Chapter 2

Laughter woke me from the peace of death.

I opened my eyes. I was floating near the ceiling.

Below, my body was still slumped over the desk, the collar pulsing its lonely red light.

The front door opened.

"Tonight's festival was just perfect," Elara's voice floated in, full of satisfaction. "Chairman Lycan was so impressed with our pack's contributions."

She kicked off her expensive heels and glided into the living room.

Her gorgeous evening gown shimmered in the moonlight.

Now a soul, I instinctively floated toward them.

I wanted to get their slippers, just like I always did.

It was a reflex carved into my very bones.

"Mom!"

I opened my arms, wanting to hug the woman who brought the night's chill in with her.

"My emotions are stable now. I'll be good. Please don't be mad."

But my hands went right through her. Like smoke.

She shivered, rubbing her arms.

"Strange. Why is it suddenly so cold in here?"

I froze, staring at my transparent hands. I couldn't feel my wolf spirit anymore.

Right. I was dead.

A dead wolf can't hug the living.

Marcus followed her in, loosening his tie.

"Probably just the AC." He paused. "We should check on Selena."

My heart jumped.

No, I don't have a heart anymore.

But something like hope burned in my chest.

Dad was going to check on me. He would find me.

I looked at my mother, a wave of sadness washing over me.

Would she cry? Would she fall to her knees, realizing her mistake?

"Check on what?" Elara scoffed, walking toward my room. "Let her reflect."

She pushed open the door.

The room was dark, except for the flashing red light of the collar.

My body was motionless at the desk.

"Look at her," Elara's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Eighteen years old and still pulling these stunts for sympathy. Does she think pretending to be asleep will change the collar's color? This pathetic need for attention, it's because I've been too soft on her."

No. That's not it.

I wanted to scream, but no sound came out.

My sister, Cassia, peeked out from behind her, the blue halo on her neck as gentle as an angel's blessing.

"Mom, look. Her collar is still flashing red," she said, her voice sickly sweet. "Sis is losing control even in her sleep."

"Just as I thought," Mom said, staring coldly at my corpse. "Dr. Harrison was right. For severe cases like hers, isolation is the only answer. Otherwise, her wolf could shatter, and she could go feral."

She walked toward me, looming over my body.

"The flashing red means she's still in a state of extreme defiance. She hasn't reflected at all."

I screamed in her face, waving my hands. "I'm dead! Can't you see? I'm dead! Just get closer! Touch me!"

But she couldn't see or hear a thing.

She only trusted that damn collar.

"Leave her," Elara said, turning to leave. "She can stay in there until she learns to control herself."

"But she hasn't eaten all night..." my father said, hesitating.

"Marcus," my mother's tone sharpened. "Do you want to ruin her? Strict discipline is the only thing that can save her. Your weakness will only make her worse."

My father fell silent.

The door closed again.

The electronic lock clicked.

I floated beside my body, watching that single point of crimson light in the darkness. The despair I felt was worse than death itself.

Mom, if you had just taken one more step, if you had just touched my hand, you would have known I was cold as stone.

But you trusted a machine over your own daughter. You wouldn't even take one step to see if I was still breathing.

I could hear them talking in the living room.

"Oh, right, there's that biotech summit tomorrow night..."

"Cassia, you were wonderful tonight. Several of the council elders were very impressed with you..."

"Our family's reputation has never been stronger..."

They were celebrating.

While my body was radiating the chill of death, they were celebrating the family's honor.

I floated back into my room and looked at my own body.

My skin was already losing its color, turning waxy and pale. My lips were purple, my eye sockets sinking.

The collar on my neck kept flashing its useless red light, a final, pointless protest from a corpse.

A faint smell began to rise from my body.

It was the sign of a werewolf's body decaying rapidly after the life force is gone.

Soon, the smell would be stronger. Unmistakable.

I used to hate that smell more than anything.

But now, all I could do was float at the ceiling and smell my own body rot.

"Go away," I tried to command the smell, but I had no voice.

The corpse was slowly decomposing, a dark fluid beginning to seep from it.

I didn't feel sick anymore.

That was nice.

At least there was no more pain.

I whispered to the pathetic shell below.

"Don't be scared. You can't feel a thing anymore. It'll be over soon."