Chapter 5

"Derek..." I looked up at him, tears of gratitude welling in my eyes. "You've done so much for me."

"For you, anything is worth it." His voice was soft as his thumb traced across my cheek.

I took the fruit from him. It pulsed gently in my palm, releasing a cloying sweetness.

Then, under Derek's expectant gaze, I lowered my head and bit through the skin.

Juice flooded my mouth—so sweet it was bitter, with a metallic tang like rust.

I fought back the urge to retch and swallowed, while my fingertips slipped the antidote pill past my lips. The honey coating dissolved instantly, the bitter medicine mixing with the fruit juice as it slid down my throat.

The fruit was small. A few bites and it was gone.

A barely perceptible flicker of relief crossed Derek's eyes—and something else. Triumph.

He reached out to wipe a drop of juice from the corner of my mouth, his touch gentle. "Good girl."

I smiled at him, then retrieved a small silk-wrapped box from my bag.

"Actually... I have a gift for you too."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

I opened the box. Inside, on a bed of deep blue velvet, lay a dried herb with star-shaped leaves traced with silver-white veins. It gave off a cool, mint-like fragrance.

"This is Wolf Star Grass. It took me ages to get it from an old wolf healer." I handed him the box, my expression sincere. "The healer said it purifies and strengthens an Alpha's bloodline. I was going to surprise you with it after tomorrow's ceremony... but since you gave me the Moon Heart Fruit today, I thought I should give you my gift early too."

Derek studied the herb, a flicker of scrutiny in his eyes—but mostly pleasure. He was flattered.

There was always something satisfying about prey trying to please the hunter.

"Wolf Star Grass... I've heard of it. Extremely rare." He picked up the herb and held it to his nose, inhaling lightly. "Very invigorating."

"The healer said it works best when chewed and swallowed with morning dew." I pointed to a small crystal vial in the corner of the box, filled with a colorless liquid. It wasn't morning dew, of course—it was a special catalyst Agnes had prepared. Colorless, odorless, but capable of activating the true effects of the Wolf Star Grass.

Derek laughed—the confident, indulgent laugh of someone who believed they'd already won.

"My Ella is so thoughtful." Without hesitation, he placed the star-shaped herb in his mouth and chewed. His brow furrowed slightly—it was bitter.

Then he picked up the crystal vial and poured its contents into his mouth, washing down the crushed herb.

I watched his throat bob as he swallowed everything.

"How does it feel?" I asked.

He drew a deep breath, closed his eyes. A moment later, they opened again, a strange brightness flickering in their depths. "Peculiar... like a cool current flowing through my veins."

He flexed his fist, as if testing his strength. "Quite pleasant. Thank you, Ella."

I knew that wasn't the coolness of power.

It was the false sensation of nerves being slowly corroded.

Agnes had explained this. Within twenty-four hours of taking the herb, the subject would become increasingly sensitive and agitated. And when exposed to a specific scent—like the smoke of burning Phantom Moon Flower—it would trigger intense hallucinations and feverish heat, blurring the line between reality and fantasy. The subject would perceive whoever was nearby as the object of their deepest desires and act without restraint.

And Phantom Moon Flower—I'd noticed several clusters growing by the lake on our way here.

"I'm glad you like it." I lowered my head, hiding the cold curve of my lips.

We lingered by the lake a while longer. Derek seemed more animated than usual, talking more, painting elaborate pictures of the beautiful future awaiting us after tomorrow's ceremony.

I listened patiently, smiling and nodding at appropriate intervals, playing the part of a happy bride anticipating her wedding day.

At sunset, he escorted me back to the estate.

"Rest well, my future Luna." He kissed my forehead at my door, his gaze burning. "Tomorrow, everything changes."

"See you tomorrow, Derek." My voice was soft and compliant.

He turned and walked away, his footsteps fading down the corridor.

I closed the door gently, leaned against it, and counted ten heartbeats in silence.

Then I quickly changed into dark gray clothes, tied back my hair, slipped out the window, and descended the familiar footholds along the outer wall, melting soundlessly into the dusk.

I knew Derek wouldn't return to his guest room.

