Chapter 4
iriffin stands at the edge of the cliff, looking down.
he bus is burned to a black skeleton, rescue teams still digging through the wreckage. A few bodies have already been pulled out, wrapped in white sheets, laid
ut by the roadside.
It’s bad.” A human cop nearby shakes his head. “We’ll need DNA to ID them.”
iriffin breathes in hard through his nose. He’s trying to catch Hazel’s scent. Even just a little.
ut all he smells is burning. Gasoline, plastic, charred flesh. And death.
She’s not here.” He stares at the twisted metal, voice tight. “It can’t be her.”
rescue worker pulls something out of the wreckage.
riffin’s pupils contract sharply.
t’s that necklace. The moonstone pendant, half melted away.
le gave it to her at the Moon Ritual. Part of the ceremony. He’d been so impatient that day, barely looked at her, just tossed it over.
No…”
lis knees hit the ground.
When he gets back to the territory, everyone avoids him. No one dares get close. The air around him is too heavy, like a storm cloud hanging over the entire
ack.
le pushes open the door to his house.
lis father’s fist comes straight at him.
iriffin doesn’t dodge. He stumbles back several steps, his lip splits, blood running down his chin.
You useless piece of shit!” The former Alpha’s voice shakes the windows.
You tore this whole place apart over some outsider!”
She’s not an outsider!” Griffin wipes the blood from his mouth. “She was my mate!”
Oh. Now you know?” His father laughs coldly. “Who was it yesterday that couldn’t wait to sever the bond?”
Griffin doesn’t answer. He lunges forward.
ather and son crash into each other. Chairs flip, cabinets topple, two Alphas roaring as the whole house trembles.
Enough!”
His mother’s shout cuts through it.
Griffin’s panting hard, blood all over his forehead.
Talk.” His mother stares at him. “What did you do to her? Why did she leave?”
Griffin freezes. “What?”
Chapter 4
“She came to us that day and said she had to leave. That she was never coming back.” The former Luna closes her eyes for a moment. “She also told us about a prophecy.”
She said if you two stayed bound, in ten years you’d die trying to save her.” His father picks up, his tone less aggressive now-more like stating a fact. “She was very specific. The Bloodfang’s silver bullets. You dying in her arms.”
Griffin’s face goes white.
He remembers.
The last thing he said to Hazel before she left- “If you really want to make me happy, disappear from my sight.”
And this.” His mother hands him a scroll. She left it behind Said it was for the severance ritual
Griffin unrolls it.
Its hands start shaking
I’s not a severance ritual. It’s an Alliance Ritual.
Jazel was paving the way for him.
ven as she was leaving, she was still thinking about how to secure his alliance with Vivian’s family.
Why would she Griffin’s voice cracks. He can’t finish.
Ge ask the shaman His mother says. “He probably knows more.”
When Griffin bursts into Elder Raven’s cabin, the old shaman is sitting by the window, watching the moon. Like he’d been waiting.
Where’s Hazel?” Griffin demands. “Is she dead or not?”
Instead of asking that,” the old shaman slowly turns his head, “ask yourself this. Why did Vivian use the Soul Devouring Spell?”
within frowns She said it was because of the pressure from the elders-”
The lied. Elder Raven cuts him off. “News just came back from the Bloodfang border. They found something on a prisoner.”
le Maser Grifin a USB drive
raffum plugs it into the computer. The screen lights up.
s the footage. Vivian is meeting with a Bloodfang wolf
Yourze sure this will destroy Nightfall Vivians voice comes through the speakers.
Of courer The other guy wndes ugly As long as you go through with the soul Devouring Spell and wreck yourself, we’ll keep your family’s dirty secrets
uried.”
riftia: knuckles turn while
Bloodtang gud leverage on her Elder Kaven says They blackinailed her with her family’s secrets Forced her to hurt herself”
Her family’s been dealing with vampires The vid shaman sighs If that got out, she’d be finished in the wolf world”
riffin doesn’t say anything the stands and walks out
When Vivian’s brought to the Council Hall, she looks almost fully recovered. Sull has that arrogant air, chin heid high.
Why? Griffin stares at her “Why did you lie to me?”
Chapter 4
‘Lie?” Vivian lets out a laugh. “I just played along with what you already wanted.”
‘What’s that supposed to mean?”
‘How much do you despise your fated mate? You don’t even trust yourself, let alone her.” Her tone’s dripping with mockery.
You wanted an escape so bad that you bought whatever story I fed you. So whose fault is that?”
Griffin’s face darkens.
Vivian keeps going. “She gave up her life to save me. Someone who schemed against her. And you? You didn’t even say thank you. You just let her walk away
alone-to die!”
‘Shut up!”
‘You don’t deserve her.” Vivian throws her final line. “Alpha? You can’t even deal with your own broken pride. What kind of Alpha is that?”
Griffin’s control snaps.
Lock her up!” His voice is cold as ice. “Send evidence of her family’s deals with vampires to every pack!”
As Vivian’s dragged away, the arrogance finally cracks. She starts struggling, starts screaming. No one listens.
Griffin kneels alone in the empty Council Hall.
The truth crashes over him like ice water.
Hazel never wronged him.
t was him-hurting her over and over. He cared more about his pride and his broken ego than anything else.
Now there’s nothing left.
Hazel…” His voice trembles. “Where do I even start looking for you…”
His phone rings.
Beta Asher’s voice comes through, tinged with excitement.
Alpha, Hazel might still be alive! The police just confirmed it. There’s one body missing from the wreckage. Female!”
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