BLOOD AND SCALES

hina'

gs my mother ne

death was

some distant point. Sometimes, she held me so tightly that I could barel

she was protecti

s wr

ecting me fr

someone had stripped him of his wealth, destroyed his

of Crystal Moon Pack, the

w that when I wa

when the mansion grew quiet, I heard my mother whispe

e rainy afternoon, she w

-

f my dress while Mother sorted through old clothes. Rain tapped ag

unusually qui

e drifted toward the small

ess times, but she never

the

up. "Yes, s

inside t

nds st

u need to w

you keep lo

ips. "You're becoming too o

t Fat

le disa

ered the clothes in her hands

ere, Se

us. Its wooden surface was scratched, and one corne

ted before

ng, a folded document,

for the

smiled b

nd eyes. In the picture, he held me as a

mained: his laughter, his strong arms lifting me into

out him," I

her thumb acros

her was a

the Alpha rea

ightened arou

y we

pened bet

she looked at me, and something in

person," she whispered. "And

k a dee

tory that would change how I

-

pit my father's name like an insult, Elias Vale had

f the pack. He owned several trading businesses, controlled

d a pack was only as stro

struggling families, and never allowed

tly, he trust

eals, and discussed plans for the future of Crystal Moon Pack. Th

dship was nothing more than a weap

ked my father to review th

sly disappeared. Supplies purchased for the pack never arrived, an

he irregularities and

mly, thanked him for bringing the matter to

sations of theft sprea

elping Crystal Moon suddenly

-

ed at our home e

ds slamming, furniture scraping across the floor, and my mother

ile strangers searched

"At least tell us wh

from the

t w

rd igno

he doorway, staring at the overturne

thorize

," one gua

expressio

me t

he knelt and kis

for your mothe

ht his

are you

a misunde

ll you c

ugh something tr

re di

ieved

ning for his footsteps and running to

er cam

veryone in Crystal Moon Pac

his eyes. Shopkeepers refused to serve him, business

, and his businesses were

provided for hundreds of famil

pha wasn't

ing the pack during difficult times. Every day brought another allegati

er spoke about his supposed crimes as t

ied to de

roving his legitimate transactions, and begged

d to open t

Mother's birthday called her a d

t evening and cried unti

side her and

r my name,"

hey refuse

ill keep

take everyth

ward the room

ions, Eleanor. They cannot

miled when he sp

kitchen table until dawn, studying documents

ething Mother had

interested in dis

sure nobody woul

-

the Alpha summoned Father

g the elders would remember t

it no longer fitted properly. He had lost

council chamber, h

don't let them teach our

't understa

that he soun

a long table. Documents lay before hi

d as the accusatio

g ended, Father

cuments a

ha lean

presenting false evide

red. The original records show that the mon

ead through

red to another

xplain

documents. His fac

ring his name alongside trans

't sign

signatur

ne for

ho

ked direct

know

ttled over

er believed the elders wou

the Alp

m the people who trusted you, yet

ed your people, fed struggling families, and used my own money

your

he Alpha? Does that ma

rds app

her caught her hand, silently u

was trying t

in confiscated, his name would be removed from the records of honored citizens, and

the elders t

service and demanded that they

er look

the decision had

dn't even ac

my parents from the cha

w I'm in

iet enough that only tho

e thought of that befor

er forgot

er wo

-

n devastating, but losing

a. He contacted former business partners, questioned people who ha

ended in di

ords disappeared. People who had pro

e threa

warned Father to stop asking questions. Others remi

confronted him

we going to li

at a letter

way to prove w

f you

ked to

knowing the truth, even if the w

began

aughter to grow up

ession c

her into

her d

Father whispered, "I'm sorry, Eleanor. I tho

ted the w

man who knew exactly how to ma

he last peaceful m

something important-evidence he beli

er he needed

y to gather

ay to clea

at morning, pro

enger arrived with

r col

the neighbors gathering outside our door, and the te

ng his hand and ask

g me into her arms while s

I remembere

lack. He spoke of Father as a complicated man w

back of the crowd,

aid n

was covered, I

Father ha

me, tears runni

e, bad things happ

ther wa

kno

won't he c

d me into

t, unable to understand why

pha watched the g

cry or l

and walked back t

e earth, and his reputation remaine

-

hed speaking, the

tching Father's portr

nderstood why people lo

because we

ause Father h

destroying our family was easier

the

ched my

sweeth

Alpha kil

ce wen

aphi

d h

d toward

But I know your father was afraid of him. And I know th

at the

n't everyone h

re afraid of losi

ever know

ook m

ay, pe

he truth mattered and that the man who had destroye

only ten

ult it was to make powerful pe

pha had noticed Mother's

w that our suffe

beneath her bed before g

s, Seraphina, yo

against he

you say

ld me

u're all I

y arms arou

're all

people holding on to each other in a wor

Father's death would mak

t gave my

the people who could have defended him

powerless, and unab

portrait one last time, a

wrong, why had everyone been

know th

at one day, I

make sure the truth co