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Evelyn woke to the gentle touch of a cool cloth on her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open to see her brother's worried face above her.
"Thank the moon you're awake," Lucien said, relief washing over his features. "You've been out for hours."
Evelyn tried to sit up, but sharp pain shot through her body. "Where am I?"
"My cabin at the edge of Silver Creek territory," Lucien explained, helping her lean against the pillows. "I couldn't take you home to my pack yet—not while you're still technically bonded to Victor."
The memory of yesterday crashed over Evelyn like an icy wave—Victor and Celeste, the cruel words, the beginning of the bond-breaking ceremony.
"The pain..." she whispered, her hand drifting to her stomach. "Lucien, I think I'm—"
A loud bang on the door cut her off. Lucien leapt to his feet, instantly alert.
"Hide," he ordered, pushing Evelyn toward a small closet. "Something's wrong."
Evelyn stumbled into the closet just as the cabin door burst open. Through a crack, she watched four Moonfire Pack warriors storm in, their faces grim beneath the morning light streaming through the windows.
"Alpha Lucien," the lead warrior said, his voice hard. "We're here on orders from Alpha Victor to search these premises."
Lucien stood tall, crossing his arms. "On what grounds do you enter my territory without permission?"
"Treason," another warrior spat. "Your sister has committed treason against the Moonfire Pack."
Evelyn's heart nearly stopped. Treason? What were they talking about?
"That's ridiculous," Lucien growled. "My sister is the Luna. She's loyal to a fault."
The lead warrior pulled out a phone and played a recording. Evelyn's blood turned to ice as she heard her own voice:
"I never loved Victor or his pathetic pack. Once I get access to the pack's bank accounts, I'll take everything. The Moonfire Pack will crumble, just as my father always wanted."
But she had never said those words! The voice sounded like hers, but the hatred in it was foreign—a perfect fake.
"That's not her," Lucien insisted, but doubt flickered across the warriors' faces.
"We also found these," the warrior continued, holding up a plastic bag containing papers. "Plans to attack Moonfire territory, signed by Evelyn Royce and addressed to rival packs."
Evelyn pressed her hand against her mouth to stifle a gasp. This was Celeste's doing—it had to be. The woman hadn't just wanted to take her place; she wanted to destroy Evelyn completely.
"Where is she?" demanded the warrior. "The former Luna is to be brought back for trial. Alpha's orders."
"I haven't seen my sister," Lucien lied smoothly. "But these accusations are clearly false. I demand to speak with Victor directly."
"Alpha Victor is busy preparing for his new mate ceremony with Luna Celeste tonight," one warrior said with a sneer. "He has no time for traitors or their defenders."
Tonight? Evelyn's knees nearly buckled. Victor was already replacing her, not even waiting a full day after breaking their bond. The pain of betrayal cut deeper than she thought possible.
"Search the cabin," ordered the lead warrior.
Evelyn's heart pounded as the warriors began tearing through the small space. She pressed herself deeper into the closet, praying they wouldn't find her. If they did, what would happen? A trial? Imprisonment? Werewolf law was clear about the punishment for treason—death.
As footsteps approached the closet, Lucien knocked over a lamp, creating a distraction. "Careful in my territory, pup," he growled at the startled warrior. "You break my things, you'll answer to me."
The warriors finished their search, thankfully overlooking the closet's false back where Evelyn hid trembling.
"If you see your sister," the lead warrior warned as they prepared to leave, "remember that harboring a traitor makes you one too. Even an Alpha can fall."
After they left, Lucien waited five long minutes before opening the closet. Evelyn tumbled out, legs weak and face pale.
"They want to kill me," she whispered. "Celeste set me up."
Lucien nodded grimly. "She's clever. That recording was convincing, and those documents looked authentic. She must have been planning this for months."
Evelyn sank into a chair, her mind racing. "I need to clear my name. If I could just talk to Victor—"
"No," Lucien interrupted firmly. "Victor ordered your arrest. He believes these lies, Evelyn. He's chosen Celeste."
The brutal truth of her situation hit Evelyn like a physical blow. Her husband, her pack, her home—all turned against her in less than a day. And now she carried an even more precious secret.
