Chapter 2

"What do you think you're doing?!"

A vicious slap cracked across Katia's face, sending her sprawling onto the freezing dungeon floor.

She curled into herself, silent and still, enduring the beating.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused this pack?!"

Beta Glen raised his foot to kick her, but paused when he realized she wasn't moving. He crouched down, brushing mud-caked hair from her face.

She was alive. Still breathing. But her eyes were vacant, staring at nothing.

The sight made his frown deepen.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Glen roared.

Katia flinched, her cracked lips moving slightly. "Aren't I... your daughter?"

Her voice was barely a rasp, but those words made Glen's expression darken further.

"Daughter?" Glen's laugh was cold and sharp. "You killed Allison! You dare call yourself my daughter?"

"I didn't push her..."

"Shut up!" Glen's boot slammed into her ribs. Katia curled tighter, gasping. "Allison is dead because of you! She was perfect. Exceptional. She was supposed to become King Cahir's Luna!"

A prophecy foretold that Beta Glen's daughter would become queen and grant her mate ultimate power. King Cahir had been engaged to Allison, waiting for her to come of age.

Pain and rage thickened his voice. "You cursed little bitch! You destroyed everything!"

Katia closed her eyes. She'd lost count of how many times she'd heard these accusations.

Two months ago, she and her sister Allison had gone into the forest together. Allison wanted to watch the sunset from the cliff's edge. Katia went with her.

Then Allison fell.

No body was ever found.

But everyone decided Katia had pushed her.

Because Allison was everything Katia wasn't. Where Katia was quiet and withdrawn, Allison was brilliant, radiating warmth that drew everyone to her. The pack adored her. Even Alpha Xandar couldn't hide the way his eyes followed her.

Allison was the one from the prophecy, destined to marry the Alpha King. Katia was nobody. Just a girl the pack used as a servant.

No one believed Allison could have simply slipped. They only believed Katia had killed her out of jealousy. The abuse had begun immediately after.

"Beta Glen, you need to coordinate with Gamma Mark. Alpha Damon wants to arrange a meeting with our pack."

Heavy footsteps echoed from the dungeon entrance. Alpha Xandar strode inside.

Glen released a deep sigh and stood. "Understood, Alpha Xandar."

He left the dank cell. Xandar remained.

Something heavy hit the floor with a sickening thud, landing directly in front of Katia.

"Rena!"

She saw the black wolf. Saw Rena barely breathing, her chest rising and falling in shallow, desperate movements.

Katia tried to crawl toward her friend, but a boot slammed down on her back.

"Ah!" She cried out, pinned to the ground.

"Where's the rush?" Xandar looked down at her with pure malice. "Your friend isn't dead yet. Though she will be soon."

"Let me go!" Katia clawed at the floor, nails scraping stone.

Xandar simply pressed harder, nearly crushing her spine beneath his weight.

"When you pushed Allison off that cliff, did you think about her pain?" His voice was ice.

"I didn't!" Katia screamed. "I didn't push her!"

"Liar."

Xandar kicked her over onto her back, then crouched beside her.

"It was just the two of you up there. Who else could it have been?"

Katia tasted the metallic tang of blood on her tongue. She couldn't heal herself—not without her wolf. Shifters usually gained their healing abilities when their wolves emerged, though some awakened earlier.

Unfortunately, Katia wasn't one of them. So she had to endure every injury Glen, Xandar, and Kaelen inflicted.

"You know about Allison's engagement to my brother," Xandar said, his smile twisting into something cruel. "When Alpha King Cahir learns his fiancée is dead—and her killer still lives—what do you think he'll do?"

He released her. Katia hit the ground hard.

"He'll destroy the entire Snow Moon Pack. Everyone will die because of you."

"No..."

"So you have to pay the price." Xandar stood, looking down at her with contempt. "You'll be sent to King Cahir's fighting pits. You'll be torn apart by beasts. It's the only way you can atone."

"But before that, I'll make sure every single day is hell for you."

He walked toward Rena and raised his foot above her head.

"No!" Katia screamed. "Don't touch her!"

Xandar paused, tilting his head toward Katia.

"Please..." Tears streamed down Katia's face. "Please don't hurt her... she didn't do anything..."

"Originally, I was going to chop off its head." Xandar slowly lowered his foot. "But I changed my mind. Letting it suffer, waiting for death—that's better punishment."

"After all, watching something you care about die is more painful than anything, isn't it?"

The door slammed shut.

Katia immediately crawled to Rena, trembling hands stroking her matted fur.

"Rena... Rena..."

The black wolf's eyes opened with effort, looking at her.

Katia could feel her life slipping away. And there was nothing she could do.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she held Rena close, burying her face in her fur.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

She didn't know how long she cried. Only that eventually, exhausted, she collapsed beside Rena and fell into darkness.

Ice-cold water crashed over her.

"Ah!"

Katia bolted upright, gasping, feeling like she was drowning.

She frantically wiped water from her face, body still trembling. There were no windows in this dungeon, no way to tell the time or how long she'd been unconscious. Everything was dim except for a single flickering bulb.

"Sleeping so soundly."

Kaelen's laugh was soft and mocking.

He dropped the empty bucket, then crouched in front of Katia with a wide grin.

Kaelen was Katia's brother. Once, he'd treated her somewhat normally. But after Allison's death, he'd joined the others in tormenting her.

Katia's gaze moved past him to Rena's motionless form in the corner.

"Kaelen..." Her voice was hoarse. "Please... call a doctor... save Rena..."

"A doctor?" Kaelen raised an eyebrow.

"Please..." Katia tried to crawl forward, but her body was too weak. "I'm begging you... she's dying..."

Kaelen's boot slammed into Katia's chest.

"When you pushed Allison, did you think about how terrified she must have been while falling?" His voice was cold.

"I didn't..."

"Enough!" Kaelen grabbed her hair, forcing her head up. "I'm done listening to your lies!"

She'd lost count of how many times she'd said it. No one believed her.

Kaelen released her and stood. "Get up. Father wants to see you."

Katia struggled to her feet, legs barely supporting her weight. Kaelen watched with cold indifference, offering no help.

When she was brought into Glen's study, she braced herself for another tirade.

But to her surprise, Glen wasn't shouting.

"Sit down, Katia."

Katia remained standing.

"Because of your idiotic stunt last night, Snow Moon Pack and Blood Meadow Pack are now in a tense standoff. Alpha Xandar had to make concessions to Blood Meadow Pack to handle this border incident."

He paused, his gaze cold as winter.

"You've brought enormous trouble to this pack. As punishment,you are being demoted to Omega."

Katia froze.

"You will be disowned from this family," Glen continued. "You'll become the pack's servant, answering to everyone. It's what you deserve."