Chapter 2

"It's all my fault," Lily’s voice was weak and innocent. "I'm sure Freya didn't mean it. She was just… just trying to play a joke on me."

As she spoke, huge tears rolled down her cheeks. She was playing the part of the heartbreakingly fragile victim to perfection.

"A joke?" Caleb shot to his feet, furious. "Luring you into the woods to be attacked by a rogue is a joke?!"

"No, it wasn't like that…" Lily shook her head. "Freya just… she just wanted to show me the beautiful scenery. I was the one who was careless and got hurt by the rogue. It's my fault for being so useless…"

The more she defended me, the darker my brothers' faces grew.

I watched her little performance, my heart cold. It was a familiar act. Lily always painted herself as the innocent victim, and all the sympathy for her would curdle into accusations against me.

As if by accident, Lily raised a hand to wipe her tears, revealing the still-healing gash on her arm. The ugly gash was a violent tear across her pale skin.

Ethan’s eyes softened with pity. He said nothing, but his fists clenched tighter.

Caleb seemed to have made up his mind. He turned to Ethan. "Brother, Freya's been in the dungeon for three days without a single word of apology. She clearly has no remorse. We can't let her get away with this anymore!"

"You're right." Ethan stood up slowly, his Alpha’s aura filling the room. "It's time she learned that the laws of the Blood Moon pack are not for show."

He ordered the butler to bring me to them.

"And," Ethan's voice was like ice, "bring the silver whip."

The silver whip.

Even the pack servants in the room flinched. It was a tool of punishment, each lash inflicting excruciating pain that took months for a werewolf to heal from.

"Ethan, no…" Lily stood up in a panic, stumbling from her feigned weakness. Noah caught her.

"Lily, you're too kind," Ethan said, his gaze softening as he looked at her. "But your kindness is exactly why someone has to enforce the rules. We can't tolerate a traitor like that in this pack."

I just stood there, watching it all unfold, an endless sorrow welling up inside me. I desperately wanted to see the looks on their faces when they finally learned this was all Lily’s little show.

That day, Lily had come to me, saying she wanted to see the forest. "Freya, can you take me?" she’d asked, her eyes sincere, her smile pure. "I know we've had our misunderstandings, but I want us to get along."

I thought she meant it.

I said yes.

And then the rogue wolf appeared. I was about to shield Lily when she darted out in front of me.

"No!" I had cried out.

Blood sprayed through the air as she screamed and fell, but not before flashing me a triumphant smirk.

In that instant, I understood. The rogue was her pawn. This was all a setup.

The next moment, my brothers arrived to see a terrified Lily, trembling as she stammered, "Freya… she brought me here… and then the rogue just appeared… She tried to kill me…"

It was all a carefully laid trap.

"Alpha!" The butler's panicked voice snapped me back to the present. He rushed into the living room, his face pale, his voice shaking. "It's bad! I've been calling for Miss Freya, but she's not responding! And… and we ran a scan. We can't detect a heartbeat inside!"

The air in the room froze.

Caleb and Noah exchanged a nervous glance.

But Ethan just let out a cold laugh. "Playing dead? Does she think that will get her out of apologizing to Lily?"

"But Alpha—"

"She has healing powers. She can't die," Ethan cut the butler off, striding toward the door. "It's just another one of her tricks to get sympathy and avoid her punishment."

"Let's go. We'll drag her out ourselves. Let's see her act her way out of this."

Caleb and Noah followed, their faces masks of fury. Lily trailed behind them, a flash of victory in her eyes quickly replaced by a look of worry.

I found myself floating after them, watching as they got closer and closer to my corpse.