The invitation to Elena's tea gathering arrived on my desk like a death sentence. Embossed lettering on cream-colored cardstock, her handwriting as elegant and cold as she was.

"Luna Christina," Marcus said quietly, appearing at my office door. "You don't have to go."

I smoothed my navy dress—the one Daniel once said brought out the blue in my eyes—and squared my shoulders. "Yes, I do."

The sitting room in Elena's wing of the pack house was filled with the scent of jasmine tea and barely concealed animosity. Pack wives and female council members sat in a semicircle around Elena, their faces a study in practiced neutrality.

"Christina," Elena's voice carried across the room as I entered. "How lovely that you could join us."

The seat she gestured to was slightly apart from the others, as though my presence might contaminate them. I took it with a smile that felt like glass cutting into my cheeks.

"We were just discussing Alessia's remarkable healing abilities," Elena continued, pouring tea into delicate porcelain cups. "Such a gift for our pack."

"Alessia's knowledge of herbal medicine is quite extensive," offered Martha, one of the elder pack wives. "She's already helped my Henry with his arthritis."

"And she has such natural talent," Elena added, her eyes flicking to me. "Some gifts can't be forced, you know. They either come naturally... or they don't."

The room fell silent. I felt every eye on me.

"I'm sure Alessia is very talented," I said carefully.

"Yes," Elena agreed, her smile sharp as a blade. "Unlike some who've failed in their most basic duties."

The pitying glances started then—sidelong looks from women who had once sought my guidance as Luna.

"Seven failed pregnancies," someone whispered, just loud enough. "Poor Alpha Daniel."

"Perhaps the Moon Goddess knows what she's doing," Elena said, her voice carrying over the murmurs. "Strong bloodlines matter in leadership."

I set my teacup down before my trembling hands betrayed me.

---

"Daniel," I said, closing the door to his office behind me. "We need to talk."

He looked up from his desk, his expression guarded. "About?"

"About us." I stepped closer, my heart pounding. "About the mate bond."

His jaw tightened. "What about it?"

"It's deteriorating." I pulled at the collar of my shirt, revealing the mate mark that had begun to fade at the edges. "And I know why."

Daniel stood slowly, his Alpha aura filling the room like smoke. "Be careful, Christina."

"I'm done being careful." My voice shook with emotion. "I'm done watching you parade Alessia through our home, through our pack. I'm done being lied about."

"Those medical records—"

"Were a lie!" I shouted, my control slipping. "Seven failed pregnancies? We had two miscarriages, Daniel. Two! And you held me through both of them."

His eyes flashed dangerously. "Lower your voice."

"No." I stepped closer, my own power rising to meet his. "I'm threatening to break our mate bond."

The words hung between us like a physical thing. Daniel's face went white, then red with fury.

"You wouldn't dare," he growled, his Alpha command lashing out at me.

I gasped as pain shot through our bond, radiating from my mark and into my chest. "Daniel, stop—"

"You are MY mate," he snarled, his eyes glowing with Alpha power. "MINE!"

The command hit me like a physical blow, forcing me to my knees. My wolf whimpered inside me as Daniel manipulated our bond, using it as a weapon.

"Never threaten me again," he said, his voice deadly quiet. "Never."

---

The path through my family's inherited territory was overgrown with summer weeds. Marcus walked beside me in silence until we reached the old oak tree that marked the boundary line.

"I found something," he said finally, his voice low despite being alone in the forest. "Something you need to see."

He pulled a leather-bound notebook from his jacket. "I've been tracking the pack finances for months now."

"Why?" I asked, still raw from my confrontation with Daniel.

Marcus adjusted his glasses nervously. "Because things didn't add up. Especially after Alessia returned."

He opened the notebook, revealing pages of meticulous notes and calculations. "There have been large withdrawals from pack funds. Unexplained. Unapproved."

My breath caught. "How large?"

"Enough to buy a healer certification from a disreputable source." Marcus's eyes met mine. "Enough to pay off rogue wolves for protection."

"Rogue wolves?" I whispered, the pieces beginning to fall into place.

Marcus nodded grimly. "I think Daniel's been dealing with them behind the pack's back. And I think Alessia's position—her credentials—are all part of it."

The forest seemed to darken around us as the implications sank in. My mate wasn't just betraying me personally—he was betraying the entire pack.

"What are we going to do?" Marcus asked quietly.

