Bella’s POV

“What are you doing to her?!”

The healer suddenly rushed toward Nara, her expression filled with urgency. She bent down, immediately checking on her, her hands moving swiftly as if she were trying to undo some kind of damage. Meanwhile, I stood frozen, unable to move from where I was.

I could feel the weight of everyone's gaze, the judgment settling into the room like a heavy storm. The healer’s assistants, who had been lingering in the background, began whispering among themselves. Their hushed voices carried through the tense air, but I heard them loud and clear.

"She's a disgrace!"

"Did you see how she pushed her own sister?!"

"The Alpha was only trying to help, but look at her—she’s selfish to the core!"

The murmurs grew louder, voices overlapping until they became a roar of accusations.

"I knew it! She was never fit to be our Luna!"

"Women like her, damaged and broken, always end up twisted in their own ways!"

"She’s cruel, heartless!"

The words hit me like sharp daggers, each one cutting deeper than the last. My chest tightened, and I instinctively took a step back. My gaze flickered across the room, searching for something—anything—to ground me. But all I saw were eyes filled with disdain, disgust, and betrayal.

Then my eyes landed on Nara. She was clutching the newborn against her chest, holding the fragile infant as if shielding it from some unseen threat. And then—she smirked.

It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but I saw it. A wicked, twisted smirk curling at the edges of her lips, a silent taunt meant only for me.

My stomach dropped.

No.

I turned to the one person who had always been by my side. The one person I thought would defend me.

Hunter.

For years, he had been my anchor, my shield against the world. But when my eyes met his, I saw no trace of the man who had once promised to stand by me no matter what.

His face was carved with fury. And then, before I could react, he moved.

Faster than I could process, his hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my throat. He gripped me tightly, forcing me to meet his burning gaze.

His voice, usually filled with warmth, was now razor-sharp with anger.

"Bella, how could you do something so disgusting?!" His hold tightened just enough to make me gasp. "Why would you try to hurt the baby?!"

My heart pounded against my ribs.

"It's a newborn!" he continued, his voice rising. "Do you have to drag everyone down with you before you're satisfied? Apologize to Nara. Right now!"

The room fell into absolute silence. The weight of his words crushed me, suffocating me more than his grip ever could.

I stared at him, disbelief coursing through my veins like poison.

Apologize?

He wants me to apologize?

My thoughts spun wildly. Did he really believe I would harm a child? That I was capable of something so monstrous? My vision blurred for a moment, but I forced myself to stay strong.

I lifted my chin, refusing to let the tears spill. My voice, though shaken, was steady.

"Why should I apologize for something I didn't do?" My voice wavered, but I refused to let it break. I took a sharp breath before continuing. "Do you really think she's innocent, Hunter?"

I turned my gaze back to Nara, who still clutched the baby like some delicate prize.

"She's not," I whispered, my voice laced with conviction. "She's faking everything."

I knew, deep in my bones, that this was all a game to her. A perfectly orchestrated performance designed to turn everyone against me.

And worst of all?

It was working.

I saw it—the flicker of hesitation in his eyes, the fleeting moment of guilt that flashed across his face.

For a split second, I thought… maybe, just maybe, a part of him still cared. That somewhere deep inside, he knew the truth.

But just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. His expression hardened once more, his voice like a blade cutting through the air.

“Stop this fucking nonsense.” His grip tightened before he abruptly let go, shoving me back as if my very presence disgusted him. “You’re making me question everything. Maybe sealing my fate with you was the biggest mistake of my life!”

I should have crumbled at his words. I should have begged, pleaded for him to listen.

Instead, I laughed.

A hollow, mocking laugh.

Oh, Hunter… you don’t need to pretend anymore.

Because soon, none of this would matter.

Soon, I would escape.

“Take her away from here!” he ordered, his voice devoid of emotion.

Rough hands grabbed me before I could react. They dragged me out of the healer’s residency, treating me like trash that needed to be thrown out. My feet stumbled against the ground, but they didn’t care. They shoved me forward, pulling me through the hallways like I was nothing.

And then, without warning, they threw me into a small, dark room.

I barely caught myself before hitting the floor, my balance slipping for a moment. The door slammed shut behind me, locking me in.

"Let me out!" I screamed, pounding against the door.

Silence.

No one came.

For hours, I sat there in the suffocating darkness, my mind racing with every possible scenario. What would they do to me? Would they exile me?

