3

The cold hit me first.

It crawled over my skin like an unwelcome touch, seeping through the thin fabric of my nightgown, settling deep into my bones. The underground prison was damp, the air thick with the scent of earth, mold, and something metallic—something that made my stomach churn.

Blood.

I dug my heels into the stone floor as the warriors dragged me forward, their grips unforgiving. “Let me go,” I gritted out, my voice hoarse from screaming in the judgment hall. “This is a mistake!”

Neither of them responded.

Of course, they didn’t. They had their orders. I was no longer a pack member to them—I was a prisoner, a condemned woman awaiting death.

The torches lining the corridor flickered weakly, casting long, shifting shadows against the damp stone walls. The cells stretched in both directions, each one a dark, gaping mouth. Most were empty. But some weren’t.

I could feel the stares, the hushed whispers.

“She’s the traitor?”

“She doesn’t look like one.”

“They all say they’re innocent.”

My pulse pounded as I clenched my jaw, forcing my chin up. I would not let them see my fear.

One of the guards, a burly man with a scar cutting across his cheek, unlocked a cell at the far end of the corridor. The heavy iron door groaned as it swung open.

“No,” I whispered, my stomach clenching.

But my struggles were useless.

I was shoved inside.

The force sent me stumbling forward, my knees colliding with the hard stone floor. Pain flared up my legs, but I barely noticed. I turned back just in time to see the door slam shut with a thunderous clang.

Darkness swallowed me.

I shot to my feet, my hands wrapping around the iron bars. “You can’t do this! I’m innocent!”

The guards didn’t even spare me a glance.

The one with the scar smirked. “Tell it to the executioner.”

And then they were gone.

Footsteps faded into the distance. The torchlight dimmed, leaving only the cold, only the silence, only the crushing reality of what had just happened.

I was going to die.

A ragged breath left my lips as I backed away from the bars, my chest tight. The cell was small—barely enough space to stretch my arms. A pile of straw sat in the corner, meant to serve as a bed. The walls were rough, damp with moisture. The only source of light was the small barred window high above me, casting faint silver slivers from the moon above.

I pressed a hand to my stomach, trying to still the panic rising there.

I needed to think.

I needed to breathe.

I turned, my back hitting the wall as I slid to the floor. The stone was ice against my bare legs, but I didn’t care. I tucked my knees to my chest, pressing my forehead against them.

How had this happened?

How had my life gone from peaceful, predictable, safe—to this?

A day ago, I was tending to the injured in the healer’s den, laughing with patients, making tea from dried herbs. Now, I was sitting in a dark, filthy cell, waiting for a blade to end my life.

A bitter laugh scraped past my throat.

I had spent years healing others, making sure no one suffered, no one died. And now the pack was more than willing to let me bleed for a crime I didn’t commit.

The weight of betrayal settled on my chest, pressing down until I could barely breathe.

Jonah.

His face flashed in my mind. The way he looked at me. The way he didn’t look at me.

Coward.

I should have known. I should have seen this coming. Jonah had always been loyal to his father, to the pack. Even when things didn’t make sense, even when he had doubts, he always obeyed.

But this?

This was unforgivable.

I squeezed my eyes shut, inhaling sharply through my nose. I couldn’t afford to break down. I had to focus. I had to figure out who had framed me and why.

The letters. The stolen seal. The supposed spy.

Nothing about it made sense.

Why would the Blood Moon Pack work with me? I had no military influence. No strategy knowledge. Nothing that could weaken the Crescent Moon Pack.

So why frame me?

I let out a slow breath, my fingers digging into my arms.

Someone wanted me gone.

And it had worked.

The thought sent a fresh wave of fury through me, burning away the fear. I wasn’t going to just accept this. I wasn’t going to die for someone else’s lies.

I lifted my head, pushing my tangled hair away from my face. There had to be a way out. A way to prove my innocence. A way to—

A shadow moved outside my cell.

I tensed, my heart pounding.

And then, he stepped forward.

Kade Varian.

The executioner.

The man who held my fate in his hands.

He didn’t speak right away. He simply stood there, his silver eyes unreadable, his face half-hidden by shadows. He wasn’t wearing his usual executioner’s cloak—just a simple black tunic and pants. But even without the terrifying uniform, he radiated power.

I swallowed hard. “Come to take a closer look at the woman you’re going to kill?”

His head tilted slightly, as if studying me. “You don’t look afraid.”

“I don’t have the luxury of fear.”

Silence stretched between us. The faint flicker of torchlight danced across his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw, the unreadable expression in his eyes.

I had never been this close to him before.

I had heard the stories. Everyone had.

Kade Varian was the Alpha’s most trusted weapon. A man who had never hesitated. A man who had never refused an order.

He was feared. Respected. Untouchable.

And yet, standing there in the dim light, he didn’t look like a monster.

He looked tired.

His gaze swept over me, lingering just a moment too long. “Do you want to die?”

A chill ran down my spine. “Is that a serious question?”

He didn’t blink. “Some people accept their fate. Some fight. I want to know which one you are.”

I pushed to my feet, stepping closer to the bars. “And what does it matter to you?”

He didn’t answer.

A muscle in his jaw ticked.

And then, without another word, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows.

I gripped the iron bars, my breath shaky, my pulse unsteady.

What the hell was that?

Why had he come down here? Why ask me that?

And more importantly…

Why did I get the feeling that he wasn’t as convinced of my guilt as the rest of them?