CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER ONE: The Betrayal

Tatsumi’s Pov

It’s a funny thing, dying. You expect darkness or peace, but I only got a strange, cold beginning.

That chilling numbness wasn’t from the winter air; it was the mind-numbing cold that seeped into your bone when betrayal cuts deeper. I remember every second.

I lay there, broken and helpless, my blood flowing down the stone altar where they had placed me; a sacrificial lamb for a goddess whose name I had stopped whispering years ago. It was useless to pray.

I looked up with tired, red eyes. The full moon was out and indifferent above me. It just watched.

I turned my head, and my gaze met his. Alpha Storm Thor. My mate. My Alpha. He stood there, watching my final moments with icy eyes, unmoved, devoid of emotion.

Then, I saw her. Liora. God, the smile on her face as she drove the blade deep into my heart, not her final blow, but the one that sealed my death. That smile will forever haunt me, even if I live a thousand more lives.

I died that night with a silent, frozen scream in my throat. I was unheard, unseen, and unloved.

But for some reason, death didn't stick.

I opened my eyes, accepting the expected pain, but I was met with the musty scent of straw and the damp chill of stone beneath me. The raw, dried sound of distant howls echoed in my ears. My throat was raw, like I hadn't used it in years.

I clawed at my neck, desperate to stop the silence from it, but no sound came, just panic. My hands trembled as I frantically checked my face, my arms, my stomach. There was no blood, no deep wounds, and the scars from the blade were gone.

I scrambled up to a tiny, dusty piece of mirror beside me and stared. I was in the same body, but undamaged. Was this a dream? Did I really die?

Then, something caught my attention. A faint glow pulsed beneath the skin of my left shoulder. I reached up and pulled aside my dress. There, covering the delicate curve of my shoulder, was a huge silver mark in the shape of a moon intertwined with thorns.

“What the hell!” I tried to yell, but the word came out as a breathy, hoarse whisper.

Just then, a painful flash hit me. Everything turned white. I heard a powerful, female voice, sharp and resonating, echoing inside my skull.

“You have been reborn to fulfill your destiny. I will always be with you. You will be wanted by all, feared by many, but trust no one... not even your own heart.”

I snapped back to reality, standing in the musty, damp room. Shock paralyzed me. I should have screamed, but I couldn't. I was alive, reborn, and I remembered absolutely everything.

Two weeks have passed since I woke up, exactly one year before the night I was killed. That was my first victory: I had a one-year head start.

My immediate goal was simple and primal: Survival. I couldn't let history repeat itself. I had to run away from my hometown, the Bloodfang Pack, all the way to the capital city of Astrid, the Ashfang Pack. I needed to disappear.

I’ve spent these two weeks in the shadows and in silence. I can’t afford attention, not yet, not ever, if I can help it.

My focus now is scrubbing the marble tiles in the palace of the late Alpha King and Luna Queen of Astrid. Since their passing, the ruling of the state fell to the High Council, which uses this palace for its operations.

I dipped the rag into the bucket. The icy water bit my fingers, but I ignored it. I scrubbed the floors hard beneath the huge gleaming pillars and crystal chandeliers. I scrubbed so fiercely I could see my own bruised reflection in the shiny marble.

Servants passed by, speaking in hushed whispers, throwing occasional, cautious glances my way. I knew why.

Since my arrival, I hadn't spoken, barely reacted unless given a direct order by the matron, and I avoided everyone. I was too scared to make any connection, any friend, or do anything that might make someone, particularly a noble, recognize me. Being friends with a Beta like Liora had been my death sentence.

That silence earned me the title of "the broken wolf," but I was anything but broken now. My strength was the memory of their betrayal; my weakness was the raw fear of being seen.

“Hey, mute,” a voice sneered above me, and I froze.

I knew that voice, too. Rina.

She had always hated the little kindness the older maids showed me. She stood over me, glaring. I gave her a look to show I was listening.

“The matron wants you." she said. I pointed to myself, confirming the order.

She rolled her eyes. “Are you also deaf now?” she asked. I just shook my head in response. “Good. Now get off your butt and go answer your call.” she hissed, walking away.

I stood up slowly and let out a quiet sigh. What was the problem this time?

The walk to the matron’s office was something I dreaded. Every time I was given chores, I secretly prayed to the Moon Goddess to keep me away from the nobles’ eyes.

I reached the door, took a shaky breath, and knocked.

“Come in,” I heard Mrs. Selena, the kind head matron who gave me a job when I was begging on the streets.

I quickly opened the door. To my surprise, the office was packed with staff, including Rina and her little squad, who were all giving me the stink eye. A gathering this big never meant good news.

“Please come in, Sumi,” Mrs. Selena said warmly.

I gave a small bow of greeting and walked to the nearest corner, shrinking into the shadows.

“Since we are all finally here, let’s get to the order of business,” Mrs. Selena started. “As you all know, this upcoming week is the State of Astrid summit. All the Alphas, Lunas, Betas, and different nobles would be present. It will be a three-day summit, starting Monday.” She paused. “But for us, it is a five-day summit.”

She walked to the chart behind her and lifted it to show a list of dates. “Tomorrow, we have the arrival of dignitaries. Noblewoman Janet, the host, has assigned a total of ten maids and ten guards for each pack arriving. Monday is the main meeting, where less of us will be needed. Tuesday is the grand ball—all hands on deck. And Wednesday will be the full moon ceremony.”

She looked at us, waiting for questions. No one spoke.

“Tracy will be passing around a sample of the events, which contains all information, including the pack you will be serving. Is that understood?”

The room echoed with a loud "Yes!"

But my heart was echoing frantically with fear. If all the nobles will be present tomorrow, that means they would also be here.

The betrayal I had run from was coming to me. It was like they had set off a bomb in my head.

I had to find a way out of this, and fast.