I didn't know.

And that terrified me.

But then, finally, the door creaked open.

A figure stepped inside, her silhouette framed by the dim light from the hallway.

Nara.

She arched a perfectly shaped brow, but the innocent, trembling girl from earlier was gone.

"Oh, my poor sister," she mused, taking a slow step forward. "Tell me… how does it feel to be hated by everyone all over again?"

Her words slithered into my skin like poison.

"Isn’t it familiar?" she continued, tilting her head in mock sympathy. "You must hate me right now, don’t you? But let me guess… you finally realized, didn’t you? That it was Hunter.”

My stomach twisted violently.

"He’s the one who took away your wolf," she whispered, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "The one destroying your life piece by piece."

"And," she added with a slow, cruel smile, "he’s the reason you can’t conceive."

"Honestly," she laughed, "I should thank you. If it weren’t for your blood my baby wouldn’t have grown this strong and healthy."

I wanted to scream. To fight. To do something.

But I couldn’t.

Because deep down, I knew… she was telling the truth.

Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall.

This wasn’t just about Nara.

It was about everyone I had ever trusted.

They had all been part of this.

"How could you do this to me?" I choked out, my voice raw with pain.

She let out a sharp laugh, then reached behind her. From the folds of her dress, she pulled out a small glass bottle filled with a thick red liquid.

My eyes widened.

Before I could react, she smashed it against her legs, drenching herself in the crimson liquid.

"Oh, dear Bella," she crooned. "If Hunter didn’t need you as my personal blood supply, do you really think he’d keep you around?"

She took a step closer, her expression alight with pure malice.

"Face it," she whispered. "You were born beneath me."

Her fingers brushed against my cheek, her touch ice-cold.

"And now, I have taken everything from you."

She leaned in, her breath ghosting over my ear.

"So do me a favor and watch closely, dear sister," she purred. "See just how far Hunter is willing to go… for me."

Bella’s POV

The scent of blood clung to the air, thick and suffocating, as she smashed the bottle she was holding.

Nara lay curled on the floor, her body trembling as she whimpered, the deep red liquid staining the hem of her dress. The room fell into silence, broken only by the sharp, quick gasps she forced through her lips.

“Hunter, please, help me!”

Then the door slammed open.

Hunter stormed inside, his eyes blazing with fury as his gaze snapped between the two of us. I barely had time to react before he was in front of me, his fingers digging into my arms as he shook me once, hard.

“What did you do?!” His voice was a low, guttural growl.

“I didn’t touch her,” I spat, my voice hoarse. “She did this to herself!”

A bitter laugh slipped past Nara’s lips. Her eyes, shimmering with unshed tears, met mine, full of silent victory. And I knew.

She had played me. Again.

Hunter didn’t hesitate. He turned to the pack warriors standing at the entrance and barked, “Take her to the dungeons!”

Panic flared in my chest. I had no strength, no power to fight against the guards who grabbed me.

“Hunter, you know me,” I pleaded, trying to keep my voice steady. “You know I wouldn’t—”

“Enough.” His voice was cold, final. “You’ve done enough!”

The words struck deeper than they should have. Because for a moment—a foolish, fleeting moment—I had thought he would hesitate. That he would at least doubt the sister who had stolen everything from me. But no. He had already chosen his side long before this night.

Nara let out a weak sob. “Please,” she whispered, reaching toward him. “Don’t hurt her. She’s still my sister!”

And that was the final nail in my coffin.

Hunter’s grip tightened. His anger was like a living thing, crackling in the air around him, but Nara’s plea softened him. His expression darkened, but his words were no longer cruel, only exhausted.

“Take her away.”

The guards didn’t wait for me to resist. They dragged me through the halls, my feet barely catching up with their brutal pace.

The dungeon was cold, damp, the scent of mildew and old blood lingering in the air. The iron bars were laced with silver, ensuring that even if my wolf had been strong enough, I wouldn’t be able to shift.

I had no idea how long I sat there, my arms wrapped around myself as I tried to stop my body from trembling. Whether from the cold or the exhaustion, I didn’t know. But I couldn’t let myself fall into despair.

Not yet.

Footsteps echoed down the hall, and I looked up just as the heavy cell door creaked open. A familiar scent drifted toward me—cinnamon and pine. A scent I hadn’t expected.

