Chapter 7

Elara Vance POV:

The next morning, dressed in clean, borrowed clothes, I sat in the passenger seat of Alaric's formidable SUV. He had insisted on driving me himself, a decision that had clearly shocked his second-in-command, Silas. The Alpha King, it seemed, did not typically act as a chauffeur.

The silence in the vehicle was thick and heavy. I stared out the window at the passing blur of trees, my mind a chaotic whirl of future uncertainties. I had survived, but what now? I had no pack, no home, no allies.

My hand, tucked into the pocket of the borrowed jacket, brushed against a small, hard object.

My fingers closed around it. I pulled it out. A micro-recorder, no bigger than my thumb. A chill that had nothing to do with the morning air ran down my spine. It was a gift from years ago, from my anonymous benefactor, the one I only knew by the handle "Seagull." It had arrived in a plain box with a simple, typed note: *Evidence is a weapon the powerful never expect the weak to wield. Always be ready.* I had thought it was a paranoid, overly dramatic gesture at the time, but I'd kept it. And in my frantic packing for survival, instinct had made me grab it. I had completely forgotten about it until now. I'd assumed it was lost or destroyed in the fall.

My hand trembled as I pressed the small play button.

At first, it was just the sound of the wind howling on the peak, followed by the muffled sound of my own voice, and then Ryker's.

"...for the greater good of the pack, sacrifices must be made."

I saw Alaric's knuckles turn white as he gripped the steering wheel. His jaw was a hard, unforgiving line.

The recording continued. Ryker's fake howl. The sound of a rock tumbling. My own terrified scream as I was shoved into the abyss.

Then, Ryker's voice again, dripping with sneering satisfaction as he ground his boot into my hand. "Such a shame, my dear Luna."

The air in the car grew thick, charged with a murderous energy. From the back seat, I heard Silas draw a sharp, horrified breath.

The recording captured the sickening rush of air as I fell, the final, brutal thud of impact. Tears streamed down my face, the audio forcing me to relive every horrific second. I reached to turn it off, unable to bear it, but the recording kept playing.

After a long stretch of silence, two voices emerged from the speaker, crisp and clear in the dead of night. Ryker and his Beta, Marcus Cain.

"Are you sure she's dead? The fall alone would have killed her, Alpha."

"Good. The beasts will clean up whatever is left. No body, no questions."

"Yes, Alpha. Now you can officially welcome your Chosen Mate."

There it was. Not just a murder attempt, but a cold, premeditated conspiracy, laid bare in their own words. The perfect "accident" was now undeniable, cold-blooded murder.

Alaric slammed on the brakes. The SUV skidded to a halt on the gravel shoulder of the deserted road.

He turned to face me, and the controlled calm was gone. His amber-gold eyes were burning with a terrifying, righteous fury, the light within them blazing like a forge. The full, unrestrained power of the Alpha King erupted, pressing in on me from all sides, making it hard to breathe.

"Is this the entire truth?" he demanded, his voice a low, lethal growl.

I could only nod, choking on a sob.

*Blasphemy!* The word wasn't a thought, but a shockwave of pure, ancient fury that slammed into my mind. It did not come from Lyra. It was the unrestrained power of the man beside me, a king's judgment made manifest, a promise of retribution that shook my very bones. It was the sound of a sin so profound the heavens themselves demanded blood.

Alaric's hands returned to the steering wheel. He threw the SUV into gear, but when he pulled back onto the road, he turned the vehicle around, heading back in the direction we came from.

Silas leaned forward, his voice laced with confusion. "Alpha King? We are no longer going to the safe house at the border?"

Alaric's eyes were fixed on the road, his profile carved from granite. His voice was as cold and sharp as a shard of ice.

"The plan has changed. We're going back to the Black Moon territory. There is some trash that needs to be taken out."