The satin of the ceremonial dress felt like a vice around my ribs, constricting my breath until black spots danced in my vision. My hands, trembling uncontrollably, clutched the edge of the vanity table. I stared into the mirror, but the face staring back wasn’t the confident Luna of the Silver Moon Pack. It was a frightened girl, haunted by shadows only she could see.

“Luna?”

The deep, rumbling voice made me jump, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. I spun around, pressing my back against the table, only to relax when I saw my father, Alpha Garrett. He stood in the doorway, his massive frame filling the space, his eyes soft with a worry that aged him ten years.

“We don’t have to do this, sweetheart,” he said, his voice dropping to a gentle murmur he reserved only for me. “Say the word, and I’ll take you home. To hell with the Dark Claw Pack. To hell with the alliance.”

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. My wolf, dormant and silent for three years, offered no comfort. Just a hollow emptiness where my spirit should be. But then I thought of Isaac. Isaac, who had spent the last three years whispering promises through closed doors. Isaac, who suppressed his crushing Alpha aura just so I could breathe in his presence without screaming.

“No, Dad,” I whispered, forcing my trembling fingers to smooth down the white fabric of my dress. “Isaac… he’s different. He’s my safe harbor. Once he marks me, the bond will settle. I’ll be fixed.”

I reached up to touch the necklace at my throat. It was a silver chain with a modest, cloudy crystal—a replica of the Moon Stone, the heirloom of the Dark Claw Pack’s Luna. Isaac had told me the original was being polished, too delicate for the ceremony’s chaos. It felt cold against my skin, but I wore it like a shield.

Dad sighed, stepping forward to kiss my forehead, careful not to let his power overwhelm me. “If he hurts you, Luna, I will burn this world down.”

I didn't think he would have to.

The ceremony hall was a cavernous nightmare of noise and scent. Hundreds of wolves from allied packs lined the aisle. The air was thick with the musk of unmated males, a scent that usually sent me spiraling into a panic attack. I kept my eyes locked on the dais at the end of the hall.

Isaac stood there.

He looked magnificent in his ceremonial black suit, his shoulders broad, his jaw set. But as I walked toward him, my father’s arm the only thing keeping me upright, Isaac didn’t smile. His golden eyes were cold, devoid of the warmth he had shown me in private. He didn't reach for me.

When we reached the steps, my father reluctantly let me go. I stepped up, my legs shaking so badly I thought I might collapse. I waited for him to take my hand, to bare his neck for the marking, to claim me as his mate and end the nightmare of my fear.

Instead, Isaac took a step back.

The movement was small, but it felt like a slap. The chatter in the hall died instantly. The silence was louder than the crowd had been.

“Isaac?” I breathed, my voice barely audible.

He looked down at me, his lip curling slightly. Then, his voice boomed, amplified by his Alpha command, echoing off the stone walls.

“I, Alpha Isaac Gibson of the Dark Claw Pack, reject you, Luna Tucker of the Silver Moon Pack.”

The words hit me like physical blows. A gasp rippled through the crowd. My knees buckled, and I would have fallen if I hadn’t grabbed the podium.

“Isaac… why?” The pain in my chest was searing, a hot iron branding my heart.

“Look at you,” he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “You are broken, Luna. A Luna must be strong. A Luna must bear heirs. You can barely stand the scent of your own kind without weeping.”

He turned to the side, extending a hand. From the shadows emerged Alison Ward. She was a lower-ranked she-wolf, someone I had always thought was kind. She walked with a sway in her hips, placing her hand possessively on her flat stomach.

“Alison is carrying my heir,” Isaac announced, pulling her against his side. The sudden intimacy, the way he touched her, made my stomach churn. “She understands trauma, but she doesn’t let it cripple our pack. She is the Luna Dark Claw deserves.”

Alison looked at me, her eyes feigning pity. “Oh, Luna,” she cooed, her voice sickly sweet. “Don’t cry. It’s for the best.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a silk handkerchief, offering it to me. As she leaned forward, the neckline of her dress shifted.

There, resting against her skin, was the real Moon Stone. The large, iridescent gem pulsated with a soft blue light—the true heirloom I was supposed to wear. The cheap replica around my neck suddenly felt like a noose, burning my skin.

