Chapter 1

I pushed open the heavy glass doors of the Silvermoon Ridge headquarters, blocking out the sight of Rowan’s careless face.

My phone buzzed in my palm. A video call from my childhood friend, Jax.

The second I answered, his sharp eyes locked onto my wrist.

“Where’s the bracelet? Caleb, did you take off your bond bracelet?” His face changed instantly. He shot upright. “You’re ending twenty years together because she forgot to bring you a rock?”

I stood on the marble steps, looking up at the gray sky. I didn't look away from his glare.

“It’s not about one rock, Jax.” My voice was quiet. Empty. “It’s about the seventeenth time.”

“What seventeenth time?” Jax was lost.

“Rowan’s been Alpha Female for exactly three months,” I said, walking slowly down the steps. “In those three months, this is the seventeenth time she’s broken a promise to me.”

Jax opened his mouth, trying to find an excuse for her. “She just took over a new territory, she’s got too much on her plate, maybe she just can’t keep up…”

“She was in the mining territory for seven days,” I cut him off. My voice was cold. “Even the patrol guards got expensive liquor. But she forgot the one thing I needed to survive. The Moonstone. Completely. Her excuse? ‘Too busy.’”

I pulled my car door open and slid into the driver’s seat, fixing the phone to its mount.

“If that was it, maybe I could lie to myself a little longer.” I stared straight into the camera. “But then I saw Finn’s social media.”

Finn. The Omega scribe she’d taken on three months ago.

“Remember March 21st?” I asked.

Jax’s brow furrowed. “Of course! You nearly burned out your Alpha instincts securing her new territory. You were in the med-bay for a whole day. You almost died!”

“Right.” I held up my right hand. The dark red scar on my palm from the feral agony was still an ugly mark. “I was freezing. The pain was blinding. I only asked her to bring back some healing elixir.”

I paused, looking right into Jax’s eyes.

“She didn’t get back until late. She reeked of alcohol. She patted my shoulder and just said, ‘Sorry, drank too much at the celebration feast. I forgot.’”

Jax clenched his jaw, his eyes darting away for a second. “Maybe she was just really drunk…”

“That same night, Finn posted an update.” I swiped open my tablet and shared the screenshot. “‘Feeling a little down today, but the most powerful Alpha Female in the world brought me the most precious elixir herself.’ And the picture? It was Rowan’s hand, passing the vial to him.”

Through the phone, I heard Jax suck in a sharp breath.

The shock in his eyes turned to pure rage.

“I’m not done.” I didn’t give him a second to breathe. I just kept ripping open the wounds.

“April 7th. I was up all night negotiating the mineral contracts with those old foxes. My stomach was cramping so bad I was in a cold sweat. I texted her, told her I was starving, asked if she could bring something back.”

My voice was terrifyingly steady.

“I waited until 3 AM. All I got was the sight of her back, fast asleep in our bed.”

“The next day, she told me she was exhausted from comforting a frightened Omega all night. She just didn’t have the energy to think about me.”

Jax’s breathing got heavy, his chest rising and falling fast. He stared at the screen. “Where was Finn that night?”

“At the city’s most exclusive steakhouse.” A cold, humorless smile touched my lips. “His caption was: ‘This is what it feels like to be the Alpha Female’s favorite. No matter how late, she’ll always take you to get the best food.’”

Thump!

A dull thud came through the speaker.

Jax had slammed his fist into his steering wheel.

“She’s lost her mind! What kind of spell did that Omega put on her? She loves you, Caleb! How could she do this to you?!” Jax’s eyes were red. His voice trembled with pain. "You crushed your own Alpha nature for her! You bled for her throne! What does she think you are?!"

“A tool,” I said, laying the bloody truth bare. “One that doesn’t need maintenance and will never leave her. In her mind, I’m too strong. Unbreakable. But that Omega… he’s the weak one who needs her Alpha protection.”

Just a little while ago, faced with that necklace made of raw Moonstone, Rowan told me she was too busy. Then she turned around and commented on Finn’s post: “You deserve it.”

In that moment, all my resentment, all my hurt, just turned to dust.

“Don’t try to change my mind, Jax.” I looked at him, my gaze clear and rational. The storm inside me was gone. “I see everything clearly now.”

Jax was silent for a long time. When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse but firm. “Okay. Whatever you decide, I’m with you, brother. What’s your next move?”

I clicked my seatbelt into place.

“I’m going to Blackpeak. Flight’s in two days.”

Jax’s head snapped up, his face a mask of shock. “You’re going to the Blackpeak Pack? Marcus invited you seven times, and you’re finally saying yes?!”

“Yes,” I confirmed.

“Does… does Rowan know you’re going to Blackpeak?” Jax’s tone turned serious.

“Not yet.” I started the engine. The car let out a low growl.

“How are you going to tell her?” he pressed, his eyes locked on me. “A text? A letter?”

I floored it, my eyes fixed on the cold road ahead.

“I’m going back to the estate tonight to wait for her.” I gripped the steering wheel, the veins on the back of my hand standing out. “I’m going to settle the score for the last three months, to her face. And then I’m ending it. For good.”