MasukNORA’S POV
I was stunned to my bones, too stunned to move. I gaped as the drama unfolded around me. My heart bled like someone was ripping it out of its cage.
For a few minutes, I couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening. The world was spinning around me, and everyone seemed to be okay.
I was rejected in the same second, my best friend was pronounced the new Luna of Riverstone pack.
A lump gathered around my throat. “Celeste…”
Her signature gentle expression wore off. She rested one hand against her waist, and the other on her lower abdomen. “What do you think?” She began. “That, I’ll leave my man for you, because of some mate bond?”
“We’re best friends,”
Celeste snickered. Her calm demeanor rolling off. “Best friends don’t take what belongs to their best friend,” She spat. “Nora, you’ve always been a bad choice for Aiden, and I’m glad he realized it pretty fast,” she giggled, wrapped her hands around Aiden’s neck, and pulled him into a deep kiss.
Aiden smiled sheepishly, like a teenager in love. I was his wife, and fated mate, and the closest I’d seen him smile was a devious smirk, right before he did wicked things to me.
He was tossing me out, like a cheap distraction. Like I never mattered. Like the fated bond we shared was an illusion.
Celeste scrunched her nose. “Guess what, we’re having a baby!” She squealed.
The crowd erupted in cheers. Everyone rushed to them, almost knocking me over me. I watched with blurred vision as they congratulated the new couple.
Broken. Scared. Rejected. Betrayed. Weak.
All in a split second. My heart felt like it was getting ripped out of my ribcage. I spun around on my feet, with what was left of my strength, and started making my way out of the hall.
“Nora!” Aiden cried.
I stopped in my tracks, but didn’t turn to face him. I couldn’t let him see how broken I was. “One last thing, before you move to the maids quarters,” he said. “Sign this.”
“Don’t let us argue because of a mere signature,” Beta Austin snarled. He handed me a pen, and held out the file to my face.
Another round of heartbreak spread like poison through my blood, as my eyes scanned the content of the document.
DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS.
On the same day he’d rejected our bond. The pen trembled violently, as I scribbled my signature onto the paper. My tears dropped on it, earning me a low growl from Aiden.
“One more thing Nora, you have to move to the room down the hallway on Alpha Aiden’s floor,” Celeste began, “You cannot imagine how stressful it is to be pregnant with an Alpha pup. I need all the help I can get.” she added with a strained sigh.
Doris snickered. “She’s good for nothing,” she said, and quickly added. “You heard your Luna. She needs the help of an Omega, and you’re the perfect fit.” her tone was demeaning.
I simply turned, dragged my heavy legs towards the exit. My body numb, from the shock it’d been put through. For years, I’d endured the pain, and humiliation of a wolfless Orphan, in the same pack that once doted on me.
Enough!
I wasn’t going to stay back, and watch these traitors walk over me. I wiped the tears off my eyes, and made my way straight to Aiden’s suite.
I looked around the room, memories of Aiden etched like a nightmare in my brain. This was the room he made me a woman. He was going to share it with someone else.
I ran my hand over the king sized bed we shared every other night.
The sex had been rough, heck! A punishment to me. He relished in subduing me, even though I succumbed easily to his wolf.
Aiden derived pleasure in breaking me shred by shred. I was done this time. I was done lurking around a pack that avoided me like a plague. I turned my head sideways, staring at my reflection in the full-length mirror.
I ran my hands over my scar. It was ugly, but it didn’t take away my person. Who I truly was. Aiden might’ve dropped me like I was trash, to him I was.
It didn’t matter anymore. He made his choice.
I let out a laugh— a soft sound filled my empty heart. I ran my hands over the scar on my face, and my heart sank. I wasn’t going to stick around, and take in the disgrace.
I was done being hopeless. It was time to take powers into my hands. I shoved a few clothes into my bag.
“Goodbye ex-husband,” I said out loud even though I was the only one in the room.
“And where do you think you’re going?” Aiden’s steely voice entered my ears. I stopped in my tracks, clutching my hands tight against the strap of my bag.
Deafening silence stretched the air between us.
