LOGINThe doctor’s chambers were quiet and dark. It felt very different from the loud celebration still happening in the pack house.Dariaus helped me inside, almost carrying me. Dr. Matthias looked up quickly, worry on his face.“Luna Elara, what’s wrong?” he asked quickly, guiding me to the examination table."I don't know." I said weakly. "I felt dizzy during the celebration, and then I was sick. There's this strange feeling in my stomach, and I just—I need to know what's wrong with me."Dr. Matthias looked at Dariaus, who still hovered protectively at my side. "Perhaps the beta should wait outside while I examine you?"“No,” I said quickly, holding Dariaus’s hand. "He stays. Please. He's my brother. I need him here."The doctor looked at me for a moment, then nodded. "Lie back, Luna. Let me take a look."I lay back, my heart beating fast. Dariaus stayed beside me, holding my hand. His presence helped me feel safe.The doctor examined me quietly. He pressed my stomach, checked my pulse,
The sound of celebration crashed over me like waves, threatening to pull me under. I sat stiffly in the Luna's chair, my hands gripping the armrests so tightly my knuckles had gone white. Around me, the pack celebrated—drinking, laughing, congratulating Selene as she basked in the attention she'd always craved.My attention.My position.My mate.Kieran stood beside Selene now, his hand resting on her lower back in a gesture of protection and possession that should have been mine. Through the mate bond, I felt his satisfaction, his relief, his hope for the future.A future that didn't include me."A toast!" Elder Thorne raised his glass, his weathered face creased with real joy. "To Selene Greyson, mother of the next Alpha! May the Moon Goddess bless her and the child she carries!"“To Selene!” everyone shouted.I lifted my own glass automatically, the crystal trembling in my grip. The wine tasted bitter, like dust on my tongue.Selene caught my eye across the room and smiled—that sa
The great hall was bright and loud as night came.I stood in front of my mirror, dressed in the formal gown Kieran had sent to my room an hour ago—deep blue silk that matched my eyes, with light blue and silver embroidery along the bottom. Luna's dress for Luna's humiliation.My hands shook as I put on the silver necklace Kieran gave me on our mating night. It felt like it was choking me."You don't have to wear that," Dariaus said from where he leaned against the doorframe, watching me with worried eyes. He'd stayed with me all afternoon, a silent guard against the coming storm.“Yes, I do,” I replied. "I'm still Luna. I still have my dignity, even if that's all I have left."The words tasted like poison, but I forced them out anyway. Dignity. What a worthless thing to hold on to when your world was falling apart.Through the mate bond, I could feel Kieran's impatience growing. He wanted me downstairs. Wanted me to play my part in this fake show he'd created. The dutiful first Luna,
I knew something was wrong the moment I walked into the great hall and saw the decorations.Silver decorations hung from the ceiling, catching the afternoon light and spreading it across the floor like fallen stars. Tables had been arranged along the walls, covered with food and drink—far too much for a simple pack gathering. The air felt tense with excitement. Wolves stood in small groups, whispering and smiling like they were hiding a secret.My stomach felt tight with fear."Elara!" One of the younger wolves, Cassidy, ran up to me with a bright smile. "Isn't it exciting? The Alpha is making a special announcement tonight. Everyone's talking about it."“What announcement?” I asked. My voice came out sharper than I had intended, and Cassidy's smile faded a little. "Well, no one knows exactly, but—" She leaned in close, dropping her voice to a whisper. "—everyone thinks it has something to do with Selene. They've been spending so much time together lately, and she's been glowing. You
Four years earlierThe first time I saw Kieran Silvercrest, I felt the Moon Goddess herself had reached down and set my heart on fire.I was seventeen years old, and had just shifted into my wolf for the first time. I was still awkward and unsure. My parents had been dead for five years. Since then, my older brother, Dariaus, had taken care of me. He was twenty-one, strong, and already known as a brave warrior.People respected our parents, but we were now orphans. They looked at us with pity. We lived on the edge of pack life. We belonged, but not fully.Until that night.The full moon hung bright above the forest clearing where the pack gathered for the monthly hunt. I stood at the back with the other young wolves, trying to ignore the whispers about how I was the smallest, the weakest, how I would never be important.Then the Alpha's son stepped forward.Kieran was twenty-three. He had just returned from training with other packs. He moved with confidence that made everyone else se
The silver cup trembled in my hands, moonlight reflected on its polished surface like a thousand accusing eyes. Around me, the entire Silvercrest pack had gathered in the great hall, their faces showing anger and hate. My knees ached against the cold stone floor where Kieran had forced me down, but the pain in my body was nothing compared to my broken heart. "Drink it,"Kieran said loudly. The voice that once said sweet words to me now sounded cruel and mean. I looked up at him—my mate, my Alpha, the man I had loved for four years—now I barely knew him anymore. His silver eyes, once warm and kind, now looked at me with cold anger. Behind him, Selene stood with her hand resting protectively over her supposedly pregnant belly, her lips curved in what anyone else might mistake for concern. But I knew that smile. I had seen it a thousand times growing up together, every time she'd gotten something she wanted. Something that had been mine first. "Kieran, please." My voice cracked, and







