Episode 1

"I am beta to the cruel alpha who married you." Philip points his sword at my chest. "But Riley, you were once the most promising alpha princess in the werewolf nation. You could have gotten any man you wanted. You left Alpha Kael, and you chose my best friend instead."

Philip looks at me with disappointment. 

We were training, as we’d done twice every week for five years. I was slower than I used to be. Five years ago, I could have disarmed him in seconds. Now I barely blocked his sword.

Philip is a simple beta, serving under my mate: the cruel rogue alpha of the west. 

"Again," I said.

Philip lowered his sword. "You're exhausted, my Luna, we should stop."

"I said again!"

We've been doing this for months now. Secret training sessions deep in the forest where no one from the pack can see how far I've fallen.

I was once Riley Moonshadow, daughter of the seventh alpha, heir to the most powerful pack in the werewolf nation. I was destined to compete for the throne of alpha king.

Now I'm Riley Blackthorn. Luna of a poor rogue pack that barely has two hundred wolves, married to a cruel rogue alpha. The world hates me for being the nightblood princess who chose the mate bond over duty, who abandoned her crown for a man.

Philip struck again. I blocked but my arms shook. My wolf used to make me invincible. Now she's silent. Weak. Fading.

"You're losing your power," Philip said. "I can see it, Riley. Every session, you get weaker."

I attacked instead of answering. I forced him back three steps before my legs gave out. I hit the ground hard.

Philip dropped his sword and helped me up. "That's enough, you'll hurt yourself."

"I'm fine." But I'm not fine. I haven't been fine for five years.

Philip has always been kind to me. In a pack that treats me like garbage, he's the only one who sees me as more than just the nightblood princess who ruined her life.

He's my husband's beta and best friend, but he became my friend too.

"They blame you," Philip said. He sounded angry. "The pack blames you for everything. They say you're weak, that you can't hunt, that you can't shift properly. They think you're a burden."

"I know what they say."

"But they don't know the truth!" He grabbed my arms. "They don't know that your weakness is because of them. Because you chose their alpha over your power. The punishment for a nightblood princess mating with a wolf of lower class is losing your royal wolf. You've been sacrificing yourself for five years, and they treat you like garbage."

I started crying. "Philip-"

"You were the Death Commander, Riley. You made alphas three times your size afraid to speak your name. You were destined to save the entire nation from tyranny. And now you can't shift, can't hear from long distances, can't hunt like other lunas. All because you chose him. All because you chose this pack. And they hate you for it."

"Stop."

"No." He pulled me closer. "I've watched you break for five years. I've watched Jason treat you like a servant, watched his mother work you to the bone, watched the pack mock you. I've stood by and said nothing because he's my best friend, but I can't do it anymore. I can't watch you destroy yourself for people who don't deserve you."

I heard something strange in his voice. Something I'd been too blind to see before.

"Philip, what are you-"

"I have good news," I said quickly. "I need to tell you something."

He let go of my arms. "I have something I need to tell you too. Something I've wanted to say for a long time."

We stared at each other.

"On three?" he asked.

I nodded. "One. Two. Three-"

"I'm pregnant!" I said.

"I'm in love with you!" he said at the same time.

We both froze. I stared at him. He stared at me.

"You're... what?" Philip asked.

"I'm pregnant." I put my hand on my stomach. "With Jason's baby."

"Of course you are." He laughed, but it sounded bitter. "Of course you are."

"Philip, I didn't know you-"

"How could you know?" He stepped back. "I've hidden it for five years. I should have told you years ago instead of standing by while he destroyed you."

"He hasn't destroyed me."

"Hasn't he? Look at yourself, Riley. You can barely shift. You can barely fight. You've lost everything. And for what? For a man who doesn't even love you?"

I knew he was right. Deep down, I knew.

"I need to go." I turned and ran.

"Riley, wait-"

But I was already gone. I ran through the trees, crying. How can this be happening? How can Philip be in love with me?

I ran until I couldn't breathe anymore. Until I stood at the edge of the pack house.

Today is our anniversary. Jason and I have been married for five years today, and I have the perfect gift: a baby. Our second child. Proof that we're still a family.

I wiped my tears. Philip is wrong. Jason does love me. He has to. I gave up everything for him.

I pushed open the front door.

Jason's scent hit me immediately. Thick and heavy and everywhere. But there was another scent too. Female. Familiar.

I walked upstairs. The scents got stronger with each step until I stood outside our bedroom door.

I heard sounds inside. Moaning. Grunting. Skin against skin.

I pushed the door open.

My husband was on our bed, completely naked. Veronica was on top of him, riding him. He gripped her waist. The room smelled like sex and sweat.

"Close the door, Riley." Jason sounded annoyed. "Give us some privacy."

"You're sleeping with your sister?"

Veronica laughed. She kept moving on top of him. "We're celebrating your anniversary."

"How could you?" I started crying. "After everything I've done for you, all I've given up for this marriage-"

"Sister?" Veronica climbed off Jason slowly. "Oh Riley, you really are as stupid as Jason always says you are."

"What?"

"I'm not his sister, you idiot." She reached for her dress. She wasn't ashamed at all. "I was adopted into this family when we were children. We're not related by blood."

I felt dizzy.

"But you call his parents mom and dad. You live here. You're-"

"She's family." Margaret's voice came from behind me. I turned around. Jason's mother stood in the hallway with her arms crossed. She looked completely calm. "But not the way you think."

"How long?" My voice cracked. "How long have you known?"

"Known?" She laughed. "Darling, I've known from the beginning. The entire pack has. Veronica and Jason have been together for ten years."

Ten years.

Before me. Before our marriage. Before everything.

"Then why?" I looked at Jason. He was pulling on his pants like this was normal. "Why marry me if you were already with her?"

"Because I needed you." He walked toward me and stopped right in front of my face. "Or more specifically, I needed what you represented. You were Riley Moonshadow, heir to the seventh alpha's throne, the most powerful nightblood in a millennium. I was nobody. A rogue alpha with nothing."

"You said you loved me."

"I said what I needed to say." He shrugged. "You were desperate for someone to see you as more than a weapon or a political tool. It was pathetically easy to make you fall for me."

I slapped him before I could think…hard enough that his head snapped to the side.

"You bastard!" I raised my hand to hit him again.

Margaret moved fast. She shoved me hard with both hands. I stumbled backward.

My heel caught on something.

I fell.

I tumbled down the stairs. My body hit each step, my head hit something hard.

Everything went black.