Chapter 3

"No... no, no!" I wailed, falling to my knees beside her. "Tasana! Tasana!"

Tasana's lifeless body lay on the cold floor of the grand hall, her usually calm-looking face now pale and still. She was just with me moments ago.

Tears streamed down my face as I held onto her cold hand, pushing her, hoping she'd move, breathe, wake up. "This can't be happening!"

I turned to Theo, my voice was very shaky. "Theo, she... she was fine earlier! We were talking just a few hours ago. This doesn't make any sense! What happened to her?"

Theo didn't say anything. He loved his sister so much. He just stood there, frozen above her, staring down. And then, almost immediately, his pain turned into anger. He stepped forward and grabbed my arm.

"What did you do to her, Everleigh?" he demanded, his voice rough and loud enough to be heard through the crowd.

My eyes widened, completely shocked by the accusations. "W-What? I didn't—"

"You were with her!" he shouted, cutting me off. "You were the last one to see her alive! What did you do?"

I shook my head back and forth. "Nothing! I swear! We just talked, Theo. She was fine when we left each other earlier, I swear! I don't even know what happened to her."

He pushed me back roughly, his grip tightening on my arm before he finally let go. I stumbled and nearly lost my balance. I looked up at him.

"Theo, please, you know me. I would never hurt Tasana!"

"Do I?" Theo barked, his voice filled with uncontrollable rage. "Do I really know you, Everleigh? Because right now... it looks like you're the only one who had a chance and motive to do this!"

My heart broke at his words. I took a shaky step toward him, my hands stretched out.  

"You can't believe that! Theo, I love Tasana! She's like my own sister—"

"Don't say her name!" he roared, his hands forming into fists. "You think you can just waltz in here, pretend to care, and then..." 

His voice cracked. For a moment, I thought he might break down, that maybe he just needed someone to blame and I was the only target. Maybe he didn’t mean what he said.  

But instead, his anger flared again.  

"You betrayed me."

My knees buckled and I dropped to the floor, sobbing.  

"No! I didn’t! Please, Theo, listen to me. I didn’t do this. I wouldn’t—"

"She's lying," a cold, calm voice cut in.

"Don't involve yourself in this. You bitch," I snapped.

Josephine rowned at me. "So much anger in you, Luna. That’s probably why you did it."

I hissed and ignored her, turning my eyes back to Theo.  

"Theo, I didn’t do this," I said, my voice shaky, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Please, you have to believe me.

"How can I believe you, Everleigh?" he spat, his voice louder than he probably meant it to be. "You were the last one to see her alive! You were with her! All the evidence points to you! Tell me, how can I believe you!

"We just talked! That’s all we did. She was fine when we left her chambers, I swear!"

"She was fine?" Josephine's cold, annoying voice cut in again. She stepped closer. "Luna, do you really expect us to believe that?"

My tear-filled eyes shifted to her. I was in too much pain to even start fighting her.  

"I don’t care what you believe," I said. "I didn’t do anything!"

Josephine ted her head and smirked.  

"That’s not what Tasana told me earlier," she said, her voice so convincing that anyone who didn’t know her would believe her. "She mentioned that the two of you shared a meal and had a conversation earlier. That’s when you poisoned her, isn’t it? It makes sense. You wanted revenge on Theo for cheating on you with me... and me, for carrying his child and ruining your little friendship. You tried to make Theo experience pain, and so, you took his sister."

My jaw dropped in shock.  

"W-What?" I gasped. "I would never—Theo, she’s lying!"

I couldn’t believe it. Josephine really came up with such an elaborate story... just to get rid of me.

Theo's eyes widened, like he was starting to believe her. He looked at me, processing Josephine's words.  

"Everleigh..." he said slowly. "Did you?"

"No! No, Theo, I swear I didn’t!" I cried, reaching out to hold his arm. But he pulled back.   "Josephine's trying to frame me! I swear I love her like my own sister!"

Josephine's mirk widened as she crossed her arms.  

