Chapter 1

Our tenth mating anniversary. The night of the full moon. The night my mate, Alpha Jayden of the Black Moon Pack, was supposed to mark me with the eternal Moon Soul.

Instead, he shattered our vows for another woman.

Moonlight spilled over the cliff where we first bonded.

I’d been standing here. Alone. For three hours.

Tonight was the ten-year anniversary of our mating ceremony.

Pack law demanded it. On their tenth anniversary, an Alpha must brand his mate with the Moon Soul. A vow sealed under the full moon.

It’s a mark that forges the mate bond into something unbreakable.

The most sacred, eternal vow.

Without it, the bond decays.

The backlash would hit us both.

I glance down at the Bonding Charm in my hand.

It wasn’t for the ceremony.

It was a gift. Just for him.

Three months of my magic, poured into this charm.

It purifies the soul, binds to the wearer's life force, and can take a fatal blow in their place.

I had it all planned.

Tonight, after the Moon Soul Mark was complete and our bond was at its peak, I would seal the charm with my heart’s blood.

It wasn’t just a gift to protect my Alpha.

It was the final step to bind his power to mine, cementing my supreme status as Luna.

Too bad. He no longer deserved my protection.

Jayden didn’t show up.

I remember ten years ago, on this very cliff.

Jayden knelt on one knee, his hand trembling as he held mine. "Lacey, if you’ll have me, I will spend every full moon with you. I’ll make you the most revered Luna, and together, we will lead our pack to glory."

I always knew my magic was strong enough to protect any pack.

Of all the Alphas who wanted me, I chose the one who seemed the most sincere.

I just never thought his sincerity would become the knife he’d stab me with.

My thoughts are cut short.

Jayden’s voice cracks through our mind link. “Lacey, I’m sorry. There’s an emergency at the southern defense post. I have to deal with it now…”

Through our bond, I feel his excitement. His joy. It’s not hidden at all.

And… the sickeningly sweet scent of another woman.

Chloe.

“What emergency requires a Beta who can't even cast a basic shield charm?” I cut through his pathetic excuse.

A jolt of shock ripples from his side of the bond.

He wasn't expecting me to call him on his bullshit.

He hesitates, then his voice turns impatient. “Lacey! Chloe is learning how to handle pack affairs. This is to help you! As Luna, you should be more understanding, not paranoid!”

Paranoid?

My hands clench into fists.

Three months ago, he gave control of the wards to Chloe behind my back.

A Beta who couldn't even cast basic spells.

When I questioned him, he said it was to help me with my duties.

He said he hated seeing me so drained.

And I was drained, exhausted from pouring my magic into the pack wards. So I let it go.

But in those three months, Chloe made mistake after mistake.

She even botched the wards during a rival attack, almost getting our entire pack wiped out.

Jayden just brushed it off. "Chloe's still learning," he'd said, and that was that.

I demanded control of the wards back.

Jayden used our anniversary as an excuse.

He said I needed to conserve my magic for the Moon Soul Mark, promising to give it back after the ceremony.

And now, another excuse.

"Jayden," I sneer, my voice cold. "My wards. The system I designed. You think a novice like her can help me? Or maybe you need a Beta to help you with your Alpha duties in the bedroom, too?"

I feel his fury spike through the bond. He’s been offended.

I can even hear Chloe's pathetic, suppressed giggles bleeding through the link.

"Enough! Lacey, your arrogance and suspicion are disappointing! A proper Luna obeys her Alpha without question!"

He slams a wall up in my mind, severing the link.

Obey?

Hilarious.

I thought the years he spent courting me meant he loved me.

I thought he would never betray me.

Now I see it. He never loved me.

He only loved the powerful magic that brought him victory.

He thinks my wards are invincible.

He thinks I’ve spent all my energy on the pack, that I’m no longer a threat.

He overestimated himself. And he underestimated me.

I clutch the Bonding Charm in my hand and laugh.

If he chose that worthless she-wolf, then this gift is no longer his.

I slice my fingertip, letting my heart’s blood drip onto the stone altar. But the words I chant are no longer a blessing.

“By my name, Lacey, I reclaim the protection meant for you. This charm is now a curse. A shackle. For every wound you inflict on me, the pain will be returned to you tenfold!”

If Jayden truly dares to destroy this charm…

He’s about to find out just who he betrayed.