I couldn’t believe my ears as Owen’s words echoed in my mind like a terrible nightmare that refused to end no matter how desperately I wanted to wake up from this horror.

The man I loved more than my own life, the person who had promised to cherish and protect me forever, was asking me to destroy my future and possibly my life just to save his reputation and position in the pack.

“That’s too much to ask, Owen! Yes, I love you more than my own life, but asking me to confess to murder is asking me to throw away any chance I have of ever being free from this pack’s hatred!” I said with my voice breaking as tears started flowing down my cheeks.

“Please, Ariana, you know how much becoming Alpha means to me and to this pack, and you also know that I’m the only one who can lead our people to prosperity and peace!” Owen pleaded as he dropped the bloody knife and moved closer to me with desperation written all over his handsome face.

“But what about me, Owen? What about our future together and the life you promised we would build as mates?” I whispered as I backed away from him until my shoulders hit the cold wall behind me.

“Once I become Alpha in two days, I promise I’ll find a way to get you out of prison and we can be together forever as we always planned!” He said as he reached out to cup my face in his hands that still had traces of Mara’s blood on them.

The way he was looking at me with love and promise shining in his dark eyes made my heart skip several beats as I imagined a future where we could be together openly and proudly.

“You really promise that you’ll save me once you have the power to do so?” I asked quietly while searching his face for any sign that he might be lying to me about his intentions.

“I swear on my life and my future title as Alpha that I will move heaven and earth to bring you back to me, my beautiful mate.” Owen whispered as he leaned down and pressed his forehead against mine in the intimate gesture that always made me feel like the most precious thing in the world.

I felt my resistance melting away completely as I realized that I would do anything for this man who had shown me love when everyone else had shown me only hatred and cruelty.

“Okay, I’ll do it for you because I trust you with my heart and my life.”

Owen’s face lit up with relief and gratitude as he pulled me into his strong arms and held me tight against his chest where I could hear his heart beating rapidly.

When we finally broke apart, I knew what I had to do as I walked over to where the bloody knife lay on the carpet and picked it up with hands that were surprisingly steady.

I deliberately smeared Mara’s blood on my clothes and hands until it looked like I had been the one fighting with her in a deadly struggle that ended with her death.

Just as I finished covering myself with evidence of the crime, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway followed by urgent voices calling Owen’s name.

“What’s taking so long up there? The ceremony is almost over and people are looking for you!” Beta James’s voice boomed from outside the door as several warriors pushed their way into the room.

The warriors froze in shock when they saw me standing over Mara’s body with blood covering my hands and clothes while Owen stood several feet away looking horrified by the scene.

People from the retirement ceremony began crowding into the room behind the warriors, all gasping and pointing at me as they tried to understand what had happened in their future Alpha’s private chambers.

I looked directly at Owen one last time and saw him nod slightly giving me permission.

“I killed her because she was always cruel to me and tonight she pushed me too far!” I said loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear while my heart shattered into a million pieces.

“Seize her immediately! This murderer has brought shame and violence to our sacred ceremony!” Alpha Marcus roared as his warriors rushed forward to grab my arms and drag me away from the scene of my supposed crime.

I was thrown to the floor so hard that my knees cracked against the stone while the pack members who had gathered began cursing my name and spitting at my face.

As they dragged me through the hallway toward the dungeons, more people came running from the ceremony to see what all the commotion was about, and soon I was surrounded by dozens of angry faces calling me every horrible name they could think of.

“Ariana! Ariana, please tell me this isn’t true!” Cynthia’s desperate voice cut through all the other noise as my best friend came running toward me with tears streaming down her face.

“Don’t worry about me, Cynthia, everything will be fine in the end!” I managed to say before the guards yanked me further away from the only person besides Owen who had ever shown me genuine kindness and friendship.

People continued cursing me and shouting things like “murderer,” “traitor’s daughter,” and “worthless scum” as I was dragged through the packhouse and down the stone steps that led to the underground dungeons.

The shame and humiliation I felt in that moment was nothing compared to what I had experienced throughout my life, and I knew that I would endure much worse than this for the man I loved and the future we would share together.

They threw me into a cold, damp cell while slamming the heavy iron door shut with a sound that echoed through my bones.

That night, the guards came to my cell with whips and clubs.

“You think you can just kill whoever you want because you’re already the lowest of the low, don’t you, murderer?” Guard Captain Rex sneered as he brought his whip down across my back with enough force to tear through my thin dress and into my skin.

