Chapter 1

My entire pack was slaughtered. Alpha Caden mated to me. For three years, I was his Luna, believing I was safe. Then I knew that he hadn't saved me. He had used me—all to protect the real killer. His one true love, Lyra.

Just hours ago, the weight of a long patrol hung on his shoulders, and my heart ached for him.

I brewed him a cup of Moonlight Tea and tiptoed toward his study.

The tea was a special blend, meant to soothe a wolf’s frayed nerves and ease the burn in muscles pushed to their limit.

I even added a precious drop of Moonstone essence, one of the last I owned.

My footsteps were silent in the hall.

The study door was closed, but a low voice from inside made me freeze.

"Alpha, do you know what you're doing?"

It was Marcus, his Beta.

He never used that tone with Caden.

I held my breath, my wolf's hearing catching every word.

"Perfectly," Caden’s voice was laced with exhaustion, but the steel beneath it was unmistakable.

"Perfectly? You've hidden that thing for three whole years! The High Council's investigators are coming. What are you going to tell them?"

A token? What was it?

My hand started to tremble, the porcelain cup clattering softly on its saucer.

"It has her scent on it, Marcus. Lyra's scent." Caden’s voice was a low rumble, like thunder before a storm.

My heart stopped.

Lyra?

"So what? That's the proof! She's the traitor who worked with the rogues to slaughter the Dawn Moon pack!" Marcus’s rage practically vibrated through the door.

"She's pregnant."

"And?"

"She's innocent."

Innocent?

What did I just hear?

"Innocent?" Marcus let out a cold, disbelieving laugh. "Caden, are you insane? That woman murdered Selene's entire pack! Her parents, her siblings, everyone! And you're calling her innocent?"

My knees gave out.

The cup and saucer rattled in my violently shaking hands.

Hot tea splashed over my fingers, but I barely felt the burn.

The only thing I could hear was the blood roaring in my ears.

I clamped a hand over my mouth, choking back a sob.

"I won't let anyone hurt her," Caden's voice turned dangerous, obsessive. "Not the Council. Not even the Moon Goddess herself."

"You're betraying your mate! Selene trusts you!"

"I know."

After a short silence, Caden's voice was raw with despair.

"I would rather betray the Goddess herself than let any harm come to Lyra."

The words pierced my chest like a silver blade.

I stumbled back, the carpet blurring beneath my feet.

The night my pack was bled dry, I told myself it was a rival raid.

That my family were just tragic casualties of a territory dispute.

But Lyra...

Caden knew the truth all along.

He knew who killed my parents.

Their voices faded. The argument didn't matter anymore.

All I could hear was the roaring in my ears.

The world was spinning.

I turned and fled.

My footsteps echoed in the hallway, but I didn't care if they heard me.

I just had to get away from that door, from those words, from this cruel, sickening truth.

The bedroom door slammed shut behind me.

I slid down against it, my chest heaving.

The mate bond burned in my veins—a sacred curse from the Goddess.

It forced me to love the man who was shattering my world.

The doorknob turned.

Caden walked in.

"Selene? Why are you on the floor?"

He rushed over, his strong arms lifting me effortlessly.

The familiar scent of cedarwood enveloped me, his Alpha presence instinctively trying to soothe his distressed mate.

"I just felt a little dizzy," I managed, forcing a weak smile.

"You feel... drained. Did you overexert your Luna powers today? You're still settling into your abilities. Don't push yourself."

Such tender concern.

Such a perfect performance.

Of course my power is unstable.

The trauma from the slaughter of my entire pack three years ago shattered the very foundation of my power.

And for these past three years, no matter how hard I tried, my Luna power has always felt suppressed.

I used to think I wasn’t devout enough to the Goddess.

But now I understand: how can a mate bond built on bloody lies ever nurture true strength?

He doesn’t know it, but his false love was the greatest suppression of all.

"Is your meeting over?" I asked, my voice surprisingly steady.

"It's done. Marcus was just reporting some minor border skirmishes. Nothing important."

The lie slipped from his lips, smooth as silk.

"That's good," I murmured, leaning into his embrace. "I made you some Moonlight Tea, but I spilled it."

"It doesn't matter." His lips brushed my temple. "Just having you here is enough."

His hand stroked my long hair, his warmth seeping through my thin nightgown.

To anyone else, we were a loving, mated pair.

But I could feel the tension in his muscles, smell the anxiety clinging to his skin.

What was he afraid of?

Me finding out the truth?

Or losing Lyra… losing the woman who was carrying another wolf’s pup?

"Caden."

"Hm?"

"Do you love me?"

He paused for a fraction of a second, then held me tighter.

"Of course. You are my Luna, the most precious gift in my life."

Another lie.

I closed my eyes, forcing myself to relax in his arms.

"I love you too."

That wasn't a lie.

This cursed mate bond wouldn't let me stop, even when my mind knew he had already chosen another.

He placed a soft kiss on my lips before setting me down on the bed.

"Get some rest. We have the Elder's Council meeting tomorrow. You need your strength."

I nodded, obediently slipping under the covers.

Caden lingered by the bed, his shadow falling over me.

He was waiting for my breathing to even out, to believe I was settled, before he finally left for the shower.

The sound of the water started.

I opened my eyes and waited.

Half an hour later, he lay down beside me.

Soon, the deep, even rhythm of his breathing filled the room.

His powerful Alpha physique dragged him into sleep with brutal efficiency.

But my mind was a raging hornet’s nest.

The token. Lyra’s scent. The High Council.

The words were poisoned thorns, twisting deeper into my skull with every pulse of my heart.

I couldn’t just lie there.

I had to know. What was the secret he’d guarded for three long years? What was this "token"?

I slipped out of bed and crept toward his study.