Chapter 1

Blair's POV

The square was alive with noise as werewolves cheered and danced around a bonfire. I stood alone in a corner, my expression growing darker by the second.

Noticing something was wrong, my family quickly ended their whispered discussion and approached me.

My younger brother, Jesse Whitmore, looked nervous as he cautiously asked, "What's wrong? Why do you look so pale?"

The sight of his fake concern made my stomach turn. "It's too noisy here. I'm going somewhere quiet to rest."

My dad, Alaric Whitmore, reached out to stop me, his voice stern. "No! It's too chaotic here. What if something happens to you again?"

Jesse quickly chimed in. "Dad's right. We should come with you."

They took turns speaking, surrounding me so tightly that I couldn't slip away without them noticing.

In the past, I would have mistaken their behavior for love. Now, it just felt incredibly ironic. They weren't worried about my safety at all. They were only afraid I would stumble upon Joey Crain's secret.

I frowned and said calmly, "Jesse, I'm just going to rest. Am I not even allowed that much freedom?"

Jesse froze, then took a guilty step back.

My mom, Elowen Montgomery, gave an awkward smile before finally relenting. "Then come back soon. We'll be right here waiting for you."

I turned and disappeared into the crowd. But instead of finding somewhere to rest, I headed straight home.

Just as I reached my front door, Joey called. His voice was hurried and anxious. "Blair, where did you go? Jesse said you've disappeared! Where are you? If something happens to you again, I'll completely lose my mind."

A wave of bitterness rose in my chest, leaving a lump in my throat.

I should have been able to sense him. But ever since I'd been poisoned with wolfsbane, my body had remained weak, and even my wolf had fallen into a deep sleep.

Because of that, I'd lost the most basic connection between fated mates. I couldn't even sense when Joey was secretly meeting Emily Stork.

Since we couldn't communicate through our mind-link, Joey had insisted that I report my whereabouts to him every 30 minutes. Whenever he couldn't find me, he would become frantic with worry.

I'd once asked him why. He'd taken my hand and pressed it against his chest, gazing at me with such tenderness. "I can't rest easy unless I know you're safe."

I'd mistaken his possessiveness for love, so I'd faithfully checked in with him every single day without fail. Only today did I finally realize it had all been a way to keep tabs on me, so he could spend time with Emily without worrying about getting caught!

I fought back the tears gathering in my eyes and forced myself to sound calm. "I was just taking a walk nearby."

Joey let out an audible sigh of relief. "Blair, don't scare me like that again... Just stay right where you are. I'll send Jesse to pick you up."

I didn't respond. Instead, I looked up. Two figures were silhouetted against the window. Emily was nestled in Joey's arms, smiling sweetly. Joey gently stroked her hair before lowering his head and planting a lingering kiss on her cheek.

Watching them, I bit down hard on the back of my hand, desperately trying to keep myself from sobbing.

I'd originally planned to stay home tonight because I was still too weak to go out. But Joey had insisted that staying cooped up at home wasn't good for me. He'd even arranged for my family to accompany me to the Full Moon Festival.

I'd thought he was being thoughtful and caring. Little did I know it was all an excuse for him to spend time with another woman.

When Joey came downstairs holding Emily's hand, I quickly ducked into a dark corner. As they stepped outside, Joey turned to Emily. "Blair will be back soon. I don't want her getting suspicious, so I'm afraid you'll have to leave for now."

Emily shook her head gently and wrapped her arms around his waist, tears streaming down her face. "I don't mind. Back then, I loved you so much that I couldn't accept the Moon Goddess choosing Blair as your mate. I let jealousy get the better of me and deliberately poisoned her with wolfsbane.

"But instead of sending me to face the Trial Ceremony, you even convinced Blair's parents to sign a settlement agreement on my behalf. I owe you so much. As long as I can stay by your side, that's more than enough for me."

My eyes widened in disbelief. So, what happened back then hadn't been an accident. Emily had deliberately poisoned me.

I'd spent three whole years bedridden, yet she'd been forgiven by everyone so easily. She'd even taken my place, enjoying the love and affection that should have belonged to me as Joey's fated mate.

I bit my lip so hard that it split, drawing blood.

Joey gently cupped Emily's face and wiped away her tears, his eyes filled with concern. "Emily, don't say things like that. I'll take you home first..."

Before he could finish, Jesse came running over, breathless. "Joey! Blair's really gone! I've searched the entire square, but I can't find her anywhere!"

Joey froze, a flicker of panic crossing his face. "Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on her? How could you screw up something so simple?"

With that, he pushed Emily aside and sprinted toward the Full Moon Festival square.

I took a deep breath and headed in the opposite direction. They could take their time looking for me. I had something far more important to do now.