Elena POV:
The morning sun felt like a mockery. I moved like a ghost, bandaged hands hidden in my hoodie.
"We are going out," Jackson announced. "A family outing. To the mall."
"And you are coming," he added. "We need to show the pack we are united."
United. The word tasted like ash.
We drove to the city. I sat in the back. Candida sat in the front passenger seat-the Luna's seat.
At the mall, we went into a high-end jewelry store.
"Something for the lady?" the clerk asked.
"Yes," Jackson said. "Something blue. To match her eyes."
He picked out a sapphire necklace. I could sense the hum of magic coming from it. A Protection Spell. Why would an Alpha buy a spell-bound necklace? Unless he wasn't the one choosing it.
"And for... her?" the clerk pointed at me.
Jackson glanced at me dismissively. "Just give her that diamond stud. The small one."
Jackson fastened the sapphire around Candida's neck. "Perfect," he whispered.
"I will wait outside," I said, suffocating.
I walked onto the sidewalk. Jackson and Candida came out a moment later.
"Elena, wait!" Jackson called out, annoyed.
I turned.
Suddenly, tires screeched. A delivery truck had lost control, careening sideways, heading straight for us.
"Jackson!" I screamed.
He looked up. He had super-speed. He could save someone.
He lunged.
But not for me.
He threw his body over Candida, pushing her clear.
The bumper hit me.
The impact was like a wrecking ball. I heard the snap of my ribs. I was thrown backward, slamming into the brick wall.
I slid down. My vision swam. My chest was caved in.
Through the haze, I saw Jackson. He had taken a glancing blow to his leg. He was crawling. Dragging his broken leg.
Toward Candida.
She was standing there, completely unharmed, clutching her sapphire necklace.
"Candida! Are you hurt?" Jackson screamed, panic in his voice. He didn't even look at me.
He wrapped his arms around her legs, sobbing. "Thank the Goddess."
I lay against the cold brick. A piece of metal was embedded in my thigh.
He chose her. In the face of death, instinct doesn't lie.
Something inside me clicked. The final thread snapped.
I didn't call for help. I used the wall to push myself up. Every movement was agony. My ribs ground together like gravel.
I turned my back on them.
I limped away into the crowd, leaving a trail of blood. He wouldn't follow. He wouldn't even notice I was gone until he needed a scapegoat.
