Chapter 3

Three days later, a beast surge hit the territory.

As the Alpha's daughter, I wasn't much of a fighter, but I couldn't run either.

In the chaos, I pushed a lost pup out of the way of a Shadow Panther. Its claws caught my back instead. The venom was fast-acting and lethal.

My vision blurred almost right away. My whole body went cold.

I knew if I didn't get to Dorian in time, if he couldn't pull the poison out with vampire magic, I'd die.

I used the last of my strength to blow the Bone Whistle Seth had given me.

He'd promised me once. Blow it, and no matter where you are, we'll come.

I leaned against a tree, listening to the beasts snarling somewhere in the dark, gripping that whistle like it was the only thing keeping me alive.

Come find me. Kael, Dorian, Seth. Please.

Time crawled by.

The forest went quiet. Just wind through the leaves.

No howl. No wingbeats. No arrow cutting through the air.

They didn't come.

I was going under when a patrol found me and carried me back to the healing hall. The old healer worked through the night and barely pulled me back.

I stayed in that bed for two full days.

The fever burned through me. I kept calling their names in my sleep.

When I finally woke up, the room was empty.

"Where are they?" My voice came out cracked.

The healer sighed, avoiding my eyes.

"Don't think too much of it, Miss Elara. During the beast surge, Miss Ayla got badly frightened. Alpha Kael took her down south, to Moonspring Lodge, to recover."

Moonspring Lodge.

Kael had built that place just for me. He used to say it belonged to no one else.

Now he'd taken another woman there while I lay bleeding out in the forest, blowing a whistle no one answered.

I closed my eyes. The tears came quietly.

They hadn't missed the sound.

They just hadn't wanted to hear it.

A few days later I could finally walk. I dragged myself back to our house.

I heard laughter before I even opened the door.

They were back.

Kael was grilling Snowtrout for Ayla. Dorian was pouring wine. Seth was setting a flower crown on her head.

They all turned when the door opened.

Kael's frown came fast when he saw my face, pale and barely standing.

"Elara. Where the hell have you been hiding this whole time?"

Dorian laughed, cold.

"Where else? Probably sulking somewhere because we took Ayla to the lodge. Trying to make us worry."

Seth walked over, looking down at me like I was something disappointing.

"Elara, how much longer is this going to go on? You even blew the Bone Whistle. Do you know what that's for? You'd lie about something that serious just to get attention?"

I looked at them. Three men who once swore they'd die before letting anything happen to me.

My back still throbbed. The wound had soaked through the bandage and stuck to my shirt. Every breath hurt.

They didn't see any of it.

All they saw was me making trouble again.

"Right." I laughed. It probably looked worse than crying. "I lied. I was just trying to steal attention."

I didn't explain the wound. I didn't tell them I'd almost died out there.

Because I finally understood something.

Once you stop being the one they love, even breathing counts as a mistake.

"Since I'm so much trouble, I won't bother you anymore."

I turned and walked toward my room.

"Elara! What is wrong with you!" Kael shouted behind me.

I didn't look back.

Whatever was left of my heart for them died right there.