"Loved her like a sister?" she repeated mockingly. "That’s rich coming from someone who clearly wanted her out of the way so her brother could feel pain."

I spun toward her, furious.  

"You’re lying! Why are you doing this to me?" My voice cracked, my pain laid bare. "You’re making this up! Theo, you have to believe me. She hates me."

Josephine ilted her head, eyes glinting with fake concern.  

"Hated you?" she said, faking innocence. "I think you’re projecting, Luna. Everyone knows how bitter you’ve been since Theo cheated. You probably thought killing Tasana would hurt him the most."

I was running out of breath, my chest rising and falling rapidly.  

"That’s not true!" I yeyelled. "Theo, he’s trying to manipulate you!"

Theo's face was twisted with pain. He looked exhausted—hurt, angry, torn apart. I knew he still loved me, but Tasana's death was clouding everything.  

"Stop," he barked, his voice sharp. "Both of you, stop."

My heart ached. I looked straight into his eyes, begging him to see me.  

"Theo..." I whispered. "Please, don’t do this. I didn’t kill her."

For a second, I saw it—his eyes softened. He was starting to believe me. But Josephine was quick. She stepped forward.  

"She’s lying," she said firmly. "For Tasana's sake, you need to act."

"No, no. Don’t listen to her. I loved her," I pleaded.

Theo stared at me, and what he said next broke me.  

"If you loved her," he said coldly, "she’d still be alive."

My heart shattered.  

"No..." I whispered, shaking my head. "No, Theo, please—"

Before I could say anything else, he stepped forward... and slapped me.  

The sound echoed through the hall. I stumbled, falling to the floor, clutching my cheek in complete shock. Theo… he would’ve never hurt me.

"I'm your Luna!" I cried, looking up at him, but he didn’t stop.

His eyes were full of nothing but anger, and he lashed out again, shouting accusations as his fists fell.

My pleas fell on deaf ears. Theo just kept going, his fury blinding him. I curled into myself, trying to shield my body, but his strikes didn’t stop.

Josephine stood nearby, arms crossed, a cold smile on her face like she was enjoying every second of it.

When it finally ended, I was on the ground, shaking, sobbing. My whole body throbbed.

"Get out," Theo said.

I looked up at him, face pale, drenched in tears.  

"What?" I whispered.

"I said, get out!" he shouted, pointing to the door. "You’re banished, Everleigh. I don’t want to see you here ever again. I'm removing your title as my Luna and the Luna of this pack."

Everything crumbled inside me. Tasana and I had just been planning how I’d help her take control, how I’d stand by her side. Now… this.

I reached for him one last time, desperate.  

"Theo, please..."

But he stepped back like I was something disgusting.  

"Leave," he growled. "Before I do something worse." 

"Theo please..." I begged again, my voice cracking. I watched, helpless, as he stuffed my clothes into a bag.

He didn’t even look at me—not once. Just grabbed my half-full box, clutched my arm, and shoved me out of the palace doors.

"You know me. I would never—"

"Get out," he snarled. "I want nothing to do with you anymore! If I ever see you in my pack again, I’ll kill you myself, Everleigh!"

I staggered, holding the box against my chest, barely able to stand. I turned and saw Josephine tanding near a pillar, smirking.

"You heard him, Everleigh. Leave," she said sweetly.

I turned away. I didn’t want to look at her, didn’t want to give her the satisfaction.

Then she said it. So calm. So casual.  

"You should kill her," Lauren said, like it was nothing. "It’s what she deserves."

Theo looked at her. And for a terrifying moment, I thought he might agree.

But then he shook his head.  

"No," he said, cold and final. "She’s not worth it."

I didn’t wait to hear anything else. I ran. I didn’t want to give them the chance to change their minds.

Behind me, I could hear Josephine's laughter echoing in the distance. Mocking. 

Once I was far enough, far from the palace, far from him—I collapsed.

I dropped everything and fell to my knees, the tears spilling out of me in waves.

I had lost everything. My home. My love. The man I thought would always stand by me.