Chapter 3 Chapter 3

ALEXEI'S POV.

I reeled backwards, torn between shock and disbelief. The more I watched Brandon and Freida kissing, the more I wished for it to be nothing more than a bad dream.

I had probably fallen asleep somewhere and was having a nightmare. Any moment now, I would wake up.

I shut my eyes tightly for a full second. Even as I pried my eyes open, I knew deep in my heart that this wasn't a dream. It was happening right now and I couldn't understand it no matter how much I thought about it.

Why? Why was Brandon with Freida? Why was he kissing her? Why was she allowing him to?

After what felt like an infinity, they finally pulled away from each other. There was a shared smile on both their faces.

My heart broke at the sight of that smile.

"I am so happy that I finally get to kiss you the way I have been fantasizing about all day long," Brandon sighed the words against Freida's lips, causing her to giggle.

"Really?" she asked. "You know, I thought you had forgotten all about me, judging by the way you were doting on Alexei."

"That was just an act," Brandon said, rolling his eyes. "You and I both know that I don't love her. You're the one I love."

What? That was impossible. There was no way this was true.

Brandon had stayed with me all through father's funeral. He had stayed by my side, giving me the solid support that I so desperately needed. Hell, my body still recalled how tightly he had hugged me and kissed me.

There was no way anyone was that good of an actor. I refused to believe that all of it had been an act.

Flummoxed, I watched as Freida's lips curved upwards in a cruel smile. Who was this stranger right now? Where was the Freida I had known for years?

"I am glad to hear that you've never actually loved my sister," she continued. "So, does this mean that you're willing to help me in getting rid of her?"

Brandon gripped Freida's arms, pulling her closer to him. "You and I both know that I would do anything for you. You only need to say the word."

"I am going to kill Alexei," Freida stated matter-of-factly. "I plan to be alpha of Ash moon pack in her stead. Frankly, I deserve it more, but then, it is no secret that the old man had always favoured his biological daughter more."

Old man. She was talking about father.

How could she stand to talk about him that way?

He may not have been her biological father, but he had loved her and given her a great life.

"Alpha Rowan," Brandon sneered at the mention of the late alpha. "He never thought of me as good enough for his so-called heir. He may have granted us his blessings but I could tell that he didn't like me. Honestly, I am glad he is finally dead. I am glad we finally have a chance to steal everything from right under Alexei's nose."

"It is all thanks to mother," Freida beamed. "She had been poisoning alpha Rowan in small portions for several months."

"Really? I thought he had died naturally from illness." Brandon chuckled.

"No. Mother made it happen. And now, in order for me to take everything from Alexei, I am going to need you to keep deceiving her with her charming lies, and then, right before her birthday, I want you to slip this vial of wolfsbane into her drink. With this amount, it would kill her without hesitation."

Freida pulled a shiny vial out of her bodice, raising it up to the moonlight. It was silver and looked lethal – the stuff my nightmares were made of.

Startled at the sight of the poison, I took a couple of steps backwards. Without meaning to, I stepped on a branch. The branch cracked loudly, drawing Brandon's and Freida's attentions to me.

Almost in slow motion, they both looked in my direction and I could almost hear their sharp intakes of breath as they discovered me hiding behind a tree.

In that moment, it was almost as if time had come to a still.

After that, it all happened so fast.

With my heart racing, I turned on my heels and broke into a run, desperate to escape whatever horror my mate and my step-sister had in store for me.

I couldn't believe that luna Mya had murdered my father. He had loved her deeply, yet she had betrayed him. The worst part of all was the fact that Freida had known about it.