He gave her my necklace. He gave her my place. He gave her… everything.

The betrayal twisted in my gut, mixing with the overwhelming scent of the crowd and the crushing weight of Isaac’s rejection. I couldn’t stop it. I doubled over and vomited violently onto the polished stage, the acidic purge splashing onto the hem of Alison’s gown.

Alison shrieked and jumped back.

Isaac looked at me not with concern, but with absolute revulsion. He wiped a speck of bile from his shoe, his face twisting into a mask of hatred.

“Pathetic,” he spat. He gestured to his guards, his voice cold and final. “Get this broken thing out of my sight. She is ruining my ceremony.”

Two guards grabbed my arms, their grips bruising. I couldn’t fight. I couldn’t breathe. As they dragged me backward, scraping my heels against the floor, I watched Isaac turn his back on me, his hand resting lovingly on the woman who stole my life.

The grip on my arms was bruising, a stark reminder of my new reality. I wasn't the cherished daughter of Alpha Garrett anymore; I was the broken thing that had ruined the Alpha's ceremony. The guards dragged me toward the exit, their fingers digging into my flesh like iron claws. The humiliation burned hotter than the tears streaming down my face, but beneath the shame was a primal, screaming panic.

"Let me go!" I shrieked, my voice cracking.

One of the guards, a burly Delta from Isaac's pack, sneered. "Alpha said to get you out of his sight. Stop fighting, Omega."

Omega. The demotion hit me like a physical blow. But as we neared the heavy oak doors, the burning pain in my chest—the severing of the mate bond—flared into an inferno. It was too much. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't be touched.

With a surge of adrenaline born from pure terror, I stomped hard on the Delta's instep. He grunted, his grip loosening for a fraction of a second. It was all I needed. I wrenched my arm free, stumbling sideways, and bolted. I didn't run toward my father’s car. I didn't run toward safety. I just ran away. Away from the laughter, away from Isaac’s cold eyes, and away from the woman wearing my life around her neck.

The cool night air hit my tear-streaked face as I sprinted into the neutral territory woods bordering the Dark Claw estate. The pristine white ceremonial dress, now stained with vomit and dirt, snagged on briars, tearing with sickening rips. My lungs burned, but I pushed harder, desperate to put distance between myself and the rejection that had shattered my soul.

*Shift,* I begged my inner wolf. *Please, just shift. Help me.*

Silence. Just the hollow, echoing void where she should have been. I was human, weak, and alone.

A gnarled root caught the toe of my heel. I cried out as my ankle twisted with a sickening pop, sending me crashing onto the damp earth. Pain shot up my leg, blinding and white-hot. I scrambled backward, clutching my throbbing ankle, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

Then, the smell hit me.

It wasn't the clean scent of pine or rain. It was rancid—like wet dog, stale tobacco, and rotting meat. My stomach clenched. I knew that scent. It was the scent of my nightmares.

Three shadows detached themselves from the darkness of the trees. Their eyes reflected the moonlight, glowing with predatory hunger. Rogues.

"Well, well," a raspy voice drawled from the largest shadow. A man stepped forward, his clothes tattered, his teeth yellowed in a grin that made my blood freeze. "Look what the Alpha threw away."

I couldn't move. The old terror, the paralysis that had ruled my life for three years, seized my muscles. My throat closed up. I tried to scream, but only a whimper escaped.

"Please," I whispered, pressing my back against the rough bark of a tree.

"Don't worry, little Luna," another rogue snickered, circling to my left. He reached out, his dirty fingernails grazing the exposed skin of my shoulder. I flinched violently, nausea rolling over me. "The Boss said we can't kill you. Not yet. She wants you scared first."

*The Boss?* The words floated through my panic, making no sense.

The first rogue lunged, grabbing the hem of my ruined dress. He yanked hard, the fabric shrieking as it tore away, leaving my leg exposed to the biting cold. "Let's hear you scream. I bet you sound just like you did three years ago."

Flashbacks assaulted me. The dark room. The rough hands. The helplessness. I curled into a ball, covering my head with my arms, shaking so violently my teeth chattered. They were going to hurt me. They were going to finish what they started.