“Liam?” My voice was raw, barely a whisper.

Liam, the Beta, stepped inside, his sharp eyes scanning the cell before settling on me. His jaw clenched, his expression unreadable.

“You need to leave,” he said lowly.

I tensed. “What?”

He stepped closer, his movements quick and efficient as he pulled a small vial from his pocket. The moment he uncorked it, a strange, metallic scent filled the air. I barely had time to react before he pressed the vial to my lips, forcing the liquid down my throat.

Pain flared instantly.

I gasped, my body convulsing as fire ignited beneath my skin. My vision blurred, my breath coming in ragged bursts as something deep within me stirred. The suppression rune on my arm burned, cracking, peeling—until suddenly, it shattered.

My wolf’s voice surged through my mind in a furious, vengeful howl.

Liam watched, his expression still unreadable, but I swore I saw a flicker of something—satisfaction, maybe even hope.

“I don’t have time to explain,” he muttered. “But you need to run.”

A thousand questions swirled in my mind, but I pushed them aside. Later. I would demand answers later. But for now—I needed to move.

He pulled a cloak from his bag, shoving it toward me. “Hunter will be busy with Nara for a while,” he said. “This is your only chance.”

I took the cloak, my fingers clenching around the fabric. “Why are you helping me?”

His jaw tightened. “Because I know what they did to you,” he said. “And I refuse to be part of it anymore.”

Something in his voice—something pained and bitter—made me believe him.

A surge of determination coursed through me. I clenched my fists, inhaling deeply as my wolf rumbled.

It's back… my wolf has finally returned to me.

I had been cast aside, betrayed, and left for dead once before.

I wouldn’t let it happen again.

Without another word, I slipped past him, moving swiftly through the dark corridors of the dungeon. My heart pounded as I reached the exit, slipping through the hidden tunnels beneath the packhouse.

As I emerged into the forest, the crisp night air filled my lungs, washing away the suffocating stench of captivity. But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Not until I was far away from this place. From them.

From him.

I ran. Faster than I ever had before.

And for the first time in years, I felt free.

And I would do anything to make them pay—him and my sister—for what they had done to me.

Hunter’s POV

I kept Bella locked in the dungeon, to drain her blood little by little. Once I had taken everything from her, I would discard her as if she were nothing.

Nara was suffering from a rare disease—one that caused her body to stop producing blood. Without constant transfusions, she would die. And Bella… Bella was the perfect match. It wasn’t just that they shared the same blood type. They were identical twins. What were the odds? A miracle for Nara. A death sentence for Bella.

That was why I married Bella in the first place. It had never been about love. It was all a well-calculated plan. Win her heart. Gain her trust. Then take from her what I needed.

And yet… a nagging feeling clawed at my gut, an unease I couldn’t shake. A part of me wanted to stop. But I crushed the thought as quickly as it came. I had already come too far.

"Darling," a soft, sultry voice pulled me from my thoughts.

Nara, lounging beside me, absentmindedly traced circles on my chest with her fingertips. Her touch was light, teasing, but her eyes were sharp with curiosity.

"What are you going to do with Bella?" she asked, tilting her head. "She won’t stop screaming and crying. It’s pathetic, really." She chuckled. "Just like she used to be in the Eclipse Howlers."

Ah, yes. I remembered.

Bella and Nara came from a different pack, one far from here. But unlike Nara, Bella had been abandoned, discarded by her own people. They had turned their backs on her, leaving her with no one.

No one but me.

Of course, that had been my plan all along. I had orchestrated everything. Made sure she had nowhere else to go, no one else to rely on. In the end, I was all she had.

But that didn’t matter anymore. Once I drained her completely, Nara would finally be healthy. And we could live in peace.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.

"Alpha," a voice called from outside. One of my warriors. "There’s an emergency."

I exhaled sharply, annoyed at the interruption. "What is it?" I snapped. "I’m in the middle of something here."

"It’s Bella." A pause. "She escaped."

A chill ran down my spine.

"What?!" Nara and I spoke at the same time, our voices laced with disbelief.

I shot up from my seat. "Take me to the dungeon. Now!"

Without waiting for a response, I stormed out of the room, my heart pounding, my pulse ringing in my ears.

How the hell had she escaped?!

When I reached the dungeon, my worst fears were confirmed. The cell door was wide open, the iron chains that once bound Bella lying uselessly on the floor.

