Chapter 1

At Selena’s birthday banquet, Kael made a rare exception and allowed me to leave the dungeon.

The moment I entered the hall, I saw the gold moon crown on her head.

It had belonged to my mother.

“Why isn’t a criminal kneeling before the Alpha and Luna?”

A guard behind me kicked the back of my injured knee.

I dropped heavily to the floor, my forehead touching the cold stone.

Kael sat at the head of the hall, watching me without expression.

“Eileen, you’re late.”

“I’m sorry, Alpha.”

I did not explain.

My left leg had been badly injured. Walking from the dungeon to the main stronghold took me at least two hours.

Kael gave a cold laugh.

“It seems you’ve finally learned obedience.”

The last time I defied him, he locked me inside a silver cage.

When I was down to my final breath, he ordered a healer to use the Pack’s most precious medicine to save me.

He would not allow me to die.

But he had never intended to let me live well either.

“Get up.”

Selena walked over and gently helped me to my feet.

“You were the former Alpha’s most beloved daughter. Even if the Moonshadow Pack has been destroyed, you don’t have to treat yourself like a slave.”

Her voice was kind.

But every word reminded me that my father, mother, and brother were dead.

Then her eyes fell on my wrist.

A moonstone bracelet rested there.

“It’s beautiful,” she said with a smile. “I love it. Eileen, would you give it to me as a birthday gift?”

I looked up at Kael.

He did not stop her.

Kael had given me the bracelet when we were children.

Each moonstone had been soaked in rare herbs from the Pack. It eased pain and strengthened the wolf spirit.

I had always been physically weak, and my wolf spirit was weaker than most.

When Kael first fastened it around my wrist, he lowered his head and kissed my skin.

“Eileen,” he said, the tips of his ears turning red while his eyes shone with moonlight, “once you wear something of mine, you belong to me.”

My face had burned with embarrassment, and I turned and ran.

He laughed behind me, his voice carrying across the garden.

Everyone knew the heir of the Black Pack was in love with the little princess of the Moonshadow Pack.

Now he only watched coldly as another woman asked for the bracelet.

“If the Luna wants it, then of course she can have it.”

I removed the bracelet and placed it in Selena’s hand.

Behind me, a wineglass suddenly shattered.

I did not turn around.

Selena slipped the bracelet onto her wrist, clearly pleased.

Then she smiled.

“I heard you used to be the best dancer in the Moonshadow Pack. Since we have so many guests tonight, why don’t you perform for us?”

Laughter filled the hall.

Some of the guests had followed Kael when he invaded Moonshadow territory.

Others had betrayed my father and opened the gates for the Black Pack.

I had no right to refuse.

When I did not move at once, one of the commanders picked up a bowl of hot soup and threw it over me.

The scalding liquid soaked through my clothes.

Pain burned across my chest and shoulders.

“Why are you still pretending to be noble?”

The man laughed.

“Your entire Pack was destroyed. You should be grateful the Alpha allowed you to live.”

The music began.

I rose onto my toes and started to dance.

The fabric had already stuck to my burned skin. With every movement, the wounds tore open again.

Blood ran down my shoulder.

Kael’s gaze fixed on it.

The veins stood out across the hand gripping his wineglass.

Then he said coldly,

“Enough.”

For one foolish moment, I thought he could no longer bear to watch.

Then he looked at me.

“Eileen, did you deliberately leave your wounds like this because you wanted me to feel sorry for you?”

“Your wolf spirit may be weak, but you still have a werewolf’s healing ability. If your body is covered in scars, it’s because you wanted them to remain.”

The moment he finished speaking, a familiar pain twisted through my chest.

I covered my mouth and began coughing violently.

Blood spilled between my fingers.