Chapter 3

Just as I saw the light at the cave entrance, a foot slammed down on my hand.

The pain nearly knocked me unconscious.

"Funny — weren't you supposed to be dying? You're crawling pretty fast for a dead woman!"

Rain, standing on my fingers, shouted for the crowd. "Vera just can't help herself with these pathetic little tricks! I take back every compliment about her acting!"

She raised her voice to make sure everyone heard.

Liam glanced at me, then looked away with even more irritation.

Rain crouched down and whispered with a mocking grin. "Your wolf must be in agony. Nearly dead, huh? Don't worry — there's worse to come."

Behind the cover of the boulder, she partially shifted — claws sliding from her toes — and slashed across my outstretched arm.

The razor-sharp claws tore through my skin.

My wolf was too weak to heal the wound. Blood ran along the cracks in the stone, pooling at everyone's feet.

I went numb. I couldn't even scream.

Then a werewolf shrieked: "Blood! Someone's hurt — there's blood everywhere!"

Every head turned.

Liam's eyes found me. When he saw how pale I'd gone, panic hit him.

"Vera! Are you hurt?"

He moved toward me without hesitation.

Rain's composure cracked for a moment, then she stepped between us.

"It's just leftover blood from cutting the deer meat earlier!"

"Vera, I know you're upset. But lying on this cold, filthy floor isn't good for you. Come on — let's go somewhere warm and dry and talk things out."

"You need to stop this self-pitying act. Stop using Liam's feelings to manipulate him — I feel sorry for him!"

Liam believed her. His face turned cold and cruel.

"Is that what this is, Vera? You know I can't stand seeing people in pain, so you pull this stunt to guilt me?"

I was on the edge of death.

My eyes were wide open but couldn't focus. My blank stare only made Liam angrier.

"Rain's already forgiven you — she's trying to work things out! And you can't even do this one small thing for me? Listen — we're not leaving until the party's over. Rain, help her up and take her somewhere away from this floor."

Rain's face lit up.

She grabbed my injured arm like I was a ragdoll. "Don't worry, Liam. I'll take her to the back of the cave. It's warm and dry — perfect for a little chat."

As she spoke, she dug her nails into my wound.

The pain made my already-failing heart skip.

My thoughts cleared for one desperate instant. I forced the words out: "Let go — Father... Hale... you won't get away with this..."

Rain laughed. "Your father? Some rogue? Some low-ranking Omega?"

"My father is a Beta warrior, just like Liam, and he has close ties to his Alpha. Don't act like you're above me."

But her friends reacted with shock. "Hale? That sounds like the Alpha of the Granite Pack. They're ten times stronger than us — even our own Alpha bows to Hale!"

"Don't listen to her! Liam told me she's a runaway stray — a failed actress. If Liam hadn't rescued her and taken her in, she'd be bones by now. Claiming her father is Hale — this liar will say anything to survive!"

The wolves laughed cruelly.

Liam's expression turned darker. He turned his back on me and walked away.

He didn't care. Even as I lay dying.

My body began to go rigid.

Before I lost consciousness, I caught a familiar scent drifting from the cave entrance.

Tears blurred my vision.

Even knowing it might be a hallucination, I screamed with everything I had left: "Dad — save me — "

The cry echoed through the deep cave, amplified tenfold.

Rain burst into laughter.

"Daddy? You really think you're the heir to the Granite Pack? What a joke — delusional to the end!"

Seeing that Liam had left, she grabbed a fistful of my dirt-caked hair and slapped me across the face.

My world plunged into dizzying darkness.

Howls filled my ears, and their cruel laughter cut through.

"Face reality! Even if you die here, nobody's coming to save you!"

My wolf gave one final warning growl.

My body shook uncontrollably, collapsing into a pool of my own cold sweat.

Just as I closed my eyes in despair, a roar of pure fury shook the cave walls.

I knew that voice better than any sound in the world — my father, Alpha Hale.

"How dare you torture my daughter? I'll tear you to pieces!"