Evelyn POV
I dove behind Draven's desk just as the door opened.
My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it hurt. I pressed myself against the wooden wall, making myself as small as possible. The USB drive felt like it was burning a hole through my bag.
Please don't let them see me. Please, please, please.
Footsteps entered the room. Heavy. Confident. Moving toward the desk.
I held my breath.
The footsteps stopped. Silence stretched out for what felt like forever. Then I heard a long sigh and the footsteps retreated. The door closed.
I stayed frozen for a full minute before I dared to peek out. Empty. The office was empty.
I ran.
I flew through the halls like a ghost, taking servants' passages and back staircases. My lungs burned. My legs shook. But I didn't stop until I reached my rooms and slammed the door behind me.
Safe. I was safe.
I leaned against the door, gasping for air. My whole body shook from adrenaline. I did it. I actually did it. I had proof. Real, strong proof of what Draven was doing. "Hello, Evie."
I screamed and spun around.
Marcus sat in the chair by my window. My brother. My only family. He was watching me with the saddest look I'd ever seen on his face. "Marcus!" My hand flew to my chest. "You scared me half to death! What are you doing in my room?"
He didn't smile. Didn't move. Just kept staring at me with those sad eyes. "I know what you found," he said quietly. "I know what you're planning."
The world turned sideways.
No. No, no, no. "I don't know what you're talking about," I said, but my voice shook.
Marcus stood up slowly. "Don't lie to me. I saw you sneak away from the feast. I followed you to Draven's office. I watched you pick the lock and go inside." He took a step toward me. "What did you take, Evie?"
My mind raced. How much did he know? How long had he been watching me? "Nothing," I lied. "I was just" "Stop!" His voice cracked like a whip. "Just stop lying! I know you've been investigating the lost wolves. I know you've been asking questions. And now you broke into the alpha's secret office." His hands tightened into fists. "Do you have any idea what he'll do to you when he finds out?"
Something in his tone made my blood run cold. Not if. When. "Marcus." I stepped toward him, desperate. "You don't understand. Draven is a monster. He's trading wolves. Selling them like animals. I have proof now. "I know!" he shouted.
I froze.
Marcus's face crumbled. Tears filled his eyes. "I know what he does, Evie. I've known for two years."
The words hit me like a physical blow. "You… you knew?" "Not everything," he said quickly. "Not all the facts. But I knew he was moving dogs. I knew money was changing hands. I knew some of the disappearances weren't accidents." His voice dropped to a whisper. "And I stayed silent."
I couldn't move. My brother, my only family, knew people were being sold and did nothing. "How could you?" The words came out broken. "Marcus, how could you know and not stop him?" "Because I was surviving!" he yelled back. "Because when our parents died, we had nothing! I was twenty-one years old with a young sister to protect and no money, no power, no future!" He grabbed my shoulders. "I did what I had to do to climb the ranks. To make us safe. To give us a life."
I shoved him away. "Safe? You call this safe? I'm engaged to a trafficker! Wolves are disappearing! There's nothing safe about any of this!" "You could have had a good life as his Luna," Marcus said desperately. "He would have protected you. Given you everything. All you had to do was stay quiet. "Stay quiet?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "People are being sold, Marcus! They're being hurt and killed, and you want me to stay quiet?" "Yes!" He grabbed my arm. "Because if you reveal him, he won't just kill you. He'll kill me, too. He'll destroy everything I've built. Everything I've worked for."
I stared at my brother as I'd never seen him before. "So this is about your position? Your power? That's worth more to you than innocent lives?" "That's not fair, "Maya came to me today," I said, my voice shaking. "She's fourteen years old, Marcus. Someone took her sister three days ago. Then they beat Maya until her nose bled because she asked too many questions." Tears streamed down my face. "Her sister is on Draven's list. She was sold. And you want me to do nothing?"
Marcus looked away. "I'm sorry about Maya. I'm sorry about all of them. But revealing Draven won't bring them back. It'll just get us both killed." "I don't care!" I shouted. "I'd rather die trying to save them than live knowing I did nothing!" "Well, I care!" Marcus yelled back. "I care about keeping you alive even if you're too stupid to care for yourself!"
He lunged forward and grabbed my bag before I could stop him. He ripped it open and pulled out my phone and the USB drive. "No!" I tried to grab them back, but he was stronger. "Marcus, please!" "I'm sorry, Evie." He shoved the USB drive into his pocket. "But I can't let you ruin everything. I can't let you kill us both." "What are you doing?" Panic clawed at my throat.
Marcus pulled me toward my bedroom door. I fought him, hitting his arms, trying to break free, but he was so much stronger than I was. "Marcus, stop! Where are you taking me?"
He didn't answer. Just dragged me out of my room and down the hallway. But we didn't go toward the main passageways. We went the opposite way, toward the old, unused wing of the castle.
Toward the secret passages. "Marcus, please!" I begged. "Whatever you're planning, don't do this! We can figure something out! We can"
He pushed open a secret door I'd never noticed before. Stone steps led down into darkness. The air smelled damp and cold.
My blood turned to ice. "Where are we going?"
Marcus's voice was hollow. "Somewhere, Draven will never find you. Somewhere you'll be safe." "Safe?" I laughed madly. "You're taking me!" "I'm protecting you!" He pulled me down the first step. "From yourself, from Draven, from all of it." "By putting me away?" I worked harder. "Marcus, this is insane!" "Maybe." His voice broke. "But it's better than watching you die."
We plunged deeper into the passage. The walls pressed in around us. My mind spun with fear and disbelief. This couldn't be happening. My own brother couldn't be doing this.
But he was.
We reached a junction where the tunnel split in three directions. Marcus paused, like he was choosing which way to go.
I tried one more time. "Please, Marcus. Think about Mom and Dad. What would they want you to do?"
His whole body went stiff. For a moment, I thought I'd gotten through to him.
Then he turned to face me, tears running down his face. "Mom and Dad are dead, Evie," he whispered. "And I have to live with that every day. But at least I'm living. At least we're both alive." His grip on my arm tightened. "I won't lose you, too. Even if you hate me for it."
He pulled me toward the left passage, the one that went toward the border, toward the Frozen Crossing.
Toward the harshest part of our territory. "Marcus, where are we really going?" My voice came out small and scared.
He didn't look at me. Just kept going, kept dragging me deeper into the darkness. "I'm sorry, Evie," he said, his voice shaking. "But you don't understand what he'll do to us both. This is the only way to keep you safe."
And that's when I realized the horrible truth.
My brother wasn't trying to protect me.
He was going to make me disappear.