Chapter 2

In the ring, the match kept going. The bear shifter had already snapped one of Arthur's arms.

Arthur's face was covered in blood, and he cast a desperate look toward the prep room.

He was looking for me.

Every time he got hurt before, I'd rush over to him and use my mutant blood to drag him back from the brink of death.

But this time, I just stood behind the one-way glass, watching coldly as he was ripped apart.

"Go hit the surrender bell," I told Frank.

"But surrendering means we lose half the pack's assets," Frank gasped, looking shocked.

"If you don't hit it, your Alpha's dead for sure."

Frank scrambled out of the room.

The deafening bell rang out, and the referee stepped in to pull Arthur away before he was torn apart completely.

The medics rushed into the ring and lifted Arthur's mangled body onto a stretcher.

I turned and walked out of the prep room, only to run straight into Annabelle, her face streaked with tears.

"Evelyn, why didn't you save him? You could've stopped this, but you didn't do anything. You're a heartless monster!" she screamed, pointing right in my face.

I slapped her hard across the face.

Annabelle clutched her swollen cheek, staring at me in utter disbelief.

"How dare you hit me? Arthur said I'm his most important guest," she shrieked. "I'm your sister. How could you hit me?"

I shook out my wrist and said coldly, "That slap was for your sheer stupidity.

"You treated pure silver like it was glitter? You've lived in this city for six months, so don't pretend you didn't know what pure silver does to werewolves.

"You messed with the stabilizer on purpose and nearly got him killed."

Panic flashed in Annabelle's eyes, but it quickly turned into hurt.

"I really didn't know. I'm a regular person. How am I supposed to understand your mutant world?" she protested. "You're just jealous that Arthur treats me better than you, so you set him up to die."

The stretcher was pushed up from the end of the hallway.

Arthur was covered in tubes, with black blood still soaking through his bandages.

When he heard Annabelle crying, he somehow opened his eyes.

"Annabelle, don't cry..." he whispered, barely able to speak. He weakly reached out with his good arm, trying to touch her.

Annabelle rushed over and smeared her tears across his hand.

"Arthur, you terrified me," she cried. "Evelyn hit me, and then she accused me of trying to hurt you on purpose."

Arthur whipped his head around to glare at me, his bloodshot eyes burning with fury.

"Evelyn, what the hell is wrong with you?" he snapped. "Annabelle already feels bad enough. Why do you have to keep picking on her?"

I stood there, staring at this moron.

"You almost got killed, and the first thing you do is blame me for going after the one who poisoned you?" I shot back. "Do you realize why you lost control?"

Arthur gritted his teeth, a low growl rumbling deep in his throat.

"Because you didn't give me your stabilizer," he spat. "You're a high-level mutant, so you don't need it. But you refused to give it to me because you wanted to see me humiliated.

"You're downright cruel. You're using this as an excuse to make me get rid of Annabelle."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

So that was what he really thought.

He believed the stabilizer that got destroyed was mine, and if I handed over the other one, everything would go back to normal.

"Arthur, did that bear shifter scramble your brains?" I shot back. "There's a barcode on each viral.

"The one Annabelle filled with pure silver had your name on it."

Arthur was stunned for a moment.

Annabelle let out a piercing scream. "You're lying! I made sure I picked yours."

As soon as she finished speaking, the hallway fell into a deathly silence.

Annabelle slapped a hand over her mouth, her face turning ghostly pale.

I gave her a mocking look. "Oh? You made sure you picked mine, huh?

"Weren't you claiming you didn't know it was pure silver, and that you simply wanted to put in a little glitter powder? Then why did you make sure to pick mine?

Arthur's gaze darted between Annabelle and me.

Annabelle collapsed to her knees beside the stretcher, sobbing so hard that she looked like she might faint.

"Arthur, I really didn't mean it," she sobbed. "I was just playing a joke on my sister.

"I didn't know that powder was dangerous, I swear.

"Please forgive me. I'll pay with my life if that's what it takes."

As she spoke, she threw herself toward the wall.

Arthur used the last of his strength to grab her and pull her into his arms. "That's enough. Annabelle didn't mean it," he roared at me. "Even if she grabbed the wrong one, why didn't you warn me?

"You knew that one was tainted, but you still let me go into that ring. You really let me down, Evelyn."

I gave these two snakes a cold stare. "I did warn you. You're the one who told me not to make a big deal out of such a trivial thing."

Arthur was lost for words. His chest heaved up and down, and then he coughed up a mouthful of black blood.