Chapter 2

Elara's POV

"Divorce? Elara, when will you stop acting out of jealousy and arrogance?!"

The door burst open. My biological brother, Cedric—the current Alpha of the Grayhold Pack—stormed in. He ignored my pale face and the blood. "Go apologize to Opal right now!"

"Apologize?" I stared at the man who shared my blood, looking at him like he was a monster. "I just lost a child, and you want me to apologize to the murderer?"

"You only lost a child," Cedric cut me off coldly. "But Lila? She merely touched Finn's old toy, and she broke out in a full-body allergic reaction! She's only three!"

A nurse rushed in before I could answer, looking desperately at Darien. "Alpha, Ms. Opal is crying so hard over Lila in the hallway, she’s about to pass out!"

The guilt on Darien's face vanished instantly. He dropped my cold hand and rushed out without looking back.

Lying on the blood-soaked sheets, I looked at a furious Cedric and let out a broken laugh. "You're pathetic, Cedric. You're gladly raising Darien's bastard and protecting that mutt. You and our blind, heartless father... you're both fools played by Opal."

"Shut up!" Cedric’s veins popped as he punched the wall. "Lila isn't even Darien's! If you hadn't kicked Opal out, she wouldn't have ended up on the streets and gotten pregnant by some rogue!"

His eyes turned freezing cold, looking at me like I was insane. "You haven't been right in the head since Finn died. If you keep this up, maybe we should throw you in the dungeon to cool off."

"Don't touch me!" I started trembling violently, wrapping my arms around my head and shrinking into the corner of the bed. "Don't lock me in there... please..."

Seeing me completely break down, a flash of panic crossed Cedric's eyes. He reached out to comfort me. "Elara, as long as you stop targeting Opal..."

"Don't touch me! You all had a hand in Finn's death!" My eyes were bloodshot. I bit my lip, swallowed the taste of blood, and forced out my final compromise. "Tell me... where is Finn buried? Give me his grave, and I'll let you all go."

Cedric’s hand froze mid-air, slowly balling into a fist. The chill returned to his eyes. "You're truly unhinged. Clinging to the past, thinking everyone is out to get your son. Just rot in here."

He turned and slammed the door behind him.

The room fell dead silent. Five minutes later, Opal walked in alone.

No tears. No fragile victim act. She locked the door and walked in her heels right up to my bed.

She looked down at my pale face and the blood on the sheets, a venomous smile spreading across her lips. "My dear sister. How does it feel to be abandoned by the whole world?"

"Get out..." I gasped weakly, my nails digging into my palms.

"What's the rush? I brought you a gift." Opal pulled out her phone, opened a video, and shoved it in my face.

In the video, my son Finn was strapped to a cold operating table. People in hazmat suits were drawing massive vials of blood from his little body. He was covered in deep incisions.

In the video, Finn cried, shaking. "Mommy... save me... it hurts... where are you..."

"Ah——!"

A soul-tearing scream ripped from my throat. My eyes filled with blood as I lunged for the phone like a wild animal.

Opal dodged easily, laughing darkly. "My Lila desperately needed a live trial to save her life. How do you think I convinced Darien to hand your son over while he was still breathing?"

"You monster! I'll kill you!"

Forgetting the searing pain in my stomach, I lunged at her. But my broken body gave out. I hit the floor hard, ripping the IV out of my hand. Blood sprayed across the white tiles.

Opal stepped back in disgust, afraid my blood would ruin her dress. She tossed a document into the blood puddle in front of me.

"Want your son's burial site?" She leaned down, her voice low. "Sign these divorce papers. Get out of Darien's life, and I'll tell you."

Being dead inside didn't even cover it. My soul was torn to shreds.

I crawled on the freezing floor, picked up a pen with shaking fingers, and signed Elara Mercer at the bottom.

"Where..." I wheezed, staring right at her. "Tell me... where is Finn's grave?"

Opal snatched the blood-stained papers and folded them with satisfaction.

Then, she tipped her head back and laughed.

"A grave? Just how naive are you, Elara? Why do you think your son even gets a grave?"

"We threw his chopped-up remains straight into Death Valley at the border," she whispered, her eyes full of mock pity and pure cruelty. "The vultures there were starving. Within half a day, your precious son was picked clean. He has no grave. He never will."

The click of her heels faded down the hall, along with her echoing laughter.

I lay alone in a pool of my own blood, staring blankly at the ceiling. I couldn't make a sound. Only thick, dark blood kept spilling from my mouth.