Chapter 3

Elara POV

"Take this off," Ivy ordered, tossing a scrap of crimson silk onto my bed.

Ten minutes later, I was shivering in the dress, desperately pulling my heavy, oversized wool coat tightly around my shoulders. Because I was wolfless, I lacked the naturally high body temperature that kept shifted wolves warm. The night air biting through my window felt like ice against my bruised skin.

Ivy planted her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing with frustration. "You look like you're attending your own funeral, Elara. Take the coat off."

"At least I won't end up in the pack infirmary with hypothermia," I muttered, wrapping my arms around myself. It wasn't just the cold; the coat was my armor. I felt entirely too exposed, too raw.

Ivy rolled her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. "Fine. But we are leaving this depressing shoebox right now."

*The Crimson Fang* was a high-end club in neutral territory, a playground for the elite of various packs. The moment we stepped inside, the heavy bass vibrated in my chest, but it was the overwhelming wall of scents that made me nauseous. The air was thick with the aggressive, territorial pheromones of Alphas, Betas, and Gammas.

Ivy immediately went into hunter mode, her Warrior senses scanning the dimly lit room. "See the guy at the bar?" she shouted over the music, pointing discreetly. "Smells like ozone before a storm. A powerful Rogue. Perfect rebound to make you forget everything."

I shook my head, my stomach churning. "No."

"What about the Blackmane Pack Gamma in the corner? Leather and whiskey. I hear he's got great stamina."

"Ivy, please," I pleaded, shrinking deeper into my coat. The mere thought of another male wolf's possessive scent made my skin crawl. "I don't want anyone."

Ivy groaned in exasperation. "You can't just cower like an abandoned Omega pup in the corner-"

She stopped mid-sentence. Her fiery red aura spiked so violently I could almost feel the heat radiating off her. The color drained from her face as she stared toward the back of the club.

I followed her rigid gaze to a dim VIP booth. My blood turned to absolute ice.

It was Rhys. And curled intimately against his chest, her fingers tangled in his hair, was my sister, Cadence. The sister who had supposedly left the pack in a noble sacrifice.

Ivy grabbed my arm to pull me away, but I was already moving closer, slipping through the dancing crowd like a ghost. I stopped just behind a velvet pillar, close enough to hear them over the thumping bass.

Cadence let out a wicked, melodic laugh. "That mug with my face was a stroke of genius, Rhys. I knew that wolfless bitch would touch it."

Rhys smirked, kissing her neck. "I almost laughed when she broke it. Forcing her to her knees with the *Alpha's Command* to clean up the pieces felt incredible."

"Now everyone thinks you sacrificed for me," Cadence purred, tracing his jawline. "They think she drove me away out of pure jealousy and destroyed my things. She'll never wash the stain off her name, and I can finally come back to be the Morrison Pack's true Luna."

The air in my lungs vanished. My heartbreak, my humiliation, the slap that still throbbed on my cheek-it wasn't a tragic end to a relationship. It was a calculated, malicious execution.

The paralyzing sorrow that had weighed me down all night suddenly snapped. In its place, a cold, destructive rage awakened in my chest.

My mind went blank. All I wanted to do was destroy them.

I was prepared to die.I reached out and grabbed a heavy, half-full bottle of expensive amber liquor from a passing waiter's tray. Ignoring Ivy's shocked gasp, I marched straight toward the booth.

Just as Rhys leaned in to kiss my sister again, I swung the bottle with every ounce of strength I possessed.

*CRASH.*

The thick glass shattered against the side of Rhys's head. Amber liquor and dark crimson blood instantly streamed down his forehead, soaking his expensive shirt.

Cadence shrieked, scrambling backward in horror. Rhys clutched his bleeding head, his eyes wide with absolute, offended fury. "Are you insane?!" he roared, his Alpha aura exploding. "My father will make you a Rogue for this!"

Ivy lunged forward, her claws fully extended, ready to shred Cadence's face.

I was intimidated by Rhys Alpha's aura, but the anger in my heart continued to burn. I forcibly suppressed my fear of Alpha and said"No." I held up a hand, stopping Ivy in her tracks. I looked down at the bleeding future Alpha and my treacherous sister, feeling nothing but pure disgust. "Enjoy my leftovers."

Ivy caught my gaze, a vicious smirk spreading across her lips.

I turned on my heel and walked toward the front doors. But as the heavy club doors closed behind us and the freezing night air hit my face, the adrenaline suddenly evaporated, leaving my hands shaking violently.