Chapter 35 Deadly Truths
The car pulled through the gates just after noon.
Amanda watched from the upstairs window, fingers gripping the sill so tightly her knuckles whitened. Her stomach twisted as the vehicle rolled to a stop in the courtyard. The door opened.
And Lena stepped out.
Exactly as Amanda remembered. Beautiful. Poised. Perfect. Her hair fell in glossy waves. Her clothes were tailored to show effortless elegance. Every move carefully chosen, like she’d choreographed her own entrance.
Pack members flocked to her immediately. Greeting her. Fawning over her. She smiled warmly, graciously. The perfect guest.
Amanda’s jaw clenched.
“She’s here.” Riley’s voice drifted from behind her. “You okay?”
“No.” Amanda turned. “But I have to be.”
Riley came to stand beside her, peering down at the scene below. “Look at that. She already walks like she owns the place.”
“That’s Lena’s gift.” Amanda’s voice was bitter. “She makes people believe she belongs. Without trying.”
“Well, she doesn’t.” Riley crossed her arms. “This is your home. Not hers.”
Amanda wished she could believe that. But watching the pack respond to Lena’s charm, doubt crept in like cold water.
What if they preferred Lena?
What if Derek realized he’d married the wrong sister?
Riley grabbed her hand. “Stop it. I know that face. Derek chose you. Not her.”
“He didn’t choose me. Father arranged it.”
“Maybe. But he’s choosing you now. Every day. Don’t let Lena make you forget that.”
A knock sounded. One of the servants bowed. “Luna… your sister has requested an audience with Alpha Derek. He asks you to join them in the main hall.”
Amanda’s stomach dropped. “Of course he has.”
She dressed quickly. One of her better gowns. Something that made her stand tall, not small. Something that said she belonged at Derek’s side.
But when she looked in the mirror, she didn’t see the Luna she was trying to be. She saw the girl her father dismissed. The shadow Lena always stepped in front of.
“Stop it,” she whispered. “You’re not that girl anymore.”
Her reflection didn’t argue. But it didn’t believe her either.
The main hall buzzed with pack members. Word of Lena Kingswell’s arrival had spread like wildfire.
Everyone wanted to see her. The beauty. The legend. The sister who always seemed to shine.
Derek stood near the fireplace, speaking quietly with Victor. He looked calm enough, but Amanda saw the tension in his posture. The quiet strain. The act he was still maintaining for Silas’s benefit.
Across the room, Lena was surrounded by admirers. Laughing. Sparkling. Playing the part of the beloved guest to perfection.
Then her eyes found Derek.
Her expression softened immediately. Concern blooming across her face like she’d practiced it in a mirror.
She excused herself gracefully and walked toward him. Each step measured. Elegant. Intentional.
“Derek.” Her voice was warm, sympathetic. “I came as soon as I heard. You must have been terrified.”
She touched his arm. The gesture was gentle. Too gentle. Familiar.
Amanda felt jealousy burn low and hot in her chest.
Derek’s gaze flicked toward Amanda. For a heartbeat, something passed between them. A message only she could read.
Then he turned back to Lena. “It was unexpected. But I’m recovering.”
“Thank goodness.” Lena’s tone dripped with sisterly concern. “When Father told me what happened, I insisted on coming right away. Family should be together in times like this.”
Her hand stayed on Derek’s arm. A little too long.
Amanda forced her feet to move. “Lena. This is a surprise.”
Lena smiled. Perfect. Hollow. “Amanda. You look… well. Considering everything.”
“Considering what?”
“The accusations. The imprisonment. The pack believing you tried to murder your own husband.” Lena’s voice dipped into grave sympathy. “It must be so hard. Everyone watching you. Judging you.”
“The truth will come out,” Amanda said, steady despite the heat crawling up her neck.
“Of course. I’m sure it will.” Lena’s tone suggested she believed the opposite. “Derek, I hope you’re being cautious. After what happened, you can’t be too trusting.”
“I’m well protected,” Derek said. His eyes found Amanda again. “Amanda has been helping me recover.”