I had a thousand things to say. More than anything, I wanted to curl my hands into a fist, and hit him so hard until he bled out.
‘Pleaseee. You’re too weak to stand up to an Alpha,’ ’ a voice echoed in my head.
Alpha Aiden Reynolds rounded me, and stood in front of me. His face contorted in amusement. “Aha! It seemed the caged bird finally decided to spread her wings.”
A vein pulsated in my neck. Instead of fear, and my lungs fighting for oxygen, anger spread like venom in my bloodstream.
Aiden Reynolds reached for my hair, and tugged at it. I pushed his hands away. His face was pale red, it was obvious he was still suffering from the bond that had snapped dead.
He groaned, “Nora, if you walk out of the borders of the pack tonight, you know what that means,” he growled. “If no pack takes you in before the next full moon, which I’m pretty sure of…” his voice trailed off.
My breath hitched. “I become a rogue.”
A flicker of shock touched his eyes, and died an instant death. “Nora, you won’t survive that, and you know it. No pack will take a subdued in.”
I locked contact with him, my eyes and a quality mix of pain, regret, and resignation. “Let that be my hell to burn in.” sidestepped him, and walked straight to the borders of Riverstone pack.
Every memory of my childhood, and the love I thought I would live, faded away with each step I took. The warriors that manned the borders looked at me with scorn.
The moonlight casted shadows against the warriors faces, obscuring half their faces. “She’s not gonna last for long, before she comes running back.” one said amidst laughter.
“We’ll pick her body up, and bury her ruins beside her parents.” another jeered.
I pressed my lips together. “I’ll be back…” I held my breath. I stepped past the borders of the Riverstone pack.
I was going to rewrite my fate, this time Aiden Reynolds and the entire Riverstone would collapse on their knees.
NORASilence was much worse than the shouting.Sitting on the edge of the large mattress, cold drafts swept steadily over my bare feet. The heavy oak door of my bedroom remained firmly locked. Outside, muffled sounds of chanting and angry riots echoed persistently from the snowy courtyard.They hated me again.The sudden, miraculous appearance of Elara completely erased any fragile progress I made with the pack. Yesterday, they bowed to me. Today, they wanted me thrown out into the dead lands."Mom?" Kaelen’s small, quiet voice broke the heavy quiet.Looking up, my son stood in the doorway of the adjoining nursery. He clutched his wooden wolf toy tightly against his chest, his golden eyes looking entirely too serious for a toddler."Yes, baby," forcing a small, reassuring smile, patting the mattress next to me.Scrambling up onto the tall bed, Kaelen leaned his head against my arm. "Why are the men yelling outside the window?""They are just confused right now," brushing the dark, mes
KAIShouting echoed violently off the vaulted stone ceiling of the Great Hall.Standing on the raised dais, absolute chaos erupted in the massive space below me. Thirty elite military captains and the surviving traditionalist elders formed a massive, aggressive circle around the woman in the black cloak. The air smelled thickly of sweat, wet wool, and pure Lycan panic."This is a miracle!" Elder Vance yelled over the deafening noise, throwing his wrinkled hands into the air."It is a goddamn joke!" roaring back, I slammed my fist on the heavy wooden podium. The thick oak cracked instantly under the crushing force of my hand. "She died ten years ago! My scouts found her bloody clothes in the bottom of the eastern ravine!"Elara simply stood there in the center of the hostile room.Wearing a perfectly rehearsed expression of tragic sorrow, she didn't flinch at my anger. Touching the long, jagged scar running down the left side of her face, she looked up at the dais with wide, innocent e
THIRD PERSON’s POV While the royal family fractured inside the high stone walls of Blackcrest, a completely different kind of venom was brewing in the shadows of the southern coast.Rain lashed violently against the dirty window of the cheap motel room.Sitting in a cracked leather chair, Celeste slowly stirred her lukewarm coffee. She looked radically different from her days as an arrogant personal assistant. Dark circles framed her eyes. She wore a simple, unbranded raincoat. Surviving the fallout of Aiden's death had required her to drain her hidden bank accounts and completely disappear.But she didn't disappear to hide. She disappeared to plan.The heavy wooden door of the motel room unlocked.A tall, striking Lycan woman stepped inside, shaking the rain from her dark cloak. Pulling her hood down, the woman revealed sharp, aristocratic features. A long, jagged scar ran completely down the left side of her face, a permanent reminder of a brutal border skirmish years ago."You hav
