Jaxon escorted me to Ronan's quarters, his hand gripping my upper arm like a vise. Each step felt heavier than the last. First Kaelen's diamond necklace, and now what? What more could they possibly accuse me of?
The answer came in the form of Ronan Nightwing's thunderous expression as his door swung open.
"Get in here. Now." His voice cut like ice.
I stepped inside his immaculate room—a stark contrast to Kaelen's chaos. Everything had its place here, except for one open drawer that hung askew.
Ronan slammed the door behind me. His sea-blue eyes—so similar to mine—burned with rage.
"Where is my money?" He didn't waste time with pleasantries.
My stomach dropped. "What money?"
"Don't play dumb!" He stalked toward me, backing me against the wall. "The five thousand dollars I kept in my drawer. It's gone, and you were the only one who cleaned in here yesterday."
"I didn't take anything!" My voice cracked. "I swear it."
Ronan trapped me between his arms, so close I could smell his winter pine scent. "You expect me to believe that? After what your father did?"
That familiar pain stabbed through me. "My father was innocent."
"Save it." His face hovered inches from mine. "Return my money by tonight or face the consequences."
Before I could respond, the door burst open. Orion, the youngest triplet, stormed in, his brown eyes wild with fury.
"Where's the little thief?" He demanded, spotting me against the wall. "You've got some nerve!"
Ronan stepped back, frowning at his brother. "What are you talking about?"
"She stole from me too!" Orion jabbed a finger in my direction. "Three thousand dollars, right from my desk drawer."
My head spun. This couldn't be happening. Three separate accusations in one day?
"I didn't take anything from any of you," I insisted, my voice trembling. "I just dusted and vacuumed. I never opened any drawers!"
"Liar!" Orion snarled, Luna cowering at his dominance. "Just like your father!"
The door opened again. Kaelen entered, his expression even darker than before.
"So she's stolen from all of us," he growled, surveying the scene. "First my necklace for Lilith, and now your money."
Ronan pinned me against the wall again, his face inches from mine. "No more games, Seraphina. Where's our stuff?"
"I didn't take anything!" Tears welled in my eyes. "Please, you have to believe me!"
"Stop crying," Orion sneered. "Save your tears for someone who cares."
I tried to steady my breathing. "Think about it. Why would I steal when I know I'd be the first suspect? It doesn't make sense."
"Because you're desperate," Kaelen said coldly. "And desperate people make stupid choices."
"Or maybe she thought we wouldn't suspect her because it's too obvious," Ronan added, his grip tightening on my shoulders.
The walls seemed to close in as they surrounded me, three identical faces contorted with the same disgust. Once, they'd been my protectors, my friends. Now they looked at me like I was nothing.
"Check her room," Orion suggested. "She's probably hidden everything there."
"Already did," Kaelen replied. "Found nothing, which means she's probably sold it already."
"I didn't take anything!" I shouted, desperation taking over. "Lilith was in your rooms too! Why don't you question her?"
The silence that followed was deafening. Then Ronan slammed his fist against the wall beside my head, making me flinch.
"How dare you accuse Lilith!" he roared. "She would never steal from us!"
"Unlike some people's daughters," Orion added with a cruel smirk.
I saw my mother through the doorway, her face pale with fear as she peered in. Our eyes met briefly before she was pushed aside by someone else.
Lilith.
She sauntered in, her perfect curves wrapped in a tight red dress, lips curved into a satisfied smile.
"Did the little thief confess yet?" she asked sweetly, running a manicured hand down Orion's arm.
"Not yet," Kaelen replied, eyes never leaving me. "But she will."
Lilith's eyes gleamed with triumph. "Maybe she needs some... encouragement."
Ronan's fingers dug painfully into my shoulders. "Last chance, Seraphina. Where are our things?"
"I didn't take them," I repeated, tears streaming freely now. "I swear on my father's name."
"Your father's name means nothing," Orion spat. "Just like you."
Lilith stepped closer, her perfume suffocating me. "You know, there's an old punishment for thieves in our pack laws. Something about the rooftop, sun exposure, and... what was it again? Oh yes, pepper."
My blood ran cold. That punishment hadn't been used in decades—it was considered too cruel even for the lowest offenders.
Kaelen's expression hardened as he exchanged looks with his brothers. "Get Lyra and Elina in here."
"No, please," I begged, struggling against Ronan's grip. "I'm telling the truth!"
Two maids appeared, looking uncomfortable and frightened.
"Take her to the rooftop," Orion commanded. "Strip her and apply the pepper mixture. Let her kneel until sunset."
Lyra's eyes widened in horror. "But Alpha, the temperature today—"
"Did I ask for your opinion?" Orion snapped.
"No, Alpha," Lyra murmured, lowering her gaze.
As the maids took me by the arms, I caught sight of my mother in the hallway, covering her mouth to stifle her sobs. Pack law prevented her from intervening against an Alpha's judgment. All she could do was watch as her daughter was led away.
"Mom!" I called out, struggling against the maids' grip.
She reached toward me helplessly, tears streaming down her face. "Seraphina, stay strong," she whispered.
The journey to the rooftop felt like a death march. Summer sun blazed overhead, already heating the concrete surface to painful temperatures. Lyra and Elina's hands trembled as they followed their orders.
"We're so sorry," Elina whispered as she helped remove my shirt. "We have to do this."
I nodded numbly, understanding their position. Disobeying an Alpha meant death.
The humiliation of being stripped burned worse than the sun on my bare skin. Then came the pepper mixture—crushed red pepper flakes mixed with vinegar—applied to my exposed body. The pain was immediate and excruciating, like liquid fire seeping into every pore.
"Kneel," Lyra instructed tearfully, gently guiding me down onto the scorching concrete.
The moment my knees touched the rooftop, I gasped from the burning sensation. Combined with the pepper mixture, it was almost unbearable. The midday sun beat down mercilessly as I knelt there, exposed to both the elements and anyone who might look up.
"We'll try to come check on you," Elina promised quietly before they left.
Alone on the rooftop, I struggled to breathe through the pain. My skin felt like it was being eaten alive by fire ants, while the sun baked me from above and the concrete scorched me from below.
As the minutes stretched into hours, my mind began to drift, seeking escape from the torture of my body. Memories surfaced—happier times when the triplets had been my friends, my protectors.
Kaelen teaching me to swim in the pack lake.
Ronan sneaking cookies to me during formal pack meetings.
Orion defending me against older bullies.
The contrast between those boys and the men who had ordered this punishment broke something inside me. How had we ended up here? What had changed them so fundamentally?
As darkness crept into the edges of my vision, I saw them again as children, their identical faces smiling at me as they promised to always keep me safe.
"We'll protect you forever, Seraphina," they'd said in unison, linking their pinky fingers with mine.
The memory was too much to bear alongside the physical agony. My body gave way, knees buckling as I collapsed onto the burning concrete.
The last thing I felt before unconsciousness claimed me was the pepper mixture burning deeper into my skin as darkness mercifully swallowed me whole.