Chapter 21
SERENITY KELLER
Iwoke from unconsciousness. My body was in pain.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the soaring vaulted ceiling and beautiful stained-glass windows of a church. This place was unfamiliar—nowhere I knew. My hands were locked in icy silver shackles. Even the slightest contact with the metal sent searing pain through my skin. I couldn't move.
I called out to Novella. She whimpered weakly inside me, unable to respond clearly. My heart sank. I couldn't shift.
"Don't move!"
Someone barked at me as I struggled. I looked up and saw several armed men pointing their guns at me. Every barrel was aimed at my heart or my head. I sucked in a sharp breath.
Hunters!
Before fear could fully set in, my gaze drifted past the hunters to a figure skulking behind them. Frank was slinking toward the church exit.
"Frank!" The sight of him made my blood boil. I nearly leaped up but was forced back by those gun barrels. I clenched my teeth as hurt and rage churned inside me, hot and cold at once. "Why?!"
When I had spotted him, Frank reluctantly stepped out from the crowd.
He looked at me with disgust. "You monster. You took everything that should have been mine. I just wanted to take it back!"
"What?" I didn't understand.
"The Goldens," he spat out his own parents' names without an ounce of affection, only resentment. "They had me, their own son, but left everything to you, an outsider!"
"Can you imagine how I felt? I finally came back to Tara, only to find my home and my parents' inheritance in your hands. They didn't leave me a single penny! They deserve to rot in hell!"
"How can you curse your own parents like that?" I demanded, trembling with anger.
"They don't deserve to be my parents!" Frank roared.
He kicked a nearby church pew so hard it crashed over.
"All I did was gamble a little money, and they threw me out!
I was chased by debt collectors like a dog, but they wouldn't lift a finger to help me pay!
Why should I suffer out there while they lived peacefully at home?
And then they died and still wouldn't give me my inheritance! "
The hunters were unfazed by his tantrum. Watching his unhinged display, I felt nothing but disappointment and revulsion.
So that was the truth.
No wonder the Goldens had mentioned having a son but never spoke of him during my time with them.
"You disgusting coward. You have no right to speak of the Goldens!" I said furiously. "They were the kindest people. They took in a stranger like me and saved my life. If you hadn't been beyond redemption and had refused to change, they never would have given up on their own son!"
"Shut up! What does a monster like you know?!" Frank exploded. "You're not even human, just a beast wearing human skin! You talk a good game, but you just fooled my parents. Do you think they would've taken you in if they'd known you were a werewolf?"
The words sliced into my heart like a knife, bringing a bleeding pain.
"So you never loved me. The proposal was all a lie too," I said quietly.
Frank sneered. "Took you long enough to figure it out. If you'd been an ordinary woman, I wouldn't have minded actually marrying you. You're young enough, pretty enough, and you could've made me money. But you're a werewolf. I'm not marrying a monster!"
Monster. Beast. I ground my teeth.
"If you're so scared of what I am, why didn't you just run?" I snapped. "You convinced me to stay. You sold me to hunters for money! You traitor!"
"She's got you there, Miss Werewolf." Another voice cut in.
A middle-aged man with three claw scars across his left cheek walked into the church.
He was tall and commanding, and every hunter straightened when they saw him.
"Running from werewolves is useless. The only way to eliminate the threat is to strike first. Mr. Golden is a smart man who understands this, which is why he came to us and made the right choice. "
"Who are you?" I watched him warily.
"My name doesn’t matter to a werewolf. You can call me by my codename—Falcon. I'm the leader of this operation." The man crouched before me and used a gloved hand to lift my chin. "The Luna of Vernal. You're prettier than I imagined. And more… naive!"
"Let go of me!" I tried to pull away in disgust, but the shackles restricted my movement.
"Don't waste your energy." Falcon stood up.
"Those restraints are specially made—just for monsters like you.
They're coated with enough silver and wolfsbane that if you struggle and break the skin, the poison will kill you instantly.
Even an Alpha would have trouble escaping those, let alone a powerless Omega. "
He was right. Despair crept in, but I didn't let it show. "If you know I'm just an Omega, then you know my pelt and blood aren't worth much on the black market. You've caught me. Why not just kill me?" Doubt and worry slipped through. "What do you want?"
"Smart girl." Falcon grinned. "I'll tell you. It's simple. We want the Vernal Alpha dead."
My heart stopped. "You'll never succeed!"
Falcon nodded approvingly. "True. Elias Vernal is a powerful werewolf. Even though we've sent an invitation demanding he come alone, we probably can't subdue him easily. But"—his tone shifted—"with you here, everything changes."
"What do you mean?" I eyed him warily.