A low, thunderous growl vibrated through the ground, shaking the leaves on the trees.

The rogues froze. The leader sniffed the air, his eyes widening in terror. "Alpha!"

A massive black wolf burst through the underbrush, a blur of shadow and fury. He collided with the leader, snapping his jaws with a bone-crushing sound. The rogue didn't even have time to scream before he was thrown into a tree, limp. The other two didn't wait; they turned tail and scrambled into the darkness, yelping as the black wolf snapped at their heels.

Isaac.

The black wolf shimmered, bones cracking and reshaping until Isaac stood there in his human form, his chest heaving, his ceremonial suit torn. He looked wild, dangerous... and safe.

"Isaac," I sobbed, the relief so overwhelming it nearly made me pass out. Despite everything—the rejection, Alison, the pain—my heart still recognized him as my protector. "You came."

I reached out to him, my trembling hand grasping for his arm, needing the comfort of his skin, the anchor of his presence.

But before my fingers could graze his sleeve, he recoiled. He jumped back as if I were covered in acid, his face twisting in a mixture of horror and revulsion.

"Don't touch me!" he roared, his Alpha voice slamming into me.

I froze, my hand hovering in the air. "Isaac? They... they were going to..."

Suddenly, Isaac stiffened. His eyes glazed over, losing focus as he entered a mind-link. His face went pale, draining of all color. He staggered back, clutching his head, a guttural sound of agony ripping from his throat.

"No... No! Alison!"

He dropped to his knees, gasping for air, tears instantly welling in his eyes. When he looked up at me, the cold indifference from the ceremony was gone. In its place was a hatred so pure, so volatile, it terrified me more than the rogues ever could.

"What did you do?" he whispered, his voice trembling with rage.

"I... I didn't do anything," I stammered, confused. "I was just running..."

"Liar!" He scrambled to his feet, looming over me. "Alison just linked me. She's in pain. She's bleeding."

My confusion deepened. "I don't understand..."

"She says she can feel it," Isaac spat, pacing frantically, running his hands through his hair. "Dark magic. Witchcraft. It’s draining the life from our pup! She says it’s tied to you—that you cursed her the moment you touched her dress!"

"That's not true!" I cried, trying to stand on my injured ankle but collapsing back down. "Isaac, please, she's lying! I don't know any magic!"

"She's losing the baby, Luna!" Isaac screamed, the sound echoing through the woods. He looked at me as if I were a monster. "You couldn't accept the rejection, so you decided to kill my heir?"

"No!" I sobbed, shaking my head. "I would never..."

"Save your tears," he growled, his eyes flashing gold. He didn't offer me a hand. He didn't check my injuries. He just stared at me with icy contempt. "If my child dies tonight, Luna, you will wish the rogues had killed you."

The journey back to the Dark Claw pack house was a blur of agony. Isaac didn’t carry me; he dragged me. His grip on my upper arm was a vice of steel, cutting off circulation, while my twisted ankle screamed in protest with every stumbling step I was forced to take. I tried to speak, to explain about the rogues in the woods, but every time I opened my mouth, a sob choked me.

"Silence!" Isaac roared, shoving me through the heavy double doors of the pack hospital. "You've done enough damage tonight."

The sterile scent of antiseptic hit me, mixing with the metallic tang of blood. Screams echoed from the private ward down the hall—Alison’s screams. They were high-pitched, terrifying sounds that made the hair on my arms stand up. Isaac’s face twisted in anguish at the sound, his golden eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

He threw me onto a waiting gurney, not caring that my head cracked against the metal railing. "Watch her," he snarled to a Delta guard. "If she moves, break her legs."

I curled into a ball, clutching my throbbing ankle. Through the open door, I watched Isaac rush into Alison’s room. The Healer, a nervous man named Dr. Evans who had always looked at my father with envy, stepped out a moment later, his hands covered in blood. He looked at Isaac, shaking his head solemnly.

"I'm sorry, Alpha," Dr. Evans said, his voice trembling. "The heir... the pup is gone. The dark magic used... it was too strong. It ruptured the placenta instantly."

