Chapter 1

Nadia's POV

I never should have come back.

The moment I step onto Silver Moon pack territory, my wolf starts pacing restlessly inside me. Five years. Five years since I ran away from this place, from him, from everything that broke me. My hands shake as I grip the steering wheel tighter, watching the familiar pine trees blur past my window.

"You can do this, Nadia," I whisper to myself, but the words feel hollow.

The pack house looms ahead, bigger than I remember. My stomach churns. I'm only here because Mom is sick. Really sick. The kind of sick that makes you swallow your pride and face your demons. The kind that makes you come crawling back to the place you swore you'd never return to.

I park my beat-up Honda behind a row of expensive cars. Everything here screams money and power. Everything reminds me I don't belong. Never did.

Before I can lose my nerve, the front door swings open. My heart stops.

Dylan.

He stands there like a god carved from moonlight and shadows. Broader shoulders than I remember. Sharper jawline. Those storm-gray eyes that used to look at me with such love now hold nothing but ice. The mate bond, supposedly severed, still hums faintly between us like a dying heartbeat.

"Nadia." My name falls from his lips like a curse.

"Hello, Dylan." I force my voice to stay steady. "I need to see my mother."

He doesn't move from the doorway. Just stands there, blocking my path, his massive frame making me feel small. Weak. The same way I felt five years ago when he chose her over me.

"She's in the medical wing," he finally says. "Third floor."

I nod and try to move past him, but his hand shoots out, gripping my arm. Sparks. Even after all this time, even after the rejection, his touch still sends electricity through my veins.

"You shouldn't have come back." His voice is low, dangerous.

I yank my arm free. "I didn't have a choice."

"There's always a choice."

"Really?" I laugh, but it's bitter. "Like the choice you made when you rejected me for Veronica?"

His jaw clenches. For a second, something flickers in his eyes. Regret? Pain? But it's gone before I can be sure.

"That was different."

"Right. Because the Alpha's son couldn't possibly mate with the omega's daughter. How silly of the Moon Goddess to make such a mistake."

"You don't understand—"

"I understand perfectly." I push past him, my shoulder brushing his chest. More sparks. More pain. "You're the Alpha now, I heard. Congratulations. Did Veronica give you strong heirs? Beautiful pups with alpha blood?"

He growls, the sound vibrating through the air between us. "Veronica is dead."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I stop, turning slowly to face him.

"What?"

"Rogues. Two years ago." His face is stone, but I catch the grief hidden in the depths of his eyes.

"Dylan, I... I'm sorry."

He laughs, but there's no humor in it. "Are you?"

Before I can answer, a voice calls from inside the house. "Alpha? The council is waiting."

Dylan's expression hardens. "Go see your mother, Nadia. Then leave. You're not welcome here."

He disappears into the house, leaving me standing alone on the porch. My wolf whimpers inside me, still calling for her mate despite everything. I press my hand to my chest, trying to ease the ache that never really went away.

The medical wing smells of antiseptic and wolfsbane. I find Mom in a room at the end of the hall, looking so small in the hospital bed. Her once vibrant brown hair is now streaked with gray, her skin pale as paper.

"Nadia?" Her eyes flutter open, focusing on me with difficulty. "My baby, you came."

"Of course I came." I rush to her side, taking her frail hand in mine. "What happened, Mom? Why didn't you call me sooner?"

"I didn't want to worry you. Didn't want you to come back here, to him."

"Mom—"

"The doctors say it's my wolf. She's... dying. Taking me with her." She squeezes my hand weakly. "But I'm glad you're here. There's something... something I need to tell you."

"Save your strength. We can talk later."

"No." Her grip tightens with surprising strength. "Listen to me. Your father... he wasn't your real father."

The room spins. "What?"

"Your real father was... was an alpha. From the Crimson Lake pack." She coughs, specks of blood staining her lips. "That's why Dylan rejected you. His father found out. Threatened to... to kill you if Dylan didn't reject you and mate with Veronica instead."

My world tilts off its axis. "No. That can't be true."

"Dylan protected you, baby. He loved you so much, he let you hate him to keep you safe."

"But... but he said I wasn't good enough. He said I was weak, pathetic—"

"Lies. All lies to make you leave, to make you stay away." Mom's breathing becomes labored. "But now... now you need to know the truth. Because they're coming for you, Nadia. Your real father's pack. They know where you are."

Terror floods through me. "Mom, what are you saying?"

Her eyes roll back, machines start beeping frantically. Nurses rush in, pushing me aside.

"Mom! MOM!"

Strong hands pull me back. Dylan's scent envelops me as he drags me from the room. I fight against him, but he's too strong.

"Let me go! I need to—"

"She's in good hands. The healers will help her."

I spin to face him, tears streaming down my face. "Is it true? What she said about my father? About why you rejected me?"

His face goes pale. "Nadia—"

A howl pierces the night. Then another. And another.

Dylan's eyes flash gold. "They're here."

"Who's here?"

He grabs my shoulders, his eyes boring into mine. "Crimson Lake. They've come for you."

Before I can process his words, the window explodes.