Chapter 5

Just as Violet was about to skin me alive in front of all her guests, I finally heard my brother's voice.

At eight o'clock that night, the lodge's main hall was blazing with light. Guests from all the nearby packs crowded around the stage holding their drinks. Violet wore a white gown and a bright smile, as if she were hosting a grand celebration. Her people set me in the middle of a pile of flowers, fastened the silver chain to a corner of the stage, and covered the ugly wounds on my neck with the wide satin ribbon.

She'd even given me a title. The rarest snow fox in the world.

"I caught this one in the mountains myself," she proudly told everyone. "It's vicious. It even killed one of my hounds. But I've already taught it how to behave."

On the big screen, Dylan played the footage of me being dragged around and abused. One guest in the audience took in all my wounds, and his smile slowly faded.

"Where did you catch it? That area looks like Silver Moon territory."

Nolan stepped in to smooth things over. "It's just a stray dog. Surely the Silver Moon Alpha wouldn't claim a dog as one of his own."

He said it like it was nothing, but I could see him checking his phone over and over, like he was waiting for some kind of news.

Violet yanked the silver chain tight and forced me to stand. The wounds on my paws hadn't scabbed over yet, and when I stepped onto the silver-dusted stage, the burning pain made me recoil. She jabbed my back leg with the catch pole. "Walk a lap so everyone can get a good look."

The guests crowded around. I limped forward. Some of them looked at me with pity, and others praised Violet's skill. I desperately wanted to tell everyone that a white dog for them to play with wasn't the only thing being held captive here. There was also a little wolf named Finn, and he'd already been shipped off to a cold old mine.

But I couldn't even get out a single full sentence.

A middle-aged woman pushed her way to the main doors. It was Joanna. She planted herself in front of the security guards and said loudly that this animal was very likely a werewolf who hadn't shifted yet. She demanded they take the silver off right away and confirm who it was. Violet didn't even bother to look at her. She waved a hand, and security dragged Joanna out the door.

Then Violet made an even more shocking announcement.

"Everyone, I'm not planning to sell it alive today."

She picked up a long, slender hunting knife from a servant's tray and walked slowly toward me.

"I'm going to remove this snow fox's pelt in one piece, right in front of all of you. Anyone who wants it can just place a bid afterward."

I scrambled backward. My back leg slammed into the metal clasp, and the silver chain jerked tight, almost choking me.

Memories flashed through my mind. My dad holding my paws and scolding me for not watching where I was going when I chased the rabbit. My sister complaining I was useless while she secretly chased off the wild dogs by the stream. And before he left home, my brother carrying me on his shoulders, teaching me to practice the three howls across the whole valley.

But now, none of them were here with me.

With the last of my strength, I looked toward the heavy doors of the main hall.

The crowd suddenly erupted.

The guards' radios crackled one after another. Someone knocked over a table full of drinks, and a man in a dark coat walked straight toward the big screen. His shoes were caked in mud, and he looked worn out from the long journey. His eyes were locked on the three claw marks I'd carved into the wooden stage.