Chapter 4

Freya’s POV

My mind raced, piecing together a timeline that made my stomach twist with betrayal. Two months ago, Thorne had approached me on the balcony during the winter solstice celebration, suggesting an alliance between our families. All while Kaelin claimed to be carrying his child.

"Does he know?" I managed to ask.

"Not yet," Kaelin said, a small smile playing at her lips. "I was waiting for the right moment. Perhaps after your engagement announcement. A little surprise."

The casual cruelty in her tone snapped me from my shock. "You're lying," I accused. "This entire meeting—you wanted me to know before anyone else."

She didn't bother denying it. "I thought you deserved to know what you're getting into. Thorne may have chosen you politically, but he and I share something deeper." Her hand caressed her stomach again. "This child will always bind us together. Even if he marries you, he'll always come back to me for his firstborn."

My chest tightened with a mixture of pain and building anger. "You're lying about something. The scent isn't right—"

"But what?" she challenged, her demeanor changing completely. The vulnerable facade vanished, replaced by cold confidence. "You think Thorne never touched me? That all those nights he spent 'helping me' with my moon phase episodes were entirely innocent? How naive."

My wolf growled deep within me, pushing against my control. I felt my fingernails lengthening slightly, the first sign of a shift I struggled to contain.

"You need to leave," I warned, my voice dropping lower. "This conversation is over."

Kaelin laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "Run away if you want, Freya. It doesn't change the facts. You may wear his ring and stand beside him at ceremonies, but I'll be the one raising his heir. The pack will know who really matters to him."

"Thorne chose me," I said through clenched teeth. "Whatever happened between you before—"

"Will happen again," she interrupted smoothly. "Do you think an Alpha of his caliber will be satisfied with a political marriage when his true mate carries his child? The pack needs strong bloodlines, and my family has been breeding with the Greys for generations. Your fresh blood may be useful, but tradition will win in the end."

I took a step back, fighting to control my breathing as anger coursed through me. "You're trying to provoke me."

"I'm simply telling you the truth," Kaelin replied, stalking closer. "In the end, I'll be his Luna. This child guarantees it. The pack will demand it."

"Stop," I warned again, feeling my control slipping as my wolf pushed harder against my restraint, outraged by both the potential betrayal and the challenge to our claim.

"Poor Freya Riley," Kaelin continued, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. "So determined, so persistent. Five years chasing after a wolf who was never truly available. Did you really think your pretty face and family name could compete with what Thorne and I have built over a lifetime? With the child we've created together?"

Something snapped inside me. My vision sharpened, colors intensifying as my wolf surged forward. I felt my face begin to shift, bones rearranging as rage took over. Before I could stop myself, I lunged forward with a snarl, claws extended.

Kaelin's eyes widened with what I later realized was satisfaction rather than fear. My claws caught her arm, tearing through the delicate fabric of her dress and into her skin. She screamed—a piercing, dramatic sound that echoed through the garden—and fell backward against the stone bench.

Blood bloomed bright red against her silver dress as she cowered, suddenly fragile again. "Help!" she cried out, her voice carrying far beyond the pavilion. "Someone help me!"

Horror washed over me as I stared at my extended claws, tipped with Kaelin's blood. I backed away, my partial shift receding as shock replaced anger. "Kaelin, I—"

The pavilion door burst open. Edward Brooks, Kaelin's father, rushed in with two other pack members close behind. They took in the scene—Kaelin bleeding on the ground, me standing over her with bloodied claws—and reached the obvious conclusion.

But to my utter shock, Kaelin's story completely changed.

"I don't understand," she sobbed, clutching her wounded arm. "I just wanted to congratulate her... to give her a gift for her engagement..." Her voice broke as she gestured toward the wrapped package still sitting on the bench.

Edward's face hardened with fury as he moved to his daughter's side. "Guards!" he shouted. "The Alpha's betrothed has attacked my daughter during a phase episode!"

More wolves poured into the pavilion, drawn by the commotion. I stood frozen, unable to form words that would make sense of what had happened.

"No, that's not what happened," I finally managed. "She told me she was pregnant with Thorne's child. She was trying to provoke me—"

"Pregnant?" Kaelin's voice was a perfect mixture of confusion and hurt. "What are you talking about? I came to give you a gift to celebrate your engagement."

"You know exactly what you said," I insisted, desperation creeping into my voice. "You claimed Thorne had been with you two months ago, that you were carrying his child!"

Murmurs spread through the growing crowd. I could see the doubt in their eyes, the natural assumption that I was creating a bizarre excuse for my violence.

"What's happening here?" Thorne's authoritative voice cut through the chaos as he pushed his way into the pavilion. His eyes swept the scene, widening when they landed on Kaelin's bleeding form and then moving to my blood-stained hands.

"Freya?" The confusion and disappointment in his voice cut deeper than any claw.

"She's lying," I said desperately. "She told me she was pregnant with your child. She deliberately provoked me until I lost control."

Kaelin looked up at Thorne, her eyes swimming with tears. "I don't know why she's saying these things," she whispered. "I came to give her a gift as a peace offering. I was trying to be gracious about your choice."

"Check the garden cameras," I pleaded, grasping at any possible evidence. "They'll show what really happened!"

"There are no cameras in the private garden pavilions," Edward Brooks stated coldly. "For the privacy of our guests. How convenient for you."

I turned back to Thorne, desperate for him to believe me. "Use your senses. She claimed to be pregnant—that's why I reacted the way I did. If you check her scent—"

"She's obviously not pregnant," Edward interrupted dismissively. "My daughter would have told me such news. This is clearly an attempt to justify an inexcusable attack."

I looked around frantically, seeing the judgment in everyone's eyes. My claws had left undeniable marks on Kaelin's arm. The physical evidence supported her version of events, while I had nothing but my word against hers.

"Restrain her," Edward commanded the guards who had arrived. "She's dangerous. My daughter is experiencing a phase episode, and this... this animal attacked her without provocation."

As they approached with silver restraints, I looked pleadingly at Thorne. "You have to believe me. This was a trap."

His expression was unreadable, his Alpha mask firmly in place. "Take her to the holding cells," he ordered, his voice cold and formal. "We'll sort this out properly."

The guards grabbed my arms, snapping silver cuffs around my wrists. The metal burned against my skin, immediately suppressing my connection to my wolf. I didn't resist as they led me away, too shocked by how quickly everything had fallen apart.

Over my shoulder, I caught one last glimpse of Kaelin. As the attention focused on her injuries, a small, satisfied smile curved her lips—visible only to me before she buried her face in her father's shoulder, her body shaking with convincing sobs.

I had walked straight into her trap, and she had sprung it perfectly.