PROLOGUE

Arabella's POV I sat in the garden with my mother, Olivia resting on the ground against the soft grass. The air blew gently against my face, mixed with the scent of flowers, which calmed the tension in my small body."My daughter." My mother Olivia said, her voice soft as she patted my head. "Mother." I responded, smiling gently at her face; the moonlight cast a shadow silver glow over the horizon as we sat quietly and watched the moon. She stared at me for a moment, her eyes filled with something, an emotion I couldn't describe, one that made my heart twist. Just then. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the garden. Mother stiffened beside me. “We must bring her,” one voice murmured in a thick, dangerous voice.Silence washed between us.Her eyes widened in panic as she recognized the voice in the shadows; her mind froze in horror.“Arabella, run!” my mother screamed.I dropped to my knees in the underbrush, my heart hammering as I crawled deeper behind the bushes. My

CHAPTER ONE

"Thank you all very much for coming to my birthday party," I said as I stood at the center of the grand hall with bright smiles plastered all over my face, my emerald gown surrounding me like a wave field.“Happy birthday, Luna Arabella," the guests cheered in unison, lowering their heads.The chandeliers cast a golden glow across the hall, guests exchanging pleasantries with music blasting loudly in the hall as they celebrated with me, but Derek, my husband, was nowhere to be seen.“Where could Derek be?" I thought to myself as I scanned through the gathered crowd; maybe I had made a mistake, but still there was nothing.A knot tightened in my chest.I began to visibly get worried because Derek had never missed any important events, especially my birthdays.“Rise up," I commanded in a thin voice, my voice echoing in the hall. I managed to force out a weak smile despite my growing anxiety.“Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedule to celebrate with me and I would…” Befo

CHAPTER TWO

Arabella's POV"I'm fine, thank you, Sir, for your help," I whispered; his touch was gentle, yet it ignited a burning sensation within my body.My mouth dried up as my eyes roamed his strongly built body. His face closes in on me, sending a chill down my spine.I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and focused on his blue eyes, which were deep and endless like the blue sea.I wondered how a man's touch could be so soft, flooding me with warmth that took over my senses.My breath hitched as his lips morph into a quirky smirk.I held my breath and narrowed my gaze at him.Alarm bells are sounding in my head, but my eyes are drawn to the rest of him like a magnet.I inhaled his scent, which smelled like cinnamon mixed with honey; it pierced into my lungs and relaxed my muscles as he looked straight into my eyes.My body shuddered with his penetrating eyes sizing me up. Silence fell between us.Electricity cackled in the air, raising my temperature and speeding my breaths, with his da

CHAPTER THREE

Arabella's POV I walked into the grand hall, my steps slow and steady despite the anger brewing deep inside of me. Every gaze landed on me the moment I entered.Murmurs erupted through the hall, their cruel words biting through my flesh like a whip.Derek stood at the center of the hall, richly dressed and tailored in his suit; his head was high and mighty, portraying his authority as the alpha.Jessica stood beside him in an elegant gown, her skin flawless like a mermaid's, with her lips curving into a victorious smile.My stomach dropped.The sight made me feel nauseous.I clenched my fists, which curled into balls, and his expression shifted to me immediately when he saw me approaching.“Why are you here?” he groaned, his lips curving into a frown.“I only came to say goodbye,” I whispered, forcing myself to remain calm with tension buzzing in the hall.“I thought you already left," he growled, his face covered in a scowl.“Our marriage was built on nothing but pure sham as you ef

Chapter Four

“You are not going anywhere till you give me what is mine.” Derek’s voice sliced through the air like a whip. The room went dead silent, the kind of silence that makes your ears ring.I looked around the room, searching for some kind of logic, some kind of sanity in the faces of the people I used to call my pack. My eyes finally landed back on him. On Derek.“What do you mean?” I asked. My voice sounded small, even to my own ears. I hate that. I hate that he still makes me sound like a victim.His face was a mask of rage. He looked like a volcano seconds away from burying everything in ash. He took a step toward me, his brows furrowing. He was annoyed. Annoyed that I was even questioning him.“You have to return all the privileges you enjoyed while being the Luna of this pack,” he grunted. His lips curled in total disdain, as if the very word "Luna" in reference to me was a sin.A wave of nausea hit me. Hard.The air in the room felt suffocating. My face drained of color, but his exp

Chapter Five

Arabella POV"Is this really the end of us, Derek? You were supposed to be my mate."The words slipped out before I could stop them.Silence settled over the hall, and for one awful second, I wished I could take them back.The entire room watched us. No, they watched me. They watched the woman who had just signed away her marriage stand there like a fool, still searching for answers.Derek stared at me for a long moment, but there was no love in his eyes. No regret. No hesitation. Nothing. The realization hurt far more than the rejection itself.A muscle ticked in his jaw as he straightened to his full height. My chest tightened at the look on his face."You still don't understand, do you?" he asked coldly."Derek..." I began, but he cut me off."I never wanted this."His words hit me like a physical blow. A collective gasp rippled through the guests."I never wanted a weak Luna, and I certainly never wanted a mate who couldn't even shift."Every sentence felt like another knife sinki