One night, Ariana overheard elders whispering.
"The former Luna didn't die naturally."
"She was killed."
"By one of the twins."
Ariana's heart stopped.
She confronted Kael first.
"Did you kill my mother?" she asked, trembling.
Kael's face paled.
"No," he said firmly. "I would never hurt her. Or you."
Then she found Rowan drinking alone by the river.
"Tell me the truth," she demanded.
He was silent.
Then…
"I was there," Rowan confessed. "The night she died. I argued with her. She tried to stop me from leaving the pack. We fought. She slipped… fell into the river."
Ariana's world shattered.
"You let everyone think she was murdered," she whispered.
"I was afraid," he said. "I hated myself."
Tears streamed down her face.
She ran.