"A partnership offer," Falcon said. "He'll be coming alone to save you. If you cooperate and help us lure him into a trap, we'll not only set you free but also eliminate any werewolf you want."
"Hunters want to partner with a werewolf?" I felt like I was hearing a fairy tale. "You must be joking!"
"Don't refuse so quickly." Falcon toyed with his pistol. "We're a very trustworthy team. Just ask Miss Liv."
The unexpected name froze me. "Liv?"
Falcon smiled. "She was our first partner. She wanted to become the Vernal Luna, and we wanted Vernal pelts. So we struck a pleasant deal. She gave us Vernal's defense layouts and warehouse locations. We took care of her biggest obstacle. You."
I was too shocked to speak. I just stared at him with wide eyes.
Falcon continued. "There was a small hiccup.
We attacked the safe house she'd pointed us to, but you weren't there…
I don't consider that our mistake. Even so, we compensated Miss Liv generously.
After she faked her death, we sheltered her for six whole months, then sent her back to the Vernal Alpha at the perfect moment—"
"Unfortunately, despite everything we did for her, she proved rather incompetent.
After more than four years, she still couldn't win the Alpha's trust or love.
So we've decided to drop her." Falcon spread his hands.
"This time, we can partner with Miss Serenity instead.
I'm sure you're far smarter than she was. You know what the best choice is."
The flood of information made my head spin.
I suddenly remembered what Elias had told me at the café—that he'd discovered who the real traitor was. It had been Liv all along!
No wonder all the evidence about the traitor had pointed at me. No wonder Liv had jumped off that cliff right in front of me. It had all been to frame me, to drive me away from Elias!
"So, Miss Serenity, what's your answer?" Falcon pressed. Despite his polite words, his eyes held an icy killing intent. I realized I had no real choice. Agree, or die.
"Wait, what does this mean? You're going to let her go?" Frank suddenly panicked. "You can't do this! If you free her, she'll come after me! I helped you so much! You promised you'd get rid of her!"
Falcon shot him an impatient look. "That's your problem."
"No, you can't do this!" I pretended to consider the offer. "I might take your deal. But I have one condition."
"What?" Falcon asked.
I fixed Frank with an icy stare. "Deal with him first."
Falcon raised an eyebrow. I continued without expression. "I don't work with people who betrayed me. Besides, do you really trust him? Today he sold me out for money. Tomorrow, it’ll be you. You should know which has more value to you: a broke gambler or the Luna of a major werewolf pack."
Frank's eyes went wide. His face turned ashen. "No... that's not... Don't listen to her!"
Falcon studied him thoughtfully, then signaled to his men.
"No!" Frank turned to run.
BANG!
A bullet hit his leg. He screamed and collapsed.
"You bitch!" he shrieked at me. "You'll burn in hell!"
I watched him calmly. "There's already a spot waiting for you."
A second shot.
Frank's eyes stayed open as the life drained out of him. Blood quickly spread across the church floor. An eerie silence settled over everything.
"Satisfied now, Miss Serenity?" Falcon asked with a smile. "Now, your answer?"
I took a deep breath, met his mocking eyes, and said firmly, "Go to hell."
His smile froze. "What?"
"I said, go to hell." I glared at him viciously. "Did you really think I'd sell out my mate and my own kind to save myself? Dream on!"
SLAP!
The sound echoed through the church. My head snapped to the side. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth.
"Ungrateful creature!" Falcon snarled. His face twisted with malice. "When Elias Vernal gets here, we'll kill you right in front of him!"
"He won't come." I spat blood and laughed instead. "I'm not part of the Vernal pack anymore. We've cut all ties. He's never coming again. You're going to be disappointed!"
That's right. Elias wouldn't come. Because I had told him myself that I never wanted to see him again. That there was nothing left between us.
"If he's not coming, then you're even more useless."
Falcon said coldly and pressed the gun barrel to my forehead.
This time, there would be no miracle, no last-minute rescue. No one was coming to save me.
But in this moment of crisis, I realized I actually felt glad that Elias wouldn't appear—not sad. This is fine, I told myself and Novella. Arian needs his father. The Vernal pack needs their Alpha.
Better that I die alone than drag Arian and Elias into danger.
"One last chance," Falcon said darkly. "Partner with us, or die?"
I closed my eyes. "I choose death."
"Then so be it."
Just as his finger tightened on the trigger, the church doors exploded inward.
Every hunter whipped their guns toward the entrance. I opened my eyes in shock and looked.
"Let her go."
Dust filled the air. As it gradually cleared, Elias stood in the doorway. Every person in the church felt the crushing weight of his Alpha dominance.
I stared at that tall figure in disbelief, my heart suddenly pounding wildly.
He'd actually come—
For me, he came!