Chapter 2

Between fated mates, if the gap in bloodline rank was vast enough, the higher-ranked one could forcibly sever the bond.

However, Kael did not know that I was not the packless Rogue he believed me to be. I was a princess of the royal court, and my bloodline far outranked his.

The only problem was that my father had sealed that power away.

Four years ago, I had grown tired of the royal court's rules and restrictions and insisted on leaving to find my own freedom. My father, the Alpha King, was furious. He sealed my bloodline and power with his own hands, and then confined me to a tower to reflect on what I had done.

I escaped during a guard shift change. I shook off every royal guard who came after me and fled deep into the unclaimed forest.

That was where I met Kael.

The moment our eyes met, my heart slammed against my ribs. He had gone still too. We both recognized it at once. We were fated mates.

I hid my identity as a princess and went by Nia. He told me he had left his pack behind because he was sick of the power struggles, and that he wanted to live on his own terms.

There was no formal ceremony. We simply stood under the moonlight and promised ourselves to each other for life.

We did not have the luxury of the royal court, but we tilled our own land and raised our own animals. Life was simple and steady.

Now the cabin had been reduced to ashes, and I was locked inside this cold estate.

Three days had passed. All I could do was stare through the iron railings at the world outside.

Beyond the railings, a few she-wolves passing by were whispering among themselves.

"Did you hear? Alpha Kael used the pack's entire store of merit to petition the Alpha King for the Moonveil Crown, the one reserved for princesses."

"That crown is a sacred relic. Only those with royal blood are supposed to wear it. He must really love his mate."

"His mate is the Frostmoon Alpha's most beloved daughter. Their bloodlines and their packs are a perfect match. They were made for each other."

The Moonveil Crown they were talking about was the treasure I had longed for since I was a pup. My father once told me he would give it to me as a bonding gift, but only when I found a mate who was truly loyal to me.

When Kael first confessed his feelings, he had woven a rough flower crown by hand and given it to me. He held me close and said, "My Nia deserves the finest things the wolf kingdom has to offer. Even the Moonveil Crown wouldn't be good enough for you."

Now he had actually obtained the Moonveil Crown, but it was for another she-wolf.

That evening, Kael showed up carrying a pouch of honeyed dried fruit, my favorite.

He sat down across from me, his expression calm. "Eat something. No matter how upset you are, you can't starve the pup."

I reached for the fruit numbly and chewed in small, mechanical bites. The sweetness sat heavy on my tongue. Watching him sit there as though nothing had happened left a sense of bitterness that no amount of sugar could mask.

"When did you mark her?"

Kael stiffened. His gaze dropped. "On your birthday."

The room turned to ice around me.

One month ago, on my birthday, Kael had vanished without a word. The mate bond had gone silent along with him. I thought something terrible had happened. I searched for him all night, frantic.

He did not come back until the next morning, battered and disheveled. He lied and told me he had gotten lost looking for a birthday gift and wandered into the Forbidden Grove, where the disrupted lunar energy had severed our bond.

Then he pulled out a beautiful plume crystal, presenting it like a peace offering.

I had not slept all night. I had nearly been killed by a wild beast while searching for him. However, when I saw the state he was in, I could not bring myself to blame him. All I felt was heartache.

It turned out he had never been in danger. He had used the witch's potion to block our bond.

The thought of him marking Freya on my birthday, behind my back, made my stomach turn. Still, when I thought about everything we had shared over the past four years, I decided to give him one last chance.

"Kael, call off the bonding ceremony with her. Please."

His patience shattered. "If I don't bond with Freya, then who should I bond with? You?

"Do I have to spell it out before you'll understand?

"Freya is the Frostmoon Alpha's only daughter. Her bloodline is pure and her pack's influence is massive.

"As for you? You're a worthless Rogue with no family, no pack, and a wolf that never even awakened.

"Someone like you doesn't deserve to be my mate, let alone be the Luna of the Thunderpeak pack."

I refused to accept it. "Does everything have to come down to bloodline and power? What about our mate bond? What about the four years we spent together?"

"The wolf kingdom runs on strength. Pack standing and bloodline rank matter. That's just how it works."

He paused, and guilt flashed across his face. "And Freya is carrying my pup too."

My mind went blank. A sharp cramp twisted through my lower stomach.