Chapter 3

Kelsey POV:

Three days later, Bennett threw me a birthday party.

It was a farce. A PR stunt to show the pack that the Alpha and Luna were still a united front, despite the rumors swirling from the club incident.

I wore a pale blue gown that Bennett had chosen. It was modest, blending into the background.

"Smile," Bennett whispered in my ear as we stood at the entrance of the banquet hall. His hand gripped my waist tight enough to bruise. "Stop looking like a funeral attendant."

"It feels like a funeral," I muttered.

"Don't start," he warned, flashing a dazzling smile at a passing Gamma.

Then, the doors opened.

Aria walked in.

She wasn't wearing a guest's dress. She was wearing a gown of deep, blood-red velvet. In werewolf culture, red was the color of power. It was the color of the Luna.

A hush fell over the room. To wear red at the Luna's birthday celebration was a direct challenge. It was a slap in the face.

She walked straight toward us.

"Happy Birthday, Kelsey," she said, holding out a small, wrapped box. Her eyes, however, were on Bennett.

"What are you doing here, Aria?" I asked, my voice tight.

"I invited her," Bennett cut in smoothly. "She is carrying my heirs. She is family now."

He reached out and placed his hand on the back of her neck. It was a primal, soothing gesture-something an Alpha did to calm his mate. He thumbed the sensitive skin there, and Aria leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering shut.

I felt sick. They were doing this right in front of everyone.

"Excuse me," I said, turning on my heel.

I rushed to the restroom, needing to escape the suffocating scent of them. I splashed cold water on my face, trying to calm my racing heart.

The door opened. Aria walked in.

She locked the door behind her.

"You should just give up, you know," she said, leaning against the sink. Her eyes flashed-the amber glow of her wolf surfacing. "He doesn't want you. He tolerates you."

"Get out," I said.

"He promised me," she whispered, stepping closer. "He said once the pups are born, he'll find a way to break the bond with you. He's going to mark me, Kelsey. A real mark."

She released her aura. It was wild and uncontrolled, a Rogue's aggression. She shoved me.

I stumbled back, crashing into a decorative table holding a tower of champagne flutes and silver platters.

Crash.

Glass shattered everywhere. But it was the silver platter that did the damage. The edge of the heavy tray sliced deep into my upper arm.

"Ah!" I cried out, clutching my arm. Blood seeped through my fingers, dark and fast.

Silver.

For a wolf, silver burned like acid. It prevented the natural rapid healing we were supposed to have. But for me? I didn't have rapid healing anyway. The silver just burned, a cold, toxic fire spreading through my veins.

The door burst open. Bennett rushed in, followed by a few guards.

"What happened?" he roared.

I looked up, dizzy from the pain. "She pushed me..."

"She attacked me!" Aria shrieked, falling to her knees and clutching her stomach. "Alpha! She tried to hurt the babies! She went crazy!"

It was such a blatant lie. I was the one bleeding on the floor.

Bennett didn't even look at my arm. He didn't smell the blood pouring from me. His eyes were locked on Aria.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice frantic. He scooped her up into his arms.

"My stomach..." Aria whimpered. "The stress..."

"Get the car!" Bennett shouted at the guards. "We're going to the hospital!"

He turned to leave, carrying her.

"Bennett!" I gasped. "I'm bleeding. It's silver."

He stopped at the door. He looked back at me, his eyes cold and hard.

"You should have thought about that before you endangered my children," he spat.

Then he was gone.

I sat alone on the bathroom floor, surrounded by broken glass. The pain in my arm was excruciating, but the pain in my chest was worse. It felt like my heart was cracking open.

A pack doctor, a young Beta named Sarah, hurried in a moment later. She gasped when she saw me.

"Luna! Oh my goddess, look at this blood."

She started cleaning the wound, picking out the silver shards. I hissed in pain.

"It won't stop bleeding," she muttered, panicked. "Because of the silver... and your... condition."

"Just stitch it up," I said, my voice dead. "I'll be fine."

Later, I sat in the hospital waiting room. My arm was bandaged, throbbing. I walked down the hall to the VIP wing.

The door to Aria's room was cracked open.

I saw Bennett sitting on the edge of her bed. He was releasing his Alpha Pheromones-a thick, calming scent meant to sedate and comfort.

"I'm here," he whispered, kissing Aria's forehead. "I'm not leaving you."

I looked down at my bandage. The blood was already seeping through the white gauze.

This marriage wasn't just a mistake. It was a death sentence. Like the silver in my arm, Bennett was a poison I couldn't heal from.

I pulled out my phone.

Message to Shadow Runners: I am ready. Tonight.