Chapter 1

The blood moon loomed in the night sky. It was an omen of misfortune, signifying a night destined for upheaval.

Uriel Silverplume, one of the Alphas of the Silverplume pack, had died.

After getting ambushed while hunting down a group of rebel wolves, Uriel sacrificed himself to save his younger twin brother, Carlin Silverplume. Slain by the wolfsbane-coated silver blades of the hunters, he was wiped from existence.

It had only been seven days since Uriel and Carlin completed the mate bonding ceremony with Allison and Johanna Thorne, a pair of sisters.

Johanna, the younger sister, still remembered the way the mark on Allison's neck had abruptly darkened. Allison howled in pain before fainting. That was the start of the tragedy that unfolded next.

The Silverplume pack was the most powerful among all the northern wolf packs. Ever since the first matriarch, fewer than ten pairs of twins had been born in the Northern Wolflands. The birth of Uriel and Carlin proved that the Moon Goddess had blessed the Silverplume pack. Thus, they enjoyed much glory.

Alas, the Moon Goddess seemed to have made it so that this glorious fate came with a price. Now that Uriel was gone, to avoid the downfall of the pack, they would have to resort to something rather extreme and taboo.

"Based on the sorceress' divination, this is the only option," Maria Croft, Uriel and Carlin's mother, declared.

Her eyes were reddened with tears as she glared imperiously at Johanna and continued, "Carlin and Uriel are twins who share the same blood. On behalf of our ancestors, I ask that Carlin and Allison form a breeding pact to carry on Uriel's bloodline for him."

The moment those words came out of Maria's mouth, all the blood drained from Johanna's face.

For werewolves, the undivided loyalty of one's mate was as important as one's life. Yet, Maria was demanding that Johanna's husband procreate with another female. That was tantamount to subjecting Johanna to humiliation of the highest order.

However, before Johanna could protest, Carmen Moore—Johanna and Allison's mother—came forward to take Maria's side.

"Do as Maria says, Jo. This isn't just for the sake of the Silverplume pack but for Allison, too. You two grew up together. You wouldn't have been able to marry Carlin if Uriel hadn't fallen in love with Allison at first sight. This is her only chance of survival now. Are you going to destroy that chance and let her die?"

According to werewolf traditions, if an Alpha died before procreating with his Luna, his Luna would have to follow him in death.

Carmen's words added another layer of threat. It was as if any sign of disagreement from Johanna would not only make her responsible for the downfall of the Silverplume pack but also for having caused Allison's death.

Johanna scoffed to herself. There it was again.

She felt her heart twist in pain.

Johanna's parents had three pups in total. As the second daughter, Johanna was the least favored of the three.

Allison had been a rare silver wolf, and for females, that was a sign of good fortune. It was clear she would end up marrying a powerful wolf. Due to that, she had been her parents' pride and joy even from a young age.

Their youngest brother, Darius Thorne, was a natural-born warrior. Not only did his battle prowess far exceed his peers, but he was even able to manifest his wolf at 15.

Johanna was the least remarkable of her siblings. From the day she was born, it was clear her wolf was weak. She was a gray wolf—the most common of all wolves.

For the first 18 years of her life, she grew up while being neglected by her parents, who favored her other siblings. Once Uriel fell in love with Allison at first sight, she ended up marrying Carlin. This was per werewolf tradition, which stipulated that if a pair of twin Alphas were born to any pack, the twins would have to marry a pair of sisters.

Therefore, in everyone's eyes, including her parents, Johanna only managed to marry into the strongest family of the Silverplume pack thanks to Allison.

Carlin seemed to be the only one who didn't think that way. It felt as though he had truly taken a liking to her too. Until now, he had never treated his marriage to Johanna as if it were the price he had to pay for being Uriel's younger brother. As the older brother, Uriel had the power to choose his mate.

As it was, Carlin doted on Johanna just as much as Uriel doted on Allison. He would drop everything without hesitation whenever Johanna needed him and rush to her side.

In the Northern Wolflands, only the strong survived. Hunts and battles were an everyday affair, and the weak received no pity from the others. And yet, Carlin was willing to compromise for Johnna's sake. He kept her by his side and put her needs first.

If she merely spared a second glance at an accessory while browsing the werewolf market, it would appear on her bedside table the next morning.

Carlin would also personally procure her favorite food, no matter how difficult it was to obtain. Despite holding a powerful position in the pack, he was willing to wait on her himself.

On the day Johanna received her mark from Carlin, he had looked her straight in the eye and said adoringly, "Jo, perhaps you will never be your parents' favorite, but from now on, you're my most beloved mate. I am willing to swear to the Moon Goddess that I will love, cherish, and protect you forever."

Moved beyond words, Johanna readily allowed Carlin to leave his mark on her neck. From that point onward, he was her entire world.

As she expected, Carlin stepped forward before she could say anything and shielded her protectively behind him, just like he always did.

"Mother, please stop forcing this on Jo," Carlin requested firmly. "Jo is my mate. She bears my mark. We have a mate bond, but you're asking me to betray her. She's not the only one who won't agree to it. I won't either!"