Chapter 3:

Poison in the Council

Morning came too fast. The harsh clang of bars opening jolted me awake.

Guards gave me barely any time before dragging me from the cell into a room filled with high-ranking pack wolves.

The Council Hall.

This was where they made official pack decisions. The same room where they'd judged me guilty, in my first life. Where they'd decided I should die.

Kieran's eyes locked on me, and I fought not to react. Those eyes had once looked at me with so much love it stole my breath. Now they were empty, studying me like a problem to solve.

"Speak," he commanded.

The Alpha command washed over me, but Raven's body had lived as a rogue. She'd learned to resist Alpha commands. Still, I let myself look affected, dropping my shoulders and lowering my gaze.

"I was just passing through, Alpha," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I didn't mean any disrespect."

"Lies," Victor said. "The eastern border is clearly marked. Every wolf within a hundred miles knows to avoid it."

"Maybe she's new to the area," a familiar voice said.

My heart jumped. Maya stepped from behind Kieran.

I had to bite my tongue to keep from crying out. My younger sister looked so thin, her face pale. Her copper-red hair, so like mine used to be was pulled back tight. But her violet eyes still had that spark of fight that made me proud.

"All rogues know our borders, Maya," Victor said dismissively. "Don't be naive."

Maya's jaw tightened, but she said nothing. I memorized the moment. Victor had never talked to her that way when I was alive.

How much had changed?

"What's your name?" Kieran asked, stepping closer.

His scent wrapped around me, and my body responded. Heat pooled in my stomach. My pulse raced. This body had never known him, but my soul recognized him.

"Raven," I answered. "Raven Cross."

Something flickered in Kieran's eyes. "Cross. No pack?"

"Not anymore." That was true enough. Raven's memories showed she'd been thrown out years ago for refusing to mate someone she didn't love.

Kieran walked around me slowly. I felt like prey being hunted.

"You know the punishment for trespassing?" he asked.

"Death," I whispered.

"Death," he confirmed. "Unless you can prove you're worth keeping alive."

"Alpha," Victor stepped forward. "The rules are clear. She should be executed immediately."

"Since when do you make my decisions, Gamma?" Kieran's voice turned dangerous.

Victor immediately backed down. "I apologize, Alpha. I only meant that for the good of the pack..”

"I know what you meant." Kieran's gaze never left me. "But something about this feels... so wrong."

My heart pounded. Did he recognize something? Some gesture or mannerism that survived the body change?

"She was found near Celeste's memorial," Maya said quietly. "Maybe it's a sign."

The temperature in the room dropped. Kieran's face went blank, but his hands clenched into fists.

"We don't speak of traitors," Victor said sharply.

"She was my sister!" Maya snapped back. "And she was never proven guilty…."

"Enough!" Kieran's Alpha command froze everyone. Even I couldn't fully resist it. "Celeste Blackwood was found guilty by pack law. The matter is closed."

But I saw it, the flash of pain in his eyes when he said my name. He wasn't as sure as he pretended.

Suddenly, Kieran swayed. His face went from pale to gray.

"Alpha?" An elder named Owen stood up, concerned.

Kieran tried to speak, but no words came out. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, hitting the floor hard.

"Alpha!" Everyone rushed forward.

"Get the healer!" Victor shouted. "Now!"

Chaos erupted. Wolves ran everywhere. Maya dropped beside Kieran, checking his pulse.

Victor stood frozen. And for just a second, I saw something in his eyes.

Not surprise. Not worry.

Satisfaction.

He knew this would happen.

"Move back!" An elderly wolf named Sara pushed through the crowd. She was the pack healer. She knelt beside Kieran, checking him. "His heart rate is all over the place. Fever. Shaking. I don't understand"

"It's poison!" The words burst from my mouth before I could stop them.

Everyone turned to stare at me.

Sara's face went white. "What?"

"He's been poisoned. Wolfsbane mixed with silver dust. Small doses over time." I struggled against my chains, trying to get closer. "Check his eyes, the pupils will be different sizes. His fingernails will have thin white lines. Those are the signs."

Sara checked quickly. Her face went even whiter. "She's right. How did you know that?"

"There's no time! You need activated charcoal immediately. And nightshade root to stop the silver from spreading through his system."

"We don't have nightshade root," Sara said, panicked.

"Yes, you do. It grows near standing water. White flowers with silver centers. Crush the root and mix it with honey and sage."

Sara stared at me. "That's ancient medicine. How does a rogue know all those things…."

"Does it matter?" Maya interrupted. "Just do it! He's dying!"

Sara ran off. Other wolves carried Kieran to the healer's room. In all the chaos, everyone seemed to forget about me.

Everyone except Victor.

He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging in painfully. "How convenient," he hissed in my ear. "The Alpha collapses just when you're about to be executed."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I couldn't help the edge in my voice.

His grip tightened. "Careful, rogue..."

For a moment, I thought he might kill me right there.

But Maya appeared beside us.

"Let her go, Victor."

"She's a prisoner. A rogue."

"She just saved Kieran's life. Or tried to." Maya's eyes were fierce. "If he dies because you stopped her from helping, the pack will know who to blame."

Victor released me, but his eyes promised revenge later. "Take her back to her cell," he ordered the guards. "The trial is postponed."

As they dragged me away, I looked back at Maya. She was watching me with an expression I couldn't read.

Confusion? Suspicion?

Hope?

Worry?.