I bit my lip until it bled to keep from screaming as they beat me over and over again while calling me every cruel name they could think of and reminding me that I was nothing but the worthless daughter of traitors.

“Your parents were murderers and now you’ve proven that evil blood runs in your family!” Another guard spat in my face before kicking me in the ribs so hard that I heard something crack inside my chest.

They beat me until my entire body was covered in bruises and cuts while I curled up on the filthy floor trying to protect my head and vital organs from their relentless assault.

“Maybe this will teach you that people like you don’t belong in civilized society!” Guard Rex laughed as he stomped on my hand with his heavy boot, crushing my fingers until I couldn’t hold back my scream of agony any longer.

They continued beating me until I could barely move or think clearly, and then they left me alone in the darkness to suffer through the long night with only my pain and regret.

In the morning, I woke up to the sound of heavy chains being dragged across the stone floor as several guards entered my cell with grim expressions on their faces.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked weakly as they roughly pulled me to my feet and began fastening the chains around my wrists and ankles with locks that felt like they would never come off.

“Today is your judgment day, murderer, and you’re going to face the consequences of your evil actions in front of the entire pack.” The head guard said with a cruel smile as he tightened the shackles until they cut into my already wounded skin and made me cry out in fresh pain.

I tried to push myself up from the filthy floor where I had been lying in my own blood, but my legs were so weak and battered that I collapsed back down with a cry of pain that echoed through the dungeon.

"I said get up!" Rex grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet so roughly that I felt something tear in my shoulder as he dragged me toward the cell door.

The chains around my ankles were so heavy that I could barely lift my feet as they forced me to walk up the stone steps that led out of the underground prison metal shackles cut deeper into my already wounded ankles and wrists, leaving a trail of blood drops on the cold stone behind me.

My vision was blurry from exhaustion and pain, but I could hear the angry voices of pack members gathering in the chamber ahead of us as word spread that the murderer was finally going to face justice.

When we reached the massive wooden doors of the judgment chamber, I took a deep breath and tried to prepare myself for what was coming next.

The doors swung open and I was pushed into a room filled with every member of our pack, all of them staring at me with hatred and disgust written clearly across their faces.

"Bring the prisoner forward!" Alpha Marcus commanded from his throne at the front of the chamber, his voice booming through the room and making everyone fall silent.

The guards dragged me across the room until I was standing directly in front of the Alpha's throne, where I was forced to my knees once again on the hard marble floor.

I could feel hundreds of pairs of eyes boring into me as I knelt there in my torn and bloodstained dress, looking like the monster they all believed me to be.

"Ariana Nightfall, daughter of the exiled traitors who brought shame upon this pack," Alpha Marcus began.

"Do you confess to the murder of Mara, a loyal member of this pack who served us faithfully until her life was cut short by your evil hands?"

I lifted my head and searched the crowd until my eyes found Owen standing near the front of the chamber, looking handsome and confident in his ceremonial robes.

He was staring at me with his eyes full of silent pleas, but when our eyes met he gave me the smallest nod that reminded me of his promise to save me once he became Alpha.

The memory of his words from that terrible night filled my heart with hope and strength as I remembered how he had sworn to move heaven and earth to bring me back to him.

"Yes," I said loudly enough for everyone in the chamber to hear my confession clearly. "I admit to the crime of murdering Mara."

The crowd erupted in angry shouts and cheers as they heard me confess to the murder that had shocked everyone in the pack.

"Of course the traitor's daughter would commit such a horrible crime!" someone shouted from the back of the room.

"Evil blood runs in her family and now she's proven it!" another voice called out with satisfaction.

Alpha Marcus raised his hand and immediately the entire chamber fell into complete silence as everyone waited to hear what he would say next.

"Bring the body forward so that we may see the evidence of this terrible crime," he commanded with authority that made the guards jump into action.

Four warriors carried Mara's body into the center of the chamber and placed it on a table where everyone could see what had been done to her.

Alpha Marcus walked over to the table and pulled back the white cloth that covered Mara's face and neck, revealing the deep wound that had ended her life.

"Explain to us exactly how this murder took place, Ariana Nightfall," the Alpha demanded as he turned to face me with eyes that seemed to see right through to my soul.

This was my moment to create a story that would save my life while still protecting Owen from the consequences of what had really happened that night.

"Mara and I had an argument in Owen's room after the ceremony," I began with my voice shaking slightly as I tried to sound believable.

"She said terrible things about my family and called my parents cowards and traitors who deserved to be exiled from the pack."

