Chapter 2

I stare at the three men standing in front of me. We used to fight side by side, but now they guard Elena like a pack of rabid dogs. Pure malice boils in my eyes.

"Serena! You're out of your mind!" Lucas steps forward. The oppressive aura of a high-tier knight bears down on me again. "She was turned less than a month ago. Cut her some slack!"

"Less than a month?" I scoff, glaring at him. "Lucas, are you brain-dead or just completely blind?"

I take a heavy step forward.

Boom.

The terrifying blood energy of a Chief Executioner erupts without holding back. A dark red shockwave blasts outward with me at the center, instantly snapping a dozen dead trees in half.

Lucas, Kane, and Elliot turn pale. The violent force pushes them back three steps, their chests heaving as they struggle to breathe.

"Open your damn eyes and look at her!" I point the tip of my heavy sword straight at Elena, who is slumped against a tree.

"The Prince gave her an entire bottle of high-tier pure blood just last week. Her energy signature is stronger than Elliot's right now! She's holding it back on purpose to play the helpless victim, and you idiots actually treat her like some fragile little doll?"

The vampire guards securing the perimeter exchange uncertain glances. Whispers break out across the clearing.

Elliot freezes and instinctively looks back at Elena. She shrinks away in a panic, shaking her head frantically as the tears fall even faster.

"No... I swear I just don't know how to control my powers yet..."

"Shut up," I snap, cutting her off completely. "As the commander of this squad, I am issuing a direct order. For deserting in the middle of a battle, Elena is to return to the castle's repentance chamber immediately. She will kneel there for three days with zero blood rations."

"You wouldn't dare!" Elliot yells, reaching for his sword.

I don't even spare him a glance. I just look down and shove the still-dripping Alpha core into a pouch on my tactical belt.

"Hold it right there!" Lucas barks, stepping in my way again. His eyes lock onto my belt. "Punish her if you want, but that Alpha core is a family asset. You don't get to keep it for yourself. Elena is in shock and her bloodline is unstable. She needs that core to recover!"

A bitter laugh escapes my lips.

"Give it to her? Lucas, you aren't just blind. You're completely hopeless."

I grab him by the collar and yank him forward, glaring right into his eyes.

"Do you know why she broke formation? Because she was after this core the whole time! She wanted the Alpha to kill me. Then, once the beast was worn out, you guys would finish it off together. That way, she gets to walk away with the prize without shedding a single drop of blood."

"She isn't just a coward. She's greedy and vicious. Trading my life for her upgrade? As if she's worth it!"

I shove him away with disgust.

My words drop like a bomb over the hunting grounds.

The perimeter guards suck in a collective breath. The way they look at Elena changes in an instant.

Makes perfect sense. A capable newbie breaking formation the exact second the Alpha lunges at her commander isn't fear. It is straight-up attempted murder.

Lucas and the other two stand frozen. They might be blinded by a pretty face, but they are still seasoned knights. Now that the truth is out in the open, they can't argue with basic combat logic.

"Get out of my way."

I shoulder-check Kane hard as I push past him, glancing in disgust at the sticky wolf blood coating my gear.

"The hunt is over for tonight. If anyone disobeys my orders and lets her out early, I will chop off their legs."

Leaving them with that warning, I march straight out of the dark woods.

The night wind bites at my blood-soaked tactical vest, but it does nothing to calm my racing heart. I grip the core in my pouch tightly and take a deep breath.

I need to absorb it as soon as possible to break through my power bottleneck.

I push open the heavy doors to my room. Just as I strip off my heavy armor and head for the bathroom, frantic footsteps echo outside.

"My Lady! Commander!" A servant stumbles into the room.

"What is it?" I frown.

"It's the Knight Captain... Lord Lucas!" The servant gasps for air. "The second you left, they sent out a top-tier messenger bat! They sent an urgent report to the Prince, claiming Lady Elena collapsed from exhaustion while kneeling in the chamber, but refuses to get up because she wants to honor the family rules!"

Collapsed but refuses to get up? That is the cheapest trick in the book, and those three idiots are actually playing along.

"What did the Prince say?" I ask coldly.

"He's furious! He postponed the council meeting in Europe and is already flying back on his private jet! And..." The servant points shakily toward the window.

I walk over and yank the heavy velvet curtains open.

Down in the courtyard, dozens of fully armed inner-guard knights have completely surrounded my tower. Dark red magic circles pulse faintly in the night.

They are watching my every move.

They know I have the core. Terrified I might just grab my loot and run, they called our high-and-mighty Sire back as fast as possible to completely cut off my escape route.

Boom.

Suddenly, the night sky outside the window turns pitch black.

A terrifying, overwhelming presence crashes down onto the castle.

Searing pain spikes through my veins like needles. My knees buckle against my will. It is the bone-deep Sire Bond, the absolute physical dominance a creator holds over their bloodline.

Marcus is home.

An invisible force violently blasts open my oak doors.

Two inner guards stand in the doorway, faces blank.

"Commander Serena," one of them says coldly. "The Prince has ordered us to escort you to the council hall immediately. You are to face the highest family trial for your brutal actions tonight."