Chapter 2

"I am the one you are waiting for," I said, my voice calm and steady.

For a moment, they just stared.

Then they burst into even louder laughter.

Jenna was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. She patted Silas's chest. "Darling, did you hear that? This rogue says she's Chairman Zane's fated mate!"

"Hahaha! A rejected Omega?" one wolf sneered. "Not even in her wildest dreams!"

"Has she lost her mind?"

"Three years and she's become delusional?"

Jenna wiped a tear of laughter from her eye. "You pathetic stray," she sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "Do you have any idea who we are waiting for? We are here for the mate of Alpha Chairman Zane! The Supreme Luna herself!"

"You think just any stray can pretend to be her?"

Jenna started showing off. "Do you have any idea how much the Chairman spoils his mate? The whole Alliance knows! He destroyed three packs overnight for his Luna because they disrespected her! He had a one-of-a-kind mating gift made for her—the 'Heart of the Alpha' pendant, forged from the core of an entire moonstone meteorite!"

Her eyes gleamed with jealousy. "That's the ultimate mating gift among werewolves! The only one in the world! Moonstone meteorite is a thousand times rarer than diamonds, and the core was the size of a fist! You'll probably never even see one in your lifetime."

Then, Jenna froze.

Her eyes locked on my chest. All the color drained from her face.

"What… what is that?" she stammered, her finger trembling as she pointed at me.

Everyone followed her gaze to my chest.

At the collar of my simple white shirt, a delicate platinum chain was barely visible.

On it hung a fist-sized pendant, glowing with a faint, silvery-blue light.

It was the unique glow of a moonstone meteorite.

The surface of the pendant was carved with intricate runes, and a heart-shaped sapphire was set in the center.

It was the exact "Heart of the Alpha" Jenna had just described.

"No... impossible..." Jenna muttered. "That's impossible..."

Silas lunged forward, his fingers grabbing the chain.

"Where did you get this cheap fake?" he roared, his eyes blazing with fury. "How dare you impersonate the Supreme Luna with this piece of garbage?"

"Fakes like this are everywhere now!"

I instinctively protected the pendant with my hand, a gentle smile on my face.

Zane had placed it around my neck on the night of our mating.

He said it represented his heart, and that it would belong only to me, forever.

The way I shielded the pendant sent a flash of pure madness through Silas’s eyes.

"How dare you cherish a gift from another male?"

His possessiveness exploded. He yanked violently at the chain. "What is this garbage? You think you're worthy of wearing it?"

"Silas, don't..." I tried to stop him.

But he had lost all reason. He gave one final, brutal pull.

The platinum chain snapped.

The Heart of the Alpha hit the tarmac with a sickening clink.

My smile shattered. In its place, only ice remained. I met his gaze.

Jenna immediately snatched the pendant from the ground, turning it over and over. "It has to be fake!" she said with certainty. "How could a real moonstone meteorite end up on this bitch?"

"Exactly. Fakes like this are everywhere," a wolf beside her agreed.

"It's a good copy, though. Almost had me fooled," another added.

I held out my hand. "Give it back to me."

"Give it back?" Jenna sneered. "Why would you want this piece of trash? To embarrass yourself?"

My icy stare made Silas's breath catch. But Silas quickly twisted my defiance into shame, seeing only a liar caught in the act.

His hand flew up to slap me but froze mid-air. A look of disgust crossed his face.

"Touching you would make me sick," he spat. "You dare lie about knowing the Chairman? The Alliance is reviewing our pack right now! Do you want to ruin us all with your insane stories?"

Jenna chimed in, her voice dripping with venom. "Ungrateful stray! Are you trying to get us all killed?"

Seeing my silence, Silas mistook it for fear and smirked.

"Whatever. For old times' sake, I won't lower myself to your level."

He pulled a black credit chip from his pocket and threw it at my feet.

"Here's fifty thousand. Buy yourself some decent clothes."

"I'll arrange a junior healer position for you at the pack's medical center."

He looked down at me like he was bestowing a great charity. "To me, 50,000 credits is nothing. But for someone in your situation, it's enough to live decently for a while."

"Be grateful for my generosity."

The other wolves started whispering.

"Alpha Silas is so kind."

"If it were me, I'd have thrown that ungrateful wretch out long ago."

"She should be on her knees thanking him."

I looked at the black chip on the ground. Then I looked at Silas's smug face.

Disgust.

Pure and total disgust.

Their jaws dropped when I stepped right over the chip without a second glance.

I walked straight to Jenna and held out my hand. "Give it back."

"What do you want?" Jenna stepped back warily. "You still want this fake?"

I didn't say a word. I just snatched the pendant from her hand.

And put it back around my neck.

Silas's face turned livid. "Caliana! What is the meaning of this?"

I met his gaze, my voice dangerously quiet.

"Keep your charity, Silas. I don't touch trash."