A howl of pure misery ripped from Isaac’s throat, shaking the foundations of the building. He fell against the wall, sliding down until he hit the floor, burying his face in his hands. "My son... my son..."

Then, the grief snapped. He stood up slowly, turning his gaze toward me. The sorrow in his eyes hardened into a glacial rage that froze my blood.

"It wasn't magic," I whispered, my voice shaking. "Isaac, please. I was attacked. Look at my dress. Look at my ankle."

He marched toward me, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at him. "You hired them," he hissed, his breath hot against my face. "You couldn't bear the rejection. You couldn't bear seeing me happy. So you used your father's gold to hire rogues to stage an attack, giving you an alibi while you cursed my mate!"

"No!" I cried, tears streaming down my face. "That’s insane! I would never hurt a child!"

"You are the child of a monster," Isaac spat. "And tonight, you proved you have his blood. Guards! Take her to the silver cells."

Panic flared, brighter and hotter than before. "Isaac, no! The silver... it will kill me! My wolf is dormant, I can't heal!"

"Then die," he said coldly, turning his back on me to walk into Alison’s room. "It’s a better fate than you deserve."

The dungeon of the Dark Claw Pack was a place of nightmares. Damp, cold, and smelling of ancient fear. The guards threw me into a cell at the far end of the corridor. As I scrambled to catch my balance, my skin brushed against the bars. A sizzling sound filled the air, followed by the smell of burning flesh. I screamed, recoiling to the center of the stone floor.

"Silver-lined," the guard grunted, locking the heavy door. "Standard for rogue witches."

"I need to call my father," I gasped, cradling my burned arm. "I have rights. The Council..."

"You have nothing," Isaac’s voice echoed from the stairs. He descended slowly, holding my shattered smartphone in his hand. With a cruel calmness, he crushed the device between his fingers, letting the glass and metal dust fall to the floor. "No one is coming for you, Luna. You are cut off. You will stay here until you confess how to reverse the curse on Alison, or until you rot."

He didn't wait for my plea. He turned on his heel and left, plunging the dungeon into semi-darkness.

Hours passed. The cold seeped into my bones, making my ankle throb with a dull, relentless rhythm. I huddled in the corner, trying to keep away from the silver-laced walls. The silence was heavy, broken only by the dripping of water somewhere in the shadows.

Then, the click-clack of heels echoed on the stone steps.

I looked up, squinting through the gloom. Alison stood on the other side of the bars. She wore a silk robe, clutching her stomach, her face pale and tear-stained. But the moment the guard at the top of the stairs closed the door, her posture changed. She straightened up, the tears vanishing instantly. A smirk curled her lips.

"Comfy?" she asked, her voice light and mocking.

"You..." I rasped, my throat raw. "You lost the baby... how can you be walking?"

Alison laughed, a low, throaty sound that chilled me more than the damp air. She walked up to the bars, gripping them with her bare hands. The silver didn't burn her. She had coated her palms with something—wax or resin.

"Oh, you poor, stupid thing," she cooed. "There never was a baby."

My breath hitched. "What?"

"Rogue herbs," she whispered, her eyes dancing with malicious glee. "They bloat the scent, mimic the hormones. It’s a simple trick, really. But Isaac? He’s so desperate for a legacy, so desperate to prove he’s a big, strong Alpha, he didn't even question it."

"You monster," I breathed, horror dawning on me. "You let him believe his child died... just to hurt me?"

"To destroy you," she corrected. "And your father. And this pathetic pack." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Those rogues in the woods? My friends. I called them the moment you ran. You were supposed to die there, Luna. But this..." She gestured to my cell. "This is so much better. Isaac is torturing the woman he swore to protect, all for a lie. When he finds out the truth—and he will, eventually—it will break him."

"He won't believe you," I said, trying to summon the strength of my bloodline. "He'll see through you."

Alison scoffed, turning to leave. "He just threw his fated mate into a silver cage because I shed a few crocodile tears. He doesn't see anything, Luna. He only sees what I want him to see. Enjoy the dark."

As her laughter faded up the stairs, the darkness felt heavier than ever. I was alone, trapped in a cage designed to burn me alive, with the man I loved holding the key and my worst enemy whispering in his ear.