Chapter 1

"Cedric, you carried me off in front of the whole pack. Aren't you afraid Cassandra will pick a fight with you?"

My hand froze on the door. Through the gap, I could see everything.

Elena had her arms wrapped around his neck.

The robe had slipped to her waist, revealing hickeys all over her neck and shoulders.

"What if Cassandra breaks the mate bond and takes all those wolves with her?

"What if your nightmare comes true? What will you do then?"

Tears welled in Elena's eyes, as though all she cared about was Cedric.

He pulled her back into his arms and spoke in an incredibly gentle voice.

"Cassandra won't do that. She wouldn't dare.

"Just look at her. In front of everyone, she grabbed me and begged me not to go."

Cedric gave a short laugh, contempt in his eyes.

"A female Alpha who loves me enough to bow to me willingly? How could she ever bring herself to reject me?"

Elena pulled my robe tighter around herself and let out a mocking laugh.

"Cedric, if you want me so badly, why don't you let her go?

"Everyone outside must have heard us."

When I thought about the pleasure and the thrill that had poured through the mate bond, my chest ached all over again.

It was a passion Cedric and I had never shared.

Cedric was quiet for a moment.

"Cassandra is the pack's Luna, and she's our strongest female warrior.

"She knows how to negotiate with the other packs. As long as she's here, the Crescent Moon pack will remain at peace.

"But don't worry, Elena. Sooner or later, she'll accept you by my side. She loves me too much to leave."

I stood frozen at the door for a long time before I released the handle, turned, and walked away.

Three years earlier, when I came of age, I found my fated mate.

Back then, Cedric had only just become Alpha of the Crescent Moon pack.

I was the one who brought my best warriors, drove off the invading rogues, and defended the Crescent Moon pack's territory for him.

Once Cedric became my mate, I supplied him with doctors, fighters...

He was grateful for everything I gave him, and he fell deeply in love with me.

He'd sworn on the moon that he would never do anything to hurt me.

But now he actually believed the wolves loyal to me would betray me just as he had.

That same night, I rushed back to my own pack and opened the safe.

Inside lay a pact witnessed by Alpha King Alaric Voss.

When Cedric marked me, he'd sealed this oath with his blood.

"If I, Cedric Thorne, betray Cassandra, she has the right to reject me.

"Once the mate bond is broken, Cassandra may take back her own pack's commanders, and the southern territories will belong to her."

I summoned my most trusted lieutenant, Beta Ron Mercer.

He went down on one knee in front of me.

"Alpha, what are your orders?"

I handed him the oath along with a list of names.

"Take this oath to the Alpha King. I'm petitioning him to break my mate bond with Cedric.

"As of today, every wolf still loyal to me is to stop supporting the Crescent Moon pack.

"Bring the wounded, the children, and anyone willing to follow me back to our territory."

Ron looked up.

"Alpha, are you really going to break the mate bond with him?"

I gave a firm nod.

"Yes. If he's chosen Elena, he'll get nothing else from me."

Ron went to carry out my orders.

I began gathering evidence that Cedric had been unlawfully seizing territory from other packs.

I would make betraying me the choice he regretted most in his life.