Chapter 4

Ember's POV

One month had passed.

Apart from Kieran keeping me busy all night, leaving fresh bite marks on my neck by morning, I hadn't been idle during the day either—I'd made it crystal clear I wasn't someone to mess with.

Raven tried poisoning my tea? I held her face down in the kitchen sink and made her taste dish soap.

She tried framing me for abusing the servants? I fought three of the strongest Betas in front of Kieran and dropped them all.

She staged an "accident" during my patrol? I grabbed her by the hair and dragged her through the mud for fifty yards.

Every single time, Kieran just watched coldly. Never stopped me, never judged.

Only confirmed what I already knew—he was waiting to see who'd come out on top.

And I never let him down.

Training with the guard was my favorite part of the day. These rough bastards initially looked down on their "delicate" Luna, until I punched their captain Marcus and sent him flying thirty feet.

Now they looked at me with pure respect.

"The new patrol routes you set up are working great, Luna," Marcus reported after this morning's training. "Border intrusions are down seventy percent."

I wiped blood off my hands—got a little carried away "instructing" a new recruit.

"Good. Remember, we're here to protect the territory, not stand around looking pretty."

After a month of changes, Darkmoon's defense system was completely overhauled. I'd redrawn patrol zones, established shift rotations, and set up early warning systems at key points.

Rogue wolves couldn't even get close to our borders now.

And Raven? She'd become completely irrelevant. No one listened to her complaints anymore, no one pitied her tears.

She could only lurk in dark corners, watching with poisonous eyes as Kieran and I grew closer.

Poor little bitch. Must hurt losing all that attention.

Evening came, and I headed alone to patrol Silver River on the territory's edge. Kieran was handling trade agreements and wouldn't be back until late.

Silver River was Darkmoon's natural barrier, clear rushing water that gleamed like metal in the sunset.

I loved the peace here, away from all the politics and Raven's disgusting presence.

But today was different.

A strange sweet scent hung in the air, like honey mixed with herbs.

My wolf instincts went on high alert—wolfsbane. Poison specifically designed for our kind.

I extended my claws, moving carefully toward the source.

Suddenly, I heard something cutting through air behind me.

I spun around. A dark figure lunged at my back. Raven!

She held something in her hand, glinting silver in the sunset.

I dodged just in time. She hit nothing, rolled on the ground a few times before steadying herself.

"Well, well," I looked down at her coldly, "finally drop the act?"

Raven slowly stood up. No more pitiful helpless look. Her face twisted with pure hatred.

She gripped a dagger—MY dagger, the one I'd lost at the training ground last week.

The blade was coated with green liquid, reeking of wolfsbane's sickly sweet scent.

"You... you RUINED everything for me!" her voice cracked with rage. "Kieran was supposed to be MINE! That position should've been MINE!"

"Oh really?" I flexed my wrists. "Then why didn't you just fucking take it?"

"Because of you, you BITCH!" She charged with the poisoned blade. "You think you're so damn tough? Today you DIE!"

I easily avoided her attack. Raven's moves might've been decent for a normal person, but she might as well have been moving in slow motion.

"You? That's fucking hilarious." I kicked her attack aside. "This is just pathetic."

We fought along the riverbank. Raven desperately tried slashing me with the poison blade, but I deflected every attempt with ease.

She grew more frantic, movements getting sloppy.

"WHY?!" She gasped for air between strikes. "Why did you have to take EVERYTHING from me?! Kieran is MINE! The Luna position is MINE!"

"Yours?" I grabbed her wrist, immobilizing her completely. "Since when the hell is Kieran YOUR property?"

That's when my hand closed around the dagger's handle.

Raven's eyes flashed with insane triumph. She suddenly pulled me down with her as we fell.

The moment we hit the ground, she let out a blood-curdling scream:

"NO! Stop! Ember, please don't kill me!"

She actually pressed the dagger into her own chest!

Blood instantly poured out, staining her white dress crimson. She collapsed, moaning in agony:

"Please... I swear I'll stay away from Kieran! Just don't kill me!"

Her voice echoed through the empty valley, carrying far and wide.

Seconds later, urgent footsteps approached from behind.

My heart nearly stopped.

Kieran burst through the trees with three Elders and a dozen elite guards behind him.

What they saw was fucking perfect:

Me kneeling on the ground, holding the bloody dagger. Raven lying in a pool of blood, clutching her chest wound and moaning pitifully.

The air thick with wolfsbane's deadly sweetness.

"Dear Moon Goddess!" Elder Aldric's eyes blazed with fury. "Ember! What in the HELL have you done?!"

"Wolfsbane!" A guard shouted in horror. "The whole damn place reeks of wolfsbane!"

Raven weakly reached toward Kieran, voice shaking:

"Kieran... please save me... Ember said I was a threat to her position... she tried to kill me..."

All evidence pointed straight to me. My weapon, my motive, perfect crime scene.

Raven had even prepared her lines flawlessly.

"Guards!" Elder Aldric pointed at me furiously. "Draw your weapons! Arrest this murderous woman! She's not fit to be our Luna!"

A dozen guards immediately drew their silver swords, surrounding me in a tight circle.

Cold gleaming blade tips aimed at my vital points.

Elder Aldric shaking with rage:

"Kieran! Execute this murderous bitch immediately! She's violated every sacred law of our pack!"

Raven on the ground sobbed weakly, but I clearly saw the triumphant curve of her lips.

She was absolutely certain that faced with ironclad evidence and Elder pressure, Kieran couldn't possibly break pack law to protect me.

But I didn't look at the guards, didn't look at Raven's Oscar-worthy performance on the ground.

I just quietly watched Kieran, waiting for his choice.

At this decisive moment, which side would he take?

Kieran's face was like thunder.

He walked toward me step by step, each footfall making the ground tremble slightly.

Then he stopped in front of me.

Slowly extended his hand toward Raven lying in her pool of blood.