Chapter 1

The night the Alpha King came to inspect Shadowfang Pack, my Alpha mate Cain was out chasing after his childhood sweetheart Vivienne, who'd thrown a tantrum and run off.

The job of receiving the Alpha King fell on me — eight months pregnant.

A swarm of vampires burst from the deep forest, heading straight for Alpha King Alaric's convoy. Alaric's guards drew their blades and charged forward, but the vampires were too fast. A high-ranking vampire had already lunged at Alaric, sinking its fangs into the crook of his neck and shoulder.

Alaric let out a strangled grunt and collapsed.

I saw the wound on his neck blackening rapidly — vampire venom, lethal to werewolves.

In my past life, I'd panicked. I'd screamed for Cain through our mate bond.

Cain sensed it and rushed back.

I shoved my mother's only heirloom — a moonstone — into his hands and told him to press it against Alaric's wound to draw out the poison. Cain did as I said. Alaric woke, and, grateful for Cain's loyalty, granted him the Northern Territory on the spot.

Cain became one of the most powerful Alphas in the realm.

But after I called Cain back through the bond, Vivienne was left alone. A straggling vampire found her.

She died.

Cain didn't say a word.

The day I gave birth, he dragged me to the border of the rogue wolves' territory and shoved me into a pack of feral rogues.

I struggled and asked him why.

He looked down at me, his eyes flat and full of disgust.

"The Alpha King had a whole squad of guards around him. Why the hell did you have to call me back?"

"If you hadn't sent that call through the bond, Vivienne wouldn't have been out there alone. Every second of pain she suffered — I'm going to make you pay it all back."

The rogues tore me apart. My baby never even got the chance to cry.

When I opened my eyes again, I was standing at the edge of the deep forest.

Vampires were charging out of the trees.

Alpha King Alaric's guards raised their blades in formation, and the smell of blood hit instantly.

I looked down at the moonstone hanging against my chest.

In my past life, I handed it to Cain. Let him play the hero. Let him take the credit. Let him trade it for the Northern Territory.

This time, I closed my fist around it.

I did not reach out to Cain through the mate bond.

Alaric lay on the ground, the wound on his neck and shoulder blackening fast.

I knelt beside him, belly and all, pressed both hands over his wound, and placed the moonstone against it.

The stone lit up.

A faint glow seeped into his blackened veins, pulling the venom out thread by thread.

I was a Pack Healer's daughter. When my mother was alive, she taught me the most basic healing techniques with her own hands.

I poured every last drop of my healing power into the moonstone, guiding it to draw the poison faster.

Beneath my palms, Alaric's skin slowly shifted from blue-black back to normal.

Just as the last of the venom was almost gone, a dark shape lunged from the shadows.

I didn't even have time to react.

The vampire's claws raked straight across my abdomen.

Agony.

Sharper than being torn apart by rogues in my past life — because this time, the blow landed on my belly. My eight-month-old baby was still inside.

Blood poured from the wound. I could feel it running down my skirt.

But my hands were still pressed against Alaric's wound.

The last trace of venom hadn't been fully drawn out. If I let go now, everything I'd done would be for nothing.

I bit down on my lip and didn't move.

The blood kept flowing.

The moonstone's glow grew brighter and brighter, blinding — and then it cracked and crumbled to dust.

Alaric's wound sealed shut completely.

I let go and collapsed sideways.

Alaric's guard rushed over and drove a blade through the vampire.

Alaric came to. He pushed himself up and grabbed my shoulder.

"Healer! Where's the Healer!"

I looked down at the wound on my abdomen. Blood was still pouring out, and a deep, pulling pain kept rolling through my belly.

I used the very last of my strength to look into Alaric's eyes.

"My name is Ivy… Cain Thorne's Luna."