Chapter 12

Zoe laughed through her tears, a manic edge to her voice. "You idiot, Ethan! I won't die! But you? You're as good as dead. You'll spend the rest of your life tormented, knowing you killed Melody and your pup. You deserve this!"

Ethan thought it was over. He accepted his fate calmly.

Sentenced to three months, Ethan lost his job, his reputation in the legal pack utterly ruined.

Three months later, he walked free, only to spot Zoe on the street, out on medical release. She was loaded with luxury shopping bags, her pup by her side, looking every bit the happy family.

His soul froze in that moment.

He tracked down a friend, who sighed, "The Meadows pack may be down, but they're still stronger than you. Zoe's out, and she probably won't see another day in a cell. Ethan, you've got nothing left. Melody's gone. You've got a whole life to live."

Ethan's body went rigid. He turned away. "If the law won't punish Zoe, I'll do it myself."

For a week, he staked out Zoe's building. On Saturday, his chance came.

In the parking garage, he knocked Zoe and her pup out, stuffing them into a car's trunk. He drove to the cliff where Melody had jumped, the sunset painting his eyes red, the waves pounding like they were beating against his heart.

"Ethan?" Zoe woke, finding herself and her pup bound inside the car. Through the window, she saw the wolf who'd sent her to prison.

Her heart ached. For three years, she'd had real feelings for Ethan. She'd lifted him up, only to end up here.

Her voice trembled. "Ethan, this pup is yours too! Are you going to repeat your mistakes and kill your mate and pup again?"

Her words were a poisoned blade, twisting in his chest.

"Zoe, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here," Ethan rasped. In just three months, he'd aged a decade, the fire in him gone.

Zoe forced calm into her voice. "Melody's dead, Ethan! But me and our pup are alive. I love you. I'll stay with you. We can be a family, just us three. Just let go of Melody—"

Her words were cut off by a rustling sound from behind. Goosebumps prickled her skin as she saw countless red eyes glowing in the dark—snakes.

She'd done the same to Melody, tossing her into a pit of vipers.

"Ethan! Ethan!" she screamed, pounding the window.

Ethan just smiled. "Who deserves to live, Zoe? You or the pup?"

He thought she'd choose her pup.

But he'd underestimated her selfishness.

"If this is what it takes to calm your rage, fine! Let me live! I can give you more pups—better than that she-wolf Melody ever could. The Meadows pack can get you back as a judge, a lawyer, whatever you want! Let me out!"

A click, and the door opened.

Zoe's face lit up, but as she lunged forward, Ethan's boot slammed into her chest, sending her crashing back into the car. Pain pinned her down, unable to move.

Ethan swiftly pulled the pup out and locked the door again.

Snakes surged toward Zoe, and her screams of terror and despair filled the air.

Ethan walked away, holding the pup, never looking back.

The next day, Zoe's body was found in the car, ravaged by snakebites, unrecognizable. Her pup was sent to an orphanage.

The news spread like wildfire. Strangely, not a single comment mourned Zoe's death. Instead, the internet dug up every dirty secret about her and the Meadows pack, cheering their downfall.

The scandal reached the higher-ups. In the end, the Meadows pack and their corrupt allies were uprooted completely, wiped clean from the system.