Chapter 4

Aria's POV

The heat of the fire scorched my face.

I stared at Chloe, pinned under the burning rubble, my feet nailed to the ground.

Two minutes ago, I was praying to be free of this woman, to escape her and her selfish brother forever.

But watching her about to be consumed by flames… my conscience screamed.

I was a healer. I couldn’t just watch someone burn alive.

“Aria! Help me!” Chloe’s sobs were ragged, hysterical.

I gritted my teeth. I ripped off my coat, covered my mouth, and ran into the flames.

The smoke was so thick I couldn’t see.

I rushed to her side and dug my fingers under the massive wooden pillar pinning her legs.

With every last bit of strength I had, I heaved, lifting the pillar just an inch.

“Crawl! Now!” I roared, my voice raw.

Chloe scrambled free.

I grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the exit.

We were inches from escaping.

CRACK!

A sharp snap echoed from above.

A burning section of the roof broke free and came hurtling down, smashing directly into my right shoulder.

White-hot pain shot through my entire body.

I let out a grunt, stumbling out of the shrine with Chloe as we both collapsed.

I clutched my shoulder, a cold sweat instantly soaking through my clothes.

This wasn’t a normal burn.

The beam was reinforced with solid silver. The molten silver instantly burned through my jacket, searing into my flesh.

It wasn’t just the searing pain. It was cutting off my wolf’s ability to heal.

Pain blinded me. I fell to my knees, every breath a ragged, trembling gasp.

The screech of tires echoed across the plaza.

Caleb and his guards burst onto the scene.

“Caleb!” Chloe screamed in terror.

Caleb’s eyes darted between me and Chloe. He saw me, crushed under the silver-laced beam, and a flash of agony and panic crossed his face. “Aria!”

But he only took one step toward me before Chloe let out a piercing shriek. “Caleb! I was so scared! My leg, it hurts so bad!”

Caleb’s feet changed direction instantly.

He lunged toward her, pulling her into a desperate hug, his voice choked with a panic I’d never heard before. “Where are you hurt? Don’t be scared, I’m here! Someone call an ambulance, now!”

I was kneeling less than ten feet away from them. My shoulder was a mess of torn flesh. I could hear the sizzle of the silver eating into my skin.

Caleb, still clutching a perfectly fine Chloe, turned his head to look at me. His eyes were full of pained reassurance. “Aria, hang on! The medics are almost here, I promise you’ll be okay!”

I bit my lip, my face pale, too much in pain to even make a sound.

He cared. Of course, he cared. But when it came to a choice, I was always the one left behind.

…

The ride down the mountain felt like an eternity.

When the pack healer was finally cleaning the silver shards out of my wound, the sheer agony made me pass out.

…

The next morning.

I woke up in a guest room at the villa.

“Luna, the wound is too deep. The healer said you need to stay in bed for the next two weeks.” Tessa, the maid, stood by my bed with red-rimmed eyes, holding a glass of water for me.

I took a weak sip. Before I could speak, the sound of a furious argument erupted outside.

I frowned. “What’s going on out there?”

Tessa’s face went pale. She stammered, afraid to say.

I threw on a robe, ignoring the tearing pain in my shoulder, and made my way to the first-floor entrance hall.

The main doors were wide open.

Outside, the yard was packed with a mob of over a hundred pack members.

They were furious, some even holding protest signs.

“Bring out Chloe! Make her answer for this!”

“The sacred torch hasn't fallen in centuries! The fire only started because she touched the forbidden sigil in the inner sanctum!”

“It’s blasphemy against the Moon Goddess! She must be punished!”

So the fire wasn’t an accident.

I stood in the shadows behind the door, watching Chloe hide behind Caleb.

She was white as a sheet, clutching his sleeve, all of her usual arrogance gone.

Caleb’s face was stone. He stood on the steps, his Alpha presence the only thing holding the crowd back.

“I will personally fund the complete reconstruction of the shrine, with double the cost,” Caleb said, his voice cold, trying to buy his way out of it.

“This isn’t about money! Someone must answer for the Moon Goddess’s anger!” the lead elder shouted, shaking his staff. “If the Alpha shields the guilty, then we won’t recognize this Alpha!”

The crowd erupted in another roar of protest.

Caleb’s expression darkened completely. He rubbed his temples in frustration. His eyes flickered and caught sight of me.

He turned and walked back inside, right up to me.

He glanced at my heavily bandaged shoulder, which was already bleeding through.

“Is the wound any better?” he asked flatly.

“What are you going to do about them?” I didn’t answer his question. I just stared at him.

“The mob is out of control. We have to give them something to calm them down.” A flicker of guilt crossed his eyes as he reached out to gently stroke my cheek. “Aria, could you go out there for Chloe? Just explain it to them. Tell them you were weak, that you stumbled and knocked over the torch by accident. They’ll see you’re injured. They won’t do anything to you.”

My eyes widened. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“You want me to take the fall for her?”

“It’s just for show,” he said, pulling me into a hug. “I’ll handle the rest.”