Chapter 2

"I organized this entire ceremony. Now I am the criminal? I raised Elara as my own. Why would I hurt her?"

I pulled back. My sleeve slipped down. A strip of dark red stained the fabric.

Rowena grabbed my wrist.

"Why is this fabric discolored?"

One of the she-wolves spoke up.

"That is a reaction to poison. The fabric changes color when it touches sedatives."

Rowena stared at Selene.

"Get Healer Aldwin. Now."

Healer Aldwin came running.

He looked at the stain on my sleeve. He sniffed. His face went dark.

"Wolfsbane extract. Heavy sedative. It damages the wolf core."

"A full dose would have killed her in her sleep. She is lucky to be alive."

The room went silent.

I looked up at Selene. Tears ran down my face.

"Why would you do this? If you wanted Lyra to go to the Ball instead of me, why not talk to Father first?"

"He is an Alpha. One word to the Alpha King and he could have arranged something for Lyra. It did not have to be like this."

"Now Lyra is out there pretending to be me. If the Alpha King finds out, she is dead."

"And Father loses everything. Our whole family goes down with her."

I choked on the words.

"You did not just drug me. You put a target on all of us."

Selene dropped to her knees. Tears ran down her cheeks.

"Elara, I was foolish. Lyra was terrified. She panicked and the carriage already left. If we drag this into the open now, she will be killed."

She grabbed the hem of my dress.

"You have always been generous. Just say you gave her your spot. Save your sister's life."

Rowena slapped her across the face.

"Save her life? Your daughter drugs my niece, steals her place, and now Elara should cover for her?

You climbed into my brother's bed and got his true mate killed.

Now your daughter is stealing Elara's future. You think this family has no one left to protect her?"

Selene held her cheek. Her eyes went cold.

"Your brother left me in charge of this pack. Both girls are mine to manage. You mated out, Rowena. You are not part of this family anymore. Mind your own business."

I stared at her.

"Then where is my birthmark record? The pack elders confirmed my crescent mark when I was a child. That record belongs to me."

Her eyes shifted.

"Yours, hers, what is the difference? You are both daughters of this house. You are the older sister. Let her have this one."

In my last life, she said the same thing.

Lyra took my mark, my identity, and every piece of my mother's things.

Not this time. Everything they took, I was taking back.

I held Rowena's arm. I turned to the she-wolf at the door.

"Is there still a carriage outside?"

She nodded.

"Tell them to take me to the Ball."