The ceremonial fire crackled before us, flames reaching toward the star-filled sky. The pack watched in stunned silence as Greyson reached into his pocket and withdrew something that caught the firelight—a deep green emerald pendant on a silver chain.

"This amulet," Greyson announced, his voice carrying across the clearing, "has been passed down through generations of Dark River Alphas to their true mates."

My breath caught in my throat. That was my birthright—the Luna's amulet. The symbol of my position, my bond with Greyson and our pack.

"Tonight," he continued, "I present it to Gracelyn, as a symbol of her new beginning with us."

The crowd's gasps rippled through the night air. Elder Marcus stepped forward, his weathered face tight with disapproval.

"Alpha," he said quietly, "that amulet belongs to your Luna."

"It belongs to whoever will stand beside me," Greyson replied coldly.

I watched, frozen, as he placed the chain around Gracelyn's neck. She beamed up at him, her fingers caressing the emerald that should have been mine.

Something inside me snapped. Not just the amulet—but everything he was taking from me. From us. From our unborn child.

I stepped forward, my legs trembling but my resolve firm. The microphone stood abandoned on its stand, forgotten in the drama of the moment.

"I have an announcement," I said, my voice surprisingly steady as I took hold of it.

Greyson's head whipped toward me, his eyes narrowing in warning.

"The pack deserves to know," I continued, ignoring his glare, "that I am carrying the true heir of Dark River."

The crowd erupted in shocked murmurs. Eyes widened, heads turned. Even Gracelyn's triumphant smile faltered.

"Four months along," I announced, one hand protectively covering my stomach. "A miracle blessed by the Moon Goddess herself."

Greyson's face drained of color. "Riley—"

"I, Riley Price," I began, the formal words of rejection rising to my lips, "daughter of Alpha James Price of Silver Moon Pack, reject you—"

"STOP!" Greyson roared, his Alpha voice exploding across the clearing with such force that several wolves dropped to their knees.

He stepped toward me, his eyes flashing amber, his aura pulsing with power. "SILENCE!"

The command hit me like a physical blow. My lungs seized, refusing to draw breath. My knees buckled as the weight of his Alpha voice crushed down on me.

"—reject—" I fought to continue, but the word died in my throat.

Pain tore through my abdomen—sharp, insistent pain that made my vision blur. Something warm trickled down my inner thigh.

"Riley!" Someone caught me as I fell.

I looked down to see crimson spreading across my white ceremonial dress. Blood. Our baby's blood.

"Get her to Elena!" Palmer shouted, her Beta authority cutting through the chaos.

Everything became a blur of faces and voices as they carried me from the dais. Through the haze of pain, I heard Dr. Elena's voice, sharp with urgency:

"She's hemorrhaging! The Alpha is killing his heir!"

The world tilted and spun, darkness creeping at the edges of my vision. I fought to stay conscious, to protect my pup, but the pain was overwhelming.

---

I woke to the sterile scent of the pack infirmary. White walls, beeping monitors, the taste of iron in my mouth.

"She's awake," someone whispered.

I turned my head slowly, wincing at the movement. Greyson sat beside my bed, his face haggard with guilt. His hand reached for mine, but I flinched away.

"The pup?" I whispered, afraid to hear the answer.

"Still with us," Dr. Elena said from the foot of the bed, her expression carefully neutral. "But it was close. Too close."

Relief flooded through me, followed immediately by a surge of anger. "What happened?"

"You collapsed," Elena explained. "The combination of stress, your pregnancy, and the force of Greyson's Alpha command... it nearly killed you both."

Greyson leaned forward, his eyes pleading. "Riley, I didn't mean—"

Before he could finish, the door burst open. A young nurse rushed in, her eyes wide with panic.

"Alpha! You need to come quickly! Gracelyn has fainted! She's asking for you!"

Greyson hesitated for just a moment—looking between me and the door—before rising to his feet.

"Go," I said flatly. "She needs you."

He nodded once, then followed the nurse out the door without another word.

The final thread of hope inside me snapped. Even now—even after nearly killing me and our child—he chose her.

