Chapter 1

I closed my eyes and awakened the wolf that had been sleeping deep inside me.

That power had been sealed away for three years. When I came to the Northern Territories, my father had warned me — never reveal the scent of the Blood Shadow Pack, or the whole point of the training would be lost.

Three years ago, I'd come north alone to prepare for inheriting my father's position as Alpha King.

The moment I set foot on Dark Moon territory, a pack of roaming rogues cornered me deep in the forest.

Silver-tipped arrows screamed through the air. My wolf form was still too unstable to fight back.

That was when Leo appeared.

He tore through six rogues single-handedly, standing before me drenched in blood, his face hard. "What pack are you from? Why are you out here alone?"

That was the first time I saw him. Savage. Fierce. But with eyes that were somehow clean.

Later, when he found out my wolf form wasn't stable yet, he went out of his way every full moon to find rare moongrass and leave it by my bed.

The time I came down with a high fever, he didn't sleep for three days. Changed my cold towels over and over, fed me every bite by hand.

To the outside world, Leo was the Dark Moon Pack's most terrifying warrior — ruthless, decisive, merciless.

But around me, he'd lower his voice by half.

When I told my father about him, there was a long silence.

"That man is too calculating. You won't be able to handle him."

I didn't believe it.

I had a terrible fight with my father, cut off all contact with the Blood Shadow Pack, and gave myself entirely to Leo.

Looking back now, I could see that in those three years, I'd lost everything.

My identity. My power. My pack. Even my own wolf barely recognized me anymore.

The moment I reopened the mind-link, my father's voice was shaking.

"Sweetheart? Is that you?"

"Dad, it's me."

"You... you're finally reaching out?"

I heard my mother scrambling to join the mind-link on the other end. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Where are you?"

"I'm fine." I took a deep breath. "Dad, I'm coming home."

A beat of silence. Then my father's voice, barely containing his excitement: "Good! The succession ceremony can be held whenever you're ready. Everyone's been waiting."

My mother steadied herself and asked, "What about that boy? Did you tell him who you really are?"

"No need." My voice was flat. "He has his own Luna now. Send someone to pick me up in a week."

......

That night, Leo didn't come home.

I didn't care anymore.

At first light, I called an Omega servant and pointed at the roses covering every wall and corner of the estate. "Get rid of all of them."

The servant hesitated. "But these were planted by the Alpha especially for you..."

"I said get rid of them."

She didn't dare argue. She gathered the other servants and got to work.

I went back to the bedroom and started packing.

There wasn't much to pack, really. Three years, and I had almost nothing to show for it. A few changes of clothes, a pair of boots he'd given me — I hesitated for two seconds, then tossed them in the corner.

The last thing was the photo frame on the desk.

My hand stopped.

It was a picture from our first day together. I was smiling so wide my eyes curved into crescent moons. Leo had his head tilted toward me, his gaze impossibly soft — nothing like him.

After the photo was taken, he'd said: "You're my one and only mate. I'll love you forever. I'll never let you down."

But three years was all it took for everything to change.

I pulled open the drawer and laid everything out on the table, one piece at a time.

The promise ring from our first date.

The portrait he'd painted for our third anniversary.

Then I looked at the photo again.

I pulled a box cutter from the pen holder and sliced cleanly down the middle.

The photo split in two.

I folded my half and slipped it into my pocket. Leo's half stayed behind, alone in the frame.

......

I'd just finished lunch when I heard the door.

Leo appeared at the end of the hallway carrying a huge bouquet of red roses, walking toward me with a smile. "Babe, I'm home."

The second he got close, a sickly sweet, unfamiliar scent hit my nose.

It collided with last night's Ins Story — the Christmas tree, the sex toys, that woman's smug caption.

My stomach lurched.

I couldn't hold it. I turned and rushed to the bathroom, doubled over the toilet, retching until the world went dark.

"Babe? What's wrong?" Leo followed me in, crouching down, his arms around my shoulders, brow furrowed.

I shoved him away. "It's nothing. Probably just a cold."

"I'm gone one night and you can't take care of yourself."

His voice was thick with concern. He stood, rolled up his sleeves. "I'll make you some oatmeal. Don't eat anything greasy today."

Leo was wearing a cream cashmere turtleneck, his expression soft and focused, as if nothing had happened at all.

Ding.

My phone lit up.

I looked down. A message from that woman.

[The flowers Leo bought me last night — they were gone when I woke up this morning. Any idea where they went?]

Below it was a photo.

A bouquet of red roses. The creases in the wrapping paper, the way the ribbon was tied — identical to the one sitting on the dining table right now.

"Babe, what are you looking at? You're frowning." Leo had appeared behind me at some point.

I locked the screen and said casually, "Just saw a post. Some girl saying her husband didn't come home on Christmas Eve. Turns out he was with another woman."

Leo's hand paused mid-stir.

He laughed. It sounded perfectly natural. "What a scumbag. Not like me — only two things in my head. Work and my girl."

I let out a small huff and said nothing.

He must have sensed something, because he set down the spoon and came over to wrap his arms around my waist. "I'm sorry I wasn't here last night. I'll make it up to you today, I promise."

"Make it up how?"

"There's an auction gala tonight. Come with me. Whatever catches your eye, it's yours."

How did he do it?

Planning a marking ceremony with that woman on one hand, holding my waist and telling me I was the love of his life on the other.

I wanted to confront him.

The words rose to my lips and died there.

Forget it. Only two more days.