He'd taken the Wolf Star Grass. Right now, he'd be feeling energized, restless.

And Lina—I hadn't seen her at the estate all day. According to the servants, she was "feeling unwell and resting at the cottage outside the city."

That cottage was a secret gift from my father to Lina, located at the edge of Silver Moon City, near Shadow Pack territory.

A perfect place for a rendezvous.

I moved across rooftops and through shadows. Wolf-born gifts made my steps light, my senses sharp.

I caught Derek's lingering scent on the wind and followed the trail.

Across half of Silver Moon City, to the commoner district near the city walls.

The buildings here were low and cramped, the alleys twisted and narrow.

Lina's cottage stood at the end of a secluded lane—plain on the outside, but I knew the interior was quite comfortable.

I concealed myself in the shadows of a rooftop across the way and watched Derek's figure appear at the mouth of the alley.

He glanced around warily, then slipped quickly inside.

Soon, warm yellow light glowed from the second-floor window.

Like a true wolf, I slid silently from the roof and circled to the back of the cottage.

An old tree grew there, its branches reaching just to the second-floor window.

I climbed up and hid among the dense leaves, peering through a gap in the curtains.

The room was spacious, carpeted thickly, flames dancing in the fireplace.

Lina wore a nearly transparent silk nightgown, golden hair loose around her shoulders. She stood on tiptoe, arms wrapped around Derek's neck, pulling him down for a kiss.

I reached into the small pouch at my waist and withdrew a dried flower of deep purple.

Phantom Moon Flower.

I crushed it between my fingers. An almost imperceptible fragrance drifted free.

I blew gently, and that wisp of scented dust floated through the gap in the window into the warm room beyond.

Derek and Lina began to tangle together.

"What took you so long..." Lina's voice was sweet and breathy, punctuated by gasps.

"Had to handle something." Derek's reply was muffled against her neck. "Did you miss me?"

"Every second..." Lina was pressed against the wall, the straps of her gown slipping from her shoulders.

I stopped watching them. Instead, I drew out a palm-sized grayish-white stone—a Recording Stone, a mineral treated with special magic that could capture images and sound. My mother had retrieved it from her family's vault.

I aimed the stone at the window. Its surface rippled with a halo of light as it began recording.

The sounds from inside grew increasingly obscene. I held the Recording Stone steady, expression blank, fingertips cold.

This was my former "true love" and my half-sister.

This was the future my father had chosen for me.

The fire crackled in the hearth, mingling with moans and gasps.

After what felt like an eternity, the sounds subsided. Derek leaned against the headboard; Lina curled against him.

"Tomorrow... is everything ready?" Lina's voice was languid with satisfaction, carrying an undercurrent of tension.

"Relax." Derek toyed with her hair. "She's already taken the drug. Tomorrow's ceremonial wine will have the second dose. Once it kicks in, she'll humiliate herself in front of everyone, and the rogues will drag her into that glass chamber..."

Lina lifted her head to kiss his jaw. "Such a charming plan. You're my hero."

Derek chuckled, the sound cold and cruel.

"Sweetheart, I'd do anything for you. Just wait and enjoy tomorrow's show."

Lina laughed—a smile both sweet and vicious.

"I can't wait to see her face... She always acts so superior, like she's the Moon Goddess's chosen Luna. Ha. She's nothing but a fool."

"You're the Luna I deserve." Derek rolled on top of her and kissed her again.

I quietly pocketed the Recording Stone. I had enough.

I took one last look at the two figures tangling together once more, a cold smile curving my lips.

Enjoy yourselves, dear sister. And my once-beloved.

The hallucinations will show you your deepest desires—for power, for betrayal, for the thrill of taking what isn't yours.

And this fever will ensure you put on quite a performance tomorrow.

I slipped down from the tree and vanished into the night.

On the way back, the moonlight was unusually bright, falling across me cold as a blade.

The Recording Stone sat heavy in my pocket.

Tomorrow, before all the important members of the Silver Moon Pack and the Shadow Pack, beside the sacred bonfire, at the moment the marking ceremony was to begin—

I couldn't wait to stage a real show for all of you.