Chapter 1

The Northern Star was a giant ship. It was covered in millions of Christmas lights that sparkled on the dark, cold water. To the people on board, it was a dream vacation. To me, it was supposed to be the start of my new life.

I stood in front of the mirror in the hallway of my room. I fixed my silver nightgown. My heart was beating fast. Today had been perfect. I had just married Julian, the handsome future leader of the Crescent Peak pack.

"Mrs. Vailant," I whispered.

The name felt strange, but I tried to be happy. My family is the Silver-Bane line. We are an old and famous family, but we have lost our power. This marriage was supposed to fix everything.

I walked to the door of our bedroom. I had left the party early because I had a headache. I wanted to surprise Julian with candles and a romantic room.

I reached for the door handle, but then I heard a sound. It was laughter.

I froze. I knew that laugh. It belonged to Chloe. She was my maid of honor. She was my best friend. We had grown up together.

I pushed the door open just a little bit.

The smell hit me first. I could smell Julian and Chloe together. For a werewolf, this smell was like a physical blow to the chest. The room was dark, but I could see them clearly.

Julian had his back to me. Chloe was standing against the table, her hands in his hair. She looked happy and proud.

"Do you think she knows?" Chloe whispered. "Does your little princess have any idea?"

Julian laughed. It was a mean, cold sound. "Azzianna? She doesn't know anything. She is just a trophy, Chloe. She is a pretty girl who owns a very large piece of land."

"The land," Chloe said. "Is that all she is to you?" I saw Julian nod his head

"The land is the power," Julian said. His voice was hoarse.

"Once I sign the papers at the end of this trip, I don’t need her anymore. I will have the land, and she can live in a small room in the back of the house forever."

My world just stopped, It wasn't my heart is breaking. As werewolves, we have a magical bond with our mates. Ours was new and weak, but Julian was tearing it apart with his words.

I felt like I couldn't breathe. I stepped back quietly. I didn't want to scream. If I cried now, Julian would win. I couldn't stay in that room with a man who lied to me and a friend who betrayed me.

I turned and ran.

I ran past the gold elevators and the fancy paintings. I didn't stop until I reached the very top of the ship.

The air was freezing. The wind felt like needles on my skin. I was only wearing my thin nightgown and a robe. My skin was turning blue, but I didn't care. The ice in my heart was colder than the wind.

I grabbed the railing of the ship. "I am Azzianna, a Silver-Bane," I whispered. My tears were turning to ice on my face.

"I am not a trophy." But I felt like a fool. I had given my life to a man who only wanted my money and my land.

"You’re going to get sick out here."

A voice came from the shadows. it was deep and rough. It sounded like thunder.

I spun around. My eyes turned bright yellow because I was scared and angry.

A man was leaning against the wall. He was huge. He had broad shoulders and messy black hair. He wore a heavy leather jacket with a wolf skull on the back. He had a scar on his face, and his eyes were dark grey.

I knew him.

He was Lucian Vailant. He was Julian’s older brother. He was the man who was supposed to be the leader, but he was sent away years ago. People said he was dangerous.

"Go away, Lucian," I said while my voice was shaking.

"I don’t want to talk to a Thorne right now."

Lucian didn't leave. He smoked a cigarette and looked at me. "The Thorne family is full of lies, little bird," he said and walked towards me. He moved like a wolf hunting in the woods. He had a power that Julian didn't have. Julian was like a clean park, but Lucian was like a wild forest.

"Why are you here?" Lucian asked. "Shouldn't you be with your new husband?"

"Shouldn't you be at a biker bar?" I asked. I pulled my robe closer to my body.

Lucian stood next to me at the railing. "I like the cold," he said. "The cold is honest. It doesn't pretend." He turned his head to look at me. "I could smell your heart breaking from far away. It smelled like a dying fire."

I looked away. "You felt that?"

"I am a real Alpha, Azzianna," he said. His voice was very low. "I feel everything that happens to my family. And right now, my brother is with a woman who is not his wife. It is a disgrace."

I started to cry again. I hated that he knew the truth. I hated that the "dangerous" brother saw me like this.

"He wants my land," I whispered. "He said I was nothing."

"He is a fool," Lucian said. He looked at me with his grey eyes. "Julian only looks at the surface. He doesn't know how to see what is truly valuable."

Lucian reached out. I thought he was going to touch me, and I felt a strange spark. Instead, he took off his heavy leather jacket and put it over my shoulders.

The jacket was very heavy and warm. It smelled like motor oil and leather. It made me feel safe for a moment.

"Listen to me," Lucian said. He stepped closer. He was so tall I had to look way up at him.

"Julian wants to tell everyone about your land at the big party. Once he does that, the leaders will give the land to him. You will lose everything."

"I can't let him do that," I said. I felt my strength coming back. "But I have no one to help me. I am alone on this ship."

Lucian leaned down. His lips were close to my ear.

"You are not alone. You are just looking at the wrong brother." I gasped. "What are you saying?"

"Julian wants a trophy. I want to see him fail," Lucian said.

"You want your life back. I want to clean the Thorne name."

He looked into my eyes. "Give them a different story, Azzianna. If the pack thinks you have a new mate—a stronger Alpha—Julian cannot take your land. The leaders won't give it to a man who lost his wife's heart."

"You want us to pretend to be together?" I asked.

"I want us to create a scandal," Lucian said with a dark smile on his face.

"Let everyone see us. Let Julian watch me take the one thing he wants. We will share a room. We will go to the party together. We will act like we are in love."

I looked at him. He was a rogue. He was dangerous. But Julian had already ruined my life. I had nothing left to lose.

"What happens when the trip is over?" I asked.

Lucian’s eyes changed. For a second, they looked warm and very intense.

"When the trip is over," he whispered, "you will be free. And Julian will have nothing."

I looked at the silver ring on my finger. It felt like a chain. I looked at Lucian’s hand. It looked strong enough to break that chain.

I took his hand. His skin was very hot against my cold fingers.

"Okay," I said. "Let's give them a nightmare for Christmas."

Lucian gripped my hand tightly. Just as I agreed, a loud noise came from the doorway to the deck.

Julian was standing there. He looked angry. But then he looked at my hand in Lucian’s hand. His eyes widened in shock.

"Azzianna?" Julian yelled. "What are you doing with him?"

Lucian didn't let go of my hand. He pulled me closer to his side. He looked at his brother and smiled. It was the smile of a predator.

"She’s with me now, Julian," Lucian growled.

"And we have so much to talk about."

I looked at Julian. For the first time, I wasn't afraid. I saw the fear in his eyes.