“Everything.” Izel’s cruel smile widens. Her fingers trace the edge of the amulet resting against her neck—a kind gift from her otherwise unkind mother. “If Freya Vale-Thorne is climbing back to life, then I will make sure she has no breath left to claim.”
THE VAULT
Freya
With twenty-five days left until the Blood Moon Conclave, I find my brother, Jax on patrol near the courtyard walls. The torches spit and waver in the wind, their light catching the jagged scar that cuts across his brow.
“Brother,” I say softly.
He stops but doesn’t bow. He hasn’t bowed to me in a while. “Sister,” he acknowledges with a curt nod. “Why have you come here?”
“I need your help.”
His brows furrow. “With what?”
“Breaking into Kade’s study.”
His gaze hardens; he knows I’m not joking. “You’ve come to the wrong wolf.”
I sigh. “I’m not asking you to betray him.”
“That’s exactly what you’re asking.”
I take a step closer. “I’m asking my brother. The only family I have left in the world.”
His eyes flicker with something wounded before the solider takes over again. “Right now, I’m not a brother. I serve the Alpha.”
“Fine. I’ve come to a man who remembers his oath.”
His shoulders shift, uneasy. “Don’t start with oaths, Freya. I swore mine to him.”
“And to me.” I step closer, reminding him. “The day Kade claimed me, you bent the knee and pledged to protect his Luna. You might have forgotten, but I haven’t.”
“That was years ago.”
“So was the day you stopped protecting your sister,” I snap.
He winces, then shakes his head like he can’t believe me.
“I am still Luna,” I say sharply, surprising even myself. “My marriage bond with Kade still exists even though he might havenamedIzel as the lady of the house.”
He studies me for a long, silent beat. Nyx growls within me, projecting her power, using her authority. His wolf flickers in his eyes, restless. Finally, he exhales through his nose. “What you’re asking me to do is treason.”
“So is poisoning a Luna to silence her wolf! Don’t tell me you don’t see it. Don’t tell me you don’t smell it on me.”
He responds with a confused frown. “What are you saying, Freya?”
I scoff, realising he could be under the glamour too. But he’s still my only hope if I want to get into Kade’s study.
It was easier that night. There were no protective enchantments. But Kade probably put them in place after I demanded that he return my crown. If there’s anyone I know who’ll have access, it’s Jax. His beta.
“Just help me get into his study. I only want to take back my crown. I won’t let him know it was you.”
He curses under his breath. “Damn you, Freya. If the Alpha finds out—”
“You warned me once,” I remind him. “You said I was being pushed out. Help me stop it. For just this once. Please. Ten minutes. That’s all I need. Help your only sister.”
A muscle ticks in his cheek. He mutters something low and profane, then jerks his head toward the east wing. “Ten minutes. After that, you’re on your own.”
