chapter 1

Christine

The night my mate watched me bleed to death was the night my wolf stopped calling him mine.

Not because my heart stopped beating.

Not because my body gave up.

But because something inside me shattered beyond repair.

The bond that connected my soul to his—the sacred mate bond that every wolf dreamed of—broke in that moment.

And the most painful part?

It didn’t break because he died.

It broke because he chose not to save me.

My name is Christine Valerius.

For four years, I was the Luna of the Blackwood Pack.

The woman who stood beside Alpha Zack Kingsley.

The woman everyone believed was blessed by the Moon Goddess herself.

They saw the beautiful mansion, the powerful Alpha, the respected Luna title, and the wealth that came with it.

They saw everything except the truth.

They never saw the nights I cried alone.

They never saw the wounds hidden beneath my smile.

They never saw how slowly the woman I used to be disappeared.

Because being a Luna was not about wearing a crown.

It was about sacrifice.

And I sacrificed everything for a man who would eventually leave me on the cold floor, covered in my own blood.

The doctors called it a miscarriage.

The pack called it an unfortunate accident.

But I called it the day my future was buried.

The day my unborn child was taken from me.

The day my mate destroyed the last piece of love I had left for him.

---

“Congratulations, Alpha Kingsley!”

The loud voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I blinked slowly as the grand ballroom came back into focus.

The crystal chandeliers hanging above sparkled like thousands of stars. The room was filled with powerful Alphas, wealthy businessmen, and members of different packs.

Everyone was smiling.

Everyone was celebrating.

But I stood quietly at the corner of the room, feeling like a stranger in my own pack.

“Tonight marks the greatest achievement of the Blackwood Pack!” the announcer declared. “The largest alliance contract in the history of our territory belongs to Alpha Zack Kingsley!”

The entire ballroom erupted into applause.

My eyes moved toward the center of the room.

There he was.

My mate, Alpha Zack Kingsley, the man every wolf admired.

He was tall, powerful, and ruthless. His black suit fit perfectly against his broad shoulders. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his golden Alpha aura filled the room.

Everyone bowed their heads slightly as he walked past them.

Everyone respected him. Everyone worshipped him. Because they believed Zack built everything alone.

They believed he was the genius Alpha who transformed the Blackwood's Pack into one of the strongest packs in the world.

They were wrong.

Because behind every decision, every business move, every alliance, and every victory… There was me.

I was the one who spent countless nights studying contracts.

I was the one who traveled from pack to pack convincing leaders to trust us.

I was the one who fixed the mistakes nobody knew existed.

I was the one who sacrificed my health to make sure his name shined.

But when people praised him… Nobody remembered me.

Nobody said: “Congratulations to Luna Christine. She made this possible.”

No.

They only saw Alpha Zack, the great Alpha, the powerful leader, and the perfect man.

My fingers tightened around the glass in my hand.

A bitter smile touched my lips.

Perfect.

That was a word I used to believe.

Before I learned that a perfect-looking man could still destroy your entire world.

“Alpha Zack Kingsley and Luna Christine are truly blessed.”

A woman beside me whispered.

My body stiffened.

Luna Christine.

The title sounded strange now. Because even though I wore the title, I no longer felt like his Luna. Not after what he did.

Not after the way he looked at me like I was nothing.

Not after he chose another woman.

My eyes moved to the woman standing beside him.

And my entire body went cold.

Olivia, my former maid. The woman I had saved.

The woman who had arrived at my pack gates years ago, starving and desperate.

I remembered that day clearly.

She was weak, dirty and terrified. Everyone ignored her. But I didn’t. I brought her into my home.

I gave her clothes. I gave her food. I treated her like family. I even trusted her enough to stand by my side as my personal maid.

I never imagined that the person I saved would become the person who destroyed me.

Because now… She was standing beside my mate.

Wearing a beautiful silver gown. Her hand wrapped around Zack’s arm. Like she belonged there. Like she was the Luna.

My wolf growled painfully inside me. "Mate…" The word came out as a broken whimper from my wolf.

She hated this.... She hated seeing our mate with another woman. But the worst part was not Olivia touching him.

The worst part was feeling Zack’s emotions through the bond.

Pride, happiness, affection. All of it was directed toward her.

Not me... Never me.

A sharp pain pierced my chest.

Four years ago, his touch could make my entire body tremble.

Four years ago, hearing him say my name made my wolf sing.

Now?

Now his happiness felt like a knife cutting through our bond.

“Daddy!” A small voice suddenly called out.

Everyone turned.

A little girl ran across the ballroom toward Zack.

She's Eva, Olivia’s daughter.

Zack immediately smiled... A real smile.

The kind of smile I used to pray he would give me.

He bent down and lifted her into his arms.

The crowd immediately melted at the sight.

“How beautiful.”

“They look like such a happy family.”

“A true Alpha family.”

The words stabbed deeper than any weapon.

A happy family.

A true Alpha family.

I stood there silently. Because they were right. They were a family. Just not mine.

My hand slowly moved toward my stomach.

A habit I developed after discovering I was pregnant.

My baby.

My little miracle.

The only thing that still made me believe my marriage could be saved.

Three months ago, when I found out I was carrying Zack’s child, I cried.

Not because I was afraid. Not because I was unhappy.

I cried because for the first time in years…

I felt hope.

I thought the Moon Goddess had finally answered my prayers.

I imagined telling Zack.

I imagined his face when he learned he would become a father.

I imagined him holding our child.

I imagined us becoming the family I always wanted.

But I never got the chance. Because before I could tell him… Everything fell apart. And tonight… I knew why.

Because Zack had already chosen his family.

And it was never me.

“Luna Christine.” A voice interrupted my thoughts.

I turned.

Vivienne Kingsley, Zack’s mother, stood there.

Her expression was cold. It always was when she looked at me.

“Why are you standing here alone?”

I lowered my eyes slightly. “I was just...”

“Investors are waiting,” she interrupted. “Try to remember your position. You are the Luna of this pack, not some useless decoration.”

My chest tightened.

Useless.

That word again.

I had heard it so many times that sometimes I almost believed it.

But she didn’t know.

She didn’t know that without me, Blackwood's Pack would have collapsed years ago.

She didn’t know how many times I protected their empire.

She didn’t know how much blood, sweat, and tears I had poured into this family.

Because women like Vivienne never saw sacrifices.

They only saw results.

And they always gave the credit to men.

“Yes, Luna Mother,” I whispered.

Her eyes narrowed. “I hope you don’t embarrass us tonight.”

I lowered my gaze. Not because I feared her. But because I was tired. So tired of fighting. So tired of proving my worth to people who never wanted to see it.

I turned away.

And that was when I heard the first scream.

“Fire!”

The entire ballroom froze. Then another scream followed... And another.

Within seconds, chaos erupted.

People started running. Smoke filled the room. The smell of burning wood and magic filled the air.

My wolf immediately awakened.

Danger.

My body reacted instantly. I turned toward the exit. But before I could move… The fire exploded.

And the night that would destroy my life began.