LOGINFor three years, Eleanor Newton believed she had found her happily ever after. When she rejected an arranged mating and abandoned her powerful birthright, she did it for love. She chose Alpha Owen Belmont over the future her family had planned for her. She believed love would be enough. She was wrong. As Luna of the Belmont Pack, Eleanor slowly finds herself becoming an outsider in her own marriage. Everywhere she turns stands Susana Howell—Owen's lifelong female best friend. Susana attends private meetings. Susana accompanies them on trips. Susana has access to Owen at all hours. Susana always seems to come first. Every time Eleanor voices her concerns, she is made to feel unreasonable. But unknown to Eleanor, Owen's devotion to Susana stems Years ago, Susana's mother died protecting him during a rogue attack. The guilt never left him. Since that day, Owen has dedicated himself to protecting Susana, believing it is a debt he can never repay. What begins as loyalty slowly evolves into a toxic dependency that neither Owen nor Susana is willing to acknowledge. Over the years, Eleanor becomes trapped in a marriage where she is constantly competing with a ghost and a promise. Then everything changes. After years of humiliation, she catches Owen and Susana in a compromising situation that destroys the last remnants of trust between them. For the first time, Eleanor stops fighting for her marriage. Instead, she walks away. She returns to the powerful family she once abandoned and accepts the arranged mating she fled years ago. On the night Eleanor had fled her ancestral home to escape the arranged mating, Thaneus Del Caspian, Alpha of the feared Del Caspian pack, had watched her with inscrutable eyes. "Ellie," he had promised, his voice low and dangerous, "someday you'll return to my side willingly."
View MoreEleanor THE diamond necklace trembled slightly between my fingers. I stared at it for a long moment before fastening it around my neck. Today was my third wedding anniversary. Three years since I had become Luna of the Belmont Pack. Three years since I had convinced myself that love would be enough. I glanced at the clock on the vanity. Eight o'clock. The anniversary dinner was supposed to begin at seven. Owen was late again. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. Maybe I should have expected it. After all, I had spent three years waiting for my husband. Waiting for him to come home. Waiting for him to notice me. Waiting for him to choose me. I stood in the entrance of our penthouse, the end of my midnight-blue dress feeling like a second skin. I had spent three hours getting ready. The table behind me was set for two: Wagyu steak, his favorite vintage red, and a hand-written letter detailing how I wanted us to start over. Truly start over. The elevator dinked. My heart did a nervous little flutter, the mate bond humming in my veins. "Owen?" I called out, a smile ready on my lips. The doors slid open. Owen stepped out, looking every bit the powerful Alpha of the Silver Crescent Pack, sharp jawline, broad shoulders, and eyes that usually held a storm. But he wasn’t alone. Susana was tucked under his arm, laughing at something he’d whispered. She looked up, her eyes widening in mock surprise when she saw me. "Oh, Eleanor! I didn't know you'd be up," Susana chirped. She wasn't just here; she was wearing the limited-edition Givenchy dress I’d seen in Owen’s shopping bag three days ago. I had thought it was my anniversary gift. My gaze dropped to Owen’s hand, resting firmly on her waist. "It’s our anniversary, Owen. Why is she here?" Owen’s expression hardened, that familiar wall of "Alpha logic" slamming down between us. "Susana’s apartment had a leak, Eleanor. I’m not going to let her stay in a hotel when we have four spare bedrooms. Don't start." "A leak? On our anniversary?" I felt the first sting of a bitter laugh in my throat. "She’s been back in the city for six hours and she already has a plumbing crisis?" "Eleanor, please," Susana stepped forward, her hand reaching out as if to touch my arm. I flinched back. "I told Owen I could handle it, but he insisted. He said the pack house is as much my home as it is yours. We’re family, remember?" "We are mates, Susana," I snapped, my wolf, Lyra, snarling behind my ribs. "There is no 'we' that includes you." Owen stepped between us, his Alpha aura flaring, a silent command for me to submit. It was a low blow. Using his power to silence his mate in favor of a 'friend.' "That’s enough," Owen said, his voice dropping an octave. "Susana is the new Head of Pack Relations. She’ll be staying with us indefinitely to coordinate the merger. Now, I’m exhausted. Susy, your bags are already in the guest suite." He started to walk past me, not even glancing at the candlelit table or the three years of my life I’d poured into his cup, only for him to let her drink it. "Owen," I said, my voice eerily calm. He paused, his back to me. "The dress. I saw the receipt in your car. It was meant for me, wasn't it?" He didn't turn around. "She needed something for the board meeting tomorrow. You have a closet full of clothes, Eleanor. Don't be greedy." He walked away. Susana lingered for a second, catching my eye. She didn't look guilty. She leaned in, whispering just loud enough for my wolf-ears to hear. "He might be your mate, Eleanor. But I’m his habit. And habits are much harder to break than bonds." She turned and followed him, leaving me standing in the dark, the smell of her expensive perfume choking the life out of my marriage.
