Chapter 2

On the night of his eighteenth full moon, he had searched the Forbidden Forest for three days, all to find this enchanted stone that could capture a voice.

"Selene, I want you to record yourself saying 'I love you' a thousand times for me." His eyes back then had held nothing but tenderness.

Later, his love had curdled into a bone-deep hatred. The first time he'd come to these Rogue Lands, it was to lash my corpse.

He had despised me so much he'd crushed the moonstone under his heel without a second glance.

Lilith, who had been silent, suddenly clutched her chest, her scent laced with fear.

"Kaelan… there's too much blood here. It's making me sick. I want to go back…"

Kaelan was instantly pulled from his memories. He suppressed all emotion and drew her into his arms.

Rhea let out a cold laugh from the side, staggering to her feet. "My Luna, in such a hurry to leave? Are you afraid one of your dirty little secrets might come to light?"

Lilith's face went white. But Kaelan was already furious.

Before she could react, Kaelan's enraged Alpha command crashed down on my daughter like an avalanche.

The powerful Alpha command sent shudders through her body.

"You insolent mongrel," he snarled, his voice thick with killing intent. "How dare you insult my Luna!"

He raised his hand and slammed it against my daughter's chest. The terrifying force shattered the protective heart-crystal she wore.

The shards tore through her flesh, the pain so sharp it felt like it was piercing her very inner wolf.

Her body convulsed in pain, but she didn't let out a single scream.

Rhea's tears finally fell. All this time, she had known the powerful Alpha King before her was the father she had never met.

Her despair was for the last shred of hope she'd held for her father, now utterly extinguished.

The remnants of my inner wolf shrieked in agony, but I could only watch.

My hatred became a howling wind, and the moonstone pendant began to vibrate violently.

Kaelan, ever perceptive, sensed the disturbance. He kicked my daughter, who lay in a pool of her own blood. "Selene. I knew your wicked inner wolf was still here."

Everyone took a step back.

"Since you refuse to repent," Kaelan sneered, picking up the pendant shards from the ground and infusing them with his Alpha power.

The pendant reassembled, glowing with a blinding silver light.

"Then I suppose I'll have to listen. Let's hear the curse you left for me and Lilith."

As he finished speaking, he poured his Alpha's power into the pendant.

But there was no vicious curse as he'd expected.

Instead, a young, sorrowful female voice flowed out softly.

"Silver Moon, Year 237.

The night of the Blood Moon. It should have been the sacred moment Kaelan and I completed our mating. Instead, it was my sister, Lilith, who received his mark."

Kaelan's body went rigid. The pendant nearly slipped from his grasp.

Memories of that Blood Moon night flooded his mind.

"Marcus and Elara had put moon-drake herbs in Kaelan's wine. They locked me in the storeroom next door and pushed my sister into the ritual with him.

"Through the wall, I heard their growls and moans as they bonded.

"Kaelan's voice was still so intoxicating, and he cried out my name, over and over, and with every cry, my heart tore a little more.

"By the time the drug wore off and Kaelan found me, it was dawn.

"He knelt before me, swearing I was his only mate, apologizing again and again.

"But he was covered in my sister's scent, reeking of the satisfaction of a completed marking.

"I had never seen the Alpha King so broken and humbled. My heart ached for him. All I could do was repeat, 'It's okay.'

"I couldn't bring myself to blame him. I didn't have the heart to.

"Because he was the only one who didn't believe I was a jinx. He was the only one I thought could ever love me.

"I knew from a young age that I was unloved. My parents called me a jinx, said I carried 'cursed' blood that would bring misfortune to our family.

"I was not a noble, pure-blooded werewolf of the Silver Moon Kingdom.

"But my sister, Lilith, beautiful, gentle, and of pure blood was the perfect Luna candidate by birthright. She deserved everything.

"I had long grown numb to it all.

"When I was eight, during my first shift, Elara tore my connection to the Moon Goddess away from me, just to gift that power to Lilith, who had yet to shift.

"When I was fourteen, Marcus personally branded my neck with the mark of shame reserved for low-ranking wolves.

"I cried and begged him, but he avoided my eyes and said, 'Selene, for Lilith to have the most noble proof of her bloodline, for our family's standing with the Elders, you must bear this cost.'

"That night, my father howled at the moon, his cries a mixture of tears and guilt.

"At dawn, with the brand on my neck still bleeding, I was pushed to the very back of the line at the rank-assignment ceremony.

"In that moment, I met the anchor of my life.

"A pair of ice-blue eyes locked onto mine. It was Kaelan, the Alpha heir, who had just come of age.

"He was meant to be the most revered figure in the werewolf world, surrounded by admirers, someone I could never hope to touch.

"But while everyone else shunned me because of the jinx prophecy, he walked directly toward me in my corner.

"He told me my eyes were like starlight trapped in amber and asked why I always sat alone.

"He took off his own cloak and wrapped it tightly around me.

"In that moment, for the first time, I felt the warmth of being protected."