Chapter Three: The Breaking Point

“You’re just finding excuses to reject him—” Ava stopped short when she caught the fire in Nico’s eyes. The words dried in her throat, choking her before they could escape. She knew that look—the one that meant Nico was balancing on the edge of a cliff, a single push away from cutting their bond of friendship with a blade of silence.

A heavy quiet fell between them, thick enough to suffocate. Ava shifted uncomfortably, twisting the ring on her finger, until she finally sighed, her voice dropping into something fragile. “I’m sorry.” She lowered her gaze, then drifted toward the door as though her very presence was an intrusion.

“You don’t need to leave,” Nico said quietly, her voice thin, her chest aching with regret. “I overreacted.”

Ava hesitated in the doorway, torn between retreat and forgiveness. Then, slowly, she padded back across the floor, dragging her feet against the tiles. She curled onto the bed like a child seeking comfort, pressing her stomach flat against the duvet. She stayed quiet, lips sealed, unwilling to say anything that might spark another storm.

For a heartbeat, the room was calm. Nico allowed herself to breathe. But calm never lasted long in Moonshadow.

Ava suddenly sat up, her eyes wide, her phone clutched tightly in her hands.

“Oh my God. Have you checked I*******m?” Her mouth dropped open as if she’d just seen a ghost rise from the grave.

Nico frowned, irritation tugging at her already frayed nerves. “What now?”

“This is insane. Just check the wolf entertainment blog!” Ava laughed breathlessly, the sound cracked and uneven, ignoring Nico’s growing impatience.

“Ava—”

“Just check,” she insisted, thrusting the phone toward her like it was on fire.

Nico’s lips parted as she scrolled, her expression twisting with disbelief at the words flashing across the screen. “He rejected her? Because she’s an omega?”

“No.” Ava’s head shook sharply, strands of hair falling into her face. “Because she isn’t fit to be a Luna.” She paused, rolling her eyes bitterly, then lifted her hands in the air. “But yeah—mostly because she’s an omega.”

“That’s merciless,” Nico muttered, her voice heavy, her eyes locked on the glowing screen.

She clicked the video, her hands clammy against the glass. And there he was—Alpha Rowen. His rejection of his mate, Nora, had gone viral. The words he spoke, cold and cutting, hung in the air like blades. Seven years—seven years they had been together—and he discarded her like trash, in front of the entire world.

Ava’s face hardened, anger curling in her eyes. “I don’t like what he did. He’s a total jerk.”

Nico said nothing. Her chest burned as she stared blankly at the screen, her thoughts tangling into knots. Every second the video played felt like acid dripping into her veins.

“What are you going to do now?” Ava asked, suspicion lacing her voice.

Nico exhaled shakily, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. “I don’t care about how handsome he is. His character is disgusting. Take what he did to his mate—someone chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. Even if he wanted to reject her, he should’ve done it in private. Can you imagine how humiliated she must feel?” Her voice trembled, but her anger sharpened it into a blade.

Before Ava could answer, a sudden gust of wind rattled the walls, jerking the door open with a violent crash. No one stood there—just the cold, empty air seeping in.

Ava’s voice dropped, hushed and uncertain. “I heard my dad talking to the Alpha. About you. About… marrying Alpha Rowen. Is that why Nora was rejected?”

Nico’s fingers twisted together until her knuckles turned white, guilt etching itself across her face like a confession written in scars. “Yes. My father wants me to marry him. For an alliance.”

Her voice cracked as she continued, pain spilling through every syllable. “I don’t like him. His aura is cold, distant. He carries himself like everyone is beneath him. I can’t stand it. Every time I look at him, it feels like chains tightening around my throat.”

A loud chime echoed, breaking through the thick air. The bell announcing a summons.

A servant entered, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched the ground.

“Princess Nico, the Alpha calls for your presence.”

Nico’s throat tightened as she swallowed hard. Seeing her father was never easy. But now—now it felt unbearable.

Her mind flashed back without mercy—Luna Emerald’s lifeless body, the metallic scent of her blood still staining the air, the endless killings that followed like a curse. The enemy was still out there, tearing pieces from their pack like wolves ripping apart prey. Why? The question haunted her like a ghost that refused to rest.

Her thoughts froze as she entered her father’s chambers.

“Nico!” Alpha James’s voice rang out, booming with pride. His eyes gleamed as though he’d already won a victory. “I brought an important guest for you.”

Nico’s gaze swept the room, searching, until it landed on a tall figure, broad-shouldered, his back turned.

When he turned, her wolf stirred violently inside her chest, clawing, snarling.

Alpha Rowen.

Nico’s jaw clenched. Every instinct screamed at her to lunge, to rip him apart, to shred him until nothing remained. She didn’t know why her hatred for him ran so deep, only that it did. It was instinctive. It was undeniable.

“We’ll be welcoming another visitor today,” her father continued smoothly, as if Nico’s fury were invisible. “A cousin from your mother’s side. Nelson Solomon. He’s powerful, though he’s kept his distance from this kingdom for many years.”

Nico forced a nod, her throat tight. “Alright, Father.”

Before she could speak again, Rowen’s voice cut in—confident, smooth, practiced.

“We can use the rest of the day to get to know each other,” he said with a smile that never touched his eyes. It was a smile of convenience, of power, not of warmth.

Nico’s thoughts spun in circles. He needed this marriage to strengthen his pack. And her father needed it for warriors. She was nothing but a bridge between two empires. Nothing but flesh made into a bargain.

“Fine,” she said coldly, her words clipped, before she could ruin everything her father had schemed for.

The Alpha’s smile widened, victorious.

Nico turned sharply away, slamming the door behind her with a force that rattled the walls.

“What the hell,” she muttered under her breath as she stormed down the corridor, her heels clicking too loudly in the silence. Each step was a scream she couldn’t release. By the time she reached her room, she ripped them off, hurling them against the wall with a fury that shook her bones.

“Ava!” she called, her voice sharp, desperate, raw with frustration.

Silence.

She moved toward her wardrobe to change, her fingers trembling against the handle. “Ava?”

The door creaked open—and a body tumbled out.

Her scream tore through the air, jagged and unending.

Ava’s lifeless form collapsed at her feet, her eyes gouged out, her body mangled beyond recognition.

Nico dropped to the floor, clutching her ears, trying to block out the horror, trying to pretend she hadn’t seen what she had.

“Not again!” she cried, her voice breaking into pieces. Her sobs echoed against the walls, desperate and powerless.

Her best friend was dead. Another victim. Another soul stolen by the darkness hunting them.

And now Nico knew—there was no escaping her father’s plan.

She had to marry Rowen.

She had no choice.