Chapter 3

Elara

Selene stood there in head-to-toe black, hugging a stone urn to her chest. Tears streamed down her face, laying the victim act on thick.

Caleb was right beside her, directing three pack guards. They were digging deep into the dirt—right into the empty burial plot to the left of my mother's headstone.

Being downwind, none of them caught my scent.

Once the guards finished digging, Selene dropped to her knees. She placed the urn into the earth and let out a choked sob.

"Rest in peace, Shadow."

Pure, feral heat spiked in my veins. I crossed the grass in seconds, slapping her hard.

"Who gave you permission to use this plot?!"

She recoiled with a gasp, eyes going wide in fake shock.

"I—" she stammered.

I bared my fangs and backhanded her, sending her stumbling hard into the dirt. "Grab that urn and get it off my territory. Now."

I rarely let my wolf lose control in public.

But this wasn't just dirt. I had paid heavily to secure the plots on either side of my mother. One for my father, and the other for myself. It was her final wish for our bloodline to be buried together.

Leting Selene bury her pet fox in my family's soil was a massive insult.

A harsh red handprint formed on Selene's cheek. She scrambled backward, leaning heavily against Caleb's leg.

"Caleb, she hit me," she whimpered, crying harder.

Caleb tensed up. He clearly hadn't expected me to show. He stepped back slightly, putting a little distance between himself and his mistress. "Elara, reign in your wolf. Let me explain."

He reached out for me, but Selene quickly slid between us.

She looked up at him through wet eyelashes, perfectly playing the terrified victim. Just like that, Caleb swallowed whatever scolding he had ready for her.

"Elara, listen to me."

I stared him down, my voice dead cold.

"Shut up. Tell her to grab that animal's ashes and get out of my sight."

Caleb ran a hand over his face. "She didn't mean any disrespect. She just wanted her familiar to rest in peace. She promised not to put up a marker. Maybe we can just—"

"Not happening." My claws pricked my palms. "My mother hated foxs, you know that. If you bury that beast here, I swear I'm rejecting the bond today. Don't forget how well she treated you when she was alive."

I had never threatened the bond before. Caleb's face tightened immediately.

"Elara—"

Selene broke in with a loud sob.

"I know you hate me, Elara," she sniffled. "I get you're hurting right now, but we don't have to make a scene. Stop being so territorial. If you want to take it out on someone, hit me again. I hate seeing Caleb so stressed out—"

My wolf snapped. "You asked for it."

I lunged, grabbing a fistful of her hair and dragging her right to the edge of the grave. I kicked the back of her legs, forcing her hard to her knees.

She let out a dramatic, piercing scream.

I didn't even flinch.

"Pick up that urn. Go to my mother's grave. Kneel and apologize. Or I'll rip your face off."

Selene shook violently. She gripped the stone urn and shot a silent, desperate look up at Caleb.

Caleb's face went dark.

"Enough," he commanded with his Alpha tone. "The urn isn't even buried yet. Forcing her to beg like that is going too far."

My blood roared.

"Too far? There's plenty of burial dirt out there, so why my mother's? She's purposely disrespecting an Elder. What the hell do you think she's trying to pull?"

Selene sobbed harder, keeping her head down. "Elara, please don't yell at Caleb. I'll kneel."

She made a big show of trying to crawl forward, but Caleb immediately grabbed her arm, pulling the urn from her hands. "You don't need to kneel. Get up. We'll bury Shadow somewhere else."

He pulled her up. The two of them turned around and walked away, acting like I was the crazy one in the wrong.

I let out a dry laugh and glared at the guards.

"Fill the hole back up."

Just as they started shoveling, something caught my eye.

The other empty plot—the one on the right side of my mother's grave, the exact plot I bought for myself—had a brand-new tombstone sitting right on top of it.