The Omega quarters were little more than a dungeon. Cold stone walls wept with moisture, and a narrow cot with threadbare blankets was the only furniture. The air reeked of mildew and despair.

"Mama, I'm scared," Mabel whispered, her small fingers clutching my shirt. Her amber eyes, so like mine, were wide with fear.

"Me too, my little moon," I admitted, wrapping my arms around her trembling body. "But we'll be okay."

I didn't believe the words even as I spoke them. How could we be okay when everything we'd hoped for had crumbled?

The door crashed open without warning. Maverick stood in the doorway, his massive frame blocking the dim light from the hallway. My traitorous heart leapt at the sight of him—five years of captivity had not dimmed the pull of our mate bond.

"Lilith." My name on his lips sounded like poison.

He strode forward, and I instinctively backed away, pressing Mabel behind me. But there was nowhere to run in the tiny cell.

"You've caused quite the commotion," he said, his voice cold and distant. "The pack is unsettled by your return."

"I never wanted to leave," I said, my voice breaking. "I was taken, Maverick. I was—"

"Silence!" he roared, his Alpha tone vibrating through my bones.

Maverick reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver collar studded with moonstones—a grotesque parody of the Luna's ceremonial necklace.

"This will help you remember your place," he said, advancing toward me.

I backed against the wall, Mabel clinging to my legs. "Maverick, please—"

He grabbed my throat, his fingers digging into my skin as he forced the collar around my neck. The silver touched my skin and immediately began to burn.

"Ah!" I cried out as pain seared through me.

The collar tightened, then clicked into place. The silver began to work its way into my skin, sending waves of agony through my body.

"Silver and moonstone," Maverick explained, his voice clinical. "It will suppress your wolf and remove your access to the pack mind-link."

I gasped as I felt Silver retreating deep inside me, her presence fading like a distant echo. The mate bond didn't break—it simply became muffled, like shouting through water.

"You're no longer fit to be Luna," he said, stepping back to admire his handiwork. "This will ensure you remember that."

He turned and left without another word, leaving me collapsed on the floor, the collar burning against my throat.

Hours passed in a haze of pain. Mabel curled beside me, her small hand resting on my chest as if trying to comfort me. The silver collar made it impossible to reach Silver, impossible to call for help through the mind-link.

I must have fallen unconscious at some point, because the next thing I knew, someone was gently touching my shoulder.

"Lilith," a familiar voice whispered. "Lilith, wake up."

I forced my eyes open to see Talon kneeling beside me, his amber eyes filled with concern. The pack's Lead Warrior looked exhausted, his usually immaculate uniform rumpled.

"Talon," I whispered, my voice hoarse.

"I shouldn't be here," he said, glancing nervously at the door. "Maverick ordered everyone to stay away from you."

He pulled a small bag from his jacket and opened it to reveal fresh meat, medical supplies, and a small wooden carving of a wolf pup.

"For Mabel," he explained, offering the toy to my daughter.

Mabel's eyes widened with delight as she accepted the gift. "Thank you," she whispered, clutching the carving to her chest.

Talon's scent—cedarwood and earth—filled the small space, immediately soothing my panicked wolf. Silver stirred within me, responding to his presence.

"I've brought food and medicine," he said softly. "And I'll keep coming, no matter what he says."

Before I could respond, voices echoed from the corridor outside.

"Talon," I warned, panic rising in my throat.

He squeezed my hand once before standing. "Stay strong," he murmured. "This isn't over."

The door closed behind him just as footsteps approached.

The next morning, Amora's voice drifted through the pack mind-link—a link I could no longer access, but Mabel could still hear through her developing abilities.

"Join me in the main hall," Amora's voice cooed. "I have something important to share with our elders and closest pack members."

I pressed my ear against the door, straining to hear.

"My heart is heavy with the recent events," Amora began, her voice breaking with perfectly timed sobs. "When Lilith disappeared five years ago, we all feared the worst."

Mabel looked up at me, confusion in her eyes. "Mama? Why is she crying about us?"

I had no answer for my daughter as Amora continued her performance.

"Some of you may have heard whispers that Lilith was taken against her will," she said. "But the truth is far more painful."

My blood ran cold as I realized what was happening.

"Lilith chose to leave us," Amora continued, her voice dripping with false grief. "She chose the rogues over her pack... over her mate."

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the gathered crowd.

"And now she returns with a child—a child born of her choice to abandon everything we hold sacred."

I pounded my fists against the door, rage and despair threatening to consume me. "Liar!" I screamed, though no one could hear me through the silver's suppression.

