CHAPTER 2

The shift in my life felt as jagged as a wolf’s tooth. I couldn't believe the audacity pulsing through my veins; I had actually bound my soul to a high-ranking stranger. But the blood-oath was struck, and looking back was a luxury I couldn't afford. I climbed back into my sleek black SUV, but before I could ignite the engine to leave the Downtown Civic Registry, my phone howled. It was Blake.

"Ava, where are you lurking?"

"Just outside the Registry. I'm heading back to the den," I replied, my voice as cool as a winter moon.

"Change of plans. Riley has a critical showcase for the pack elders, and I need you to phase in for her immediately. I’ll have the stylists provide a silver masquerade mask. Under the stage lights, no one will distinguish your scent or your face from hers," he commanded. He wasn't speaking as my intended mate; he was barking orders like an Alpha to a subordinate.

"Since Riley is 'incapacitated,' you have to shoulder this burden for the pride of the studio."

"I thought you said Riley was wounded during a transformation?" I countered, testing the depth of his lies. "If her spirit is that damaged, the territory gossips should already be howling about it."

He was utterly devoid of shame. In the past, I would have played the martyr, dulling my own shine to let Riley bask in the glow of the Turner Studios spotlight. Not today. "Fine," I said, a predatory smile tugging at my lips. "Send me the coordinates. I’ll be there."

"Is this for my career or a boost for the studio?" I added, the double meaning lost on him. "I'll give her a boost she'll never forget."

I severed the link. Blake was likely tucked away in a private ward, hovering over Riley like a devoted sentinel while they plotted my obsolescence. I immediately dialed my true ally, Lisa.

"Blake wants you to stand in for that Omega-level fraud?" Lisa snarled through the speaker. "If you hadn't stepped into the shadows to help him, she wouldn't even be fit to scout the perimeter, let alone lead a showcase!"

"Lisa, I’ve already signaled my 'submission' to the idea," I told her firmly.

"You're going to let them bleed you dry again?"

"Hardly. I’m done being the ghost in her machine. I have a new strategy, and I need the only person I trust to execute the flank. Riley is desperate to convince the High Council she’s lead-wolf material for the upcoming Pacific Crown Gala honors. She’s hiding her pregnancy to keep her rank. I need you to scent out the medical records at the pack infirmary. I want proof that she’s carrying Blake's pup, and I want the archives of every time I’ve secretly filled in for her."

Lisa went silent, then let out a low, dangerous hum of approval. "Those two mangy curs. They’ve been using you as a puppet for too long. Consider it done, Ava."

I drove toward the Brooklyn Pack Center, feeling an eerie, cold calm. I was going to hunt them with the same ruthlessness they used on me. At the venue, I was met by Riley’s handler, Gary—a thick-necked enforcer with a mind like a rusted trap.

"You’re late! Get to the vanity before the elders arrive," Gary grunted, shoving me toward a dressing room. "What's the nature of this ritual?" I asked, playing the part of the obedient shadow.

"Just a standard exhibition," he lied.

I already knew better. This wasn't just a show; it was the sacred jewelry unveiling for the legendary French house, Bel AME. If this went well, Riley would be named the face of their global empire. She was stealing my legacy while I wore her mask.

"Riley has a private sanctum here. Use it," Gary ordered. "You’re the finale. You descend from the rafters as the Lunar Queen." He gestured to a gown of shimmering white silk, tight enough to show every curve of a hunter. The mask was a masterpiece of gold filigree, designed to shroud my identity in mystery.

As I stood before the mirror, my hair pinned back with a single white moon-rose, I looked lethal. Even Gary looked stunned. "If you stay silent," he muttered, "they'll think you're a goddess. Riley will secure the contract for sure."

He pulled out the centerpiece: the Crown Star bracelet. It was a heavy gold band encrusted with diamonds, symbolizing a pup protected by its Alpha and Luna. But as he snapped it onto my wrist, it slid down toward my palm. I was leaner, more toned than Riley’s soft frame.

"It’s too loose!" Gary hissed, frantic. "The elders will see it slip. It’ll ruin the symbiosis!"

"Do you trust me?" I asked, my eyes flashing behind the gold mask. "We have no time for a blacksmith."

"Then do whatever you have to," he relented, missing the predatory glint in my gaze.

What Gary didn't know was that I wasn't the only one watching. Across the city, Jordan Reed had been tracking my scent. When he reported my "substitution" to the Vale Hills Estate, Connor Vale didn't growl in anger. Instead, he adjusted his cuffs, his dark eyes fixed on the city skyline.

"A jewelry showcase at the Pack Center?" Connor mused, a dangerous edge to his voice. "Secure me a seat in the shadows. I want to see exactly what kind of wolf I’ve just tethered to my soul."