Lena’s smile tightened microscopically. “How brave of her. Considering most people would keep their distance from someone accused of attempted murder.”
Amanda froze. “I didn’t…”
“Of course not. I’m sure it was all a misunderstanding.” Lena patted Derek’s arm. “Still, Derek, if you need anything… anything at all… I’m here. Just like old times.”
Victor cleared his throat. “Lena, we’ve prepared a room for you. You must be tired.”
“How thoughtful. Thank you, Alpha Victor.”
Her gaze swept the hall again. Calculating. Claiming.
Then she left, a small entourage tailing her.
The room slowly emptied.
Derek approached Amanda. “Are you alright?”
“No.” The word came out raw. “She’s already working the pack. Twisting things. Making them doubt me.”
“Let her try. The truth is coming.”
“Is it?” Amanda’s voice trembled. “Because it looks like they’re already choosing her.”
Derek laced his fingers with hers. “I’m not choosing her. And that’s what matters.”
Amanda nodded. But doubt still whispered in the back of her mind.
She found Amanda that evening.
Amanda had retreated to the library, burying herself in research to quiet her thoughts.
“There you are.” Lena’s cheery voice bounced off the shelves. “I’ve been looking everywhere.”
Amanda closed her book. “What do you want, Lena?”
“Just to talk.” Lena stepped inside, smile fading. “Sister to sister.”
Amanda stood. “I’m not in the mood for your games.”
“This isn’t a game.” Lena’s eyes sharpened. “This is your last chance. Leave now. Quietly. And I’ll convince Derek to let you go with dignity.”
Amanda stared. “Why would I ever leave?”
“Because if you stay, what’s coming will destroy you.” Lena moved closer, voice dropping. “You’re in over your head. You always have been.”
“So that’s a threat.”
“It’s a promise.” Lena’s smile was cold. “You were never supposed to win, Amanda. This marriage was a trap from the start.”
A chill slid down Amanda’s spine. “What are you talking about?”
“Father arranged this marriage to break you. To prove you were weak. Useless.” Lena stepped closer. “He married you off to a cursed Alpha heir. A man with no wolf. No power. No future.”
Amanda swallowed hard. “He wouldn’t…”
“He did. And when Derek rejected you, when the pack turned on you, Father fully expected you to come crawling back. Defeated. Humiliated. Just the way he likes you.”
Her words sliced. Because a part of Amanda had always feared something like this.
“But then you had to surprise everyone,” Lena said. “Breaking the curse. Gaining the pack’s trust. Becoming someone worth noticing. And that ruined everything.”
“So you’re here to ‘fix’ it.”
“I’m here to finish the plan.” Lena’s smile gleamed. “Derek was supposed to stay cursed, fail the trials, and lose Nightfang. Then Father would step in, merge the packs, and take control.”
“And you’d be Luna.”
“With Silas as Alpha.” Her voice warmed at the name. “Everything arranged. Perfect.”
Amanda’s stomach twisted. “Derek knows about Silas. He knows the betrayal.”
“But does he know Father was behind it? That your bloodline cursed the man you married?” Lena laughed softly. “Oh, Amanda… he has no idea.”
Amanda’s world tilted. “Father is behind Derek’s curse?”
“Of course. Who do you think funded Silas? Protected him? Promised him power?” Lena leaned in. “Silas was Father’s Beta long before he was Derek’s freind.”
Amanda’s breath hitched. “I had nothing to do with this.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re a Kingswell.” Lena tapped her chin. “Once Derek learns the truth, do you really think he’ll choose you? When he realizes you’re part of the family that tried to ruin him?”
Amanda’s voice cracked. “He won’t hate me.”
“He will.” Lena’s whisper felt like fangs. “Because when it’s all over, he’ll finally see you for what you’ve always been. The wrong sister.”
Amanda’s hands shook. “Get out.”
Lena walked toward the door, victorious.
She paused before leaving. “Father sends his regards. He’s so pleased with how beautifully this is all unfolding.”
The door shut softly behind her.
Amanda didn’t move.
Couldn’t.
The truth echoed in the silence, cold and merciless.