Isabella POV:

The morning sun did little to warm the chill that had settled deep in my bones.

Poppy braided my hair with practiced hands, her silence a comforting presence. In the mirror, I saw a picture of serene nobility. A high-necked gown of forest green, my family's sigil embroidered over my heart. I looked every bit the part of the dutiful Alpha's daughter.

It was a perfect mask.

"Sister! Are you ready?"

The voice was sickly sweet, a melody meant to charm snakes. Elfie stood at my doorway, a vision in virginal white. Her pale blonde hair was artfully tousled, and her blue eyes were wide and innocent. A harmless little Omega flower.

She glided into the room and took my arm, her touch a repulsive brand against my skin. I fought the urge to rip my arm away.

"Today is the day we go to the Moon Shrine to pray for Prince Hubert's safe return," she chirped. "You didn't forget, did you?"

I've been waiting for this day for five years, you treacherous bitch.

"Of course not, my dear sister," I said, my smile as brittle as ice. It didn't reach my eyes.

On our way to the carriage, we passed our mother, Luna Caren, in the main hall. Her gaze softened with pity as it fell on Elfie. Then, her eyes met mine, and a familiar flicker of disapproval, of blame, tightened her lips. As if I were somehow responsible for my half-sister's lesser station.

I felt the old, familiar sting, but this time, it was followed by a cold wave of clarity. Their love was a currency, and I had long been bankrupt.

The carriage was opulent, lined with velvet cushions and smelling of polished wood. The door closed, shutting us in together. The performance began.

Elfie sighed dramatically, her shoulders slumping. "It's just so difficult, being an Omega. No one takes you seriously. My only hope is to accompany you to the Alpha Citadel. To serve you. It's all I've ever wanted."

I ran my thumb over the runes on my bone bracelet, its cool surface a tether to my resolve. I listened, nodding in all the right places, playing the part of the sympathetic older sister.

My silence seemed to unnerve her. A flash of irritation crossed her face before it was replaced by a trembling lip.

"You know," she said, her voice a conspiratorial whisper, "Silas Croft has been asking about you. He seems quite taken. He cornered me just yesterday, asking about your favorite flowers."

A test. And a boast. She was flaunting her secret tryst with the man my father intended for me to reject.

I feigned a delicate surprise. "Oh? The Alpha of the Croft pack is so interested in me?" The double meaning hung in the air between us, sharp and unseen.

The carriage rumbled on, passing through a dense stretch of woods bordering our lands. Through the window, I saw him. A flicker of movement. One of Titus's most trusted men, leaning against a tree as if resting.

He met my eyes for a fraction of a second and gave a single, almost imperceptible nod.

It is done.

A real smile finally touched my lips. It was sharp and cold and utterly devoid of warmth. Relief washed over me, so potent it was almost dizzying. The first move on the board was mine.

"What is it, sister?" Elfie asked, startled by my expression. "What are you smiling at?"

I let the smile fade, schooling my features back into a pleasant mask. "Nothing. I was just thinking what a beautiful day it is. Perfect for... cleansing away filth."

A shiver ran through her. She pulled her shawl tighter, suddenly looking uneasy. For the first time, she seemed to realize that the sister sitting across from her was a stranger.

The carriage slowed, the horses' hooves crunching on gravel. We were here. The Moon Shrine, a simple, ancient altar of white stone nestled in a clearing deep within the forest.

My mind replayed the memory with perfect clarity. Here, Elfie would "lose" a priceless necklace. Here, she would accuse me. And here, a pack of hired Rogues would emerge from the woods to "corroborate" her story, sealing my fate.

I closed my eyes, taking a slow, deep breath. Not to calm my nerves.

But to savor the anticipation.

The carriage door opened. Elfie, her composure restored, practically bounced out, her face alight with cruel excitement. She turned and beckoned to me impatiently.

I took my time, smoothing the wrinkles from my skirt before descending with all the grace befitting my station.

My senses, heightened by my wolf, reached out. The air was still, too still. But I could smell them. The faint, unwashed scent of unfamiliar wolves, hidden amongst the trees.

The actors were in place.

Elfie grabbed my hand, her grip surprisingly strong, and pulled me toward the altar. "Come, sister! Let's not keep the Moon Goddess waiting."

I looked at her eager, triumphant face, and I felt nothing. It was like watching a ghost. A dead woman walking.