Author's POVThe mountain lodge was supposed to be a quick stopover. Eleanor and Thaneus had been traveling back from a meeting with the Northern council when the weather turned. The sky opened up, pouring down freezing rain that turned the mountain passes into mud."We aren't making it back tonight," Thaneus said, his voice clipped. He pulled the truck off the main road and into the sheltered driveway of a small, wooden lodge."Is it safe?" Eleanor asked, looking out at the dark, swirling mist."It’s better than the cliffside," he replied.Inside, the lodge was small and cozy. A massive stone fireplace dominated the main room. Thaneus quickly built a fire, and soon, the scent of burning pine filled the air. Outside, the wind howled, rattling the heavy log walls, but inside, the world felt small and private.Eleanor stood near the fire, trying to dry off her jacket. She felt restless. The isolation of the mountain was doing strange things to her senses. Every time Thaneus moved, she f
Author’s POVThe woods surrounding the Newton estate were dark and thick. Owen moved through the brush like a shadow. He didn't care about the laws of the land. He didn't care about treaties. He only cared about the woman who had been stolen from his life.He reached the outer perimeter of the Newton wards. He had spent days studying the energy patterns. He found a weak spot near the old creek, a place where the barrier flickered just for a second."Just let me see her," Owen whispered to himself.He focused his wolf energy. He pushed against the shimmer of the ward. It burned his skin, but he forced his way through. With a sharp crack, the barrier gave way. He stepped onto the private grounds, his heart pounding in his chest.He didn't get far.A low, vibrating growl echoed from the trees ahead. From the shadows, three large wolves stepped out, blocking his path. They were warriors of the Del Caspian pack—Thaneus’s elite guard."Stop right there, alpha Belmont," one of the wolves sai
Owen sat in the dim light of his office. The air smelled of old paper and dust. He had been awake for two days, going through every financial file he could find. His eyes were red, but he didn't care. He was looking for the truth.He turned another page. His breath hitched. There it was, a transfer of money from the pack’s emergency fund to a private account in a city hundreds of miles away. It was dated last autumn. That was the same month Susana had claimed she needed money for a secret surgery."She lied," Owen whispered. His voice was hollow. "Every single word."He kept digging. He found more transfers. More lies. Susana hadn't just been "helping" him; she had been draining the pack's resources to fund a life he knew nothing about. She had used his trust to steal from his own people.A soft knock at the door made him jump. Susana walked in, holding a tray of food. Her face was calm, the same practiced look of concern she always wore when she wanted something."Owen, you haven't e
Eleanor's POVNewton estate was buzzing with life. Servants moved quickly, setting up long wooden tables and hanging banners of silver and blue. I watched from my balcony. My heart felt like it was racing. Today, everything changed.Thaneus walked up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. His presence was warm and steady."Are you nervous?" he asked. His voice was a low hum against my skin."A little," I admitted. I leaned back into him. "It’s been a long time since I stood in front of the pack like this.""You aren't the same woman you were years ago," he said. He turned me around to face him. His eyes were dark and encouraging. "You are stronger. You have survived, Eleanor. Remember that."I nodded. "I will."He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "I'll be right beside you. Always."By evening, the courtyard was filled with wolves. They came from all over the Northern Territories. Some were pack leaders, others were warriors, and some were
Eleanor THE dining room was silent, save for the ticking of the grandfather clock. I didn't cry. I just picked up the plates of cold steak and dumped them into the trash. The sound of the bin lid closing felt like a period at the end of a very long, painful sentence. My name is El
Eleanor THE diamond necklace trembled slightly between my fingers. I stared at it for a long moment before fastening it around my neck. Today was my third wedding anniversary. Three years since I had become Luna of the Belmont Pack. Three years since I had convinced myself that love
Eleanor THE morning after the gala, the penthouse was suffocatingly quiet. Owen hadn’t come home. He had stayed at the pack hospital monitoring Susana’s condition. I didn't pack a bag this time. I didn't want to trigger any alarms. I dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a hoodie, h
Eleanor THE Grand Hall was filled with the scent of expensive cologne and roasted meats. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a bright glow over the hundreds of pack members dressed in their finest clothes. Tonight was the annual Silver Crescent Gala. As the Luna, I had to be t
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