The Luna They Tried To Erase

Aliana POV: Debi's apartment smelled of sage and old takeout. "Sit," she commanded. She took the USB drive and plugged it into her laptop. *"I have a friend in forensics who owes me a favor. I'm sending him the chemical data from the shipping manifests. He can confirm the toxicity levels."* *She then grabbed a syringe.* *"I need to run a blood panel, Ali. Basic alchemy. If there's Wolfsbane in your system, the reagent will turn black."* I extended my arm. Debi placed the blood sample into a glass vial with a clear liquid. She swirled it. It turned pitch black immediately. "That's lethal," Debi whispered. "You should be dead." *But then, the black liquid began to bubble. It hissed, turning a violent, glowing white.* Debi gasped. "Ali... look." *"It's metabolizing it," she said, her voice shaking. "Your blood is eating the poison. That's not normal Alpha blood. That's..."* "The White Wolf," I whispered. "It's real," Debi said. "*Your parents knew. That's why they had to suppress it. A White Wolf isn't just a Luna. You're a Supreme. You outrank everyone.*" The realization hit me. *I wasn't broken. I was a nuclear weapon they were trying to keep offline.* "They fear you," Debi said. "And tonight, they're going to finish the job." "Let them try," I said. I reached for a stack of papers on Debi's desk. A Severance of Ties document. "I'm signing it," I said. "If you sign that, you become a Rogue in the eyes of the law." "I don't want their names," I said. I signed my name. Not *Aliana Hughes*. Not *Aliana Donovan*. Just *Hope*. *"I've got a private charter lined up," Debi said. "My cousin runs cargo to the North. He can take you. Wheels up at 9 PM."* "Plenty of time to burn their world down," I said. I drove back to the mansion one last time. I went to the master bedroom. I packed a single bag. Just jeans, boots, and my grandmother's locket. I walked into the bathroom. On the counter sat a silver goblet. A note was propped against it. *Drink this before you come, darling. - Mom* I lifted the goblet. It smelled of mint tea, masking the bitter almond scent. My phone buzzed. *I opened the security app on my phone. I'd installed a backdoor into the camera system weeks ago when Ivan was bragging about the new 4K upgrades.* Ivan, Kiera, Leo, and my parents were in the VIP suite. Laughing. "She'll be dead by the fireworks," I heard my father say. I stared at the screen. I lifted the goblet to my lips. I took a tiny sip. Just enough to coat my tongue. Then I poured the rest down the sink. I went to the toilet and purged. *I needed the symptoms-the pallor, the sweat-but not the death.* *Debi had given me a stimulant shot to counteract the residual effects.* I jammed it into my thigh. Fire raced through my veins. My bones creaked. *Pop.* *It's time,* my wolf roared. "Not yet," I gritted out. "Hold it." I stood up. I looked like death warmed over. Perfect. I grabbed the present I had prepared. A box wrapped in black paper. Inside was a digital audio player and the photos. I called a courier service. *"Priority delivery. VIP Suite at Silver Moon Park. Don't stop for anyone."* I walked out of the house. I was done being Aliana the Victim. Tonight, I was the Executioner.