Chapter 1

Three years after losing my wolf, I learned that my mate, Alpha Kael, had been poisoning me with Silver Dust to suppress my awakening. All because the one he truly loved was my adopted sister, Selene.

I was standing outside his office, clutching a file, my knuckles hovering just inches from the door when I heard his voice.

"Have Clara’s blood reports come in yet?"

"They have, Alpha. The level of Silver Dust in her system is dangerously high."

Silver Dust?

My hand froze in mid-air.

"Good. Keep giving her the injections. Double the dose. She can't get her wolf back, not until Selene completes the succession and claims her birthright as Alpha of the Red Fang pack."

That was Kael's voice.

My mate. My Alpha.

"But Alpha, prolonged exposure to Silver Dust will shatter her wolf's soul…"

"I said, keep injecting her! She thinks it’s Lunar Essence to help her recover. She’ll never suspect a thing."

The file slipped from my grasp, papers scattering across the floor.

Three years.

For three long years, I'd endured the daily injections he administered himself, which he claimed were "Lunar Essence."

He told me I'd lost too much blood during the rogue attack and needed special energy to help my wolf heal.

He told me he loved me.

He told me he would protect me.

He told me he would wait for me to regain my strength.

All of it. Lies.

I bent down to pick up the papers, my hands trembling.

The voices inside continued.

"When can Alpha Selene complete the inheritance ceremony?"

"Another six months. By then, Clara will be completely useless. A waste of space with a wolf destroyed by Silver Dust. Who's going to care about her then?"

Useless.

A waste.

I could hear my own heart breaking.

…

I don't remember how I got home.

I only remember the memories flooding back.

That night three years ago, under the full moon.

I was in the forest alone, preparing for my coming-of-age ceremony, when a pack of rogues ambushed me.

When I woke up, I was in the hospital. Kael was holding my hand, his eyes filled with tears.

"Clara, you lost so much blood. Your wolf is weak. But don't be afraid, I'll protect you."

"But my pack…"

"Your father has decided to let Selene be the heir of the Red Fang pack. You need a long time to recover, and he can't wait."

I remembered the despair.

As a child, I was kidnapped by a rival pack.

I lost my memories and was forced to live as a rogue.

My rare gift of Sight made me a renowned Visionary—an artist who could weave prophecies into her work.

The day my father found me, I thought I finally had a home.

But not long after, the accident happened. I nearly lost my wolf.

And the psychic power I was so proud of.

Unable to heal quickly, I was no longer acceptable to the pack.

My father's adopted daughter, Selene, took my place as the pack's heir.

Worse, she had even swayed my fated mate, Alpha Ethan of the Moonstone Pack, to her side.

Only Kael stayed by my side.

"Mate with me, Clara. Let me be your Alpha. I promise you'll never be hurt again."

And so, I became the Luna of the Silver Moon pack.

But now, I was a joke.

I stood in Kael's study, facing his Alpha-grade safe.

The password was our mating date.

How ironic.

The safe opened.

It didn't contain important documents or wealth as I'd imagined.

It was full of Selene's things.

Her letters to him.

The gifts she gave him.

And a beautiful wolf-fang necklace, carved with ancient pack protection runes.

I picked up the necklace. The runes shimmered in the moonlight.

This was an Alpha's vow to his Luna, a symbol of eternal protection and love.

And I, his true Luna, had never received such a gift.

At the very bottom was a photo.

Kael and Selene, standing in the moonlight. He was placing the necklace around her neck.

Her smile was as bright as the stars, his gaze full of a deep, quiet tenderness.

The photo was dated... one month ago.

The day before our third mating anniversary.

I slowly put the photo down and took out the burner phone I'd hidden in the drawer.

I had saved this number for three years but never dialed it.

The phone rang three times before it was answered.

"Clara?"

The voice was old and commanding, yet filled with endless warmth.

"Grandfather," my voice was steady, "I'm coming home. I'll be there in seven days. Please send someone for me."