"What am I going to do?" she asked, her voice small.
Before Lucien could answer, howls erupted in the distance—the hunting call of Moonfire wolves. They were coming.
"We have to run," Lucien said, grabbing a backpack. "I've prepared for emergencies. There's money, clothes, and fake ID in here."
"Run where?" Evelyn asked, panic rising in her throat.
"Anywhere but here." Lucien pressed the bag into her hands. "I have one more trick to buy you time, but you need to trust me."
Outside, the howls grew closer. Evelyn could almost feel Victor leading the charge, hunting her down like prey instead of protecting her as he had vowed.
Lucien led her to the back of the cabin where an old well stood. "My friend Ronan Blackthorn has a territory beyond the northern mountains. He owes me a favor. Find him, and he'll keep you safe until I can clear your name."
"But how will I—"
"There's no time," Lucien cut her off, pulling out a small knife. "Give me your hand."
Understanding dawned as Evelyn extended her trembling hand. Lucien made a small cut on her palm, then let the blood drip into a vial.
"Your blood will create a false trail," he explained, mixing it with water. "But we need something more to convince them you're gone for good."
The howls were getting louder—too close. Evelyn could hear branches breaking as wolves charged through the forest toward the cabin.
"What's the plan?" she asked, trying to sound brave despite her fear.
Lucien looked at her with sad eyes. "Evelyn Royce needs to die today."
"What?"
"It's the only way," he insisted. "If they think you're dead, they'll stop hunting you. You can disappear, have your baby in peace, and I'll work to expose Celeste's lies."
Baby. The word hung between them, unspoken until now.
"You knew?" Evelyn whispered, her hand covering her stomach protectively.
Lucien nodded. "A brother knows. The scent changed, even if it's too early for others to notice." He gripped her shoulders. "That child is the future of our bloodline, Evelyn. You need to protect it at all costs."
Determination replaced fear in Evelyn's heart. She wasn't just fighting for herself anymore.
"What do I need to do?"
Lucien worked quickly, cutting a lock of her hair and some pieces of her clothing. He mixed these with her blood in the well water.
"Jump in," he instructed. "Swim through the underwater tunnel. It leads to a creek half a mile away. Follow it north until you reach the highway. Don't shift into wolf form—they can track that. Stay human."
Evelyn hugged her brother fiercely. "What about you?"
"I'll tell them you jumped to your death rather than face false accusations. The blood and clothes will make it convincing." His eyes flashed with anger. "Then I'll find out how Celeste framed you and make her pay."
The cabin door rattled with loud banging. "Lucien Royce! Open up in the name of Alpha Victor!"
Time had run out. Evelyn climbed onto the edge of the well, heart racing.
"Stay alive," Lucien whispered. "And remember who you are—not just Luna, but a Royce. Royal blood runs in your veins."
Evelyn took one last look at her brother, then dropped into the dark water below. The cold shock nearly made her gasp, but she held her breath, diving deep to find the tunnel Lucien had mentioned.
As she swam through the narrow passage, she heard muffled shouting above. Then a terrible howl—Lucien's signal that her "death" had been discovered.
Evelyn emerged from the tunnel into a small creek, gasping for air. Behind her, more howls joined the first—howls of discovering a packmate's death. Had Victor joined them? Did he feel anything at the news of her supposed suicide?
Pulling herself onto the muddy bank, Evelyn made a silent vow as she placed her hand on her stomach. She would survive. She would protect her child. And someday, she would return to expose Celeste's lies and reclaim what was hers.
But first, she needed to find this Ronan Blackthorn and disappear.
Little did she know that back at the cabin, Victor Alden stood at the edge of the well, a strange emptiness filling his chest where the mate bond had been. As he stared into the dark water tinged with Evelyn's blood, something flickered across his face—not grief, but confusion, as if something important was struggling to break through the fog in his mind.
"Alpha?" Celeste's voice broke his trance as she touched his arm. "It's done. The traitor is gone."
Victor nodded, turning away from the well. But as Celeste led him back toward Moonfire territory, his hand unconsciously moved to his heart, searching for a connection that should still be there, even in death.
Something wasn't right. But what?