I paused to take a breath and saw that everyone in the room was hanging on every word I spoke.

"I became so angry that I lost control of myself and grabbed the knife from Owen's desk before she could stop me," I continued with my story.

"I stabbed her in the throat before I realized what I had done, and then I panicked and tried to clean up the blood but it was too late."

Alpha Marcus stared at me for a long moment with suspicion written clearly across his face.

"Do you think we are fools, girl?" he asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

"How is it possible for a worthless and cursed omega like you to overpower someone with Beta blood running through her veins?"

My heart began racing as I realized that my story had holes that the Alpha could see through easily.

"She was caught off guard and didn't expect me to attack her," I said desperately as I tried to make my lie sound more believable.

Alpha Marcus looked at me for another long moment before shaking his head with disgust.

"The final judgment will be passed on you after the coronation of our new Alpha tomorrow," he declared as he waved his hand to dismiss me from his presence.

"Until then, you will remain in the dungeons where creatures like you belong."

The guards grabbed my arms and dragged me back toward the doors as the crowd continued shouting insults and threats at me.

As I was pulled from the chamber, I caught one last glimpse of Owen standing among the other pack leaders.

Back in my cold and damp cell, I curled up on the dirty floor and tried to ignore the pain that was radiating through every part of my battered body.

The guards continued to treat me cruelly, bringing me spoiled food that was barely fit for animals and kicking me whenever they felt like reminding me of my place in their world.

All I had to hold onto was Owen's promise that he would save me once he had the power to do so as the new Alpha of our pack.

Late that evening, I heard familiar footsteps approaching my cell and looked up to see Cynthia standing outside the iron bars with a basket of food in her hands.

"Ariana, I've been trying to visit you, but the guards wouldn't let me pass," she said softly as she passed the basket through the bars.

The food she brought me was the first decent meal I had eaten since being thrown into this horrible place, and I felt tears of gratitude running down my cheeks.

"When is the coronation ceremony?" I asked her quietly as I ate the warm bread and meat she had smuggled to me.

"Tomorrow," Cynthia replied.

"Then I'll finally be free," I whispered with hope filling my heart as I thought about Owen's promise.

"Is that what he promised you?" she asked, and I noticed that her tone had changed completely from the gentle voice she usually used when speaking to me.

"Tomorrow after the coronation ceremony, I'll come back here with a surprise for you," she said with a smile and walked away into the darkness.

The next day I could hear the sounds of celebration echoing throughout the packhouse as everyone prepared for Owen's coronation as our new Alpha.

Music and laughter drifted down to the dungeons, reminding me that soon I would be able to join the festivities as Owen's acknowledged mate and Luna.

My heart was pounding with excitement and anticipation as the hours passed and I knew that my freedom was getting closer with each moment.

Late in the afternoon, I heard footsteps approaching my cell and looked up to see Owen walking toward me with the unmistakable aura of Alpha power radiating from his body.

"You're now an Alpha," I said with a smile as I felt the change in his presence that told me the coronation ceremony had been completed successfully.

"When are you getting me out of here?" I asked, trying not to sound too desperate even though my heart was racing with excitement.

"Tomorrow," Owen replied with a strange expression on his face.

"There's something I still want to show you first."

Before I could ask him what he meant, I heard another set of footsteps and turned to see Cynthia walking into the dungeon area with a confidence I had never seen from her before.

"Cynthia! Is this the surprise you mentioned?" I asked with excitement as I thought about how wonderful it would be to celebrate my freedom with my two favorite people.

But instead of answering my question, Owen stepped closer to Cynthia and placed his hands on her waist as she moved into his arms.

I watched in complete shock and disbelief as Owen leaned down and pressed his lips to Cynthia's in a deep, passionate kiss that lasted far too long to be anything but romantic.

The kiss that shattered my heart into a million pieces and destroyed every dream I had ever dared to have about my future with the man I loved.

"Why?"

The word escaped my lips as barely more than a whisper while I leaned heavily against the cold metal bars that were the only thing keeping me upright as my legs threatened to give out beneath me.

I watched in complete horror as Owen and Cynthia kissed right in front of my cell, their bodies pressed together in a way that spoke of intimacy that had clearly been building for much longer than just tonight.

Owen finally pulled away from Cynthia gently and turned to look at me with eyes that held no warmth or love, only cold calculation and satisfaction at seeing my pain.

"I gave you everything, Owen," I said as tears began streaming down my cheeks. "I gave you my trust, my loyalty, my love. I even shared the secret about my wolf with you when I knew that revealing it to anyone could get me killed, because I trusted you with every part of my soul."

