Chapter 1 No.1 Kaelen was supposed to be my destiny. The future Alpha of our pack, my childhood love, and my fated mate.

But one night, I smelled another woman on him-a sickly sweet Omega scent I knew all too well. I followed him and found them under the great oak, locked in a lover's kiss.

His betrayal was a slow and deliberate poison. When his precious Omega, Lyra, staged a fall, he cradled her like she was made of glass.

But when he sabotaged my saddle during a dangerous jump, causing my horse tothrow me and break my leg, he called it a "warning" not to touch her. His care for me afterward was just damage control to avoid my father's suspicion.

At a public auction, he used my family's money to buy her a priceless diamond, leaving me humiliated and unable to pay.

I finally understood what I'd overheard on the pack's mind-link days before. To him and his brothers-in-arms, I was just a "pampered princess," a prize to be won for power. Lyra was the one they truly desired.

He thought he could break me, force me to accept being second best. He was wrong. On the night of my 20th birthday, the night I was supposed to be bonded to him, I stood before two packs and made a different choice. Irejected him and announced my union with a rival Alpha, a man who sees me as a queen, not a consolation prize.

Chapter 1

Aria POV:

The night air of the Silver Moon territory was crisp and clean, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. It was my territory, my home, and one day, it would be my responsibility as Luna. But tonight, all I cared about was the man walking beside me.

Kaelen.

His presence was a physical force, a magnetic pull that had governed my world since we were children. He was the future Alpha, chosen by my father for his unmatched strength and strategic mind. And, as everyone in the pack whispered, he was my destiny.

My heart did a familiar flip as his arm brushed against mine. I breathed in, expecting his signature scent, the one that always calmed my inner wolf-the bracing aroma of a snowstormbreaking over a cedar forest. It was the scent I dreamed of, the scent of my supposed mate.

But tonight, something was wrong.

Underneath the familiar cedar and winter air, another scentclung to him. It was sickly sweet, like cheap candy and cloying jasmine. An Omega's scent. A scent I knew all too well.

Lyra.

My stomach twisted into a cold knot. Lyra, the fragile Omega he and the other warriors had been brought in with, the one he insisted on treating like a sister.

"You were with Lyra," I stated, my voice flat, betraying none of the turmoil inside me.

Kaelen's stride didn't falter. "She was feeling unwell. I took her some herbs."

His voice was smooth, but the lie was as loud as a scream to my senses. The scent wasn't from a casual visit; it was deeply ingrained in the fibers of his leather jacket, a mark of prolonged, close contact.

We continued our patrol in silence, the easy camaraderie we usually shared now replacedby a thick, suffocating tension. When we reached the edge of the ancient woods that bordered the main estate, he stopped. "I'll finish the southern perimeter. You head back."

I just nodded, unable to look at him.

But I didn't head back. A dark premonition coiled in my gut. I circled around, using the cover of the dense woods to shadow his path. My wolf senses, already heightened by suspicion, made me silent, a ghost in the trees.

And then I saw them.

Under the gnarled branches of the great oak, where pack mates often pledged their love, Kaelen stood with Lyra. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her body pressed against his. The moonlight illuminated the scene with brutal clarity. He leaned down, and their lips met in a fierce, possessive kiss that sent a wave of nausea through me.

It wasn't a brotherly kiss. It was the kiss of lovers.

My world, once a bright and hopeful place centered around him,shattered into a million icy fragments. I didn't make a sound. I just turned and walked away, the image burned into my mind.

Back in the main house, the opulent halls of the Silver Moon Corporation headquarters felt like a cage. I walked straight to my father's study.

Alpha Alistair looked up from his desk, his stern face softening whenhe saw me. "Aria. You're back early."

"Father," I said, my voice eerily calm. "I want to cancel my birthday celebration."

He frowned. "Your 20th birthday is morethan a party, Aria. It's when you will be formally recognized with your mate."

"I know," I said. "That's why I'm here. I wish to form a union with the Onyx Fang Pack. I will marry Alpha Damien."

