Chapter 4

Aliana POV:

Debi's apartment smelled of sage and old takeout.

"Sit," she commanded.

She took the USB drive and plugged it into her laptop. *"I have a friend in forensics who owes me a favor. I'm sending him the chemical data from the shipping manifests. He can confirm the toxicity levels."*

*She then grabbed a syringe.*

*"I need to run a blood panel, Ali. Basic alchemy. If there's Wolfsbane in your system, the reagent will turn black."*

I extended my arm.

Debi placed the blood sample into a glass vial with a clear liquid. She swirled it.

It turned pitch black immediately.

"That's lethal," Debi whispered. "You should be dead."

*But then, the black liquid began to bubble. It hissed, turning a violent, glowing white.*

Debi gasped. "Ali... look."

*"It's metabolizing it," she said, her voice shaking. "Your blood is eating the poison. That's not normal Alpha blood. That's..."*

"The White Wolf," I whispered.

"It's real," Debi said. "*Your parents knew. That's why they had to suppress it. A White Wolf isn't just a Luna. You're a Supreme. You outrank everyone.*"

The realization hit me. *I wasn't broken. I was a nuclear weapon they were trying to keep offline.*

"They fear you," Debi said. "And tonight, they're going to finish the job."

"Let them try," I said. I reached for a stack of papers on Debi's desk.

A Severance of Ties document.

"I'm signing it," I said.

"If you sign that, you become a Rogue in the eyes of the law."

"I don't want their names," I said.

I signed my name. Not *Aliana Hughes*. Not *Aliana Donovan*.

Just *Hope*.

*"I've got a private charter lined up," Debi said. "My cousin runs cargo to the North. He can take you. Wheels up at 9 PM."*

"Plenty of time to burn their world down," I said.

I drove back to the mansion one last time.

I went to the master bedroom. I packed a single bag. Just jeans, boots, and my grandmother's locket.

I walked into the bathroom. On the counter sat a silver goblet.

A note was propped against it. *Drink this before you come, darling. - Mom*

I lifted the goblet. It smelled of mint tea, masking the bitter almond scent.

My phone buzzed. *I opened the security app on my phone. I'd installed a backdoor into the camera system weeks ago when Ivan was bragging about the new 4K upgrades.*

Ivan, Kiera, Leo, and my parents were in the VIP suite. Laughing.

"She'll be dead by the fireworks," I heard my father say.

I stared at the screen.

I lifted the goblet to my lips. I took a tiny sip. Just enough to coat my tongue.

Then I poured the rest down the sink.

I went to the toilet and purged. *I needed the symptoms-the pallor, the sweat-but not the death.*

*Debi had given me a stimulant shot to counteract the residual effects.* I jammed it into my thigh.

Fire raced through my veins.

My bones creaked. *Pop.*

*It's time,* my wolf roared.

"Not yet," I gritted out. "Hold it."

I stood up. I looked like death warmed over. Perfect.

I grabbed the present I had prepared. A box wrapped in black paper.

Inside was a digital audio player and the photos.

I called a courier service. *"Priority delivery. VIP Suite at Silver Moon Park. Don't stop for anyone."*

I walked out of the house.

I was done being Aliana the Victim.

Tonight, I was the Executioner.