She was gone.

A guttural growl tore from my throat as I swung my fist against the stone wall beside me. The impact sent sharp pain shooting up my arm, but I barely felt it.

"Find her! Immediately!" I roared.

"Understood, Alpha!" My warriors sprang into action, scattering in different directions.

I clenched my jaw, breathing heavily.

"Who helped her escape?!" I bellowed, my voice thundering through the stone corridors.

No one answered. The guards stood stiff, eyes darting to the ground, afraid to meet my gaze.

Someone had helped her. There was no way she got out on her own.

I scanned their faces, searching for the weakest link—the one who would break first under pressure.

"If no one talks," I hissed, "then you’ll all suffer the consequences."

Silence.

I inhaled sharply, forcing myself to think. Bella wouldn’t have gotten far. Not with how weak she was. She had been drained for weeks. She should barely be able to stand, let alone run.

And if someone was willing to risk their life for her, that meant she had an ally. Someone within my own ranks.

A traitor.

Nara stepped closer, resting a hand on my arm, her nails lightly digging into my skin. "Relax, darling," she purred. "We’ll find her. And when we do…" She smiled, slow and cruel. "We’ll make sure she never gets another chance to escape."

I exhaled through my nose, forcing my rage to settle into something colder. Sharper.

She was right. Bella could run, but she wouldn’t get far. Not from me.

I would find her.

And this time, I’d make sure she never saw the light of day again.

I ordered an immediate investigation.

I waited, my patience wearing thin as my men scoured every possible lead. Then, finally, the truth came out.

Liam.

My Beta.

Rage ignited inside me like wildfire, consuming every ounce of restraint I had left.

"How fucking dare you help her?!" My voice thundered through the room, shaking the very walls of my domain.

Before Liam could react, I lunged, my hand wrapping around his throat as I lifted him off the ground with inhuman strength. His feet dangled, his hands clawing at my grip, but I didn’t care.

"Why?" My voice was low, seething, my grip tightening. "What gave you the right to release her?!"

But Liam… he didn’t tremble. He didn’t beg. Instead, he met my glare with an unwavering gaze, his lips curling into something almost resembling pity.

"Because I am no longer part of your devious plan." he spat, voice hoarse but steady.

I stilled.

"I can’t stand by and watch you commit such monstrous acts against Bella. She did nothing but love you."

His words slammed into me like a dagger to the chest.

I stiffened.

For a brief, agonizing moment, something cracked inside me. Memories surged—memories of Bella’s trust, the way she had looked at me with pure devotion, believing every false promise, every calculated touch.

She had given me her heart. And I had shattered it.

But I forced those thoughts away.

That was the plan. That was how it had to be.

Nara needed Bella’s blood. Bella was nothing more than a means to an end.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. My control slipped, and without thinking, I snarled, "You love Bella, don’t you?"

Liam’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he shook his head furiously. "No," he said, but his voice lacked conviction. "I don’t love her."

But then his expression darkened. "But I do care. And I won’t stand by and watch you rot in your own sins. One day, you’ll pay for everything you’ve done. Mark my words."

My lips twisted into a sneer.

"You’re a fool," I hissed.

With a violent shove, I threw him across the room. He hit the ground hard, his body skidding across the cold stone floor.

Gasps echoed from the watching crowd, but I ignored them.

"Take him," I barked. "Lock him in the dungeon. Make sure he doesn’t escape. He’ll suffer the consequences of his actions!"

Two of my warriors rushed forward, grabbing Liam by the arms as he struggled to his knees. Blood trickled from a cut on his temple, but he didn’t look at me with fear.

No, he looked at me with pity.

I hated it.

As they dragged him away, I turned to the rest of my warriors, my rage boiling over.

"Find Bella!" I roared, my voice shaking the very walls of the stronghold.

Silence hung thick in the air, heavy with unspoken tension. No one dared defy me.

"I want her found now!" My breath was ragged, my chest heaving. "Bring her back to me—alive."

Bella’s blood was still needed. The transfusions for Nara were not yet complete.

I couldn’t afford to lose her.

"Yes, Alpha!" my warriors responded in unison before scattering like shadows, disappearing into the night.

I stood there, breathing hard, my heart hammering against my ribs.

This wasn’t over.

Bella could run.

But she would never truly escape.

Not from me.