The shock on my father's face was absolute. He stood up, his powerful Alpha presence filling the room. "Damien? He is a strong ally, but Kaelen... you and Kaelen have been inseparable since childhood. He is the future of this pack. He is your... emotional anchor."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips."An anchor is meant to hold you steady, Father. Not drown you."

It wasn't a sudden decision. The cracks had been showing for weeks, but I'd been too blind, too in love, to see them. Until yesterday.

I had been in my training room when the Mind-Link, the psychic connection all pack members share, had flared to life. Usually, I could tune out the background chatter, butthis conversation was between the pack's core leadership. It was impossible to ignore.

Silas, our future Luna is getting clingier by the day. Kaelen must be sick of her, Ronan, our Beta, grumbled.

I froze, my hand hovering over the weights I was about to lift.

Shut your mouth, Ronan, came the smooth, calculating voice of Silas, our Gamma. She is the Alpha's daughter, after all. But I'll admit, a girl like Lyra... she makes a man feel needed. A true protector.

Exactly, another warrior chimed in. We're all competing for Kaelen's spot,but it's for Lyra's sake. Who really wants to be tied to that pampered princess? Besides, Lyra isn't even his real sister. Only we know that secret.

The words hit me like a physical blow, leaving me breathless and cold. They weren't his brothers in arms. They were his rivals. And I... I was just the prize they had towin to secure their position, a tool to be used. Lyra was the one they truly desired.

I remembered the day my father brought them here, seven gifted, orphaned boys, Kaelen being the most powerful. He had made only one demand: that Lyra, a frail Omega girl from the same orphanage, come with him. My father, seeing his fierce loyalty as a virtue, had agreed.

Over the years, every time Lyra and I had the smallest disagreement, Kaelen and the others would rush to her side. I was always the one who was too harsh, too demanding. She was the fragile Omega; I was the Alpha's daughter who should know better.

Now, seeing that kiss, hearing those mental whispers echo in my memory, everything clicked into place. Kaelen's feelings for Lyra weren't brotherly. They were possessive. He would become my mate, my Alpha, to repay my father's kindness. He would give me his loyalty, his protection, his name.

But he would never give me his heart. That, he had already given to another. And I would not settle for being second best.

Chapter 2 No.2 Aria POV:

"He will never love me, Father," I said, my voice resonating with a finality that startled even myself. "I would rather have the loyalty of a powerful ally who respects me than the pity and obligation ofa man who desires another. Kaelen's love is a performance, and I refuse to be his audience any longer."

My father, Alpha Alistair, stared at me, his sharp eyes searching my face. He saw no girlish tantrum, only cold, hard resolution. He sighed, the sound heavy with the weight of shattered plans. "If this is your wish, so be it. But Kaelen, Lyra, and the others... their betrayal runs deep."

"I know," I replied. "Which is why I have a request. As the Alpha of this pack, I need you to issue a command. Freeze all their access. Their corporate accounts, their pack resources, their training privileges. Everything. Let them feel what it's like to have the ground pulled from under them."

He nodded slowly, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "It will be done. And at your union ceremony with Damien, they will be officially exiled. They will learn the price of betraying a daughter of Silver Moon."

A sense of grim satisfaction settled over me. It wasn't joy, but it was a start.

Leaving the study, I felt lighter, as if a great weight had been lifted. As I descended the grand, spiral staircase, I saw Lyra waiting at the bottom. She was dressed in a simple white dress that highlighted her supposed innocence, her face a mask of sweet concern.

"Aria!" she called out, her voice syrupy. "I was just coming to find you. Let's go to the combat training together! It's been so long since we sparred."

She moved to link her arm with mine. The cloying jasmine scent I'd smelled on Kaelen now washed over me, and I felt my stomach heave. I yanked my arm away as if I'd been burned.

"Don't touch me,"I snarled.

The force of my rejection was small, but Lyra used it. With a theatrical gasp, she stumbled backward, her eyes wide with fake shock. Her heel caught on the edge of the stair, and she let out a piercing scream as she tumbled dramatically down the remaining few steps.

Before she even hit the polished marble floor, Kaelen was there. He moved like a blur,a dark shadow of raw power, catching her just before she landed. He cradled her in his arms, his eyes filled with a frantic tenderness that he had never, not once, shown me.

