Chapter 3

Jana POV:

They didn't take me to a normal hospital room. They took me to the Pack Meeting Hall.

It was a vast room with high ceilings and banners of the Silver Moon Pack hanging from the walls. But now, it was set up like a studio. Cameras were set up on tripods. Bright lights blinded me.

Kyleigh sat in a wheelchair in the center of the room. She was wearing a pale blue hospital gown that made her look fragile and angelic. Her face was perfectly made up to look pale but beautiful.

"Put her there," Kyleigh said, pointing to the floor beside her wheelchair.

The guards threw me down. I hit the polished wood hard. My hip slammed against the floor, and I bit my tongue to keep from screaming.

"What is this?" I asked, looking around.

"A confession," Kyleigh said. She smiled, but her eyes were dead cold. "The pack needs to know the truth about the sabotage. We are going live in one minute."

Axel stood behind Kyleigh's chair, his hand resting protectively on her shoulder. He looked like a statue of judgment.

"You will admit to your crimes," Axel said. "You will tell the pack that you tried to ruin the Defense Wall because you were jealous of the future Luna."

"I won't lie," I said, my voice trembling.

Axel leaned down. His lips brushed my ear, but there was no intimacy in it. "If you don't, I will declare you a Rogue right now. I will banish you. You will die alone in the woods, hunted by vampires and strays. Is that how you want to end? Or do you want to save your sister and at least die with a name?"

It was a cruel bargain. To die as a Rogue meant my soul would be lost forever, unconnected to the pack lands. To die as a pack member meant I could find peace with the Moon Goddess.

"One minute!" a tech guy shouted.

"Kneel," Axel commanded. The Alpha Voice slammed into me again.

I scrambled to my knees. I felt small. I felt dirty.

"Action!"

Kyleigh's face instantly transformed. She looked into the camera with tears welling in her eyes.

"My dear pack members," she said, her voice trembling perfectly. "I come to you with a heavy heart. Today, we found a flaw in the new wall designs. A flaw that could have killed us."

She looked down at me. The camera zoomed in on my face. I knew I looked like a monster-messy hair, dirty clothes, sullen eyes.

"My sister, Jana," Kyleigh continued, "has something to say."

Axel nudged me with his boot. A silent threat.

I looked into the black lens of the camera. I saw my reflection. I saw a girl who had lost everything.

"I..." My voice cracked. "I admit it."

"Louder," Axel growled.

"I admit it!" I shouted, tears finally spilling over. "I changed the numbers. I wanted to ruin the design. I was jealous. I am... I am a fake."

I could see the comments scrolling on the screen set up to the side.

'Traitor!'

'She should be executed!'

'Why does the Alpha even keep her around?'

'Waste of space.'

Every word was a knife.

"Thank you for your honesty, sister," Kyleigh said. She reached out and patted my head, like one would pet a dog. "I forgive you. The pack forgives you. And now, you will do the right thing and help me heal, won't you?"

"Yes," I whispered.

'Suddenly, Kyleigh gasped. Her hand flew to her chest, her back arching off the wheelchair.'

'"Axel!" she screamed, blood spraying from her mouth onto the polished floor. "It burns! My core... it's breaking!"'

'The monitors hooked up to her portable unit began to wail. Her skin turned a terrifying shade of gray instantly.'

'"Cut the feed!" Axel roared, catching her as she slumped forward.'

'"She's crashing!" a medic shouted, rushing in. "Her Essence levels are zero. If we don't operate now, she's gone in ten minutes!"'

'Kyleigh looked at me, her eyes wide with genuine terror for the first time. "Take it," she gurgled, pointing a shaking finger at me. "Take her kidney now!"'

'Axel turned to the guards. His eyes were pure panic.'

'"Get Jana to the OR," he bellowed. "Forget the prep. Forget the scans. Just cut her open and get that organ!"'

'I closed my eyes. Deep inside me, I felt a shift. It wasn't physical. It was spiritual.'

My inner wolf, the white wolf that had been suppressed for so long, let out a long, mournful howl. It was a sound of absolute despair.

And then, silence.

She was gone. My wolf had retreated into the deepest darkness of my soul. She had severed her connection to the world to spare herself the pain.

I was truly Wolfless now.

"Take her!" Axel screamed again.

The guards hauled me up. I was a ragdoll. I didn't look at Axel. I didn't look at my parents. I just stared at the floor, counting the steps to my execution.

'