Chapter 1

"Grayson, I want your moonstone set into this white deer cloak. What do you think?" Raven Black called out across the snow, her voice loud and unrestrained.

Grayson Ashcroft looked annoyed, though there was a trace of indulgence in his eyes. "Of course."

But just last night, he had given his most precious moonstone to me.

Every she-wolf in the pack knew Raven was doing it on purpose. She was provoking me.

A moment later, Grayson walked over and stopped in front of me. "Ella, would you mind letting Raven have that moonstone for now?" he asked. "I'll make it up to you with an obsidian later."

He added casually, "You don't go out much anyway, and a white deer cloak doesn't really suit you. I'll hunt you a white fox some other day and make you a hat instead. Sound good?"

To everyone else, his offer seemed like a generous compromise.

But before the Winter Hunt began, he had sworn in front of the entire pack and before the Moon Goddess herself, "Ella, I'll hunt a white deer to prove my loyalty and my love."

His words were still fresh in my ears, yet the white deer was already in Raven's hands.

She stood there in the snow, smiling brightly, tilting her chin up as she said with obvious satisfaction, "Grayson, is Ella upset? If she's going to be difficult about it, just forget it. I'd hate to make things difficult for you."

Grayson's gaze flickered. I knew he was wavering, and sure enough, he turned to his subordinate.

"Jack, go to Ella's place and get the moonstone. Give it to Raven."

"Wait," I said, stopping him.

Grayson assumed I was refusing. His expression darkened, and he immediately chided me. "Ella, what are you doing? It's just a moonstone. Are you really unwilling to part with it?

"I already said I'll make it up to you with obsidian. Just let Raven have this one. You're going to be my mate. Don't ruin your reputation over something so trivial."

I ignored him. Instead, I turned to Jack Yates and said, "Take the amber, the moonstone, and the turquoise Grayson gave me in the past. Bring all of them here and give them to Raven."

Grayson's expression hardened further. "Are you trying to embarrass me? With that kind of temper, how do you expect to become Luna once I take over as Alpha?"

I let out a soft laugh. "Luna? Why would I want to be Luna? You and I are done. It's only right that I return everything you've given me."

Grayson and I had only ever been dating. We hadn't marked each other, and we had never held a bonding ceremony.

It was just that the Alpha, Tristan Ashcroft, had once hinted to Mom, and everyone in the pack understood what that meant.

The eldest daughter of the Slater family would one day become Grayson's mate and the future Luna.

But now, that didn't seem so certain anymore.

Grayson, clearly embarrassed, snapped, "If you don't want it, then forget it. Just don't regret this later."

Raven walked over and stood beside him. "Grayson, are all the she-wolves in the Northwind pack this petty? They're so uptight and stiff. It's such a bore."

She added dismissively, "Forget it. I'm not going to waste my energy getting mad at them. I'm bored. Why don't you come hunting with me, Grayson? We can make it a competition."

She smiled as they walked toward the forest together, their laughter ringing out like a slap to the face of every she-wolf in the pack.

"That Raven has some nerve. She just joined the pack, and she's already acting like she owns the place."

"Exactly. Ella was personally chosen by Alpha Tristan to be Grayson's mate. Who does she think she is, looking down on us?"

"That was disgusting. She was calling us petty despite being the one who was putting on a show."

Raven had arrived at the Northwind pack half a year ago with the Black family. When they first came, Tristan had assigned Grayson to show them around.

Back then, every time he returned from accompanying her, he would complain, "Raven has no sense of boundaries. It's embarrassing to be seen with her. She's a she-wolf, yet she walks through the marketplace stuffing her face—she has no manners at all. It's off-putting."

Another time, he said, "She's wild and unruly. She actually enjoys sparring with the guards. Ella, you're gentle and poised. You're the perfect example of what a she-wolf in the Northwind pack should be."

But slowly, things began to change.

He'd smile and say, "Raven's probably just young. She likes to stir things up, so just let her be. Did you know she competed in archery with a few guards and actually won? It was impressive.

"She even drank with them, and none of them could keep up. In the end, she got drunk and clung to me, insisting I take her home. She's honestly a handful."

His tone was laced with fondness.

Now that the Winter Hunt had begun, Raven was still just as bold and unrestrained, and that was precisely why he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Indeed, everything had slowly begun to change.