Chapter 2

Five years ago, Serena ran off with a wolf from the Western Territories, and Damon refused to believe she had chosen another man.

He tried to abandon the pack and cross the border to drag her back.

But the old Alpha was dying, rogues were pressing against our border, and Silver Ridge could not survive without its heir.

Damon’s parents came to me that night and begged me to help them.

The Blackwood family still carried enough power and respect among the old packs. If I stepped forward as Damon’s future Luna, Silver Ridge would have a reason to believe its Alpha line had not fallen apart.

They promised me it was only temporary. They promised they would tell Damon the truth once he calmed down.

I believed them.

Because I loved Damon, and because I could not watch Silver Ridge fall apart, I stood beside him before the Elders.

The next morning, he woke up and saw my name beside his on the Luna oath.

He saw Blackwood guards at the border.

He saw Serena gone.

So he believed the worst version of me.

He believed I had used my family to trap him, force out the woman he loved, and steal the Luna seat.

I thought time would make him see Serena clearly. I thought my company might soften him little by little. Five years passed, and he only saw me as the enemy.

I once believed that if I stayed gentle enough and patient enough, he would eventually turn around and see me. When Serena returned, I finally understood that a dream was still a dream.

Damon called that afternoon. “The Elders are waiting. Come to the council hall and finish the rejection.”

I looked down at the gray veins of wolfsbane spreading over the back of my hand. “Okay.”

Elias rose at once. “I’m going with you.”

I tried to refuse, but he spoke first. “I won’t tell him you’re dying. But I’m not letting you go alone like this.”

I nodded.

Damon wasn’t alone outside the Silver Ridge council hall. Serena stood beside him.

She was still beautiful. When Elias helped me out of the car, her lips curved as if she had already won.

Damon’s gaze landed on Elias. “Why are you here?”

Elias kept his face cold. “Are you sure you want to break the bond?”

Damon laughed and looked at me. “Aria, did you bring my Beta here to plead for you?”

“She didn’t bring me.” Elias stepped in front of me. “I came on my own. Damon, think carefully. You know how she treated you these five years.”

Damon didn’t answer right away. A tiny crease appeared between his brows.

Serena took one step forward. Her voice was soft. “Elias, love can’t be forced. Damon may feel grateful that Aria looked after the pack, but gratitude isn’t love. The woman he wants to protect has always been me.”

Elias looked at her like she was something dirty on his shoe. “You’re talking about protection? Who left Silver Ridge without a real goodbye? Who let him wait on the border road all night?”

Serena’s face paled, and she quickly looked at Damon. “I had no choice back then. You know that.”

Damon’s expression darkened. “Enough. Don’t bring up the past. Everything was Aria’s fault. If not for her, I wouldn’t have been trapped in this mate bond.”

“The truth back then was—”

I cut Elias off and looked calmly at Damon. “You’re right. Everything was my fault. Let’s stop dragging it out and go inside.”

“Aria,” Elias said under his breath.

I shook my head at him. There was no point anymore.

Damon stepped onto the silver mark at the center of the council hall. Serena stood behind him with bright eyes, as if she could already feel the Luna crown settling on her head.

The head Elder asked, “Alpha Damon Thorn, do you reject Aria Blackwood as your mate and remove her as Luna of Silver Ridge?”

Damon looked at me. For one heartbeat, his gaze dropped to my trembling hands and the gray veins creeping past my wrist. His throat moved. The Damon who once carried me home after a winter patrol seemed to surface in his eyes.

Then Serena touched his arm. “She’s doing it again. If you stop now, she’ll use this to trap you for another five years.”

Damon’s face hardened. “I, Damon Thorn, Alpha of the Silver Ridge Pack, reject Aria Blackwood as my mate and remove her as Luna.”

Every wolf in the hall turned toward me. I held myself upright and forced out the words he wanted. “I, Aria Blackwood, accept your rejection.”

The mate bond snapped. Pain tore through me so sharply that dark blood splashed across my palm.

Damon’s eyes changed at once. “Aria—”

He took half a step toward me. Serena clutched his sleeve and said, “Don’t fall for it. The healer can handle her after the ceremony.”

Damon froze. His fingers curled until his knuckles turned white, but he stayed beside Serena.

The Elders sealed the rejection. The mark on my shoulder went cold, and my wolf made one low sound before she fell silent.

I watched them and felt my heart slowly go quiet. I had given Damon all my tenderness for five years and never earned one honest moment of protection. Serena only had to touch his sleeve, and he forced himself to stand still while I bled.

“Elias, let’s go.”

Elias held my arm. Before we left, he turned back to Damon. “Don’t wait until you’ve truly lost her to feel sorry.”

Damon looked toward the council floor where my blood still marked the stone, then forced his eyes back to Elias. “I won’t regret it.”

He paused, and his last sentence was meant for me.

“I never loved her.”

Pain split through my chest, but I didn’t look back.