Chapter 2

Luke’s patience finally snapped.

His face twisted into something ugly and unrecognizable. "You’re being insane, Chloe. Everyone in this pack knows you’ve been chasing me since we were kids. Go ahead—walk away. See which Alpha even looks your way after I’m done with you."

He turned on his heel and slammed the door so hard the walls vibrated.

I stood there, trembling. He belonged to Sophie now. That was the only reality left. I should have cut him off the moment he started looking through me to get to her. The moment he took my heart and ground it into the dirt. I just didn't want to believe that six months with a stranger meant more than the decade we had built together.

I was the ultimate fool.

Reno, however, didn't give me a second to wallow.

The very next day, his men arrived at my family’s estate. They didn't just bring gifts; they brought a statement. Wealth, rare kills, and tribute were stacked so high the marble floors of the grand hall vanished beneath them. These were bonding gifts fit for royalty.

My parents were hesitant. They thought Reno was too volatile, too dangerous. They begged me to sleep on it, but my mind was a steel trap. Love or status—I needed to survive, and I was going to hold onto at least one of them.

Reno’s reputation was rough, but he was the future of the Northern Territory. If Sophie’s family hadn't been desperate to get rid of her, a low-ranking Omega like her would never have been even a footnote in a man like Reno's life.

I was about to have the servants move the crates to storage when Luke walked in, Sophie clinging to his arm. They took one look at the mountain of gold and silk and jumped to the most arrogant conclusion possible.

Luke lifted his chin, his expression smug. He clearly thought I’d been playing hard-to-get to get more out of him. Sophie’s eyes swept the room, a glint of pure greed behind her shy act.

"Sister," Sophie chirped. "Are these all your bonding gifts?"

Sophie was the product of her father’s bad decisions and a housemaid. She’d been a ghost in her own home until her stepmother kicked her out with a bag of pocket change.

I didn't sugarcoat it. "No."

Luke let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Drop the act, Chloe. Yesterday you were 'done' with me, and today you’ve got all this ready for our move-in? You’re unbelievable."

Sophie’s voice turned saccharine. "Once we’re all living together, we’ll be a real family, Sister. Luke, didn't you bring something for her? Go on."

She tugged at his sleeve as she spoke. That’s when I saw it.

A flash of emerald at her throat.

Luke’s family had a necklace passed down through their bloodline for over a century—the Luna’s Heart. It was the only piece that officially marked the matriarch of their line. I had dropped hints about it for years, and Luke had always dodged the subject. He’d never once offered it to me.

I never imagined I would see it sitting on a neck that wasn't mine.