Chapter 365
Third Person’s POV
The recording of Samantha’s greed and murderous intent echoed through the ballroom, each word acting like a barbed whip, shredding the last of her carefully crafted facade.
Samantha completely snapped.
A sharp, rattling sound-something not quite human-escaped her throat. Her eyes turned bloodshot, becoming clouded and wild like a cornered beast.
Her fingernails suddenly lengthened and curved into claws the telltale sign of a forced partial shift. Under the weight of pure terror, she had lost all control over her wolf.
“You bitch… you drugged my mind!” she shrieked. Like a rabid wolf, she lunged toward Trista, her erratic aura slamming into the air in jagged waves.
Before Cassian could even move, Fred and Isaiah stepped forward in perfect sync.
Their powerful, steady Alpha auras locked together into an invisible wall, throwing Samantha back several feet.
Fred looked down at the heap on the floor, his eyes full of pure disgust. “Samantha, that rotting rogue stench on you is so loud it can be smelled three blocks away. All of L.A. just heard your dirty little secrets. Stop wagging your tail for a life you’re never going to have p>
Samantha’s lip curled back, revealing sharp fangs. Saliva dripped from the corner of her mouth onto her expensive gown.
She glared at Trista, a broken growl vibrating in her chest. “It’s fake… it’s an illusion made up by that divorced woman! She’s just jealous of me p>
Isaiah cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing through the sudden silence. He looked at Samantha like she was a pile of non-recyclable trash. “I make it a rule never to hit she-wolves of a lower rank, but I make an exception for animals. You snap at Trista one more time, and I’ll rip your throat out right here p>
Trista stepped between the two men and walked calmly up to Samantha. “Samantha, people who carry malice in their blood never end up with a happy ending p>
Back in the intervention room, Samantha’s subconscious had fought back out of pure guilt.
Even with Cassian’s guidance, she wouldn’t talk. In the end, it was Trista who had used her deep mental healing powers to pry open the viper’s mouth.
Totally unhinged now, Samantha tried to lunge again but was pinned to the floor by two pack guards.
She struggled and writhed, eventually crawling to Cassian’s feet to grab the hem of his pants.
“Cassian! This is revenge! That woman is framing me because she’s jealous we’re getting back together! She’s faking the evidence to drive a wedge between us— don’t let her lie to you!” Samantha sobbed hysterically.
Georgia was screaming right along with her. “Alpha Cassian! My daughter is a coward-she wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone kill someone! This has to be a mistake!” Samantha’s brother hid in the back, nodding frantically, his face white as a sheet. “The recording is fake! She made it up!” Samantha screamed, pointing at Trista. “I never said those things. If you don’t believe me, I’ll swear on the Moon Goddess!” Cassian looked down at her as if he were staring at a corpse.
“Don’t bother with the oath,” he said, his voice cold enough to freeze marrow. “I recorded that myself p>
Samantha’s world exploded.
Her mother and siblings shrunk back, not even daring to lift their heads.
The surrounding guests let out a wave of disgust, the room filling with jeers.
“I thought she was just a gold-digger, but she’s actually a homicidal psycho.” “Imagine having a heart that rotten with a face like that p>
“She really thought she could sit on the Ironthorn throne? Talk about delusional.” “Madison, is this the future Luna you were talking about? Your taste is a joke.” Trista and Alaina stood on the edge of the crowd, watching the execution.
Wynn squeezed her mother’s hand, worried. “Mom, you okay p>
Alaina looked at Samantha and let out a long, weary sigh. “I just feel for Crispin. That boy was innocent. Your father’s mistakes shouldn’t have been paid for with his life p>
Wynn lowered her voice. “You aren’t mad that Cassian kept you in the dark while he spent all that energy investigating the ‘accident p>
Alaina shook her head. “It’s better to have the truth. We needed closure p>
She patted her daughter’s hand and walked through the crowd to face Samantha.
“Samantha,” Alaina said, her voice like ice. “You never had a chance at Ironthorn. We don’t keep murderers on our land. You can rot in a cell for the rest of your life p>
Samantha stumbled back, grabbing the table for support to keep from collapsing. Meeting Cassian’s lethal gaze, she felt the room spin.
Knowing she was finished, she suddenly turned and shrieked at Trista. knew you were up to something! you wanted him back, you should’ve just said so. Why did you have to set me up p>
Trista stepped closer, her eyes briefly passing over a silent Cassian before landing on Samantha. “Those were your own words. If you think set you up, why don’t you ask your Alpha? He was standing right there when you said them p>
Trista had to hide the hypnosis. She couldn’t let the world know a Healer had
intervened in a pack’s internal power struggle.
Madison, meanwhile, was turning
purple with rage. Feeling like the biggest fool in the room, she stormed up and slapped Samantha across the face. “You bitch! You
played me? Give me my money back right now p>