122

Jack

The scent of Nina’s blood filled my nostrils, threatening to overwhelm my senses. Her body lay limp before me, and for a moment, something inside me wavered.

The memory of her smile, her laughter, the way she used to look at me with those bright eyes. It all crashed through my mind like a sinuous wave.

But then I remembered her betrayal, the night she tried to end my life, and my will hardened once more.

“Take her to the cells,” I ordered, my voice rough with suppressed emotion.

Two pack members immediately moved forward, lifting her unconscious form. Blood dripped from her wounds, leaving a trail across the stone floor.

Mother stood beside me, her presence both comforting and suffocating. “You did well, my son,” she said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “She needed to learn her lesson.”

I nodded, but the words felt hollow. The pack members’ excited murmurs filled the room, their bloodlust still palpable in the air.

They had enjoyed the spectacle, reveled in Nina’s pain. Part of me wondered if that made them any better than her.

“Leave us,” I commanded, and the room quickly emptied, leaving only Mother and me.

As soon as we were alone, I let out a shuddering breath, my hands trembling slightly. The silver blade I’d used on Nina felt heavy in my grip, and I set it down on the nearby table with perhaps more force than necessary.

“You’re troubled,” Mother observed, her sharp eyes missing nothing. “Why?”

“I loved her once, mom,” I admitted. “I would have given her everything. Wealth, status…. everything to make her happy.”

Mother’s expression hardened. “She never deserved your love. Look what she did with it. She tried to kill you, Jack. Her father’s blood runs through her veins. Evil, treacherous blood.”

I ran a hand through my hair, pacing the length of the room. The stone walls seemed to close in around me, and Nina’s screams still echoed in my ears. “I know what she did. I remember every detail of that night.”

The memory rushed back unbidden. How she had come to comfort me, thinking that she loved and cared about me. She whispered how much she loved me, smoothing my hand as she took it into hers.

Happiness filled my heart as Nina gave me a bottle of medicine to treat my wound.

She even told me to hide the bottle well because she didn’t want any of the pack members to know that she had stolen their drugs, not knowing it was a poison. Poison prepared to take my life.

“Then why do you hesitate?” Mother’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Why do I see doubt in your eyes?”

“Because I need to understand why!” I whirled to face her, my voice rising. “What turned her into this? The Nina I knew would never—”

“The Nina you knew was a lie,” Mother cut in, her voice razor-sharp with truth. “Everything about her was a lie. She played you like a puppet, and you’re still dancing on her strings.”

She stepped closer, her eyes boring into mine. “She never loved you, son, and I wonder why you still think everything in front of you is a lie. No one is framing her. You heard her yourself. She wanted power. She wanted to be the Luna, and you can never give her that.”

Her words struck deep, but I couldn’t shake the image of Nina’s body.

“I’m going to talk to her,” I decided, already moving toward the door.

Mother’s hand shot out, gripping my arm. “You will do no such thing. She’s manipulative, Jack. Even now, she’s trying to plant seeds of doubt in your mind.”

“I’m not going to free her,” I growled, pulling my arm free. “But I need answers. Real ones, not the taunts she threw at us during the interrogation.”

“And you think she’ll give them to you now?” Mother’s laugh was bitter. “After what just happened?”

I met her gaze steadily. “I’m sorry, Mother.”

I felt bad, but I forced myself to continue. “She knows there’s nowhere left to hide behind her lies. And if she won’t tell me the truth...” I let the threat hang in the air.

Mother studied me for a long moment before nodding slowly. “Very well. But remember who she is, what she’s done. Don’t let her silver tongue poison you again.”

I turned away, unable to bear the weight of her scrutiny any longer. “I won’t.”

The walk to the cells was long, each step echoing through the empty corridors.

The pack’s celebration could be heard from above, their victory howls piercing the night air.

But down here, in the depths of our territory, there was only silence.

And her scent. Even masked by blood, it called to something deep within me, stirring memories I’d tried so hard to bury.

The guard straightened as I approached, quickly unlocking the cell door. Inside, Nina lay on a thin mattress, her wounds already beginning to heal despite the lingering effects of the silver.

She didn’t move as I entered, but I knew she was conscious. Her heartbeat gave her away.

