The crowd jeered as I crossed the square. No guard had to drag me this time. Wolves moved aside, disgust plain on their faces, and I kept my head up until the guards stopped me at the altar.
They tied my wrists and body to the stone pillar at its center. The cold surface pressed against the bruises left by the silver cuffs. Fiona climbed the steps in white ceremonial robes. Her eyes stayed dry until she faced the pack.
“We are here to cleanse a stain. The daughter I loved chose darkness, and the pack must be protected. The sacred altar must be purified!”
Cheers rose around me. Neighbors who had shared meals with me joined wolves who had played with me as cubs. Derrick stood near the front with one arm around Selena. His jaw stayed tight, and he watched the ground instead of me.
Fiona l
