Chapter 4

Kendra's POV

The dark energy around me surges, and the pure silver cage starts groaning under the strain, like it's about to give.

Ivy screams and bolts out of the dungeon, tripping over herself.

I close my eyes and let the power tear through me, mending the old wound as it goes.

Irene, watch. I'm going to bury them, and I'm doing it with their own blood.

Noon, the next day. The center square of Crescent Moon Pack.

The sun beats down hard, and the whole pack crowds into the square. Right in the middle, they've built a massive platform for the trial.

They drag me out in the cage, already warped from what I did to it the night before, four Delta wolves flanking me, and set me down at the front of the platform.

I'm covered in dried blood and burn scars from the silver, a mess. The pack members around me point and whisper, disgust and fear all over their faces.

"That's her. The rogue who went feral and killed our Luna."

"Knew it. You can't tame a rogue. Irene should've known better."

"Burn her. Burn her with silver."

I listen to people Irene once protected turn around and spit venom at me, and I feel nothing.

Up on the platform sits the enforcer the Royal Pack sent, Victor. Dark red uniform, face carved out of stone. Garrett and Ivy sit at his right. Ivy's still playing fragile, a few fake tears clinging to the corners of her eyes. Chase stands in the center of the platform, the key witness against me.

"Quiet." Victor's voice is low, heavy enough to press the whole square into silence. He looks down at me, cold. "Kendra, Crescent Moon Pack accuses you of losing control of your bloodline and murdering Luna Irene in cold blood. Do you plead guilty?"

I lift my head and meet Victor's eyes, red and burning, a mocking smile pulling at my mouth. "Guilty of what? Garrett's the one who killed Irene. Chase is the one who handed him the poisoned blade. Is this what Royal justice looks like? Taking the word of garbage like them?"

"Lies!" Garrett shoots up, pointing at me. "You lost your mind, and now you're trying to drag us down with you on your way out. Chase, tell the enforcer what happened last night."

Chase takes a breath, turns, and looks at me with an expression built entirely out of grief and disappointment.

"Enforcer." Chase's voice shakes, like the words are costing him something. "I'll testify. Last night, Kendra came back from the Royal Pack and lost it. She was jealous of Irene's position, jealous of how pure Ivy was. She tore through the lodge, killing anyone in her path. If Alpha Garrett hadn't fought her off, none of us would be standing here right now. I... as her mate, this breaks my heart, but I can't cover for a murderer."

"Chase." I cut him off, my voice flat, quiet enough to be terrifying. "When you close your eyes at night, tell me you don't see Irene's eyes. Bleeding. Staring at nothing."

Chase's whole body goes rigid. He looks away, teeth clenched. "You're insane, Kendra. Completely."

"Yeah." My voice comes out low. "I am." I straighten up slow, and the silver chains still locked around me rattle with the movement.

"Enforcer, the truth is right in front of you. Kill this monster, now." Ivy can barely get the words out fast enough.

Victor frowns and raises a hand, ready to hand down the verdict.

"If I hadn't saved your life on that snowfield, you think you'd be standing here lying to an enforcer's face right now?" I ignore Victor completely, my eyes locked on Chase, my voice climbing until it cracks across the square like thunder. "You spineless pieces of garbage actually think a silver cage is enough to hold me?"

The second the words leave my mouth, everything I held back all night breaks loose.

The cage, unbreakable a moment ago, melts and twists like wax under fire. The chains around my wrists and ankles shatter, exploding into a rain of silver fragments.

"What... what is that?" Garrett stumbles back, shoving Ivy behind him.

Chase backs away too, face drained white.

I step out of the melted cage. Dark energy burns around me like it's alive, like fire with a mind of its own. I don't spare the trembling crowd a single glance. I walk straight for Chase.

"Chase. You wanted to see me lose it, right?" I close the distance and grab his throat, lifting him clean off the ground. "Here it is. Watch me."