“Leave us,” I ordered the guard, who hesitated only briefly before departing.

For several long moments, I simply stood there, watching her. The mighty Nina, brought so low.

The woman who had nearly become my mate, now my prisoner. The paradox of it all threatened to choke me.

“Come to finish what your mother started?” Her voice was weak but still carried that edge of defiance that had always drawn me to her.

“No.” I moved closer, crouching beside her. “I came for the truth.”

She laughed, the sound broken and harsh. “Haven’t you had enough truth for one day?”

“That wasn’t truth. That was performance.” I reached out, gently turning her face toward me. Her skin was clammy, but her eyes blazed with the same fire I remembered. “Why did you poison me, Nina? We both love each other.” I was a fool, I know.

When I read the letters, I cried, but their damning evidence couldn’t extinguish my feelings for her. I’d sworn to steel myself against her, tried to summon hatred, but my heart refused to comply.

Even now, I clung to desperate hope that the accusations were false.

Her father’s crimes meant nothing to me – she was all that mattered. Even knowing she might have tried to poison me, I would still take her in my arms.

Perhaps the poison was merely retribution for my past cruelty, not a true desire to end my life.

“I already said the truth,” Nina snapped, despite her pain. “What else do you want to hear?”

She paused, scoffing before speaking. “You already rejected me. You cast me aside, Jack. Stop acting like you care. We’re nothing to each other now.”

“Stop playing games, Nina.” My fingers tightened slightly on her jaw. “No more masks. No more lies. Just tell me why you tried to kill me that night.”

“Because I wanted to destroy you. Is that clear enough?” She spat, the gesture full of venom. I growled, but what had I expected?

Mother had revealed her true nature, yet I remained willfully blind, clinging to hope. I’d seen all the messages about her seeking someone stronger.

“Nina,” I roared. “You—”

“You what? You’re just a worthless beta, and you think you deserve me, Jack? Do you remember how you hurt me despite knowing I was your mate?”

Her words froze me in place. I’d thought we’d moved past that. I thought she had forgiven me.

“I apologized,” I said hoarsely. “I begged your forgiveness, and you gave it. Yo—”

“I only forgave you to be rid of you,” she cut in. “I’m an Alpha’s daughter. I deserve better. I deserve to be with an Alpha, not some beta like you.”

Her words were daggers, each one finding its mark. I’d remade myself for her, strived to be better. The futility of it all crushed me. What more could I have done?

“You thought of me as lowly?” I asked, my voice came out barely above a whisper, heavy with pain.

“Of course. I should be Alpha Damon’s Luna, not my worthless sister.”

I stared at her, seeing her truly for the first time. This wasn’t my Nina – or rather, this was who she’d been all along, hidden behind a mask of affection.

The pieces clicked into place: Nina mentioning Scarlett to Lucas, knowing he’d send us to the pack. Everything had been calculated by her.

She’d orchestrated it all to usurp Scarlett’s position, using Lucas as her unwitting tool.

The blood drained from my face as the full truth hit me. No matter how deeply I loved her, I was just another piece to be discarded.

A pawn in her game. My teeth clenched as self-loathing washed over me. How had I been so blind? She was nothing short of a demon wearing an angel’s face.

“Demon.”

Nina’s laughter rang through the dank cell, each echo a mockery of our past. “Finally pieced it all together, have you? No point in pretending anymore. You were always going on about how much you loved me, cherished me...” Her lips twisted into a cruel smile. “If you really meant any of it, if you truly wanted what was best for me, you should have just died quietly.”

In that moment, something inside me shattered. Every tender feeling, every cherished memory, all of it crystallized into pure, burning rage.

“I’ll kill you,” I growled through clenched teeth, my voice barely human.

“You won’t dare,” she taunted, even through her pain. “I still have to return to my sister’s pack. You wouldn’t risk it.”

Even wounded, she knew exactly how to twist the knife in my heart. But something in me had changed.

Without hesitation, I drew the silver blade I’d brought and drove it deep into her flesh. Her scream pierced the air.

“I’m going to make sure you feel every bit of pain you’ve caused,” I promised, my voice cold as winter. “I will make sure you suffer.”