I knelt beside the bodies, unaware of how much time had passed.

The sound of voices outside reached me, sharp and cutting through the silence.

Everlee’s mocking tone carried into the room:

“The Alpha thought you might be lonely in here, so he sent me to bring you these—your parents, your brother, your nephew…”

“Oh, and your nephew was only a year old. Those warriors, they were so careless. Just threw him to the ground. Poor thing, didn’t stand a chance.”

“Your brother managed to escape, but your sister-in-law—she was pregnant. A girl, they said.”

In the darkness, I trembled uncontrollably.

Yet no tears came.

My chest felt heavy, as if a boulder had been lodged there.

I hadn’t imagined that Jayce’s hatred for me could run this deep.

“The Alpha said you needed to feel the pain of losing everyone you loved.”

Back then, when Alan had wanted to kill Jayce’s entire family, it was me who intervened.

I used my pack’s status to make a deal with Alan: if he spared them, the Silver Claw Pack would pledge loyalty to him, and I would become his Luna.

But Alan broke his promise. He only let Jayce live.

“If I spared them all, where’s the fun in that?”

“I had to kill them. Only then would Jayce believe you betrayed him out of cowardice and ambition.”

“He’d never believe you did it to save them all.”

If Alan could see this now, he’d be satisfied.

He’d laugh, wouldn’t he?

He’d grab my throat and force me to see: “Look, Ivey! You turned yourself into a traitor for him, and he’s already moved on. He’s even wiped out your entire family. Isn’t that hilarious?”

“What a pair you were, and what a pathetic ending!”

But Alan was dead.

There was no one left who knew the truth.

After his death, Jayce gave him a proper Alpha’s burial, honoring pack tradition.

He even built a memorial ground for fallen Alphas, ensuring Alan’s name would be remembered.

Then, as the younger brother of the late Alpha, Jayce took the position for himself.

After all, Alan had no heirs. It seemed only natural that his brother would step in.

I followed Everlee Peters back to the Blue Moon Pack’s headquarters, my wolf lingering unseen. The moment she stepped inside, Jayce Garcia turned to her, his Alpha aura heavy in the air. “Well? Has Ivey Nelson admitted her mistakes?”

Everlee smiled, her voice smooth as honey. “Alpha, Ivey is… managing. The guards reported hearing knocking and thuds from her confinement. It’s clear she’s struggling. If you’re truly concerned, perhaps it’s time to release her.”

Jayce’s lips curled into a sneer. “No. She won’t die so easily. They say the worst ones linger the longest. When she’s ready to kneel before me, to beg for my forgiveness, then I’ll consider letting her out.”

Everlee tilted her head, her eyes glinting with calculation. “Alpha, if I may… Ivey is stubborn. Waiting will only test your patience. I remember she’s terrified of rodents. Perhaps we could… encourage her submission by introducing some snakes and rats into her cell. Fear might break her spirit faster.”

I hovered nearby, my heart heavy with bitter amusement. How could I admit to anything now? Rodents and snakes were terrifying, but I was already gone. Yet, inexplicably, Jayce seemed restless that night. I watched as he took Everlee with a desperation that bordered on madness, his breaths ragged, his movements frantic.

He must truly care for her.

In the past, when our bond was still strong, he’d once pressed me against the wall, his desire palpable. But he’d stopped himself, his voice rough with restraint. “Your family values their reputation too much. I won’t tarnish it. We have time.”

We had time. Or so we thought. Now, I was dead, and he was here, entangled with Everlee, his mate bond with me shattered beyond repair. He believed I’d chosen Alan, that I’d betrayed him for the title of Luna. But the truth was, my heart had always been his.

Jayce, it was only ever you.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sight of crates filled with snakes, rats, and insects being brought to my confinement. The sight made my stomach churn. Would he really toss them into my resting place, letting them gnaw at my lifeless body? It didn’t matter anymore. I was already gone. What happened to my body was irrelevant.

Still, I felt a cold shiver as Jayce ordered a small hole to be drilled into the door of my confinement. One by one, the creatures were thrown inside. Rats scurried, snakes hissed, and cockroaches crawled over me, their tiny legs brushing against my skin. But Jayce didn’t step closer to look. He simply asked again, his voice sharp with authority. “Ivey, do you admit your mistakes? If you do, scream three times, ‘Ivey Nelson, I’ve wronged Jayce Garcia. I’m a traitor, and I beg for his mercy.’”

Everlee stood beside him, her voice dripping with false sympathy. “When I visited yesterday, she was still knocking, trying to get out. But now… she’s silent. Perhaps she’s too proud to even respond.”

Jayce laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. “Fine. If she wants to play stubborn, let her. I’ll give her half an hour. If she doesn’t admit her mistakes by then, she’ll stay there forever, rotting with those filthy creatures.”

But Jayce, my Alpha, I’m already dead. My mouth is filled with ants. How can I speak?

I drifted back to the days when he was the future Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, and I was just a young girl.

His father, the Alpha, had arranged our mate bond.

He always sought me out.

My father disapproved, saying that even though we were fated, it wasn’t proper for an unmated girl to spend so much time with her future mate.

So he climbed the fence.

I was swinging in the yard when suddenly I saw his head pop up over the wall.

He waved at me. “Ivey, Ivey, come here!”

I ran over, whispering, “Be careful! If you don’t fall, my father will still beat you if he catches you!”

“Go back!”

He pulled a small, scented pouch from his pocket.

“My mother made these. I brought them for you.”

I took them carefully, but he lingered, reluctant to leave, leaning on the wall to talk to me.

My father came out with a stick. “Alpha Jayce! You two will be mates soon enough. Can’t you wait? The Nelson family has a reputation to uphold!”

“Forgive me, Alpha Nelson. I just wanted to see Ivey. I’ll leave now!”

But no one could have predicted that the pouch would be tampered with.

I took it home and placed it on my nightstand, only to find my room overrun with snakes and rats that night.

I was terrified, and Jayce was filled with guilt.

Later, it was discovered that a jealous pack member had planted them. Jayce couldn’t immediately avenge me.

But he vowed, “I’ll never let snakes or rats near you again.”

Now, he was the one tossing baskets of them into my grave.

He knew full well I was trapped there.

I trailed behind him, frustration bubbling inside me. I wanted to kick him, to scream that I wasn’t refusing to admit fault.

I wasn’t at fault.

I couldn’t admit to something I didn’t do.

Jayce, don’t you know who I am? How could you believe I betrayed you? How could you hate me so deeply?

“Ivey, I’ll ask you one last time. Do you admit your mistake?”

I wanted to speak, to defend myself.

But I was already dead.

“Fine, fine! Throw it all in!”

At his command, the pack members eagerly dumped the horrifying creatures into the grave.

Snakes and rats crawled over my remains.

If I weren’t already dead, I couldn’t imagine how I’d react to that sight.

And Jayce wasn’t done.

“Ivey, stay stubborn. Keep your Nelson pride for Alan. I won’t ask you again, but I’ll have them torment you every day. Even if you wanted to beg for mercy, you’ll never get the chance.”

He walked away without looking back.

The pack members left behind muttered curses.

“Disgusting.”

“Ugh, those snakes reek. Nauseating.”

“No kidding. The Alpha must really despise the Nelsons.”

I crouched nearby, hugging my knees.

The insults and laughter continued.

My body was already shattered into pieces.

Once, Jayce and I had stood before the Moon Goddess and made a vow.

“We will never betray each other. If we break this vow, we will find no peace in death.”

But I never betrayed him. So why did I end up like this?