Emma pov

　　"I kept following Alpha Davis's rise in status. And when Ava, his daughter, went to the same college as my beautiful and beloved daughter. Emily also started noticing how incredible and perfect Ava's life was and how that life belonged to her. Belonged to me and Emily," Milena recounts now with a voice full of envy. Her eyes finally lift and meet mine, a dark, almost dull emotion in her brown eyes.

　　Her hands stop fiddling with the shirt's hem, and she crosses her arms in her lap, raising her head slightly, her eyes darkening even more as she continues her story.

　　"It took time and patience, but I would give Emily what she deserved. The two became friends, practically best friends," Milena declares, her words as sharp as cold blades as if she wants to hurt me by stating that her daughter and Ava were best friends.

　　The fact is that Ava always had many friends, and I never felt jealous of her for it. And it wouldn't start now with this. I keep my face neutral and serious, despising any attempt by Milena to affect me.

　　"Finally, the time had come. We hired a witch who had the dark magic necessary to perform the swap spell. Emily informed Ava that there was a wonderful trail to hike in our wolf pack's territory, Lone Mountain Pack. So she brought Ava home," Milena tosses her hair back over her shoulders, her posture becoming more timid again as she reveals the dark truth. "We drugged her, making Ava unconscious. Then the witch cast the spell, transforming Emily into Ava and Ava would live with me, forgetting her own life and taking Emily's place."

　　"A metamorphosis spell, that's powerful and very dangerous magic," Elder Dawson comments incredulously, her voice reverberating through the room.

　　"Yes, and it worked. Emily had the same appearance as Ava and would take her place. She would live the life she deserved, that was rightfully hers," Milena recounts with remorse on her lips, each word steeped in the poison of obsession and envy.

　　The tension in the room is almost tangible, every breath loaded with the weight of revelations. I feel a vibration in the air, a mixture of anger, fear, and courage. Finally, I had the truth about Milena and Emily, why they did that to Ava, why they tried to kill me.

　　"So it was Emily I killed," Eldra declares within me.

　　I breathe a sigh of relief, finally knowing who died in that forest seven months ago. But indeed, someone was killed by me; I caused someone's death. The weight of this truth oppresses me, yet the certainty of the event brings a kind of unsettling peace. A conflict of these emotions runs through my entire body.

　　"Someone evil, Emma. Someone who kidnapped your best friend and tried to impersonate her… she tried to kill you," Eldra justifies within me, her voice resonating like a distant echo in my mind, trying to dispel the guilt that wants to haunt me like a dark ghost.

　　"But why have you come after us now?" I question seriously, my voice coming out icy. I mask the turbulent sea of my emotions, hiding them so it's not evident how much my hatred is consuming me, my rage and thirst for revenge for everything that happened.

　　The room seems to shrink around us due to the revelations and emotions swirling within the walls, wanting to settle back but without success.

　　It was her selfishness, her envy, that turned my life upside down. That I was called a murderer, a useless drunk, a slut, and a whore. It's because of Milena Golden's repressed and unfulfilled love that my bond with Michael was broken, that my family treated me like scum. The memory of every insult, rejection, and disdain I suffered burns inside me like live coals.

　　"Without her, we wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have found my mate," Eldra comments with a softer lupine voice, bringing another perspective to the situation. "You probably wouldn't even know of my existence. I would have remained dormant within you. We wouldn't have met our new wolf pack. Amelia would still be wandering the forest as a lone wolf. We know what happens to wolves without a pack."

　　A cold fear runs down my spine at the thought of what could have happened to Amelia if she had remained alone. Lone wolves for too long only have two types of fates: death or completely losing their humanity from staying too long transformed as a wolf. Without a pack, few were the werewolves who managed to live alone and well for long; such scenarios are rare. Amelia was beginning to lose her humanity after being expelled from her former pack. I recall how I found her, her once lively and humanized eyes were starting to become vacant and wild, her wolf taking greater control.

　　"You killed my daughter and thought nothing would happen to you?" Milena spits out the words with disdain and anger in my direction. My blood boils at her affront and I feel my hands tremble slightly with indignation at her audacity.

　　"She attacked me first. She tried to kill me!" I respond in a raised voice, almost shouting.

　　I notice Jordan change his posture beside me, standing straighter and with more rigid shoulders. I declared him my beta because the current situation forced me to. I noticed how Elder Dawson analyzed my pack, how she must think it's weak. I can't let leadership gaps be a reason for mockery. Jordan, with his serious and loyal face, and his intimidating size, is a great pillar of strength by my side.

　　"Besides, I was unjustly accused of the death we all thought was Ava!" I point out with rage on my lips. "You destroyed my old life! I tried to kill myself because of you!" I accuse her with a voice filled with aggression and lingering pain because of it.