Chapter 3

I woke up to find Trenton Gonzales sitting by my bedside.

The moment he saw my eyes open, he pulled me into his arms.

“You know I made Francesca my Luna to protect you,” he said, his voice tight with frustration. “How could you be so reckless? Setting fire to the storage room out of spite? Do you realize Francesca almost went into early labor because of the shock?”

I pushed him away, my gaze cold as I noticed the faint marks of passion on his neck. “I was freezing to death,” I snapped. “Was I not allowed to light a fire to keep warm? Was it my fault she went into labor, or was it your recklessness that caused it?”

Trenton’s face darkened, and he quickly adjusted his collar. “Don’t twist this,” he said, his tone softening as he tried to placate me. “Francesca has sacrificed so much for us. On our mating night, I had to give her the respect she deserved. Please, Edith, don’t make this harder than it needs to be. I promise you, it’s just this once. It won’t happen again.”

He picked up a bowl of medicine and tried to feed it to me. “I know you’re upset about Francesca, but I’m just repaying a debt. When I was poisoned, I needed to transfer the toxin to a female wolf to survive. Francesca gave herself for me. Because of that, she lost her reputation and her health. I had no choice but to—”

“Her reputation? Her health?” I cut him off, my voice trembling with anger. “What does that have to do with me? She’s pitiful, but does that mean I deserve to suffer like this?”

“Edith!” Trenton’s voice rose, his face red with rage. “You’re being unreasonable. You’ve brought this on yourself. It’s not Francesca’s fault, and it’s certainly not mine!”

He slammed the bowl of medicine onto the bed, the hot liquid splashing onto my wounds. “You’ve lost your mind. I’ve done everything for you—endured the ridicule of the pack for not being able to control my mate, begged the Alpha King to spare you from being exiled as a rogue. And yet, you repay me with this? You’re ungrateful!”

His chest heaved, and the look he gave me was one of pure disappointment. “I was wrong about you. You’ll never compare to Francesca. She’s selfless, loyal, and would give her life for me without hesitation. And you? Where were you when I needed you? Why didn’t you save me? You’re still so selfish, even now.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Trenton, your lies make me sick. You ask where I was? Did you ever bother to find out? In the three months you were poisoned, why didn’t you wonder where I was? If you’d just looked into it, you’d know the truth.”

His eyes narrowed with mockery. “Are you trying to say you saved me? That you were the one who took the poison and went into hiding to recover? Do you really think I’d believe that?”

I turned my face away, unable to bear the sight of him. Tears streamed down my cheeks, but I refused to let him see my weakness. “You’ve never believed me, Trenton. What’s the point of saying anything now?”

Trenton’s expression hardened, and he kicked the stool aside as he stood. “You’re impossible,” he spat before storming out of the room.

After he left, Francesca walked in, her sheer nightgown revealing the marks of his affection on her skin. She dismissed her maid with a wave of her hand. “Edith,” she said with a sweet, venomous smile, “you’re so pitiful. You used to be so proud, but now you’ll beg me for scraps like a dog.”

I closed my eyes, my heart too numb to feel the sting of her words. Francesca continued, her voice dripping with malice. “No, you’re worse than a dog. At least a dog has its freedom. You? Your life is in my hands. I’ll make you kneel by our bed every night, cleaning the sweat from my body and the traces of Trenton’s love from my skin.”

She clapped her hands, and the door swung open. In the darkness, I saw the faces of rogue werewolves, their eyes gleaming with hunger. “Take good care of our former Luna,” Francesca said with a wicked grin. “Make sure she enjoys her final moments.”

I screamed as they grabbed me, their rough hands pulling at my broken leg. “Please, Francesca, let me go,” I begged, my voice trembling with fear. “I’ll leave the pack, I’ll never come back. I’ll never interfere with you and Trenton again.”

But Francesca only laughed. “Oh, Edith, you’re so pathetic.”

The door burst open, and I saw Trenton and my brother, Ezrah, standing in the doorway. Francesca immediately threw herself into their arms, tears streaming down her face. “Save me, Trenton! Ezrah! Edith planned this—she brought these rogues here to attack me. She said... she said if I were defiled, you’d both abandon me.”

“You’re insane!” Ezrah roared, stepping forward and striking me with the hilt of his dagger. I coughed up blood, the pain searing through my body.

“You vile woman!” Trenton glared at me with pure hatred. “After everything I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me? You’d harm Francesca, who’s carrying my child? You deserve to die!”

Francesca sobbed in his arms, and Trenton turned to the rogues. “Take her. Do whatever you want with her. If she survives, I’ll kill you myself.”

Ezrah watched as I reached out to him in desperation, but his expression was cold. He raised his dagger and cut off my hands, my screams echoing through the room. “You deserve this,” he said with a sneer. “Die, you traitor.”

As they left, I could hear them comforting Francesca, their voices fading into the distance. The rogues closed in around me, their laughter cruel and merciless.

But before they could touch me, the room erupted in flames. I had set the fire myself, the heat consuming everything in its path. As the smoke filled the room, I closed my eyes, welcoming the end.

From outside, I heard the panicked shouts of the pack. “The Luna—she’s set herself on fire!”

The last thing I saw was the blaze engulfing me, and I smiled, knowing I was finally free.