but Julia doesn't have much time left. Just let her have this one last day."

"Once today is over, everything will be yours. Your father and I will make it up to you."

"From now on, we'll celebrate only your birthday. I'll even bake your cake myself."

A faint smile touched her face, as though she could already see the happy day when she would make that cake for me.

"And the beautiful dresses will be yours too. I'll have a designer make one just for you, something no one else in the world has. We can make it pink, your favorite color."

As she spoke, a flicker of guilt crossed her face.

"And the full moon too. Next time, I'll stay with you the entire night. I won't let you get hurt again."

I stared at her, a complicated ache rising in my chest.

On the night of the full moon, one of the werewolves had lost control. I had gone out to pick flowers for Mom and hadn't made it home in time, and the crazed wolf had clawed me.

Afraid Mom and Dad would dislike me even more because of it, I had never dared to tell them.

Julia eventually sensed through our bond that I had been hurt and secretly gave me some of her own medicine.

So Mom had known all along.

A sudden fear seized me. Did she think I had taken Julia's medicine and made her condition worse?

The thought frightened me so badly that I almost began to tremble.

But Mom didn't blame me. Instead, she continued speaking softly through the door. "Tessa, once this is over, everything will be yours. Just today. Can you let today belong to Julia alone?"

Okay, Mom. Even if you hadn't locked me in here, I would have given this day to Julia.

Without thinking, I moved closer, wanting to feel the rare warmth in Mom's voice.

Before I could reach her, however, she suddenly rose to her feet. After receiving no response from me, her tone sharpened without warning.

"I've already lowered myself this much to beg you, and you still won't say a single word! Are you still angry with me? Why can't you just be a little more understanding?"

As if something inside her had snapped, Mom began lashing out wildly, one cruel accusation after another spilling from her mouth.

I stood frozen, unable to react for a long time.

Only after the corridor was empty again did I realize my face was wet.

So even a soul could cry.