The other warriors, who had been lounging in the great hall, were on their feet in an instant.

"Aria! What is wrong with you?" Ronan, theBeta, roared, his face contorted in fury. "She's just an Omega! She meant no harm!"

In Kaelen's arms, Lyra began to sob. "No, Ronan, don't blame her. It was my fault. I was clumsy. Aria didn't mean it." Her false defense only fanned the flames of their anger, painting me as the cruel, spoiled princess and her as the blameless victim.

Kaelen looked up at me, his eyes as cold as a winter storm. He didn't say a word out loud. Instead, his voice sliced through our Mind-Link, sharp and unforgiving.

You disappoint me.

He then turned, carrying Lyra as if she weremade of precious glass, and walked away without giving me a chance to say a single word.

Later that afternoon, at the training grounds, I found Lyra already there, a small bandage wrapped around her ankle for show. She gave me a saccharine smile. "Oh, Aria, please don't let me get in the way. I know this is your special time with Kaelen-brother."

I ignored her, focusing on my warm-ups.But it was impossible.

Kaelen was glued to her side. He corrected her stance, his hands lingering on her waist. He demonstrated a defensive move, his body molding against hers. When she feigned a wince from her "injured" ankle, he immediately dropped to one knee in the dirt.

"Here," he said, his voice soft. "Put your foot on myshoulder. I'll re-wrap it."

She placed her delicate foot on his broad shoulder, and he tendedto her with the focus of a surgeon.

The sight clawed at my insides. I remembered my first real combat session years ago. I'dtaken a hard fall and dislocated my shoulder. Kaelen had stood by, his arms crossed, his expression bored, until my father's voice had cracked through the Mind-Link like a whip.

Kaelen! Go to her! That is anAlpha's Command!

An Alpha's Command. The irresistible power in an Alpha's voice that forces werewolves of a lowerrank to obey. Kaelen had flinched as if struck. He had stalked over, his movements stiff with resentment, and helped me. The humiliation and reluctance in his eyes were seared into my memory.

He was forced to help me. But for Lyra, he knelt willingly.

And in that moment, I knew with chilling certainty that I hadn't just made the right decision. I had made the only one possible.

Chapter 3 No.3 Aria POV:

My father's words echoed in my memory, spoken to a young Kaelen years ago. "A true Alpha kneels for only two: his Luna, and the Moon Goddess herself." I had been watching from the balcony, my teenage heart fluttering at the implication. I saw the blush on my own cheeks in my mind's eye, butnow, I also remembered the flicker of resistance, of deep-seated defiance, in Kaelen's eyes. He hadn't wanted that rule to apply to him. Not for me.

Yet here he was, kneeling in the dirt for Lyra, not by command, but by choice. The pain was a physical thing,a hollow ache that seemed to radiate from my very soul.

I ripped my gaze away from them, the sight too much to bear. Blinking back the hot tears that threatened to fall, I stalked over to the stables. I needed a distraction, something to channel the storm of rage and hurt brewing inside me. I saddled Midnight, the most spirited warhorse in our stables, and rode him onto the obstacle course.

The wind whipped at my face as I pushed him faster, urging him toward a series of high jumps. Air, speed, danger-that's what I needed.

I lined Midnight up for the final jump, a formidable wall of timber that tested even our best warriors. We galloped towards it, a perfect union of rider and beast. He launched into the air, muscles coiling powerfully beneath me.

And then, a sharp snap.

The saddle's girth strap gave way. The world tilted violently. For a heart-stopping second, I was suspended in mid-air, a helpless spectator to my own disaster. Then gravity took hold, and I crashed to the earth with bone-jarring force.

A blinding pain shot up my leg. Midnight, panicked and untethered, bolted, his powerful hooves churning the ground perilously close to where I lay. I was trapped, helpless.

And Kaelen? He hadn't even noticed.His entire universe was focused on Lyra and her perfectly fine ankle.

A guttural cry, more wolf than human, tore from my throat. It was a sound of pure agony and fury. That finally got his attention.