"She has brought shame to the memory of our former Alpha and Luna," Amora declared, her voice hardening. "And for that, we must never forget what truly happened."

The guards dragged me from the Omega quarters at dawn, their hands rough against my arms. Mabel clung to my leg, her small fingers trembling.

"Mama, where are they taking us?"

I smoothed her silver-blonde hair, trying to mask my fear. "Just to work, my little moon. Stay close to me."

They marched us to the main hall where Amora's gathering was already underway. Dozens of pack members mingled, their laughter and conversation filling the space. At the center stood Amora in a flowing blue dress that matched my eyes—another piece of my identity she'd stolen.

"Lilith will serve drinks," announced Beta Marcus, his voice flat. "As befits her Omega status."

A weighted tray of crystal glasses was thrust into my hands. The silver collar burned against my throat as I moved among the guests, invisible except when someone needed refreshment.

"Tell us more about Lilith's betrayal," an elder called to Amora, her voice carrying across the room.

Amora's eyes found mine as she spoke, her smile venomous. "When Lilith left with the rogues, she abandoned everything sacred to our pack."

"I didn't leave," I whispered, the words barely audible even to myself.

"She chose a rogue over her fated mate," Amora continued, her voice breaking with false emotion. "She chose darkness over the Moon Goddess's blessing."

Something snapped inside me. Five years of captivity. Five years of fighting to survive. Five years of singing lullabies to Mabel in the dark—all reduced to a lie.

"No," I said, louder this time.

Silver surged within me, clawing against the silver collar's suppression. For one breathtaking moment, she broke through—

A feral snarl tore from my throat, raw and primal. The room fell silent.

Amora stepped back, her eyes widening in momentary fear before her mask of composure returned.

"Maverick!" she cried out. "She threatened me!"

He materialized beside her in an instant, his Alpha aura exploding outward like a physical force. The weight of it crashed into me, driving me to my knees.

"Submit," he commanded, his Alpha tone vibrating through my bones.

The silver collar burned white-hot against my skin. I fought against it, muscles straining, tears streaming down my face.

"Mama!" Mabel screamed, trying to pull away from the guard who held her. "Stop hurting my mama!"

The elders watched with cold eyes as I collapsed fully to the floor, my body convulsing under the pressure of Maverick's dominance.

"Remember your place," he said quietly, for my ears alone. "You are nothing here."

---

"The Alpha's office needs cleaning," Beta Marcus informed me the next day. "Every surface, every book, every drawer."

I nodded numbly, Mabel safely hidden with an elderly Omega who had shown her kindness.

Maverick's office smelled of him—pine and winter frost, once intoxicating, now suffocating. I dusted his mahogany desk, careful not to disturb the precisely arranged papers.

A leather-bound journal caught my attention as I wiped the shelf behind his desk. It was pushed far back, almost hidden. I glanced at the door before pulling it free.

Mind-link logs. Dating back five years.

My hands trembled as I flipped through the pages. The entries had been altered—ink smudged, words changed. But one thing remained consistent: mentions of search parties being redirected, patrol routes changed.

And beneath it all, the faintest trace of scent—rare herbs that could alter one's natural fragrance. The same herbs Amora used to mimic my jasmine scent.

"She planned it," I whispered to Silver, who stirred weakly within me. "She orchestrated everything."

---

The forest edge was shrouded in shadow when I slipped away to meet Talon. Mabel was asleep in the Omega quarters, the wooden wolf pup clutched to her chest.

"You found something," Talon said as I approached, his amber eyes reflecting moonlight.

I handed him the journal I'd managed to steal. "Look at these entries from five years ago."

His expression darkened as he studied the pages. "These routes... these were the search parties looking for you."

"Amora changed them," I said. "She deliberately sent them away from where I was being held."

Talon's jaw tightened. "The pack is corrupted, Lilith. From top to bottom."

I nodded, the truth settling like ice in my veins. "The mate bond is poisoned beyond repair."

"We need to leave," Talon said quietly. "Both of you."

"How?" The territory was heavily guarded, especially now with my return.

Talon took my hand, his touch warm against my cold fingers. "I have contacts beyond the border. Former packmates who owe me favors."

"Where would we go?"

"Somewhere safe," he promised. "Somewhere Mabel can grow strong without fear."

As we planned our escape in whispers, the moon rose higher in the night sky. For the first time since my return, I felt something beyond pain and betrayal.

Hope.

But as Talon sketched a route on the forest floor, a twig snapped in the distance. We froze, scenting the air.

