Chapter 4

The pack warriors knew exactly what to do. They wrenched my arms back in a heartbeat.

"Alpha. How do you want her punished?"

Cassian gave me a long, heavy look, then bent his head and asked Aria, soft, "The punishment's up to my new Luna."

It cut into me all over again.

Back when each Trial ended, he'd always handed me the right to punish the loser. I was soft. Every time, I just told them to stay away from Cassian and let them go. No punishment.

But now Aria put on that sweet, harmless face, while her mouth curled into something cruel.

"Cassian, I don't really know your rules. However it was done before—do it that way now."

He got it instantly. He turned to me, searching my eyes for some reaction, and found nothing but dead silence.

It made him angry. He pulled Aria in tighter and ground the words out.

"You heard your Luna. Move."

They dragged me into the mansion, pinned me to the floor, and went at me with a whip soaked in saltwater.

In the next room, the two of them tangled all night. Their moaning and my screaming wound together and filled the whole place.

The whip tore me open. But my heart hurt worse.

I thought about the day I went into the healer's den after that fall, the two of us kissing deep, sure of each other.

Cassian had wanted to stop the Trials right then. He didn't want me hurt again.

But every rich young wolf in the pack had bets riding on it—billions on the line. The Trials weren't his alone anymore. They wouldn't let him stop until the final round.

He'd held me, eyes red, like he wanted to fold me into his bones.

"Wren. I swear it. From now on, every round—I won't let you lose."

And I didn't let him down. Every Trial, I gave everything, outsmarting and outlasting every rival.

Plenty of them came to hate me. Some teamed up and cheated, trying to get me killed.

But I loved him. So I clawed my way out every time and won, and he'd pull me into his arms.

The ones who'd screamed at me in those Trials, who'd played dirty to hurt me—they ended up tied down just like this, taking the whip, listening to him and me all night.

Now, finally, it was my turn.

In the end, Cassian had let me get hurt after all.

They had each other all night.

By the time the sky went pale, Cassian came out in a robe.

I heard him say, "Send for my healer. Patch her up. Don't let her die."

Then I blacked out.

When I came to, I was on the couch, his coat thrown over me.

"You're awake? The Alpha took Miss Aria ahead to the party—celebrating her win. He says clean yourself up and come."

His Beta passed it on, face flat.

My voice was wrecked. I grabbed my bag to leave. "I'm sorry. I have to get to the healer's. My grandmother's cleansing is today. Cassian knows about it."

It was Cassian who'd found the cleansing for her—my reward for surviving round ninety-nine.

But the next second, his Beta had them grab me.

"What are you doing? I said I'm not going! Cassian knows—my grandmother gets her cleansing today!"

I fought with everything I had. My bones screamed. The warriors shoved me into a dress, didn't even let me take my phone, and stuffed me into the car.

I could barely breathe through it.

Cassian used to take me to see her every month.

But today, of all days, he broke his word—to celebrate a stolen win for another she-wolf.

At the hall, Cassian and Aria and the whole pack of rich young wolves were already there.

I came in a backless dress, the whip marks plain on my skin. People started to murmur.

Cassian's eyes dimmed. He came toward me with his arm around Aria's waist.

"Wren. Today's the day we celebrate Aria's win. As her elder, you should pay your respects. But you show up empty-handed—you trying to embarrass her?"

Aria bit her lip, all wounded. "Maybe she thinks I shouldn't have won. After all, she took the first ninety-nine."

I cut through her sweet little act and looked dead at Cassian.

"I'm out of the Trials. I don't owe her a celebration. Cassian, my grandmother's cleansing is today. I'm going to her. Let me go."

Something startled flashed in his eyes, then went cold.

"It's a good day. You really have to bring up something this grim?"

I pushed down the ache in my chest. "Then what'll it take for you to let me go?"

"What'll it take?" His eyes glinted. He kissed Aria right in front of me. "Let my new Luna name her terms."

Aria pretended to think, then grinned wide.

"Then strip down, crawl to me on all fours, lick my shoes, and howl three times like the bitch you are."

My breath stopped. I couldn't believe my ears.

The next second, I heard Cassian let out a soft scoff.

"Done."