NORACold wind howled fiercely through the shattered stained-glass window.Sitting alone on the hard marble floor of the throne room, the silver dagger lay entirely forgotten in the snow outside. Tears no longer fell. The violent, crushing grief had burned itself out, leaving behind a hollow, agonizing void that made drawing a single breath feel impossible."Heiress?"Marcus’s voice echoed softly across the massive hall.Looking up, the captain stood near the heavy iron doors. His face was entirely drawn, etched with deep concern. He didn't carry his rifle."They are gone, Marcus," keeping my voice barely above a whisper. "The Kings left the wing.""I know," Marcus replied, walking slowly toward the dais. "General Gideon escorted them to the lower barracks. They didn't put up a fight. Alpha Kai gave direct orders to the guards not to approach you unless you called for them."Leaning back against the cold obsidian throne, exhaustion finally hit my bones like a physical weight. "Did Eli
NORA’S POVThe cold, black obsidian of the royal throne felt like ice against my spine.Sitting in the massive, empty hall, I stared blankly at the thick manila folder resting on my lap. The paper felt heavier than a block of solid lead. My hands shook slightly, but I forced my fingers to remain perfectly still. The tears dried up hours ago, replaced by a hollow, burning void in the center of my chest.The heavy iron doors at the far end of the room slammed open.The echoing boom shattered the terrible silence.Kai and Halil marched into the throne room. They looked absolutely ruined. Kai’s chest heaved with frantic, ragged breaths. Halil’s dark eyes were completely wide with agonizing confusion. They bypassed the guards effortlessly, closing the distance to the raised dais in seconds."Leave us," I ordered Marcus, my voice completely dead."Heiress, are you sure?" Marcus called out, keeping his hand on his weapon."Close the doors, Marcus."The heavy iron groaned again, shutting with
HALILReaching blindly across the mattress, my hand met freezing silk.My eyes snapped open instantly. Pushing the heavy quilt aside, the sharp, violent sting of panic hit my chest. The space beside me was completely empty. The sheets were cold to the touch. Inhaling sharply, the sweet scent of vanilla and rain was completely stale in the room. She had been gone for hours.Throwing my legs over the edge of the bed, my bare feet hit the freezing stone floor."Nora?" I called out, my voice thick with sleep.Total silence answered me.Grabbing a dark t-shirt from the chair, I pulled it over my head and walked quickly out into the adjoining hallway. The royal wing was usually bustling with servants and guards by dawn. Today, the corridor felt like a tomb.Approaching the massive double doors of the nursery, my blood ran completely cold.Two elite Moon Creek soldiers stood directly in front of the carved wood. They wore full tactical gear. The second I stepped within ten feet of them, both
NORA’S POV. I groaned, struggling to pry my eyes open. “Our Luna decided to grace us with her consciousness.” A stern voice cut across the room. I made to sit up, but all my bones felt like they were crushed under the weight of a boulder. My eyes lingered around the room. It wasn’t like my room i
AIDEN’S POV I did the right thing. I was sure of it. Nora was no good. She couldn’t even bear me a pup, not even a female. Her body was frail, and clearly cannot carry my seed. I tightened my grip around my pen, as I scribbled some words onto the document, my heart in a completely different place
NORA’S POV “Don’t worry, there’ll be no need for that anyway.” I pulled away, as the maid tried to cover the scar on my face with makeup. The maid didn’t say anything, yet the glaring question was all over her face. A soft knock sounded against the door, “I’ll take it up from here, you may leav
NORA’S POV My heart stomped against my chest as I made my way to the lavish waiting area that led to Alpha Aiden’s office. I grabbed my clutch in one hand, my other hand trembled lightly. His secretary walked out of his office, her expression inscrutable. “He’s busy…” Her voice came out indiffere







