Chapter 1

"Get off the altar!"

A black leather boot kicked me hard in the chest. Before I could react, I was sent flying off the platform and crashing onto the stone floor below.

I spat out a mouthful of dark, clotted blood mixed with bits of shredded tissue. The pain was unbearable, and it wasn't just from the kick. It felt like a thousand knives were churning wildly through every part of my body.

A Rogue had slashed Drevan's back to ribbons last night. Those wounds had become mine, and now the kick made every one of them flare up.

"Oh my Goddess! Why is she so weak?"

"Told you she's a weakling. The Alpha hasn't even gone all out."

Jeers broke out around me as the crowd stared down at me with utter contempt.

Trembling, I lifted my head and squinted through blurry vision toward the raised platform where Drevan Valkor stood. He was the werewolf I'd loved for three years, and the one whose pain I'd endured in his place.

Just then, he pulled out a handkerchief with a look of disgust and wiped the toe of the boot he had just used to kick me.

"Don't stain my altar with your filthy blood!" he spat.

Drevan casually tossed the handkerchief onto my face, blocking out the last bit of my vision.

"Drevan…" My voice cracked as I pulled it away. "Today is… the mate bonding ceremony… Please complete the mark…"

I didn't care if it was just a formality or if he left immediately afterward for someone else. All I wanted was for him to complete the mark so I could survive. I stumbled forward, trying to drag myself back onto the altar.

Drevan finally glanced down at me from the platform.

"Mate bonding?"

He sounded like he'd heard the funniest joke in the world.

In one swift motion, he pulled the she-wolf beside him into his arms. She wore a fiery red dress, and her smile was mocking and triumphant.

She was my stepsister, Belle Wynter.

"Listen up," he said, raising her hand in front of the entire pack. "I, Drevan Valkor, Alpha of the Darkmoon pack, swear before the Moon Goddess that I officially reject Kyra Wynter as my mate."

The word hit me like a physical blow. I couldn't believe he had actually rejected me.

"I'm doing this for your own good, Kyra," Belle purred as she snuggled in his arms. She looked down at me with pure malice.

"Drevan is the Invincible Alpha, and his mate has to be able to fight alongside him. But you? You gasp for breath after walking just a few steps. If you actually set foot on a battlefield, he'd have to stop fighting to carry your body home."

The crowd roared with laughter.

"Ms. Belle is right. Weaklings should get out of the pack."

I dug my fingers into the dirt until my nails split and blood soaked into the soil. Only I knew the truth about how Drevan became the Invincible Alpha and why he could dominate every fight without a scratch.

It was because all the pain and bloodshed were mine to bear. I suffered in silence and bore every hidden wound while he walked away unscathed and claimed all the glory.

"No… It's not like that…"

I struggled to get up, desperate to expose this ridiculous lie.

"Drevan, you'll regret this… Without me—"

"Shut up!" Drevan cut me off impatiently. "My only regret is wasting three years with a sickly thing like you pretending to be my Luna. Get this pathetic thing out of here. Just looking at her turns my stomach."

Two burly guards rushed forward and yanked me up by the arms. The sudden tug ripped open the wounds across my back, and I screamed in agony.

The pain hit me so hard that my vision went black. It felt like I was slipping away. In the final moment before I lost consciousness, the last thing I heard was Belle's mocking voice.

"Dear, don't let a weakling like her ruin your mood. Tonight is our special night…"

I laughed bitterly at her words. I realized they were all liars, every single one of them.