CHAPTER ELEVEN.

(OWEN'S POV)

When we got back to my pack with my father, the elders held a meeting and decided I was banished from the lands because of my acts. And to make matters worse, even my father wouldn't back me up.

"Until you can prove your innocence, I'm afraid these lands are prohibited for you, son." I could remember him sternly saying, his eyes cold and unforgiving.

I tried to reason with him, to make him understand that I was innocent, but he wouldn't listen. In the end, I had no choice but to pack my belongings and head for the woods.

As I trudged through the forest that evening, in my wolf form as my only companion, I tried to make sense of everything that had happened. How did things go so wrong? One minute, I was living my life as the beta's son, and the next, I was an outcast, accused of the most heinous crime.

But even in my exile, I still had contacts within the pack. And late that evening, as I sat by the fire, exhausted from a day of running the forest, I received a notification on my phone. When I opened it, my blood ran cold.

"Alpha Luke has fallen ill," the message read. "He's been poisoned."

My heart raced as I read the words again and again. Poisoned? But how? And by whom?

Without a second thought, I penned a letter to Meliora, begging her to come and see to her father's care. I knew she would never forgive me for what had transpired between us, but I also knew that her love for her father was stronger than any grudge she might hold against me. So I texted my contact to deliver the message to Meliora's pack.


Thank the goddess, she came that very night before dawn. I watched from the shadows as she rushed into the hospital, her face etched with worry and fear.

For a moment, I considered revealing myself to her, but I knew it would only complicate matters further. So, content that she came to see her father, I left and strode back into the bush before I was caught on the land.

But by afternoon the next day, as I made my way through a nearby village market, gathering supplies amidst my journey, I overheard a conversation that stopped me in my tracks.

"News is Alpha Luke Geum of the Silver Shining Moon pack just died after being taken to the hospital," an old woman said, her voice carrying over the bustling crowd.

"What?" another wolf exclaimed. "But I thought he was taken there yesterday?"

"Yes, word is, he was killed by his own daughter," the old woman replied, her voice laced with scandal. "She was the only one taking care of him. Then her and his bodies were found at some nearby crash site."

I felt the blood drain from my face as her words washed over me. Killed? Meliora? It couldn't be true. Not my sweet, gentle Meliora.

"No, she wouldn't do that!" I barked out, my outburst drawing the attention of the nearby market-goers.

"I don't think anyone would kill their own father," I added, trying to regain my composure.

"Is he alright?" someone whispered, casting a wary glance in my direction.

"I don't know, I've never seen him around here," another replied.

I quickly gathered my supplies and stormed out of the market, my mind reeling. It couldn't be true. Meliora couldn't be dead. Not like this.

I tried calling her number, but it went straight to voicemail. The last time I had seen her, she was furious with me, her eyes blazing with hurt and betrayal. But I had never stopped loving her, not for a single moment.

Desperation settled on me and I threw my belongings into the car and ran into the nearby trees, shifting into my wolf form as I moved. The cool breeze rushed over my fur, but it did nothing to calm the storm raging within me.

"She can't be dead, Greil," I roared, my howl shaking the trees around me. "We can't lose her. She's all we ever loved."

My wolf, Greil, whimpered in response, his grief mirroring my own.

"We will avenge her death," I vowed, my resolve hardening with every word. "We'll spy closely to know who set me up with her, poisoned her father, and killed them both. That's our life's mission from now on."

With a renewed sense of purpose, I got back on my feet and returned to my car. "They'll pay dearly for what they've done," I growled, my eyes flashing with determination. "They sure will."

As I drove away from the village, my mind raced with possibilities. Who could have done such a thing? And why? I knew I had enemies within the pack, wolves who resented my closeness with Meliora, but to go to such lengths? It seemed inconceivable.

But one thing was certain: I would not rest until I had uncovered the truth and brought those responsible to justice. Meliora deserved that much, and so much more.

With a heavy heart, I set out on my new quest, the memory of her smile burning bright in my mind. I would find the answers, no matter what it took. For her, I would move mountains if I had to.


"I will make them pay, Meli," I whispered into the gathering darkness. "I promise you that."


My knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel, knuckles that ached with the intensity of my resolve.

I had no set destination, nowhere to call home anymore. All I knew was that I needed to disappear, to lay low and remain hidden. Whoever was responsible for Meliora's death and that of her father would surely come after me next if they knew my whereabouts.

My mind raced with the revelations I had uncovered, the horrific allegations that my beloved had murdered her own kin. It was ludicrous, a blatant lie, yet it had taken root and blossomed into an unspeakable tragedy.

My sweet Meliora, dead? It was unfathomable, incomprehensible. Someone had set this diabolical plan in motion, someone had sought to tear us apart and destroy us utterly.

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Greil," I growled to my wolf, who stirred restlessly within me. "We'll spy, we'll uncover every last secret until we know who framed me, who poisoned her father, who killed them both and pinned it on her."

My free hand clenched into a fist, tendons straining against taut skin. "I will never rest, not until I find those answers. And when will I do it?" A mirthless smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. "I'll avenge her, make them pay even if it takes my very life. That, I vow."