His head snapped up. His eyes widened in horror. He moved with the lightning speed I'd seen him use for Lyra, intercepting the frantic horse and wrestling it to a standstill. But it was too late. My leg was bent at an unnatural angle. The bone was clearly broken.

The next few days were a blur of pain and forced pleasantries in the pack's sterile healing center. Kaelen, to my surprise, insisted on taking care of me. He sat by my bed, changed my dressings, and brought me my meals. He was attentive, quiet, and efficient.

For a brief, foolish moment, I allowed myself to wonder if I had been wrong. Maybe this was his apology. Maybe he did care.

But I knew better. I could feel the difference. His concern for Lyra was a roaring fire, a living, breathing thing that came from his soul. His care for me felt like a task on a checklist, a duty performed with meticulous precision but utterly devoid of warmth. There was an unbridgeable distance in his touch, a polite coldness in his eyes.

A few nights later, the healers had worked their magic, and the bone in my leg had begun to mend. I was drifting in a light sleep when I heard voices in the hallway. I recognized them instantly. Gamma Silas and Kaelen.

"You went too far this time, Kaelen," Silas said, his voice a low hiss. "A broken leg? Alistair will have your hide if he finds out."

My blood ran cold.I held my breath, straining to hear.

Kaelen's reply was chillingly calm. "I used a dagger tipped with a traceof silver to nick the strap. Just a little. It was meant to be a lesson, a warning to make her think twice before laying a hand on Lyra again."

Silver. The one substance that could cause grievous, slow-healing wounds to our kind. He had used it against me.

"I didn't expect the horse to bolt like that," Kaelen continued, his voice devoid of any real remorse. "I miscalculated. Taking care of her now is just damage control. I need her to recover quickly so Alpha Alistair doesn't suspect a thing."

The world seemed to tilt and fade. The careful, attentive man who had sat by my bedside was a lie. The accident wasn't an accident. It was a punishment.

He hadn't come to my aid because he cared. He had come to clean up his own mess.

The last fragile thread of hope I didn't even know I was clinging to, snapped. The pain in my mending leg was nothing compared to the feeling of a silver blade twisting in my heart.

Chapter 4 No.4 Aria POV:

The morning I was discharged, Kaelen was waiting for me outside my room, his face set in a look of practiced concern. I walked right past him without a word, my gaze fixed on the man leaning against a sleek black car at the end of the hall.

Silas.

He pushed off the car, a charming, easy smile on his face. "Readyto escape this prison, Princess?"

I managed a small, tired smile in return. Kaelen stiffened behind me, hisdisapproval a palpable wave in the air.

"Where are you taking her?" Kaelendemanded, his voice laced with an authority he no longer had over me.

"None of your business," Silas shot back, opening the passenger door for me. "Some of us know how to treat a lady after she's been through an ordeal."

As I settled into the plush leather seat, I ignored Kaelen's burning stare. Silas slid into the driver's seat and pulled away smoothly.

"There's a special auction tonight," Silas said, his eyes on the road. "Rare herbs, enchanted artifacts, precious stones that can soothe a wolf's spirit. My treat. Consider it a 'welcome back to the world of the walking' gift."

"Spending my father's money toimpress me, Silas?" I asked,a hint of my old fire returning.

He laughed, a genuine, rich sound. "Hardly. I have my own ventures. Overseas investments. More than enough to keep a future Luna in the style she deserves."

His blatant flattery was so audacious it was almost refreshing. I found myself smiling for the first time in days. "Fine. But I'm choosing the destination."

My target was a legendary blue diamond known as the "Tear of the Moon Goddess." It was said to have calming properties, to quell the inner turmoil of awerewolf's soul. Right now, my soul felt like a raging tempest. I needed it.

The auction house was a study in opulence, filled with the elite from every major pack. Silas and I took our seats near the front. Just as I was beginning to relax, a familiar chill went down my spine.

Kaelen had just walked in. And on his arm, looking doe-eyed and innocent, was Lyra.

My jaw tightened. Of course. He wouldn't let mehave one evening of peace. I knew, with a sinking certainty, exactly what was about to happen.

When the "Tear of the Moon Goddess" was presented, a hush fell over the room. It was magnificent, a flawless diamond that seemed to pulse with a soft, internal light.

