Chapter 3

I stared at the male wolf in front of me.

That face— etched with worry and pain— had softened me countless times before.

Now all I saw was lies. All I saw was a conspiracy years in the making.

While we were locked in stalemate, Liam's sister came barreling down the hall with a squad of warriors.

Gemma took one look at me blocking the doorway and rolled her eyes so hard I nearly heard it.

"What are you doing, Luna Sophie? Picking a fight with your Alpha in front of everyone? Acting like some street hag throwing a tantrum in public?"

"Lily's gone. It's not like this is Liam's fault. Why are you taking it out on him?"

"Besides, what's the big deal about signing a Blood Pact? She's feral. She's going to die anyway. You want her corpse rotting in that bed until it stinks up the whole wing?"

Gemma worked herself into a froth, lunging at me, grabbing for my hair.

Rage surged through me. I was about to fight back when Liam stepped between us.

He looked at me with that faintly disapproving expression— like I was the one in the wrong.

"Luna. She means well. Just let it go."

I laughed— a cold, hollow sound— and slapped him across the face.

"And you?" My voice shook despite myself. "You just stood there while she insulted me. While she insulted our daughter."

In all our years together, I had never once done this.

He touched his reddening cheek, staring at me like he'd never seen me before.

"Sophie, what the hell has gotten into you? You used to be the perfect Luna. Calm. Rational. You never made me worry. And now you're falling apart over nothing?"

I didn't answer. I just looked past him at the clock in the hall.

Thirty minutes until my brother arrived.

If I could hold on for thirty more minutes, I could take Lily and walk out of here.

"Alpha—" A silken voice cut through the tension. "What's taking so long?"

Elena Vance glided through the crowd, her gaze snagging on Liam like a fishhook.

She noticed the red mark on his face and immediately closed in.

"Oh my God, what happened to you?"

The moment Liam saw her, the coldness on his face melted away.

"I'm fine," he said softly. "Sophie's having second thoughts about the pact. We exchanged words."

Elena turned to me— disheveled, desperate, pinned to the wall by guards— and something flickered behind her eyes. Triumph. Quick and ugly.

"Lily's mind is completely gone. I confirmed it myself. Signing a Blood Pact is an honor. I never thought the Luna would be so selfish."

She sighed, all false sympathy.

"She'll live on in another way. Why can't you understand the beauty of this tradition…"

"Enough." I cut her off. "Your diagnosis is a lie. Lily can still be saved. I'm not signing anything, and I'm requesting a new Healer. Effective immediately."

Elena's eyes went glassy with tears. She retreated behind Liam like a wounded doe.

"Luna, I know you're in pain, but how can you question my expertise?"

"I stayed up all night. I exhausted myself trying to save your daughter. And this is how you repay me?"

"If my efforts mean so little to you… then maybe I should just quit. Never treat another wolf again."

The pack members surrounding us erupted.

"No! Don't listen to her!" one wolf shouted. "You're the best Shaman Healer in this territory. You've never been wrong!"

Another wolf jabbed a finger at me, face twisted with anger.

"Luna, how can you be so selfish? If you got sick, the Alpha could ship you off to some fancy treatment center. But the rest of us? We need Elena!"

"She's lost it. Attacking Elena like this, defying pack tradition— what's wrong with her?"

"Sophie, you owe Elena an apology!"

Elena made a show of walking away. Liam caught her arm.

"Don't go. You've done nothing wrong. You're the pack's most respected Healer. You don't deserve this."

Then he turned to me, eyes gone cold.

"Apologize to Elena. Now."

I didn't move. "No. If anyone deserves an apology, it's my daughter."

Something in Liam's gaze hardened.

"Sophie. I gave you a chance."

He raised his hand.

The guards didn't hesitate.

I tried to fight, but the weight of Alpha Command pressed down on me like a physical force.

My knees hit the floor. Pain splintered through me, darkening my vision.

"Hold her."

Hands shoved me flat against the cold tile.

I twisted my head, fighting to see the door to Lily's room.

Lily was still in there.

Her screams leaked through the walls— each one a knife in my chest.

Elena knelt beside me.

Close. Too close.

Her lips brushed my ear. Her voice was a whisper— soft, intimate, venomous.

"When your daughter died the first time? She screamed just like that. You heard it, didn't you? The exact same sound."

My eyes flew wide.

"Elena. You—"

She pulled back, and the mask was back— wounded, innocent, confused.

"Alpha," she murmured, "I just realized. The Luna… she's been touched by something dark. A possession, maybe. Let me cleanse her?"

Liam's brow creased. Doubt flickered. Then he nodded.

Elena closed her eyes.

Her lips began to move.

The syllables that spilled out were old. Wrong. They slithered through the air like snakes.

Heat bloomed under my skin.

Dark red veins surfaced at my wrists— thin as wire, burning like brand irons— crawling up my forearms, branching, spreading…

The pain—

I bit through my lip.

I thrashed. I fought. But the guards held fast. The pack watched.

No one moved to help me.

My vision blurred. Lily's screams faded into static.

Right before the dark swallowed me whole, a voice exploded through the hall—

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER."