Chapter 2

The celebratory clinking of glasses woke me from the quiet of death.

I opened my eyes. I was floating near the ceiling.

Below, my body was still slumped by the easel, the cuff pulsing its lonely red light.

The front door opened.

"Tonight's gala was perfect," Valerian's voice drifted in, full of satisfaction. "The council was very impressed with our pack's contributions."

He loosened his tie and strode elegantly into the living room.

His expensive custom suit shimmered in the moonlight.

Now a spirit, I instinctively drifted toward them.

I wanted to get his slippers for him, just as I always did.

It was a conditioned reflex etched into my very bones.

"Valerian!"

I opened my arms, wanting to hug the man who had brought the night's chill in with him.

"My emotions are stable now," I pleaded. "I'll be good. Please, don't be angry with me anymore."

But my hands passed right through him. Like smoke.

He shivered and rubbed his arms.

"Strange. Why is it suddenly so cold in here?"

I froze, staring at my transparent hands. I couldn't feel my wolf anymore.

That's right. I was dead.

A spirit cannot embrace the living.

Ronan followed him in, looking a little weary.

"It's probably just the air conditioning." He paused. "We should check on Aveline."

My heart leaped.

No, I don't have a heart anymore.

But something like hope burned where it used to be.

Ronan was going to check on me. Valerian would find me.

I looked at my mate, a wave of sadness washing over me.

Would he cry? Would he fall to his knees, realizing his mistake?

"Check on what?" Valerian scoffed, heading toward my studio. "Let her reflect."

He pushed open the door.

The room was dark, save for the flashing red light of the cuff.

My body was motionless in front of the easel.

"Look at her," Valerian's voice was laced with sarcasm. "Twenty-three years old and still pulling these pathetic stunts for sympathy. Does she think pretending to be asleep will change the color of the cuff? This pathetic need for attention stems from me being too soft on her."

No. It's not like that.

I wanted to scream, but no sound came out.

Briar's voice came through Valerian's wrist communicator, sickeningly sweet. "Valerian, how are things on your end? Is she still throwing a tantrum?"

"Just as I thought," Valerian said into the communicator, his eyes fixed coldly on my corpse. "She's asleep, but the cuff is still red. She's corrupting our bond, even in her sleep."

"I knew it," Briar's voice held a trace of gloating. "For a severe case like hers, isolation is the only way. Otherwise, her wolf might shatter, and she could go feral."

He walked toward me, casting a shadow over my body.

"The flashing red means she's still in a state of extreme defiance. She hasn't reflected at all."

I screamed at his face, waving my hands. "I'm dead! Can't you see? I'm dead! Come closer! Touch me!"

But he saw nothing, heard nothing.

He only believed in that damned cuff.

"Leave her," Valerian said, turning to leave. "Let her stay in there until she learns to control herself."

"But she hasn't eaten all night..." Ronan said hesitantly.

"Ronan," my mate's tone grew sharp. "Are you trying to ruin her? Absolute discipline is the only thing that can save her. Your weakness will only make her worse."

Ronan fell silent.

The door closed again.

The electronic lock clicked shut.

I floated beside my body, watching the single scarlet dot in the darkness. The despair I felt was worse than death itself.

Valerian, if you had just taken one more step, if you had touched my hand, you would have known I was cold as stone.

But you'd rather trust a machine than your own mate. You wouldn't even take one more step to see if I was still breathing.

I could hear them talking in the living room.

"Oh, right, there's that biotech summit tomorrow morning..."

"Briar, you were magnificent tonight. Several of the council elders were very impressed with you..."

"Our family's reputation has never been stronger..."

They were celebrating.

While my body radiated the chill of death, they were celebrating their family's glory.

I floated back to my room and gazed at my own body.