I stared at the notebook in my hands, then back toward the pack house where Daniel and Alessia were probably sharing another intimate moment.

"We're going to find proof," I said, my voice steadier than it had been in weeks. "And then we're going to stop them."

As we turned to head back, I caught a flash of movement in the trees—a figure watching us from the shadows. The Moon Goddess help us if Daniel had already discovered our suspicions.

The cottage on my family's inherited territory stood like a sanctuary among the pines. Small, weathered, but mine. As I carried the last box of my belongings through the front door, I felt Emma stir within me.

"This is better," my wolf whispered. "Away from them."

I set the box down in the dusty living room, running my fingers along the worn wooden mantel. "For now."

Marcus helped me arrange the furniture, his Beta strength making quick work of the heavy pieces. "You don't have to stay here alone," he said, adjusting his glasses. "I could—"

"You have your own home," I interrupted gently. "And your position to maintain." The last thing I needed was for Daniel to accuse Marcus of disloyalty.

He nodded, understanding the unspoken meaning. "Just a call away."

After he left, I stood on the porch watching the sun sink behind the trees. The isolation should have frightened me, but instead, I felt relief. Here, I could breathe without Elena's cutting remarks or Alessia's false sweetness.

My phone buzzed with a text from Maya: "Alpha Daniel says you're being dramatic."

I switched off my phone.

---

Three days later, I returned to the pack house to collect more of my belongings. The moment I stepped through the door, I caught Alessia's scent—jasmine and something medicinal—lingering in the hallway.

"She's moved in," Maya whispered, appearing beside me. "Into the guest suite."

My stomach clenched. "On whose authority?"

"Alpha Daniel says it's for emergency healing situations." Maya's eyes darted nervously toward the stairs. "She's been bringing him special teas every night."

I climbed the stairs slowly, each step heavier than the last. The guest room door stood ajar, and I could see Alessia arranging bottles and dried herbs on the dresser.

"Oh!" she exclaimed with practiced surprise. "Luna Christina! I didn't expect you."

"Clearly," I replied, noting how she'd redecorated the room—new curtains, fresh flowers, her clothes hanging in the closet as if she belonged there.

"I have something for you," Alessia said, her smile never reaching her eyes. She retrieved a small pouch from her collection. "Blessed fertility herbs. I've infused them with moonlight and prayers to the Goddess."

She pressed the pouch into my hands. "Just steep in hot water and drink before bed."

The moment the herbs touched my skin, Emma howled in protest. A wave of nausea hit me so violently I nearly doubled over.

"No, thank you," I managed, shoving the pouch back at her. "I'm not interested."

"Don't you want to give Alpha Daniel an heir?" Alessia's voice dripped with false concern. "After all, that's your duty as Luna."

"I know my duties," I said coldly.

Later that night, Marcus called urgently. "I found something about those herbs," he said, his voice tight with worry. "They're wolfsbane variants—poisonous to pregnant she-wolves."

---

"The Bloodmoon rogues requested a meeting," Daniel announced at breakfast a week later. "Their Alpha wants to discuss territory boundaries."

I looked up from my coffee. "And you're telling me because?"

"You'll be going in my place," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"What?" I set my cup down sharply. "Daniel, they've attacked three pack members this month alone."

"They specifically requested the Luna's presence." His eyes flickered toward Alessia, who sat at his right hand. "It would show strength."

"I'm not going alone," I insisted.

"You won't be," he replied smoothly. "Four of our warriors will accompany you."

The meeting place was an abandoned warehouse on neutral territory. I wore my formal Luna attire—a silver dress that marked my position—and carried myself with dignity despite my racing heart.

The Bloodmoon rogues were already waiting, their eyes gleaming with predatory interest.

"Where is Alpha Daniel?" their female Beta demanded.

"He sent me as his representative," I replied, keeping my voice steady.

The four warriors Daniel had promised were nowhere to be seen.

"Then you'll do," the Beta snarled, signaling to three other female rogues.

They circled me like prey, claws extending from human fingers.

"You think you can replace us with that pale little healer?" one hissed. "We had a deal with Daniel."

Before I could respond, they attacked.

Claws tore through my dress, my skin, my defenses. Emma howled in rage and pain as we fought back, but they were four against one.

The last thing I remembered was the taste of blood in my mouth and the sound of distant footsteps—too late to save me from the deep claw marks that would scar my back forever.