"Your wolf!" Owen cut me off sharply, his voice rising with fury that made me flinch backward. "That secret showed me exactly how much of a threat you truly are to me, Ariana Nightfall. You have the same strength that your father had running through your veins, the same dangerous Alpha power that made him unstoppable."

"But I never—" I tried to protest desperately.

"Yes, but you are such a threat whether you intended to be one or not," he interrupted without mercy. "I never loved you, Ariana, and I never wanted anything to do with you beyond keeping you under control. You are the daughter of a traitor and you carry a strong Alpha bloodline, so I just had to keep you close enough to know exactly what kind of danger I was dealing with."

"Her wolf..." Cynthia coughed delicately, her eyes widening with surprise. "You never mentioned that part of the truth to me when we were planning all of this together."

The way she called him "my love" made my stomach turn as I realized how deep their betrayal went.

"I saw through all your pretense of being weak during the training sessions, Ariana!" Owen's voice grew louder and more aggressive as he slammed his fist against the metal bars. "You are every bit as dangerous as your father was, and I refuse to underestimate what your bloodline is capable of!"

The fury in his eyes made my heart jump in my chest with genuine fear.

"Owen, I took the fall for you when you killed Mara," I said desperately as my voice broke. "I confessed to a murder I didn't commit and let this entire pack torture me because I believed in you and the future you promised we would have together."

I slid down to my knees on the filthy floor. "I was going to do anything for you."

"Mara was just a victim who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," Owen replied with a casual shrug. "She saw you that night when you shifted into your wolf form, and she came running to me saying she wanted to clear your name by telling my father what she had witnessed."

A cold smile spread across his face. "I couldn't allow her to reveal your secret before I figured out how to eliminate you as a threat, so I invited her to my room during the ceremony and killed her while everyone was distracted. And then you took the blame for everything without me even forcing you. It was such a perfect plan."

"What about the promise you made to me?" I asked as one last desperate flicker of hope tried to ignite in my heart. "You swore you would save me once you had the power."

Owen's expression shifted into something that looked almost like amusement. "Wait until tomorrow, Ariana, and then you'll see exactly what I plan to do for you."

He reached out and took Cynthia's hand, lacing their fingers together. "Come, my love, we have more important things to attend to than standing here watching this traitor's daughter cry over her well-deserved fate."

I watched through my tears as they walked away together, their footsteps echoing through the dungeon until the sound faded completely and I was left alone in the darkness with nothing but my shattered dreams.

*********

"Execute her! Execute the murderer! Execute the traitor's daughter!"

The crowd's voices rose in a deafening chant that echoed through the clearing as what seemed like the entire pack gathered to witness my punishment.

I was dragged from my cell and out into the cool night air where hundreds of angry faces waited. The moon hung full and bright in the sky above us.

"Ariana Nightfall, you stand before this pack to face judgment for your crimes!" Elder Thomas proclaimed. "Tonight, the Moon Goddess herself shall bear witness to the punishment that will be delivered upon you for the brutal murder of Mara Thornwood!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and angry shouts as they pressed closer.

I lifted my eyes and found Owen standing at the front beside the council members, wearing his new Alpha robes. Our eyes met across the distance and I searched his face for any sign of the man I had loved, any trace of compassion that might suggest he would keep his promise.

But all I saw staring back at me was emptiness and coldness, and in that moment I knew with absolute certainty that he was never going to keep his promise to save me.

"The penalty for murder is death according to our ancient laws!" Elder Thomas continued. "What say you, Alpha Owen? Shall we proceed with the execution?"

The crowd fell silent as everyone turned to look at Owen, waiting to hear their new Alpha pronounce my death sentence.

"Wait!" Owen's voice suddenly rang out with Alpha command that made every person freeze in place. "Don't execute her!"

The crowd erupted in confused murmurs as they tried to understand why their new Alpha would intervene.

"But Alpha Owen, death is the penalty that our laws demand for murder," Elder Thomas said with confusion written across his face. "The pack has spoken and the judgment has been passed."

"Death would be far too merciful a punishment for a traitor's daughter and a cold-blooded murderer," Owen replied with steel in his voice as he stepped forward. "She deserves something much worse than the quick release that death would provide."

My stomach dropped as I realized he wasn't saving me at all.

"Send her to be flogged with thirty strokes in this clearing where everyone can witness her suffering!" Owen commanded with authority. "And then cast her out as a rogue into the Silver Claw Pack's territory.