Chapter 4

"It's a healing potion I specially concocted just for you." Her voice was as soft as a sigh as her fingernails dragged across my face and left one bloody scratch after another.

"A generous dose of silver powder mixed with wolfsbane juice, plus a little something hallucinogenic. Once you drink it, your nervous system will slowly burn away until the very last moment!" she added.

My fingers clenched around the armrests of the chair. She reached out, grabbed my hair, and forced me to lift my head to face her.

"Alex is the esteemed Alpha of Darknight Pack. You're nothing but a filthy rogue. You're not worthy of him!"

She straightened up before slipping back into her usual gentle demeanor.

"Personally, though, I wouldn't recommend going around telling people about this." She glanced at Alex. "After all, even if you tell him, he won't believe you."

It felt like my body had been thrown into a raging fire. The agony burned through me from the inside out, leaving me unable to make a sound.

All I could do was watch helplessly as she leisurely walked back to the table.

Three years ago, I'd rejected my family's choice of mate for me and left Silvermoon Pack alone. I thought I'd found true love here.

It turned out that everything had been nothing more than wishful thinking on my part.

In my final moments, Dad's stern face appeared before my eyes.

How heartbroken would he be if he knew how much I'd suffered since leaving home?

Perhaps I'd never even see him again.

Just as my consciousness sank completely into darkness, the banquet hall doors were violently thrown open from the outside.

A howling wind rushed into the hall, extinguishing every candle on the banquet tables.

Pale moonlight poured through the wide-open door to illuminate a tall silhouette.

He wore a silver-white fur cloak. The Silvermoon Pack insignia was embroidered across his chest with two intertwined wolves.

His eyes, which were the same color as mine, swept over the guests frozen in place before finally settling on me.

He hurried to my side and crouched down. He gently brushed his fingers against my burning forehead before lifting my arm, which was beginning to turn dark purple.

He said nothing, but I saw him clenching his jaw.

At last, he spoke, and his deep voice brimmed with overwhelming fury. "Who gave her the wolfsbane potion?"

Silence filled the banquet hall.

Someone recognized the insignia on his chest and began trembling. Someone else even collapsed to the floor.

Alex stepped forward with a frown on his face. His voice carried a hint of hesitation and trembled slightly. "Who are you?"

Ryan Silvermoon slowly stood up and turned to face Alex.

He didn't answer. Instead, he pointed at Emily's pocket.

"That's my daughter's insignia. Who gave you the right to touch it?"

"You're–" Alex stared at the insignia, and his eyes went wide. He staggered backward.

"R-Ryan Silvermoon, the Alpha King from the north–" Alex murmured just as his face turned pale.