Chapter 1

Elena's POV

This was it—the biggest day of my life. At least, it would be in a few hours.

I stood in front of the mirror, gently running a brush through my hair, trying hard to hold back the huge smile on my face.

Pheisar had promised. Tonight, during the Blood Moon ceremony, he was going to announce us as a couple.

My heart hammered against my ribs, a thrilling, hot beat of pure excitement.

Inside my mind, my wolf paced restlessly, letting out soft, eager growls.

The Moonstone ring on my finger shone in the light—our unbreakable promise.

I'd pictured this moment a thousand times: swearing our vows before the Moon Goddess, finally acknowledging each other as mates, letting her witness our eternal mating bond. It was finally happening.

I slipped into the pure white gown Pheisar had specially commissioned for me. I studied my reflection, imagining the look of surprise and adoration in his eyes when he saw me.

It was time. I started toward the Great Hall, forcing myself to walk slowly, trying to appear graceful and calm.

Pack members were gathered inside, their attention fixed on the center of the room. No one noticed me come in.

A sudden, sharp wave of anxiety squeezed my heart. What was that?

My wolf, Lyra, stirred uneasily inside me. Her growl was low and sharp, "I smell something that shouldn't be here."

"This is our time, Lyra. I'm his destined mate," I whispered, trying to soothe her, pushing her sharp warning back down. "It's just pre-ceremony nerves," I told myself.

I walked into the massive banquet hall. The Moon Goddess Altar glowed brightly under everyone's gaze. The Priestess and Elders stood on both sides, their low, solemn chanting echoing like a hymn.

But when I really focused on the Altar, my world shattered. Lyra snapped her head up inside my consciousness, letting out a shriek of sheer, terrifying fury. It slammed against my chest.

Standing right there was Pheisar, the man who'd promised forever, and his arm was around another she-wolf—Selene.

She wore a silver-white ceremonial dress. Her silver hair shimmered in the light. Her eyes were full of soft affection and devotion.

What froze me completely was the silver-white pendant hanging on her chest. It was my lost silver wolfbone amulet, the one my parents left me.

Pheisar had promised to find it.

Now, it was on Selene's neck.

Lyra went ballistic, her roar deafening in my mind. "Why is that damn she-wolf standing in our place?"

The fury of my wolf burned away my sanity. I barely managed to keep the growl from tearing out of my throat.

All the noise around me vanished. All I could hear was my own ragged breathing.

My eyes cut through the crowd, locking onto Pheisar. He saw me. His expression flickered with a brief panic, but it was quickly replaced by a cold, harsh finality.

Then, Selene turned. She saw me. A flash of triumph crossed her eyes, which she instantly masked with an innocent look.

She gently raised a finger, touched the amulet on her chest, looked at me, and sighed softly.

My ears twitched. I caught a familiar voice.

Alpha Victor was leaning down, whispering to someone next to him with a sneering laugh. "Look who showed up. Isn't that Elena? She's wearing the Luna's white gown. Guess she got the wrong idea about her status."

I ignored Victor. I had to know the truth.

Ignoring everyone, I marched straight for the Altar.

"Pheisar!" My voice was hoarse, like broken glass, but it cut right through the Priestess's chanting.

He didn't turn around. He simply took Selene's hand gently and lowered his head toward the Moon Goddess Altar.

"I, Pheisar, swear to take Selene as my one and only mate. May the Moon Goddess bear witness for us." The light of the Blood Bond grew between them, sacred and brutal.

The glow of the Moon Goddess shone down on them, a chilling mockery aimed straight at me.

"Stop! Why are you doing this?" I rushed to the base of the Altar, clenching my skirt so hard my knuckles turned white. My tears finally broke through, my voice burning with anger.

He turned. His eyes were utterly cold and calm, as if he were looking at a total stranger.

Selene then slightly pulled back, shrinking into his embrace. She whispered in his ear, "Pheisar, who is this young woman? I sense her pain, but we're in the middle of our vows. Is there... a misunderstanding?"

Her voice was quiet, but loud enough for everyone near the Altar to hear. She sounded sympathetic, yet she held onto Pheisar tightly, making sure everyone knew her place.

"You don't belong here," his voice was soft, but it sliced through my heart like a knife. "Go back. Don't ruin my ceremony."

"You know I was the one chosen by the Moon Goddess..."

I didn't finish. A massive surge of his Alpha aura exploded from him. The sheer force, channeled through our mating bond, choked me. I couldn't make a sound.

"Get out. Don't make me say it again." His tone was icy, his eyes devoid of warmth.

He lowered his head and kissed Selene's forehead.

"I promise to spend my life with you. I will never betray you." His words were tender, but to me, they were a colossal crash, jolting me awake from all my ridiculous fantasies.

My heart sank into a dark, bottomless pit.

The surrounding noise rushed back. People cheered for their vows. Applause roared.

I stood there, a clown in the cold glow. My heart had completely frozen, turning to dead silence.

I spun around abruptly. Lyra's roar ripped through my consciousness, "Let me take over! I'll tear that she-wolf apart with my claws!"

I used my last ounce of strength to force her down.

I fled the banquet hall. The air outside was bitingly cold. The moonlight poured down, like a sheet of deep, chilling frost.

When I got back to the Nightshade Manor—the place Pheisar and I had shared—my phone rang. It was my foster mother, Martha.

"Elena, stop roaming around like a rogue. Get back to the pack," Martha's voice was clear and severe through the phone. "Our Alpha has decided: you will take my daughter's place. You will be Alpha Zander's mate."

Alpha Zander. The wolf from the Blackthorn Pack who was in a deep coma, maybe never waking up.

I let out a self-mocking laugh.

Martha spoke again, "If you refuse, don't blame me for what happens..."

"I agree," I said, and hung up.

My mate betrayed me. He betrayed the Moon Goddess's choice. So, what was the point of holding onto our mating bond anymore?