Chapter 1

I’d been Alpha Dylan’s mate-in-waiting for six years. He kept delaying our official bonding ceremony, always saying, “The time isn’t right.” The moment he announced another she-wolf as his Luna was the moment I was done.

“Just like that… yes, Sylvia. You’re so beautiful.”

Dylan’s hot breath ghosted across my neck, his sweat soaking into the sheets.

I closed my eyes, feeling his thrusts, harder and more desperate than ever before.

Exhausted, he rolled over to lie beside me, his fingers tracing lazy patterns down my spine. “There’s a surprise for you tonight.”

My heart seized.

Today was our sixth anniversary.

Six long years of devotion and waiting.

I instinctively touched the back of my neck, where his temporary mark rested. Incomplete.

Tonight was his Alpha ceremony. Maybe, I prayed, tonight he would finally complete the bond.

“What surprise?” I asked, my eyes wide with hope.

Dylan just smiled mysteriously and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You’ll see.”

He glanced at the time. “I have to get to the Sacred Mountain to prepare. You get some rest.”

Today was a major tradition for the North Shore Pack, and the perfect time to announce a Luna.

He still hadn’t asked me to come with him.

But I figured that was part of the surprise.

A smile I couldn’t contain spread across my face as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

The moment Dylan left, I jumped out of bed, buzzing with energy. I did my makeup, styled my hair, and slipped into a shimmering silver gown.

I checked my reflection, making sure I looked flawless, then waited for Dylan to come get me.

The ceremony started at seven. It was already 6:10.

I called him. No answer.

6:20. Still nothing.

Anxiety began to gnaw at me.

I opened my phone, and the pack’s social media feed was already live-streaming the ceremony.

Then I saw him. Dylan, standing before the temple on the Sacred Mountain, looking impossibly handsome in his tailored suit.

And on his arm, a woman in a flowing black gown was smiling for the cameras.

Lady Lilith of the Black Forest Pack.

The comments flew across the screen:

“The new Luna is gorgeous!”

“A match made by the Moon Goddess!”

“Alpha Dylan finally found a woman worthy of him!”

The phone slipped from my fingers.

I bolted out the door, not even grabbing a coat, and drove straight to the Sacred Mountain.

I floored the gas pedal, my mind screaming, but I forced myself to stay calm, telling myself there had to be a misunderstanding.

When I got there, the elder’s voice was echoing through the night air. “And now, our Alpha will place the moonstone of eternity on his chosen Luna.”

I stared, frozen.

Dylan’s face was soft with a doting smile as he gazed at Lilith with pure adoration.

“Lilith, will you be my Luna, and protect the North Shore Pack with me?”

“I will.”

The moment the moonstone clasped around her neck, the entire plaza erupted in cheers.

I stood at the edge of the crowd, a ridiculous, invisible joke.

Dylan’s eyes scanned the crowd and landed on me.

I saw the shock—and the guilt—flash in his eyes.

But he quickly looked away, pulling the woman beside him closer.

I didn’t scream. I didn’t run up and demand answers.

I just turned and walked away. No one noticed me, just like for the past six years.

Back at my apartment, a beautifully wrapped gift box sat on the coffee table.

I opened it numbly. Inside was an expensive ruby necklace with a card that read: “Happy 6th Anniversary, my love.”

I tried to laugh, but my lips wouldn't move.

So this was his surprise.

My fingers scrolled through my contacts, stopping on a name: “Samuel.”

The Alpha King.

I'd met him once at a gala. The moment I saw him, an undeniable pull told me he was my fated mate. But I had politely turned him down, telling him I was happy with Dylan.

He'd told me then, “If you’re ever free, my offer stands.”

It seemed absurd at the time.

Now, he was my only lifeline.

“Dylan and I are over,” I heard myself say, my voice terrifyingly calm. “That offer you made... is it still on the table?”

The line was silent for two seconds, then a deep, magnetic laugh came through. “Of course.”

“I’ll be at the airport to welcome you in three days, my… mate.”

I had just hung up when the door swung open. “Three days? Where are you going?”