Lyra's hand shot up immediately, placing a bid. Then she glanced over at me, saw the desire in my eyes, and with a practiced, martyred sigh, she lowered her hand. She whispered something to Kaelen, her expression a perfect blend of longing and self-sacrifice.

Kaelen's face hardened. He looked directly at me, his gaze a challenge. Then he stood up, his voice ringing through the silent hall.

"My companion fancies that stone," he announced, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Whatever she wants, she gets." He thennamed a price so astronomically high it made the entire room gasp.

The message was clear. Itwasn't about the diamond. It was about humiliation.

Every wolf in that room knew Kaelen was my intended. They knew he was thefuture Alpha of Silver Moon. And they were all watching as he publicly chose an Omega over his future Luna, using my family's own wealth to do it.

The whispers started, hushed and pitying. Ibecame the joke of the night, the jilted princess. A hot, furious shame washed over me.

No. I would not let himdo this to me.

I raised my paddle, my hand steady despite the trembling furyinside me. I would have that diamond. I didn't care what itcost. This was no longer about a stone; it was about my pride.

Chapter 5 No.5 Aria POV:

The bidding war was short and brutal. I drove the price into the stratosphere, my voice ringing out with a cold fury that silenced the whispers around me. In the end, Kaelen didn't counter my final, reckless bid. He simply sat back, a smug, satisfied look on his face. I had won the diamond, but I could feel his victory hanging in the air.

A flicker of triumph, however bitter, went through me as the auctioneer's hammer fell. "Sold! To the lady from Silver Moon!"

But when I went to the payment desk, my card was declined.

"I'm sorry, Miss," the attendant said, avoiding my eyes. "It seems all your accounts withthe Silver Moon Corporation have been frozen."

My breath caught in my throat. Frozen? How? Only my father or... Kaelen could do that.

"Allow me," Silas said smoothly, stepping forward and handing the attendant his own platinum card. I felt a surge of gratitude, but it was short-lived.

"My apologies, Gamma Silas," the attendant stammered, looking even more flustered. "Your card has also been frozen."

A low murmur of laughter rippled through the onlookers. The Silver Moon Pack, the wealthiest pack on the continent, couldn't pay its bills.We were a laughingstock. My humiliation was now complete and absolute.

Then, Kaelen rose from his seat. He walked to the desk with an unhurried grace, pulling out a sleek, featureless black card-his personal account, the one granting him near-limitless access as the designated heir.

"I'll take care of it," he said, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear.

The payment went through instantly. Theattendant, relieved, placed the diamond in its velvet box and handed it to him.

For a heart-stopping moment, I thought he might give it to me, a twisted kind of apology. I was wrong.

In front of the entire assembly, he walked over to Lyra, opened thebox, and fastened the "Tear of the Moon Goddess" around her neck.It glittered against her pale skin, a testament to my public shaming.

I stood there, frozen, as the world swam around me. I could feel hundreds of pairs of eyes on me, some pitying, some mocking. I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.

"He used his future-Alpha clearance to hack the system," Silas whispered, his voice tight with rage. "He did this on purpose, Aria. To break you."

Kaelen shot Silas a look that was pure ice. "Without the strength to back it up, don't try to protect things that aren't yours, Gamma." The threat was unmistakable.

Then his cold eyes landed on me."You should have come with me," he said, as if it were my fault.

A choked, hysterical laugh escaped my lips. I turned on myheel and walked out of that auction house, leaving my dignity scattered on the floor behind me. I didn't look back.

Back at the estate, I locked myself in my suite, ignoring the pounding on my door. I just wanted to be alone, to lick my wounds in private.

But even in my own room, there was no escape. I switched on the discreet listening devices I'd had installed weeks ago, a desperate attempt to understand the conspiracy brewing around me. The voices of the warriors floated up from the common room below.

"Kaelen is causing too much trouble," Ronan complained. "First the horse, now this auction fiasco. Alpha Alistair is going to have all our heads."

"I'm not cleaning up his mess," another voice grumbled. "And I'm certainly not going up there to soothe the wounded princess."