I turned my face toward the window, watching as the moon rose higher in the night sky. My hand rested protectively over my stomach.

"It's just us now," I whispered to my pup. "And we don't need him."

I couldn't stay. Not after everything. The monitors beeped steadily in the infirmary as I lay there, my hand resting protectively over my stomach. My pup deserved better than a father who chose another woman over us.

"Palmer," I whispered into the mind-link, reaching out to my oldest friend. "I need your help."

Her response came immediately, warm with concern. "Riley? Are you okay? After last night..."

"I'm leaving," I said simply. "Tonight."

Silence stretched between us for a moment before her determination flooded through the link. "What do you need me to do?"

"Create a diversion. Something big enough to draw attention away from the east exit."

"The perimeter alarms," she replied without hesitation. "I can trigger them near the training grounds. Everyone will think there's an intruder."

I nodded, though she couldn't see me. "Two hours after sunset."

---

Dr. Elena slipped into my room as darkness fell, her medical bag clutched tightly in her hands. Her eyes darted nervously to the door before she approached my bed.

"I don't approve of this," she whispered, opening her bag. "You should rest."

"I can't," I replied, pushing myself up against the pillows. "He'll never let me go."

She sighed, removing several small vials filled with herbs. "This will mask your scent. It's not perfect, but it should be enough to confuse the trackers."

I took the mixture gratefully, dabbing it behind my ears and at my wrists. The sharp, earthy smell immediately began to override my natural scent.

"Thank you," I said softly. "For everything."

---

I waited until the pack house grew quiet. Most wolves would be gathered for the evening meal—Greyson included, if he'd returned from wherever he'd gone with Gracelyn.

Slipping from my bed, I changed into dark clothes and soft-soled boots. My fingers trembled as I removed my wedding ring, placing it carefully on the bedside table alongside the Luna seal—the symbol of my position, my identity for so many years.

"Goodbye," I whispered to the room that had been my home.

---

The storm hit just as I reached the edge of the territory. Rain lashed against my face, thunder crashed overhead, and lightning illuminated the forest in brief, electric flashes.

Perfect.

The downpour would help wash away my trail, making it harder for Greyson's trackers to follow my scent. I just needed to make it to the river—the boundary between Dark River and Silver Moon territories.

I stripped off my clothes, folding them neatly beneath a fallen log. The shift came painfully, my body still weak from the collapse at the festival. My wolf whimpered as bones cracked and reformed, fur sprouting across my skin.

"Almost there," I encouraged myself, stumbling forward on four paws.

The mate bond screamed in protest as I moved farther from Greyson. It felt like barbed wire being pulled through my chest, each step intensifying the agony. I could feel him now—his confusion, his growing anger as he sensed my distance.

"Stop," his voice commanded through our link. "Riley, STOP!"

I closed my eyes, focusing on the mental barriers I'd been practicing since the festival. Block him out. Protect our pup.

---

The river was swollen from the rain, its surface churning with dark water. I paused at the bank, gathering my strength for the crossing.

"Find me," Greyson's voice echoed in my mind, weaker now as I strengthened my barriers. "You can't survive without me."

I snarled, leaping into the icy current. The water dragged at my fur, trying to pull me downstream, but I fought against it, stroke by powerful stroke.

With one final surge, I reached the opposite bank. My paws touched the soil of Silver Moon territory—my ancestral home.

Power surged through me—ancient, primal, undeniable. The land recognized its true heir, and for a moment, I felt connected to every Alpha who had come before me.

"Welcome home," the earth seemed to whisper.

I collapsed onto the muddy ground, exhaustion finally overtaking me. My wolf form trembled with the effort of crossing and the strain of blocking Greyson.

"Riley?" A voice called through the rain. "Is that you?"

I lifted my head weakly, seeing three figures approaching through the storm—Silver Moon border guards, their postures alert but not threatening.

"Luna Riley?" one of them asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

I tried to speak, but darkness was closing in. The last thing I saw was their faces—shock giving way to recognition and respect as they knelt beside me.

"The Alpha's daughter has returned," one whispered.

And then there was nothing but darkness and the distant howl of a wolf who had lost what he never truly valued.