Chapter 1

For two years, I did everything thing for my fated mate, Alpha Fabian. One hundred dangerous tasks, just to make him happy. But he only ever loved my sister, Gloria.

My 100th task for him?

Venturing into the Valley of Shadows to steal a rare herb from a hostile pack.

This time, I almost didn't make it back.

"You stupid girl! You almost died!"

A sharp, female voice pierced my ears.

I slowly opened my eyes. The white ceiling of a tent swam into view.

A splitting pain shot through my head.

My memories were a blur, a fog.

"For a mission? You went into the Valley of Shadows alone for that fool!" a man's angry roar followed.

Valley of Shadows? Mission?

I tried to remember, but all I got were broken pieces.

The backlash from a pack ward lit up the sky, then everything went black.

"I…"

"Enough!" The woman cut me off, her eyes filled with disappointment. "Look at you. What a wreck you've made of yourself, just to get Fabian's attention. I think the Moon Goddess got it wrong with this whole fated mate thing!"

Fabian.

The name made my heart race, but I couldn't picture his face.

"Gloria was worried sick about you all night," she went on, her tone suddenly softening. "She's already so fragile, and you've stressed her into a wreck."

I watched her expression shift.

Disgust when she looked at me. Pure love when she talked about Gloria.

"Who are you? Who's Gloria?" I asked, my voice weak.

The man and woman exchanged a look.

"Oh, so now you have amnesia?" the man sneered. "Convenient."

"She's our adopted daughter," he continued. "A thousand times better than you ever were."

Adopted? Then what about me?

"Am I your real daughter?"

"So what if you are?" my mother snapped. "Are you blaming us now? You were gone for fifteen years. We thought you were dead. Gloria was the one who got us through those painful years. Even now that you're back, a she-wolf raised as a rogue… You're no Beta warrior. And you'll never be fit to be this pack's Luna."

Gone for fifteen years.

So I was their daughter. But clearly, blood meant nothing.

"The healer said you might have some memory loss, but you look fine to me," my father said, standing up. "Now that you're awake, cut the sympathy act. Gloria's coming-of-age ceremony is tomorrow. Be there. The Alpha has been planning it for months."

After they left, I lay alone in bed.

A wave of being completely unloved washed over me. It was a chilling reminder: I had to figure out who I really was.

I struggled to sit up and found a small, encrypted communicator and a leather-bound journal tucked inside my clothes.

On the cover, in my own handwriting, were the words: "For Fabian - My 100 Things."

My hand trembled as I cracked open the cover.

"Task #1: Fabian mentioned he likes purple wind-bells. I searched the entire forest to find them. He tossed them on the table without a second glance."

My heart began to pound.

"Task #15: Fabian wanted the Blaze-fire pack's secret combat manual. I snuck into their sacred grounds and stole it. I was almost caught, got my arm sliced by a silver bullet. When he took it, all he said was, 'It's useful enough.'"

Task #20, Task #30, Task #50…

Every page was a testament to my pathetic devotion and his icy cruelty.

"Task #67: I spent three months learning to brew his favorite ancient mead. When I brought it to him, he was talking to Gloria. He didn't even look up. 'Just leave it on the table,' he said."

Tears blurred my vision.

"Task #78: Fabian's power went wild. He was in agony all night. I stayed by his side, feeding him my energy to calm him. When dawn broke, his first words were, 'Where's Gloria? Did I wake her?'"

My hand clenched the journal, my knuckles turning white.

Every word was a knife, cutting into my amnesiac but still-aching heart.

"Task #100: It's Gloria's birthday. Fabian asked me to negotiate with the hostile pack in the Valley of Shadows for a rare herb for her. I know it's dangerous, but if it makes him happy…"

I slammed the journal shut.

My tears blurred the words, but the pain was crystal clear.

I didn't remember doing any of it, but reading the words, I could feel that girl's desperate love.

How stupid she was.

Risking her life just for a moment of kindness from a man who didn't love her.

I wiped my tears. I flipped to a blank page and wrote my final entry.

"Task #101: Leave him. Reclaim myself."

I wiped my eyes, picked up the cold communicator, and pressed the button to call the pack Elder.

"Elder, I'm requesting the Bond-Severing Ritual. I am rejecting my fated mate."

"Are you certain, child?" the Elder's voice came through, thick with shock. "Once the ritual begins, it can never be undone."

"I'm certain," my voice was unnervingly calm.

The line went silent for a moment before the Elder's voice returned, grave. "Child, the ritual requires the Moon Goddess’s Tear. The sacred artifact is locked in the Alpha's safe. Fabian's safe. You must get it before the full moon in three days, or the ritual cannot proceed."