"Nor am I," Silas added, his voice dripping with frustration. "A woman scorned is not something I wish to face right now."

Then, Kaelen's voice cut through the others, low and absolute. "My woman,my responsibility. I will handle her."

A heavy silence fell over the room. I saw him on thesecurity feed, picking up a small, elegantly wrapped gift box from the table and heading for the stairs.

My woman. The possessive words, meant to assert his authority to the others, felt like another brand on my already wounded soul.

I shut off the monitor. I didn't see the flash of raw fury in the other warriors' eyes at Kaelen's claim. I didn't see the profound, soul-deep despair that settled over Silas's face. All I knewwas that the monster who had orchestrated my humiliation was now coming to my door to "handle" me.

Chapter 6 No.6 Aria POV:

The click of my lock being picked was soft, but it sounded like a gunshot in the silent room. Kaelen slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Get out," I said, my voice dangerously low. "This is my room. My private sanctuary. You have no right."

"It's a habit from my rogue days," he said, his tone casual, as if breaking into my room was nothing. He moved further into the space, his presence sucking all the air out. He saton the edge of my chaise lounge, uninvited. "You have to know how to get into safe places."

He started talking then, his voice a low, mesmerizing cadence. He spoke of his childhood, of being a rogue-a lone wolf without a pack. He described the cold, the hunger, the constant fear. He painted a vivid picture of him and Lyra huddled together for warmth, two orphans against the world.

"She's all I had," he said, his eyes distant. "She is a part of me, Aria. Like my own arm or leg. I can't cut her off. I won't."

He looked at me then, his gaze intense. "I am grateful to your father. I will honor my commitment to you, to this pack. I will do anything you ask of me. Butyou have to accept Lyra. She will always come first. That is my one condition."

A cold, dead laugh built in my chest. He was offering me a lifetime of being second. A true Alpha's mate is his entire world, his equal, the other half of his soul. An Alpha who cannot put his Luna first is not an Alpha at all. He is a failure.

Before I could voice the venom on my tongue, his head tilted slightly. A call on the Mind-Link. From Lyra, no doubt.

He stood abruptly. "I have to go." He was gone in less than five minutes, leaving a small gift box on my nightstand. Inside, I knew, would be a cheap imitation of the diamond he had given to Lyra.

I picked up the box and threw it, with all my strength, into the wastebasket. I would not be a consolation prize.

My 20th birthday arrived a week later, a day that was supposed to be the most joyous of my life. It was the day I would come of age, the day I would be officially bonded to my fated mate and presented to the packs as their future Luna.

The estate was buzzing with preparations for the grand ball that evening. As I was getting ready, a messenger from the Onyx Fang Pack arrived. He presented me with a heavy, velvet-lined case.

Inside was a breathtaking set of jewelry. A necklace, earrings, and a bracelet, all made of deep, fiery pigeon-blood rubies set in blackened gold. It was called the "Heart of Fire."

The messenger bowed. "A gift from my Alpha, Damien," he said. "He asked me to deliver a message: 'Blue diamonds are cold and distant.Only a heart of fire is worthy of the future Luna of Silver Moon.'"

A genuine smile, the first in what felt like a lifetime, touched my lips. I put on the rubies. Their weight was substantial, their fire a welcome warmth against my skin. I still had a choice. I still had Damien.

As I left my suite to head down to the ball, I ran directly into Lyra. Her eyes immediately locked onto the ruby necklace, a flash of ugly jealousy marring her pretty face.

"What a... vibrant set," she said, hervoice dripping with false sweetness."Trying a new look for your big night?"

Then, she held up her phone. "Kaelen-brother wanted you to see this. A little pre-party gift."

She pressed play. On the screen, a video began. It was of her and Kaelen, tangled together in his bed, the "Tear of the Moon Goddess" sparkling at her throat. Her goal was obvious: to push me over the edge, to make me cause a scene at the most important event of my life, to prove to everyone that I was an unstable, unworthy heiress.

She wanted to seeme break.

Chapter 7 No.7 Aria POV:

The sound that left my lips wasn't a scream or a sob. It was alow, feral growl. My vision tunneled, the opulent hallway fading to a red haze. All I saw was Lyra's smug, triumphant face.

