Chapter 4

"I can feel it..." He clenched his fist, knuckles cracking. "A warmth... power surging through me."

He rose and walked to the fireplace, where an ancient battle-axe hung as decoration—supposedly weighing over a hundred pounds. Normally, only the strongest guards could barely lift it.

Father gripped the handle with one hand, muscles bulging.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, he raised the axe effortlessly over his head.

"My God..." Lina covered her mouth, eyes wild with joy.

"Father, your strength..." I let appropriate surprise show on my face, while inside I smiled coldly.

Of course he felt stronger.

Agnes had explained this. The first stage of the poison stimulated the nervous system, creating the illusion of surging power.

Like a dying flame burning brightest before it gutters out—burning through the last of one's life force for a fleeting taste of strength.

Father returned the axe to its place and turned, undisguised pleasure on his face.

He walked to Lina and placed a broad hand on her shoulder.

"This gift pleases me."

Then he unfastened a dagger from his belt—one of the Silverman family heirlooms, set with moonstones. It should have been passed to me.

"This is your reward."

Lina's hands trembled as she accepted the dagger. She nearly dropped to her knees. "Thank you for this gift, great Alpha!"

"As for you, Ella." Father turned to me, his expression stern once more. "In these final days before the marking ceremony, I suggest you reflect on yourself. A proper Luna should be tolerant and gracious—not jealous of a maid. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Father." I bowed my head in submission.

"Good. Now, I'm going to the training grounds to test this newfound strength." Father strode from the dining room, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Lina threw me one last smug look before following him out.

Only my mother and I remained, along with a few servants who kept their heads down.

"Leave us," my mother said quietly.

The servants filed out. When the last footsteps faded at the end of the hall, my mother turned to me, her face pale.

"He drank it..." she whispered.

"He drank it." I confirmed, my voice so calm it surprised even me.

Mother closed her eyes and breathed deeply. When she opened them again, they held nothing but cold resolve.

"Then we continue."

"We continue." I echoed, walking to the window to watch my father in the courtyard, swinging that battle-axe he could never have lifted before. Lina stood nearby, applauding and cheering.

Moonlight fell across my face, cold as a blade.

Enjoy your false power while you can, Father.

Seven days.

In seven days, you'll learn what it truly costs.

And Lina, my dear sister...

You'll soon understand that some things will never be yours, no matter how hard you try.

...

Time passed quickly as I continued playing the helpless lamb.

Then, the day before the marking ceremony, Derek suggested taking me for a "walk" in the forest at the edge of pack territory.

"There's a beautiful lake out there," he said, reaching for my hand. "Really, I just want some time alone with you. You've been so busy lately."

I looked into his sincere eyes, his gentle smile.

Once, those words would have made my heart flutter.

Now they only made me want to vomit.

But the time for revelation hadn't come.

Perhaps this was part of their plan—luring me somewhere isolated the day before the ceremony.

The antidote to heat-inducing drugs was already in my pocket. I was ready for anything.

"Alright," I said. "Is Lina coming too?"

He'd suggested bringing Lina along on our outings more than once, claiming she could help look after me. Perhaps it excited him more that way.

Derek looked momentarily surprised, then shook his head. "No. Just the two of us. This is our time."

We set off into the ancient forest at the edge of Silver Moon territory.

Sunlight filtered through the canopy, dappled shadows dancing across the ground.

If I hadn't known the truth, this would have been a romantic afternoon.

But I knew.

I stayed alert, aware of every movement around us.

Derek held my hand as we walked deeper into the woods.

"Just ahead." He stopped and pointed forward.

Before us lay a clearing encircled by ancient trees, a lake of deep blue at its center, reflecting the sky and the shadows of branches. Beautiful enough to seem unreal.

"It's lovely," I said softly.

Derek turned to face me, hands resting on my shoulders, his gaze so tender it could drown someone.

"Ella, after tomorrow, all of this—you'll be my mate. We'll rule the pack together. Rule over all of this."

"We," he said it so naturally.

I smiled, lowering my lashes to hide the ice in my eyes. "I'm looking forward to it, Derek."

He suddenly released me and walked toward an unusual tree by the lake's edge.

Its branches twisted like coiled serpents, its leaves a rare silver-white. Several blood-red fruits hung from its boughs, shaped like hearts, their surfaces traced with delicate golden veins.

"Look at this." He plucked one of the fruits and walked back toward me, cradling the crimson fruit in his palm, his expression mysterious and tender. "Do you know what this is?"

I shook my head, alarm bells ringing in my mind.

"This is Moon Heart Fruit. It only grows where the purest moonlight touches the Silver Moon Forest, and it bears fruit once every hundred years."

He held the fruit between us. In the sunlight, its red skin was nearly translucent, and I could see the golden veins inside pulsing faintly, as if alive.

"It has tremendous benefits for werewolves, especially during a marking ceremony. If the one being marked consumes it beforehand, it helps both partners merge their bloodline powers more completely during the bond. The marked one gains far greater strength."

His voice was low and seductive, his eyes locked on mine.

Here it comes.

"Really?" I let wonder and curiosity light up my face, reaching out to touch the fruit lightly.

It was warm to the touch, pulsing gently as if it were alive.

"How amazing."

"But it must be consumed within a quarter hour of being picked, or it withers and loses its power." Derek moved the fruit closer, almost brushing my lips. "I found this especially for you, Ella. For our future. So I can better protect you—protect both packs."

I stared at the blood-red fruit.

In the Moon Goddess's vision, I hadn't seen this specific moment—she had only shown me the marking ceremony itself.

But I knew. This was the trap they'd laid for me.

Agnes had explained it while preparing my antidotes. Heat-inducing drugs could be triggered using two compounds: the first was the "primer," the second was the "key."

After taking the primer, nothing would seem wrong. But the moment the key was introduced, it would trigger an uncontrollable heat within moments—and afterward, no trace of the drugs could be found.

This "Moon Heart Fruit" had to be the primer.

And at tomorrow's ceremony, the key would certainly be hidden in the food or drink.

Their plan had begun.

And so had my counterattack.