Someone was coming.

I felt Maverick's eyes on me as I scrubbed the kitchen floors. It was the third time today he'd found some excuse to pass through, his gaze lingering on my bent form before he quickly looked away.

"The floors need to be spotless before the Summit guests arrive," Beta Marcus barked, though his voice lacked its usual conviction.

I kept my head down, focusing on the harsh soap burning my cracked hands. The silver collar around my neck had worn raw skin, a constant reminder of my place.

"Mama works too hard," Mabel whispered to the elderly Omega beside her. The old woman had taken pity on my daughter, allowing her to sit in the corner while I worked.

I heard Maverick's footsteps pause at the doorway. "The kitchen smells like jasmine again," he muttered, almost to himself.

My heart stuttered. The jasmine scent—my scent—had been slowly returning as my body adjusted to the silver collar. It wasn't as strong as before, but it was there, beneath the metallic tang of burning silver.

"Alpha?" Beta Marcus questioned.

Maverick's jaw tightened visibly. "Nothing. Just memories."

But I'd seen something flicker in his eyes—recognition, perhaps. Or longing. His wolf paced restlessly behind those ice-blue eyes, and for a moment, our gazes locked.

Silver stirred within me. *He still feels us.*

"Get out," Maverick ordered suddenly, his voice rough. "All of you. I need a moment."

The kitchen staff scattered, leaving me alone with him. The air thickened with tension as he approached, crouching beside me.

"Why did you really come back?" he asked quietly.

I met his gaze steadily. "This is my home."

His fingers reached out, almost touching my cheek before he jerked back. "Your scent... it's changing."

"The silver can't suppress what the Moon Goddess ordained," I whispered.

Something wild flashed in his eyes—his wolf, fighting against his control. He stood abruptly. "Prepare the VIP guest list for the Alpha Summit. I want every neighboring Alpha King to meet Amora."

---

"The Summit preparations are complete, Alpha," Beta Marcus reported the next morning.

Maverick stood in his office, adjusting his formal Alpha attire. The room gleamed from my thorough cleaning the day before.

"Good. Amora will accompany me as Luna representative."

I kept my eyes down as I entered with a stack of freshly pressed shirts. The silver collar made it difficult to shift, but I'd managed to clean his clothes as ordered.

"Where is Amora?" Maverick asked, noticing her absence.

"Preparing her travel wardrobe, Alpha," I replied mechanically.

He nodded, then turned to me. "While we're gone, you'll take double shifts in the kitchens."

"Double shifts?" I couldn't hide my surprise. "But Mabel—"

"Will be cared for by the Omegas," he cut me off. "And the Omega quarters will receive no firewood until we return."

The cruelty of it stole my breath. Winter had settled in, and the Omega quarters were already freezing. Without firewood...

"Is that all, Alpha?" I managed to ask, my voice steady despite the rage building inside me.

He studied me for a long moment. "Yes. Oh, and Lilith?"

I paused at the door.

"Make sure Amora has everything she needs for the trip."

---

I was elbow-deep in soapy water when Amora slipped into the laundry room. The other workers quickly found excuses to leave, sensing danger.

"You're still here," she observed, circling me like a predator. "Like a bad scent that won't fade."

I said nothing, focusing on my work.

"It's annoying," she continued, examining her perfectly manicured nails. "The way he looks at you sometimes."

My hands stilled in the water. So I wasn't imagining it.

"Kira!" Amora's voice suddenly hardened as she spotted an Omega girl entering with a basket of linens.

The young woman froze, her eyes widening with fear. "Luna Amora."

"Come here," Amora commanded, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

Kira approached cautiously, setting down her basket. She couldn't have been more than sixteen—young, vulnerable, with family members who depended on pack protection.

"I have a special task for you," Amora said, glancing at me meaningfully before leaning close to Kira's ear.

I strained to hear, but Amora's voice was deliberately pitched too low.

Kira's face drained of color. "No, please—my brother, he needs—"

"Your brother will be well taken care of," Amora interrupted smoothly. "Unless, of course, you prefer I mention to Maverick how your family has been stealing from the pack stores?"

Tears filled Kira's eyes. "What do you want me to do?"

Amora smiled, her voice dropping even lower. I caught only fragments: "...wolfsbane..." "...in her food..." "...no one will know..."

Kira's horrified gaze darted to me, then quickly away.

"Do it," Amora commanded, "or your entire family suffers."

As they left, Kira's trembling hands and tear-streaked face told me everything I needed to know.

Something terrible was coming.