My hand moved on its own. The crack of my palm against her cheek echoed in the corridor. It was a full-force, open-handed slap that sent her stumbling back, a red handprint already blooming on her skin.

I didn't need to look behind me. I could feel him. Kaelen had emerged from his room down the hall, and his presence was a wave of glacial fury. His eyes were locked on me, promising retribution. I had struck his precious Lyra. There would be a price to pay.

I walked past them both, my head held high, the rubies atmy throat feeling like armor.

The entire ball was a torment. I moved through the throngs of guests, smiling, accepting birthday wishes, all while a storm of anxiety raged withinme. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting for Kaelen's revenge.

The evening reached its crescendo. My father stood on the grand dais, his voice booming across the ballroom as he prepared to announce my chosen mate. The crowd buzzed with anticipation, their gazes shifting between me and Kaelen.

I found Damien in the crowd. He stood near the back, a silent, powerful pillar of support. He caught my eye and gave mea subtle, encouraging nod. It was enough to steady my nerves.

My father raised his glass. "And now, it is my great honor to present the future Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack,the mate chosen by the Goddess for my daughter, Aria..."

He never finished the sentence.

Suddenly, the massive screen behind the dais, which had been displaying a serene image of a moonlit forest, flickered to life.

My breath hitched. It was me on the screen.

It was private footage, secretly recorded. Me, in the dead of night, practicing my shift in a secluded clearing. The video showed my first awkward, clumsy attempts, my half-formed wolf stumbling and falling. It was deeply personal, a moment of vulnerability I had shared with no one.

Then the scene changed. It was my bedroom. Me, clutching one of Kaelen's old training shirts, tossing and turning in my bed, whispering his name in my sleep like a lovesick fool.

A wave of hot, suffocating shame washed over me. Laughter, at first muffled, then overt, rippled through the ballroom. My deepest secrets, my most private moments of weakness and yearning, were being broadcast for the entire werewolf aristocracy to see.

This was his revenge. It was cruel.It was devastating.

Tears streamed down my face,hot and unstoppable. I felt utterly, completely broken.

"SHUT IT OFF!" my father roared, his Alpha voice shaking the very foundations of the hall. He lunged for the control panel, but the system was locked, unresponsive to his command. A stronger power was at work.

Before anyone else could react, a black shadow streaked through the crowd. It wasDamien. He didn't bother with the controls. He leaped onto the dais, and with asingle, savage punch, shattered the entire projection unit. The screen went black.

My father was trembling with rage. "Seal the exits!" he commanded his guards. "No one leaves thisroom until I find the filth responsible for this!"

The guests were in an uproar, but my father'sattention was solely on me. His eyes met Damien's, a silent command passing between them.

Damien was at my side in an instant. He wrapped a protective arm around my trembling shoulders, pulling me into his solid warmth. He faced the stunned crowd, his voice a low, dangerous growl that commanded absolute attention.

"Let me make this clear," Damien declared, his eyes sweeping the room like chips of obsidian. "Aria is my choice. She will be my Luna. Any who dare to humiliate her, answer to the Onyx Fang Pack. You have just made an enemy of us all."

The blood drained from Kaelen's face. The other warriors looked on in stunned disbelief. They had pushed me, taunted me, and broken me. But they never,in their wildest dreams, imagined I would choose an outsider over one of them.

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The screen flickers to life behind the dais, and my soul freezes.

It’s me. In the clearing. Shirtless, shifting for the first time—my body twisting, bones cracking, fur sprouting in patches as I collapse onto trembling paws. Then the scene cuts: my bedroom, dead of night, me clutching Kaelen’s old training shirt, whispering his name like a prayer.

Laughter erupts. Gasps. Whispers slice through the ballroom like knives. My father roars for the feed to stop, but the system won’t obey—not even his Alpha command can shut it down. This was planned. This was revenge.

And then I feel it—a deep, ancient pulse beneath my ribs, like a second heartbeat waking after centuries. Cold fire surges through my veins. My vision sharpens. The laughter fades into echoes. Something inside me rises, furious and feral.

The White Wolf stirs.

And it wants blood.