Chapter 2: Beta Caspian

Her eyes were wide like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her heels clicked sharply against the marble floor as she stepped forward, slow and calculating, scanning the room. Then she locked eyes with me bleeding, broken, barely standing.

"No..." she whispered, voice trembling. "No, it can’t be..."

And then the scream tore from her throat.

"WHO DID THIS TO YOU?!"

Father instantly rushed to her side, that fake calm mask plastered on his face.

"Darling, it’s fine," he said, touching her arms as if that would soothe her wrath. "It’s just hair. It’ll grow back"

"I SAID WHO DID THIS!" she roared, eyes burning.

Lilian didn’t hesitate.

She pointed directly at me, where I lay crumpled on the floor with Ariel wrapped protectively around my body.

Stepmother’s face twisted. "The ruin of the litter? The bastard did this to mychild?"

Her heels clicked again as she stalked toward me, venom in her eyes.

"You.."

But Ariel jumped up and blocked her path. "Mum, please! She’s weak—she needs the healer"

"She needs death!" Stepmother shrieked. "That’s what she needs!"

She turned on Father like a wild flame. "Marcus! How could you let this happen?! How can she be the Moon Chosen with her hair like that?!" She gestured dramatically toward Natasha, who—of course—took that cue to ramp up her performance.

"She ruined me!" Natasha wailed. "Cayden and his brother will never love me now! How can I be Luna with my hair butchered like this?! Let’s kill her!"

"YES!" Sophia squealed, clapping like it was a party game.

Father swallowed hard, eyes on me. I saw the way he looked at me—like I wasn’t even human. Like I wasn’t his blood. NovelFire

"No," he said finally. "We can’t kill her. She’s part of the pack, technically. They’ll question us."

Relief almost hit me until he spoke again.

"But she’ll definitely be punished." His eyes narrowed. "Bring me the whips."

"NO!" Ariel screamed.

from the room like a giddy child and returned in seconds, dragging

whip. The one with the twisted, dark leather strands. The one that knew every

"Strip," Father commanded.

Ariel clung to me, sobbing, but I gently took her hand and smiled through the

fine," I

allowed to keep. I stood there in my

"Come forward," Father ordered.

one step. Closed my

Braced for the burn.

CRASH!

hallway, followed by the rush of footsteps. A maid skidded into the room, bowing low with her hand

"Beta Caspian is

Caspian is here.

caught. I turned slowly to Father. Silence stretched between us, thick and dangerous, as everyone held eye contact—no one daring to

was the first

that gown I got you last spring!"

and quickly wrapped

dear," Father said, suddenly composed. "Go to your

and darted

Fury replaced every trace

with you later," he

better," Selene added,

they were

rushed over

family—they’re horrible to you. And you’ve

her hands gently.

with her golden hair and piercing blue eyes eyes that mirrored the same

It’s not fine. You always say that, but

cheeks and wiped away her tears. "Don’t ever stand up for me again. You hear me?

Her lips trembled. "Why?"

I don’t want you to end up like me. Don’t turn

"But Hazel..."

mother or father comes back.

she nodded. "Not until I treat

ran out, then returned

"You can’t heal

was soft, careful,

Then she left.

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