I glanced up at the sky. The sun filtered through the canopy of leaves, dappling the ground in shifting patterns of light and shadow.

Are you ready for your surprise, Elfie? I thought, a silent promise to the universe.

I placed my foot on the first stone step of the shrine. Each step was deliberate, heavy with the weight of retribution. Each one felt like I was treading on the neck of my enemy.

—-

Isabella POV:

Elfie knelt before the stone altar, a perfect portrait of piety. She closed her eyes, her lips moving in a silent, fake prayer. Then, right on cue, she gasped.

A piercing shriek echoed through the quiet clearing.

Her hands flew to her neck, her eyes wide with manufactured panic. "My necklace! The moonstone necklace Mother gave me! It's gone!"

Her gaze, sharp and accusatory, immediately locked onto mine. "Sister... we were the only ones here. Did you... did you see it?"

I watched her pathetic performance with the detached interest of a spectator at a poorly rehearsed play.

Before I could even bother to answer, they emerged from the trees.

A handful of Rogues, their clothes tattered, their stench of desperation and violence fouling the air. The leader, a burly man with a scarred face, held up Elfie's necklace, letting the moonstone catch the light.

"Well, well. Look what the forest spirits left for us," he sneered, his eyes gleaming with greed.

A flicker of triumph lit Elfie's face. This was it. Her moment.

"That's mine!" she cried, pointing a trembling finger at me. "Sister, did you take it away? You stole it, then threw it away! "

According to the original script, those villains were hired by Elfie and immediately took me away as a thief.

But I just smiled. A slow, knowing curve of my lips.

The Rogue leader paused, his rehearsed lines dying on his tongue. He tilted his head, studying me with a newfound curiosity.

Elfie's panic became real. "What are you waiting for?" she hissed. "Seize the thief!"

I moved then. Not backward in fear, but forward, closing the distance between us. I calmly reached into the sleeve of my gown and produced a small, unassuming piece of iron. A token, stamped with the emblem of a notorious underground fighting pit in the city.

I held it up for the leader to see. His eyes widened in recognition.

"Someone paid you double the usual rate for today's little drama," I said, my voice a low murmur only he could hear. "I'm paying you triple. For your loyalty."

His gaze flickered from the token to my face. He was a beast of instinct, and his instincts were screaming that I was far more dangerous than the sniveling girl.

"And," I added, the final, crushing weight on the scales, "I can ensure your sister gets the best care from the Carlisle pack's Healers."

I knew from my past life that his younger sister was dying from a wasting sickness. Information was the sharpest weapon of all.

The struggle in his eyes lasted only a second. Greed was a powerful motivator, but love was stronger. He made his choice.

He bowed his head to me, a gesture of submission and respect.

Elfie stared, her mouth agape. The world she thought she controlled was crumbling before her eyes.

The Rogue leader straightened up, turning his predatory gaze on her. The feigned menace was gone, replaced by something chillingly real.

"What was that you said, little girl?" he growled, taking a slow, deliberate step toward her. "Who's the thief?"

Elfie stumbled backward, her face a mask of terror. "What... what are you doing? This wasn't the plan!"

I leaned against the cool stone of the altar, folding my arms. The queen, observing the checkmate.

The Rogue grabbed Elfie's arm, his thick fingers bruising her delicate skin. "Our new employer said we only needed to take one of you. And since we can't afford to offend this esteemed lady," he nodded respectfully in my direction, "I guess that leaves you."

Elfie's scream was a raw, terrified thing. "Isabella! Help me! I'm your sister!"

I walked down the steps until I stood before her. I reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, my touch a mockery of affection.

I leaned in close, my lips brushing her ear.

"This is the price of your betrayal, dear sister," I whispered. "Enjoy it. This is only the beginning."

The dawning horror in her eyes was exquisite. She finally understood. She had never been the predator. She was, and always had been, the prey.

I straightened up and addressed the Rogue leader. "Don't damage her too badly. I still have use for her."

He gave me a toothy, subservient grin. "Understood, my lady."

His men dragged the screaming, struggling Elfie into the forest. They moved with brutal efficiency, and soon her cries faded, swallowed by the trees.

The clearing was silent once more. Sunlight streamed down, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air.

I stood alone before the altar of the Moon Goddess, the architect of my own justice. And I felt the first, sweet taste of vengeance.

—-