"No! No, please!" Matthew pleaded with Kenneth. He could feel Baldur fading away. Tears streamed down his face as he realized what he had done. The excruciating pain from the loss was making him slip into unconsciousness.
"It's already done. Normally, a wolf would fight against the poison. How sad that even your wolf would rather die than be bound to you," Kenneth said coldly. "Our blood pact has been fulfilled. Be thankful that I didn't just kill you. Now you can start a new life as a human."
Dina howled in agony within Lily. She never wanted this fate for Baldur. He had been unfortunate to be tied to such an awful person. 'Baldur!' Dina cried out, trying to connect with him to say goodbye, but it was too late. His essence was gone.
Lily was having whiplash from everything happening. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Kenneth and then back at Matthew, who was now lying motionless on the ground. Losing your wolf was one of the most painful experiences, and how did he even do it? The elders and the Alpha King were the only ones supposed to be able to do something like that.
Brandy ran over to Matthew's side and found his pulse weak. "He's alive," she said in a low tone that was hard to decipher. Was it relief or disappointment that seeped through her voice? Lily couldn't tell for sure.
"What have you done?" Lily asked. She pulled the sheet closer to her body as she tried to make sense of what was happening.
Lily retreated away from Matthew's limp body as Kenneth pulled it up by his hair and brought it face to face with her, but the bedframe stopped her. "This is what I had to do to ensure your safety. He would have never rested until he had you. He would have killed you if you continued to defy him. Your face is proof of that," he growled, looking at the bruises forming on her arms, neck, and face.
"He still didn't deserve that. No one deserves that," Lily said.
"If you feel so strongly about him, then do him a kindness," Kenneth commanded.
"What?"
"Kill him. He does not deserve to live after what he has done to you, and you don't believe that he should, as he is no werewolf and not even human. Kill him to show mercy if you find believing that an easier pill to swallow", Kenneth spat the words out like venom.
"Dad, no! You can't be serious!" Lily shook her head in disbelief at his suggestion.
Kenneth's eyes blazed with rage. "Do not call me that!" he snarled. "You are to be a Luna, and you will be forced to spill blood whether you like it or not! He must die for what he has done to you. Kill him."
"And a Luna knows when to show mercy," Lily shouted back. "I will not kill him in cold blood. He can be tried and punished for his crimes. I will not stoop to yours or his level. Send him back to his family."
Kenneth sneered before regaining his stoic composure. In a low rumble, he spat "As you wish". He dropped Matthew's lifeless body onto the floor. His eyes changed color as he linked with someone within the pack. Two warriors entered the room a few seconds later and carried Matthew out of it.
Kenneth turned his attention to Brandy, who was checking her shoulder and neck. She could feel that the slave mark had disappeared and was crying tears of happiness. Brandy looked up at her father as if she were going to say something when he slapped her hard across the face, causing her to fall backward on her butt.
"You disappoint me and disgust me time and time again, Brandy. You had one simple job, and that was to bind Matthew to you, and here I am finishing the job for you," Kenneth said with disgust.
"No, I..." Brandy started again, but Kenneth struck her again.
"Don't talk back to me. Don't try to act innocent," Kenneth snapped.
"Wait, what?" Lily said. "This was your plan from the beginning?"
"Of course. I knew Matthew was a whore. We all did, but it would still be beneficial to tie our packs," Kenneth explained.
Lily frowned because that's not how this situation happened. He didn't want her to be with Matthew because she was an Omega. "No, you're lying again," Lily stated.
"You need to rest. You must have a concussion," Kenneth dismissed her.
'He's gaslighting you. Something is wrong with all of this,' Dina said within Lily. 'Play along for now to get more information.'
"Brandy, here, was to be the sacrificial lamb to make sure you stayed unsullied, and she couldn't do that right," Kenneth complained while Brandy stared at her father in confusion, the hurt evident in her eyes. "Don't look at me like that. You know what you did. I told you to make sure no harm came to her, and you can't even do that right."
Kenneth raised his fist to hit her again, but before he could, Lily screamed, "Stop it! Stop hitting her! Just leave her alone."
Kenneth paused, putting his hand down, allowing Brandy to crawl away from him. He walked over to Lily, and Lily fought to control the shiver of fear going up her spine. Her father had been indifferent to her growing up, but he seemed unhinged now. Brandy was his pride and joy. Why would he hit her like that?
Lily shrank back from Kenneth as he looked at her as if she were prey, but Kenneth cupped her face tenderly. He frowned at the bruises as he turned her head from side to side.
"For you, I will stop," Kenneth said sweetly before releasing her face, leaving Lily with an unsettling feeling. He turned his attention back to Brandy. "Brandy, clean her up. She needs to be ready by tomorrow morning. And Brandy, don't mess up a second time, or I will dump you like the scum you are."
Brandy stared at her father in disbelief as he left them in the room. There was an awkward silence between the two. Brandy kept her back to Lily, and Lily stayed in bed as the two sisters tried to process what had just happened.
"Thank you for helping me, Brandy," Lily said, finally breaking the silence.
"Why are you so forgiving? You shouldn't be thanking me. You should hate me," Brandy responded.
"No, you defended me. You put yourself in harm's way to help me. I don't know what is going on with our father, but we need to get out of here," Lily stated.
"Lily, stop it. You need to stop worrying about me and worry about yourself," Brandy responded.
"I am not going to leave you. You're my sister," Lily said.
"Lily, we're not sisters!" Brandy snapped. "We were never sisters."
"What are you talking about?" Lily sputtered in confusion.
"Kenneth is not your father,"