Chapter 3 The Beginning Of My Revenge

Seraphina's POV:

From outside my ward came the steady thud of heavy footsteps.

Someone pushed the door open, and a woman walked in wearing a fitted black leather trench coat. Her short haircut gave her a sharp, no-nonsense look.

Elianna Marshall had arrived.

She'd once been my right-hand woman and the best Beta intelligence officer the Howling Guild had.

One look at me was enough to make her eyes turn red, and she struggled to draw a breath.

"I should've gotten here sooner, Seraphina," she grumbled. Kneeling beside my bed, she could barely keep her voice steady.

With what little strength I had, I shook my head and motioned for her to get up.

"All this time, I've been quietly directing the Guild's resources into the Moonclaw Pack, just like you asked. I trusted Brayden to look after you. It never crossed my mind that he'd do this to you," she said through clenched teeth. The hatred in her eyes was unmistakable.

My eyelids fell shut as a slow, heavy ache spread through my chest.

Nothing I'd given him had ever been enough to make him care. He'd accepted it all, then cast me aside without any hesitation. Even our unborn pup hadn't mattered to him.

"Were you able to get the necklace back?" I asked in a faint whisper.

After steadying her breathing, she reached into her coat and took out a black velvet box.

Pale light shone from inside when she lifted the lid.

There lay the genuine Moon Tear, the only keepsake my mother had left me.

"Layla had it locked in her private safe," she responded as she gently took out the necklace and secured it around my neck. "The idiot only likes how it looks. She doesn't have a clue what she's holding. I had a copy made, and that's what she's wearing now."

Cold metal settled against my hot skin, and something deep inside me responded to it. The connection brought a little strength back to my exhausted body.

"I'm ready to leave," I told her.

Her arm took most of my weight as I pushed myself upright, swallowing hard against the pain tearing through my abdomen.

Medical workers and security guards stepped into our way as soon as we left the ward.

"We can't let you leave, Luna. Alpha's orders were very clear," a guard chimed in.

A scornful laugh escaped Elianna. From inside her coat, she drew a black badge bearing the engraved head of a snarling wolf and held it up.

Every sound in the busy hallway stopped.

A doctor was stunned. "Y-you're with the Guild?" he stammered.

Some werewolves might not recognize the Moonclaw Pack's Alpha, but no one could mistake that badge. Only the highest ranks of the Howling Guild carried it.

That organization held control over seventy percent of the werewolf underground trade, private mercenary forces, and the most advanced medical facilities available.

Moonclaw Pack couldn't begin to stand against that kind of power.

"She's coming with me. Is anyone here going to stop us?" Elianna asked coldly.

Not a single person answered.

They hurried aside to let us pass. With every step, I moved farther away from the prison that had trapped me for the past three years.

Outside the entrance, a black armored SUV waited with its engine running.

The leather seat gave beneath me as I watched the streets slide past the window. Before long, my mind wandered back through the years.

At that time, I had been a poor girl whom my stepfather had thrown out, and I had barely managed to escape from a mental institution.

Rain had been pouring that night when a pack of rogues trapped me. With nowhere left to run, I'd been moments away from the worst thing they could do to me.

Then a teenage Alpha happened to pass by and fought them off.

Years later, I'd concealed my identity and married into the Moonclaw Pack to repay him. He'd gained enormous resources through me, and I'd helped him grow his territory and influence. I'd even stepped in front of blows that could've killed me to spare him.

My fingertips found the necklace against my chest. Its cool surface brought a bitter smile to my face.

"You saved my life once, Brayden, but I've paid that debt," I murmured. "It's cost me our pup and all those resources from the Guild."

My pale reflection stared back from the rearview mirror. "You still owe me, though, and I intend to make you pay," I whispered.

Layla's exclusive live interview was playing on the screen inside the car.

Dressed in a vivid red gown, she addressed the camera without a hint of doubt. Her hand kept straying to the glittering necklace at her collarbone, stroking it for everyone to see.

"This was a gift from Brayden. There's no greater honor for a warrior." She boasted with a self-satisfied smile.

Watching her show it off, I felt my expression harden.

"Go ahead, Elianna," I sneered.

"Understood," she answered.

Her fingers moved across the tablet, entering a short series of commands.

Within a second, the smug look disappeared from Layla's face. A hiss came from the necklace, followed by sharp crackling and a cloud of harsh white smoke.

Her piercing scream filled the broadcast.

Inside the fake necklace was a miniature device that released a corrosive mixture. A remote signal activated it, spraying pressurized wolfsbane and highly concentrated acid outward.

Without saying a word, I watched Layla desperately claw at her neck. Pain contorted her beautiful face into an ugly grimace.

Panic showed on Brayden's face as he grabbed for the necklace. He tried to pull it free, then recoiled when acid splashed onto his palms and burned his skin.

I shut off the television, leaned my head against the window, and gazed at the lone, icy moon hanging in the dark sky.

This was only the beginning of my revenge.

Brayden treasured his spotless name, Layla, and the pack. I would destroy each of them with my own hands.

Our game was only getting started.