Chapter 1: Fifty Days Before The End

POV: GUINE

I died protecting my mate, and he repaid me by leaving me outside to burn beneath the moon.

I wake up screaming, my fingers clawing at the silk sheets as the horrific memory of my death crashes into me. The suffocating weight of the poisonous silver moonlight. The sound of bone snapping. The shrieks of starving, feral wolves tearing through our crumbling sanctuary. I can still feel the agonizing heat of the lunar energy scorching my skin, boiling my blood from the inside out.

I had given everything to save them, every ounce of my power, my energy, my life. I used the last of my strength to hold off the horde so Alpha Kael Draven, my mate, could reach the supply carriage.

When the refuge collapsed and the wolves breached the inner courtyard, I dragged my broken body toward the carriage, gasping for air. I reached out, my fingers desperate as I begged Kael to let me in.

He didn't reach for me.

Instead, he pulled back. Beside him sat Morgause Wren, her arms wrapped around a young girl with Kael's golden eyes.

"There's no room, Guine," Kael had said, his voice flat, completely devoid of warmth.

"Please, Kael!" I had sobbed, blood spilling over my lips. "I saved you! I saved your pack!"

Morgause looked down at me from the carriage window, her smile cold and victorious. "You saved his legacy, dear Guine. But Kael has had a real family for years. You were just the provider. The fool who kept us fed."

Kael didn't deny it. He didn't even look me in the eyes. He turned to his guards and gave the order that sealed my fate. "Leave her!. She has served her purpose!"

The carriage doors slammed shut. The horses bolted forward, leaving me in the dirt as the poisoned light burned through my weakening flesh and the starving beasts closed in. I died screaming, full of a bitter, blinding realization: I had sacrificed my life for people who never intended to protect me.

Now, I sit upright in bed, gasping for air, clutching my chest.

My heart is pounding against my ribs like a caged bird. I look around the room with wild eyes. Sunlight streamed through the high arched windows, casting soft beams across the polished mahogany floor. The air smelled of fresh linen and lavender, not blood, smoke, and rot.

I lift my hands. They are smooth. Whole. Unburned.

I pull back the covers and scramble out of bed, rushing to the full-length mirror near the wardrobe. The face staring back at me is pale, but untouched by scars. My dark hair falls in neat waves over my shoulders.

This is my old bedroom in the Moonstar Pack.

I grab the silver calendar sitting on my dressing table. The date etched into the metal makes my knees go weak. I stumble back, gripping the edge of the wood to keep from falling.

October 15th

I am fifty days before the Moonfall begins. Fifty days before the skies turn toxic and the world falls into ruin.

A sob rips through my throat. I sink onto the floor, curling into a tight ball as tears stream down my cheeks. I cried until my chest aches, grieving the agony of my death, but more than that, grieving the years I wasted loving a monster. I spent my entire youth managing Kael’s pack, handling his finances, running his estate, and pouring my heart into a man who viewed me as nothing more than an unpaid servant.

A soft knock at the door startles me out of my grief.

"My Lady?" a voice calls out.

It is Sarah, one of the junior maids. I wipe my face quickly, forcing my breathing to steady.

Before the door opens, a strange, echoing murmur fills my ears. It sounds like a whisper floating through the air, right beside my head.

(She better hurry up and answer. If I don't get these sheets to the laundry by noon, the head housekeeper will dock my pay again. My mother needs the money for medicine.)

I froze. The voice isn't coming from the hallway. It feels like it's inside my mind.

Sarah pushes the door open, carrying a tray of morning tea. She bows her head respectfully. "Good morning, Lady Guine. I brought your tea. Shall I lay out your dress for the day?"

She didn't speak those words about the sheets out loud. Her lips hadn't moved.

I hear her thoughts; I realize, a shiver running down my spine. The terror of my death must have triggered something deep within my bloodline. The clarity is jarring, raw, and terrifying, but it is real.

"Leave the tray," I say, my voice raspy from crying. "I will dress myself today."

Sarah looks surprised, but bows again and exits, closing the door behind her.

As I stand up and walk toward the wardrobe, another voice bleeds into my mind from the corridor outside, the heavy, booming thoughts of a senior elder walking past.

(Guine needs to finish auditing the quarterly accounts today. The Moonstar Pack relies on her personal funds to pay the border guards this month. Kael's cousin needs another loan, too. She won't refuse.)

A cold, vicious smile touches my lips immediately.

They truly think I am the same foolish, desperate woman who will bleed herself dry to keep their pride intact. They think I will continue to hand over my wealth, my labor, and my life to fuel Kael’s rising status while he secretly harbors his mistress and child in the shadows.

Not in this life.

I strip away my nightgown and dress in a sharp, structured velvet gown of deep charcoal gray. I fasten my hair back with silver pins, leaving no loose strands. I look in the mirror one last time. The soft, eager-to-please wife is gone. In her place stands a woman who has already seen the world end.

I stride out of my chambers and down the grand staircase, ignoring the whispers of the servants who are used to seeing me wander around in simple dresses with ledger books tucked under my arms.

I march straight into the main drawing room where Kael sits at his mahogany desk, casually reading through pack reports. He looks just as handsome as he did before, sharp jawline, dark hair, broad shoulders. A powerful Alpha in the prime of his life.

Seeing him makes my stomach churn with disgust, but I keep my composure perfectly still.

He doesn't look up when I enter. "Guine, good you're here. Your uncle mentioned the trade accounts need your seal before noon. Make sure you transfer the funds to the southern garrison as well. My family expects it to be done quickly."

He speaks to me as if he is commanding a servant. No greeting. No affection. Just demands.

"No," I said softly.

Kael pauses, his quill hovering over the parchment. He raised his head, brow furrowed in mild annoyance. "What did you say?"

"I said no," I repeated, stepping closer to the desk. "I will not be signing those ledgers. I will not be funding your family's debts. And I will no longer manage this pack."

Kael lets out a short, irritated breath and sets his quill down. "Guine, don't start with these dramatic tantrums today. I have a pack to rule. You know your duties. Now sit down and finish the paperwork."

He stands up, walking around the desk toward me, reaching out a hand as if to pat my shoulder like an obedient pet.

I step back, completely out of his reach. My voice drops, carrying a weight that cuts straight through the cold air of the room.

Kael stares at me as though I have lost my mind. I meet his gaze and speak the words that will sever our bond forever.

“From this day, Kael Draven, I reject you as my mate,”

I called the guards to start making preparations for the rejection ritual