Chapter 6

Seraphine still looked smug, as if she was proud of what she had done.

"If I hadn't been smart, you really would have scammed us. Once someone is dead, they're just a body. We don't have money to pay you."

Raven hid behind Seraphine and shouted at me, "You're a terrible woman! Your son died, and now you're trying to scam us out of money. You're shameless!

"Your son was only three months old, and you're already trying to squeeze hundreds of thousands out of us. What, are you planning to get rich every time you have a pup?"

The Luna and Damien kept trying to persuade me to let it go.

Damien held my arm and said, "I'll buy you a new car tomorrow. Stop being angry. It's just one pup. We can have another."

I was so furious at this family that my whole body went weak.

Right now, only one thought remained in my mind.

I had to know who that baby was.

"Get him out," I said. "We… we'll bury him."

Damien frowned and looked at the filthy cellar with obvious disgust. He clearly didn't want to do it.

I couldn't help letting out a bitter laugh.

"That child is connected to you by blood, and you're disgusted by him?"

Damien took a deep breath and resigned himself to it, reaching for the shovel.

But Seraphine blocked him, staring at me warily.

"Damien, your mate is tricking you. The second you get that pup out, she'll call the enforcers!

"Then she'll drag your niece to court. Do you know how much our family will have to pay?"

Raven tugged at his clothes too.

"Uncle Damien, I don't want to pay money. If we pay, I won't be able to go to school anymore!"

Damien tossed the shovel aside and said to me, "The pup is already dead. Stop disturbing his peace."

I closed my eyes.

"Don't regret this."

With that, I stumbled toward the territory gate.

Seraphine panicked and grabbed my wrist tightly.

"Where do you think you're going? I'm telling you, don't even think about running off to call the enforcers!

"You have to stay here until after the Gathering. Then we'll just say your pup accidentally fell into the cellar!"

By the time the Gathering was over, there would be no evidence left to prove he had fallen from the upstairs window.

The Luna came over with a rope and tied my wrists together. The rope smelled bitter. Wolfsbane.

"Selene, be good. As long as you behave, I promise you won't get hurt."

I struggled twice, but the rope only tightened. I tried to shift. The rope held.

I looked at Damien, pleading.

"Do you really think I'm calling the enforcers just to extort money?"

Damien looked away.

"Selene, behave. Stop doing things that hurt this pack."

While my hands were tied, Raven rushed up and slapped me hard across the face.

She made a face at me and mocked, "Weren't you so tough? Come on, hit me if you can! Come on!"

I gritted my teeth, trembling so hard I could barely stand. My wolf roared inside me, but the wolfsbane kept me human.

"You're rotten," I said through clenched teeth. "You were born rotten."

That only made Raven more excited.

She kicked me hard in the lower abdomen.

Pain tore through the scar from my C-section — I had given birth in my human form, like most she-wolves did to keep the pup safe.

I bit down hard on my lip.

I hoped Damien still had even a shred of feeling left for me as his mate.

I hoped he would untie me.

But he only focused on comforting Seraphine and said casually, "How much strength can a pup have? You scared her earlier. Just let her blow off some steam."

Raven kicked me in the stomach again, taunting me.

"Your son deserved to die! He deserved to die!"

"Who the hell said my grandson is dead?"

A furious howl rang out, followed by enforcer sirens once again.

My birth pack was standing at the gate with the enforcers.

And in their arms was my living, breathing son.