The elder’s words haunted me. "Your blood is both a blessing… and a weapon." I lay awake, my body weak, my mind spiraling. If my blood truly carried power, then Aurora—who received it—should be bound to me, not Killian. So why was she still devoted to him? I needed answers.
I slipped into Killian’s study before dawn, my heart pounding. The scent of old parchment filled the air, the dim candlelight flickering across the shelves. I searched through books, tore through scrolls—until my fingers trembled over a weathered script, the ink faded with time. My breath caught as I read the words. A ritual. A dark one. A way to force a blood-bound recipient into submission through magic. My stomach twisted. Killian had enslaved Aurora’s will.
But that wasn’t the worst part. Further down the scroll, I found names. Dozens of names. She-wolves who had carried rare blood. Each one sacrificed. Each one bled dry. My fingers curled into the parchment, rage shaking my entire frame. I had never been special to Killian. I was just another body to drain. Another name to add to his list.
The healer’s words echoed in my mind. "You will need your strength." I forced down the bitter medicine she had given me, my throat burning. I stayed in my room, silent, unmoving, grieving. Celeste’s burial happened without me. No one told me where, no one told me when. No one cared. They had abandoned me, left me to rot in this room while they celebrated Aurora.
A loud bang jolted me awake. My door burst open, and Killian strode in, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "Sienna, you’ve been sulking in this room all day. That’s rude. Tonight is important. You will be at Aurora’s celebration."
I forced myself to sit up, my body weak from everything I had endured. "Get out," I said coldly.
He smirked, stepping closer. "You don’t want to miss it. The pack will be there. It’s a grand event."
I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. "My sister was just buried."
Killian sighed dramatically, as if I were being unreasonable. "And Aurora almost died. But your blood saved her. Doesn’t that mean something?"
I stared at him, my stomach twisting in disgust. He was mocking me. He knew exactly what he had done.
"Get dressed, Sienna," he ordered. "I want you there."
I had no choice. Not yet.
The banquet hall was filled with laughter, the golden glow of candles illuminating the faces of my so-called pack. They were celebrating like nothing had happened, as if Celeste had never existed.
At the center of it all stood Killian and Aurora. His arm was wrapped around her waist, his touch so gentle it made my skin crawl. Aurora beamed, glowing in an elegant gown, her fingers gliding across his chest as she whispered something in his ear. And then she turned.
Smirking.
My breath caught when I saw what hung around her neck.
Celeste’s pendant.
The very one I had given my sister on her birthday.
I felt my world tilt, my ears ringing, my hands shaking.
"You look pale, Sienna," Aurora cooed, tilting her head. "Are you feeling unwell? Or is it just hard to watch?"
Killian chuckled. "Don’t tease her too much, love. She’s sensitive."
My jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. My heart pounded, a sharp, violent rhythm against my ribs. The air around me felt suffocating. The weight of betrayal, of humiliation, of loss crashed over me all at once.
I forced my hands to move. They lifted to my neck. Killian’s gaze flicked to me, brows furrowing slightly—just as I dug my nails into my mark and ripped it from my skin.
A searing pain shot through me, fire burning under my flesh, but I didn’t make a sound. Blood trickled down my collarbone, staining my dress.
The room went silent.
Then—laughter.
A slow, cruel chuckle rumbled from Killian’s chest. Aurora’s lips parted in shock for a moment before she burst out laughing too, clutching his arm.
"You think that matters?" Killian taunted, shaking his head. "You were never my mate, Sienna. Just a rare resource I needed to keep alive."
Aurora held up her hand, flashing a diamond ring. "Oh, sweetheart," she drawled. "Did you really think you ever had a place beside him?"
The pack erupted into cheers. They were celebrating. Some even threw confetti in the air.
I looked around, searching for a single familiar face, for anyone who might have been on my side.
But there was no one.
I let my hand drop to my side. My voice came out eerily calm. "Enjoy your moment, Killian. Because it won’t last."
Aurora scoffed. "And what exactly are you going to do?"
I turned away without answering, without breaking, without begging.
They had taken everything from me.
Now, I would take everything from them.
