Chapter 4

Carmen’s POV

Three months later.

Today was the day I was supposed to die.

Three months ago, I was drowning in a river with water filling my lungs. Today, I was standing in front of my bedroom mirror wearing a dress that fit me perfectly. It was made of silk and showed off my body—the same body Silas had always called fat.

I was not fat, nor was I adding weight for no reason. I was six months pregnant. The Moon Goddess had been kind to me; my stomach was still flat and my scent still hadn’t changed, so to everyone, I was just the same old Carmen. I was the one they thought was useless.

Silas burst into the bedroom, not even looking at me. He was busy fixing his cufflinks, looking like the important man he thought he was. “Are you ready yet?” he asked. “Chloe is waiting in the car. We have a party to go to, and I do not want your sad face ruining the night.”

I turned around, trying to look as pathetic as possible. I kept my shoulders slumped and my eyes downcast. “Actually, Silas, I do not think I can go. I do not think I can do any of this anymore,” I whispered.

Silas finally looked at me, his face twisted in disgust. “What are you talking about now?” he snapped.

“I am not well,” I said quietly, forcing myself to squeeze out a tear. “I am not well in my mind. I have been having these episodes. I think I need to go away for a while to a place where I can get help, like a wellness center in the human cities. I need to get my head straight.”

Silas laughed. He walked over to me, grabbing my chin roughly and forcing me to look at him. “You are finally admitting it? That you are crazy, stupid, and useless? That you cannot have children?” he mocked.

I flinched, trying to look appropriately scared. “Please, Silas, just let me go. I will stay out of your way. You can tell the pack I am taking a break. I’ll come back as soon as I’m fine,” I pleaded.

“Go,” he spat, pushing me away so hard that I hit the dresser. “Never come back. Because I know damn well you’d likely be sleeping around, you fucking whore. I have got everything I need from you, which is nothing. Chloe will be a better partner for me than you could ever be.”

*Of course, which is why you’ve been cheating on me with my sister and killed me once you saw I was pregnant,* I wanted to say. But for my own benefit, I kept quiet.

He walked out, slamming the door behind him.

I waited until I heard his car drive away before I stood up straight. I wiped away the fake tear and walked over to my computer. I looked at the screen and smiled. Silas thought he had everything, but he was wrong. While he was busy with my sister, I had taken sixty percent of the pack's money and moved it into my own private accounts. I had sold their stocks, moved the emergency funds, and drained their reserves.

By this time in three weeks, the pack would not have enough money to pay their guards or take care of their home. They would be broke, and they wouldn't even know it yet.

“Have fun at the party, Silas,” I said to myself. “Because I am going to a party of my own.”

~~~

The gala was being held at a house called White Gates. It was full of humans who thought they were important, unaware that the real power in the room belonged to the wolves disguised as billionaire CEOs.

I walked in with my head held high. For the first time in six years, I was not wearing a big sweater or bulky clothing to cover myself up. I was also not wearing anything to compress my body. My hair was let down across my back in soft waves. I could see people whispering as I passed; they recognized me as Silas’s wife, though I looked entirely different from the woman they were used to.

I did not care about them. I was looking for one person.

I found him standing near the balcony, a drink in his hand that he hadn’t even taken a sip from. Cayden Viner. He was more intimidating than I had heard—at least six-foot-six with black hair and eyes that looked like a winter storm. He had a tattoo of a wolf on his neck that dipped down into the collar of his shirt.

I took a breath and walked up to him. His Beta, a man named Leo, tried to stop me, but Cayden raised a hand and Leo stepped back. Cayden’s eyes locked into mine and I almost flinched. But I was done being a weakling who cowered in the face of anyone.

“The Luna of the Silvercrest pack,” Cayden said in a rough voice, looking extremely amused. “I did not think Silas let you out of the house without permission.”

“Silas does not know I am here,” I said, trying to sound calm. “Silas does not own me, so I don’t need his permission to go anywhere.”

“Is that so?” He lifted an eyebrow.

“Yes.” I didn’t shift or fidget, no matter how tempting it was. Cayden was scrutinizing me like a predator assessing prey.

As I folded my arms across my chest, I could see his eyes traveling down my dress before returning to my face. “You are brave to come to me, considering the pack you belong to is my enemy. What do you want, Carmen?” he asked.

“I want to give you a gift,” I said, stepping closer.

He snorted out a laugh, looking at me incredulously. “A gift? You are joking, right? Or by 'gift,' do you mean the head of one of my pack members? Something to send a message?”

“Now, why ever would you think that?” I smirked. “The Silvercrest pack is weak. They do not have any money. Their defenses are failing. If you attack them continuously, Nightshade will take over, and Silas will not be able to do anything about it. I will give you a list of all their weakest points to target.”

I saw surprise in Cayden’s eyes, followed by a dark curiosity. He stepped closer to me, his scent overpowering my senses. He was so close that I could see the faint scars on his face. He reached out his hand, cradling my face slowly.

I swallowed hard.

“You are offering me your husband’s head on a silver platter,” Cayden whispered, his voice taking on a dangerous tone. “Tell me, Carmen. Why would you, as Luna, want to hurt your own pack?”