Chapter 1

"Emma, I know this is a difficult pill to swallow, but Isabella is in desperate need of help."

Marcus sat in the sprawling living room of the pack house, his voice laced with a weariness I’d never heard before.

I set my research papers down and studied the face of the Alpha I had loved for five years.

"Give her my research," I repeated, the words tasting like ash. "The ‘Moonlight Therapy’?"

"So she can publish it as her own." Marcus refused to meet my gaze. "She has Bloodline Decay Syndrome. This is her dying wish, Emma. Her only chance at leaving a legacy."

His words were a dagger twisting in my heart.

"My presentation is next month," I stated, my voice dangerously level.

"I know, Emma. But if it wasn’t for Isabella six years ago, I’d have been torn apart by a gang of rogues. I owe her my life."

Marcus finally looked up, his eyes pleading with me on behalf of another female.

"And what about me?" My voice began to tremble despite my efforts. "What about the five years of my life I poured into this research?"

"This is just a paper, Emma. After Isabella gets the recognition she needs, we can focus on us, on our future…"

"Just a paper?" I cut him off, incredulous. "Marcus, listen to yourself. You want me to hand over five years of my work to another female? And then what? We just move on?"

Marcus rose and strode toward me, but I took a reflexive step back.

"Emma, if you truly loved me, you would understand. Isabella needs this legacy more than you need the credit right now! This is not a betrayal!"

"Enough."

I turned to the window, my hands clenching into tight fists at my sides. The moon outside was a brilliant silver, but tonight, its light felt cold and unforgiving.

"You’ve already made your decision, haven’t you?" I said, my back still to him. "This past month… you weren’t asking for my permission. You were informing me of your plans."

I heard his footsteps halt a few paces behind me. The space between us felt like a chasm.

"Isabella’s situation is unique. She’s…"

The sharp ring of a phone sliced through his excuse. A glance at the screen confirmed my suspicion—Isabella.

Marcus answered, his tone instantly softening into one of concern.

"What is it? Are you not feeling well? Okay, I’m on my way."

After hanging up, he snatched his jacket from the back of the chair.

"I have to go check on her. We can talk about this when I get back."

"There’s nothing left to discuss," I choked out.

He paused at the door, his expression hardening from conflicted to resolved.

"A future Luna can’t afford to be so petty, Emma. It’s just a research paper. I have to fulfill her dying wish. The day Isabella successfully presents her research, I will hold our mating ceremony with you."

The door clicked shut, plunging the cavernous living room into silence.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. My phone buzzed, a new message lighting up the screen. It was from an old friend from the academic circle.

Attached was a link to a popular online forum for werewolf medical news. The headline read: "Isabella Vance to Unveil Groundbreaking 'Moonlight Therapy' for Bloodline Decay Syndrome." She was already pre-promoting it, claiming it as her own discovery.

Marcus spent a whole month trying to convince me, all the while he had already stolen a part of my work for Isabella. He had been playing me for a fool from the very start.

I swiped angrily at the hot tears on my cheeks. My phone rang again. This time, it was my mentor from the Boston Werewolf Medical Institute, Dr. Sarah.

"Emma, we have a new research project opening up, focusing on werewolf hereditary diseases. It’s a two-year position. Are you interested?"

I gazed out at the cold, distant moon, a steely resolve crystallizing in my chest.

"When can I start?"

"The sooner, the better. We need our candidate on-site by the full moon next month."

This was supposed to be the day of my research presentation, but now, it was simply the day Isabella would present that flawed research.

"Perfect," I said, my voice firm and clear. "I’ll be there on the night of the full moon."