Chapter 5
Music floated up from the grand ballroom below, a melodic backdrop to the Alpha's Summer Gala. I pressed my palm against the cold window glass of my room, watching guests in elegant gowns and suits mingle on the terrace. Violeta would have loved the twinkling lights strung across the garden.
"She's with her nanny," I whispered to myself, my raspy voice barely audible even in the empty room. "She's safe."
Silver stirred weakly inside me, her presence a faint comfort after years of wolfsbane poisoning. *Something's wrong*, she whispered.
I shook my head, dismissing the thought. Violeta was just a toddler—she couldn't wander far. The nanny would keep her inside, away from the pool area where the gala guests were gathered.
---
The pool gate should have been locked.
Later, I would learn that Sofia had personally checked it that morning, ensuring the safety latch was broken. She'd placed Violeta's favorite floating toy—a little rubber dolphin that squeaked—in the center of the deepest part of the pool.
"Look what I found!" Violeta's excited voice echoed in my memory. She'd loved that toy, carrying it everywhere after Lucien brought it back from a pack meeting.
I paced my room, trapped by the guards stationed outside my door. The gala was in full swing, champagne flowing freely as Lucien networked with allied pack leaders.
*Harper.* Silver's voice was suddenly urgent. *Something's wrong.*
I stopped mid-step, a chill racing down my spine.
*Violeta.*
The bond between mother and child—that precious, sacred connection—felt like a violin string pulled taut and then...
Snap.
The severing was so violent I doubled over, clutching my chest. A cold emptiness spread through me, replacing warmth with icy dread.
"No," I gasped, falling to my knees. "No, no, no!"
I lunged for the door, pounding my fists against the wood. "Let me out! Please, let me out!"
Blood smeared across the polished surface as my hands split open. I didn't feel the pain—only the horrifying void where Violeta's presence had been.
"Help me!" I screamed, my damaged voice breaking. "My daughter is dying!"
---
When they finally opened the door, I pushed past the startled guards and ran barefoot across the marble floors. Party guests stared as I raced through the crowd, my nightgown billowing behind me.
"Violeta!" I screamed, the sound more animal than human.
I reached the pool area just as Lucien emerged from the water, my daughter's small body cradled in his arms. Water dripped from his formal suit as he laid her on the concrete.
"Come on, baby," he sobbed, starting CPR. "Breathe for me!"
But Violeta was still, her lips blue, her eyes closed. Too still.
"Where were you?" Sofia's voice cut through the chaos. "Your daughter needed supervision!"
I fell to my knees beside Violeta, touching her cold face. "She was with her nanny," I whispered.
"The nanny tried to stop her," Sofia said loudly to the gathering crowd. "But Violeta was always so wild, so disobedient."
Lucien's hands shook as he continued compressions. "Harper, I'm sorry. I couldn't save her."
---
They sedated me for the funeral. I remember little except the small white coffin and the scent of lilies—flowers I'd never allowed in our room because Violeta was allergic.
Lucien stood beside me, his arm around my shoulders as pack members offered condolences. I heard words like "tragic accident" and "poor supervision."
Sofia wore black, her face a perfect mask of sympathy. "She was such a beautiful child," she murmured, squeezing my hand.
I pulled away, unable to bear her touch.
---
Days later, I wandered the estate grounds in a daze. The pool area was closed off with yellow tape—a crime scene, though no one spoke of it that way.
Something drew me to the filtration system at the far end of the pool. Silver stirred within me, suddenly alert.
*There*, she urged. *Look there.*
I knelt beside the filter, my fingers finding the small compartment where debris collected. Inside, among leaves and dirt, was Violeta's dolphin toy.
The one that should have been in our room.
The one that floated in the center of the pool.
Silver surged through me with unexpected clarity, burning away years of wolfsbane fog. *She was lured*, my wolf growled. *Our pup was murdered.*
---
That night, I slipped into Della's infirmary. She was alone, sorting herbs by the dim light of a single lamp.
"Della," I said, my voice rough from disuse but suddenly serviceable.
She dropped the mortar she was holding. "Harper? You spoke!"
I held out my hand, the toy dolphin resting in my palm. "It wasn't an accident."
Understanding dawned in her eyes as she took the toy. "Where did you find this?"
"In the pool filter," I whispered. "She was lured there."
Della's hands trembled as she examined the toy. "I've been documenting everything," she said quietly. "Sofia's visits, the wolfsbane in your tea..."
"Why?"
"Because I serve the true Luna," she replied, her voice steady. "Not the Alpha's chosen mate."
She knelt before me, taking my injured hands in hers. "Tell me what you need."
"Help me escape," I said, feeling Silver's strength building inside me. "Help me take back what's left of my pack."
Della nodded, her eyes shining with determination. "We start tonight."
You may also like
