My Vengeance Wears Her Dead Mate's Skin

I walked into the Robinson mansion dressed in a striking red gown.

Coincidentally, it was the seventh day since Nina Black’s death.

The mansion was alive with music and chatter, but it didn’t feel like a funeral.

Instead, the atmosphere was festive, with red ribbons adorning the trees.

The Robinsons were hosting a mark ceremony.

But Jasper Robinson, the only son of the pack, had already been marked to Nina three years ago.

Was he taking a new mate?

I cleared my throat, my crimson sleeves billowing as I strode into the grand hall.

The chatter died down as the crowd turned to stare at me.

When Jasper’s eyes landed on me, they widened with surprise and a flicker of admiration.

He was the mate Nina had once loved so deeply.

For three years, he had been cold and distant toward her.

Then, he had betrayed her with her half-sister, Wren Hill, treating Nina as if she were nothing.

The reason? He found Nina dull compared to Wren’s allure.

But Nina’s love and care for him, her devotion to his mother, Frances Ramos—he had ignored it all.

A few days ago, Nina had been accused of infidelity, caught in a trap set by Wren and Frances.

Though Jasper had his doubts, he had still cast her out of the pack.

Now, as he looked at the radiant version of Nina standing before him, he felt a pang of regret.

Someone who loved him so fiercely couldn’t possibly have betrayed him.

Besides…

He had always known Nina was framed.

His mother had never liked Nina, and Wren had wanted to be his mate.

It had to be their doing.

As Jasper’s gaze lingered on Nina’s mesmerizing eyes, a heat stirred within him.

For three years, Nina had dressed modestly, rarely wearing anything bold.

But now, in that red gown, her cold, alluring eyes glinted with a dangerous beauty.

While he stared at me, I stared back.

Perfect. A dark cloud hovered above his head.

When I had taken on Nina’s form, I had heard her anguished cries.

Her resentment was overwhelming.

Before her death, it had manifested as five dark clouds.

Each one represented a murderer.

That meant five people had a hand in her death.

Jasper was so entranced that he didn’t notice the bride lifting her veil.

It was Wren Hill, Nina’s half-sister and the mate he was about to mark today.

I turned to face her.

A dark cloud hovered above her head too.

Nina’s memories flooded my mind.

Since childhood, Wren had always taken what belonged to Nina.

First, it was jewelry and clothes; later, it was status and a mate.

When Nina had marked into the Robinson Pack, Wren had schemed her way into Jasper’s bed.

After becoming pregnant, she had flaunted it in front of Nina:

“Mother says you’re barren, and it seems she’s right.”

“I have some good news for you—I’m carrying your mate’s child.”

“If you know what’s good for you, leave the pack quietly.”

To ensure Nina could never rise again, Wren and Frances had framed her for infidelity.

That was how Nina had been cast out.

But Wren hadn’t stopped there.

When Nina, heartbroken, had decided to leave the pack and seek refuge with her grandfather, Wren had hired rogues to ambush her on the road.

She knew what a group of ruthless men would do to a defenseless woman.

But she wanted Nina dead.

When Wren saw me, she froze.

Her veil slipped from her hands, and fear flickered in her eyes.

“You… you’re supposed to be…”

I stepped closer, my red lips curling into a smirk as she stumbled back.

“Go on. What was I supposed to be?”

Wren retreated until she had nowhere left to go, tugging at Jasper’s arm in desperation.

Jasper snapped out of his trance.

Right. She was supposed to be dead.

Wren had told him so herself.

She had claimed Nina had been killed by rogues.

Had Wren been mistaken?

Yes, that had to be it.

Ever the quick thinker, Jasper spun a lie on the spot:

“Nina, a few days ago, you said you couldn’t bear children and left a rejection letter.”

“I searched for you everywhere, only to learn you went to your grandfather’s pack. I didn’t care about heirs, but my parents wanted a grandchild, so I…”

I let out a cold laugh.

“So you marked my half-sister?”

The crowd gasped.

Everyone knew Nina as gentle and unassuming, someone who avoided conflict.

Yet here she was, speaking with such sharpness.

She must have endured something terrible in the Robinson Pack.

The pack members glanced between Jasper and Wren, their faces alight with curiosity.

Wren’s face flushed as her hands instinctively cradled her stomach.

I covered my mouth with a handkerchief, feigning shock.

“It’s only been seven days since I rejected the bond. How is my half-sister already two months pregnant?”