When Amazon returned to our den that evening, he brought me a necklace. It was the latest design from a high-end brand, expensive and elegant, but not my style. There was a lingering scent of spiced honey cake clinging to him, sickly-sweet and unfamiliar.

"Don't be upset, my Luna," he said, his voice soft but insistent. "I've only ever thought of Vienna as a sister."

Amazon had grown up in the pack’s orphanage, and Vienna’s mother had been its caretaker. They’d been inseparable until Vienna’s father took her abroad when she was fifteen. Now, she was back, a Delta in the Blue Moon Pack, and Amazon’s childhood bond with her seemed to have only deepened.

"Mikayla, you’re my mate," he said, pulling me into a hug from behind. His warm chest pressed against my back, his alpha aura wrapping around me like a blanket. "You’re the one I’m bound to. Please, believe me, won’t you?"

So many times, I had believed him without hesitation. But now, I paused. The weight of his words felt hollow, as if the mate bond between us had been stretched thin, frayed by secrets and silences.

I took the necklace from him and went to wash up, saying nothing. When I returned, I found Amazon lounging on the couch, looking at ease as he chatted on the phone.

"You women just get each other, Vienna," he said, his voice light and amused. "The Luna really didn’t get upset."

"Yeah, Mikayla is amazing in every way," he continued, "just a bit prone to jealousy. Go easy on her."

I stood frozen, listening to their conversation. My hands clenched into fists, my nails digging into my palms until they went pale. When had things between us changed like this? When had our relationship become a game of deception, where my feelings were dismissed as mere jealousy?

I didn’t know the answer. I glanced at the necklace resting on the vanity, its silver chain gleaming under the soft light of the den. Without a second thought, I walked over and tossed it into the trash.

That night, my stomach ached, the pain sharp and unrelenting. I lay in bed, trying to stifle my groans as Amazon’s steady breathing filled the room. From the corner of my eye, I saw something gleaming in the darkness. The necklace lay in the trash, its faint silver light mocking me, just like my silent tears.

My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of pain and betrayal echoing in the depths of my mind. *He doesn’t see it,* she whispered, her voice heavy with sorrow. *He doesn’t see what he’s doing to you.*

I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall. The mate bond between us, once a source of strength and unity, now felt like a chain, binding me to a man who no longer saw me as his equal. And in the silence of the night, I wondered how much longer I could bear it.

I drifted into a hazy dream, returning to the year I turned eighteen. Back then, I was the perfect good girl, the pride of my parents, the Blue Moon Pack’s respected elders, and the pack’s young wolves. I was the future Luna, groomed to lead with grace and strength. Meanwhile, Amazon Morrison was a promising warrior but reckless and often at odds with the pack’s rules. Our lives seemed destined to run parallel without crossing—until fate thought otherwise.

That summer, I stumbled upon Amazon in the woods near our territory after a training session. He was caught up in a fight with rogues, his muscular frame battered and bloodied. He sat against a tree, his white T-shirt stained crimson around his abdomen. Hearing my footsteps, he looked up at me, his striking features barely visible beneath the bruises. I offered to help him up, but he growled at me, his alpha tone sharp and commanding, telling me tersely to leave him alone. Ignoring his words, his pale face from the blood loss compelled me. Determined, I helped him to his feet, supporting his towering, muscular frame step by step to the pack’s healing center.

I watched as the healer tended to his wounds, my presence lingering even after the worst of it was over. Sitting on the edge of the healer’s cot, he watched me with those piercing eyes, a tear-shaped mole at the corner shimmering slightly. He introduced himself slowly, his voice rough but steady, "Amazon Morrison."

I nodded, acknowledging him. As I turned to leave, his impatient voice stopped me. "What’s your name, Luna?"

"Mikayla Morrison," I replied, though the title felt strange coming from him. It was the first time he’d addressed me as Luna, but it wouldn’t be the last.

That was our first encounter.

Later, on a day when rogues cornered me in the woods after a training session, Amazon came to my rescue. His wolf form was massive, towering over the rogues with an aura that made them cower. With a relaxed air, he shifted back to human form and returned the favor I’d done for him, his deep voice carrying a hint of gratitude. For the next few days, he lingered near the training grounds, his presence a silent but unmistakable shield. He made sure the rogues—and everyone else—remembered that I was under his protection, untouchable by anyone else.

From then on, we gradually became closer. I’d occasionally bring him food during his patrols, like sandwiches and spiced honey cake, and he’d often walk me back to the pack house. When my parents, the elders of the pack, found out, they insisted I stop spending time with him. They warned me that Amazon’s recklessness and his bond with Vienna, a Delta in the pack, would only bring trouble. But for Amazon, I disobeyed them for the first time—like I would countless times afterward.

Even then, I could feel the tension between us and the pack’s expectations. Amazon’s closeness to Vienna was already a whispered topic among the pack, but I ignored it, just as I ignored the way my wolf stirred uneasily whenever she was near. I was too young, too naive, to see the cracks forming in the life I thought I was building.

On the day of the pack gathering, I arrived late, my body still weak from the healing center where I had undergone another round of treatments for my illness. The scent of antiseptic clung to me, and my face was pale, almost ghostly, as I entered the grand hall where my fellow pack members had already gathered. They were deep into a game of Truth or Dare, their laughter echoing off the stone walls. Vienna, a Delta of the Blue Moon Pack, was participating, her golden hair catching the light as she chose "truth."

"Is there someone in this room you have feelings for?" someone asked, their voice carrying a teasing lilt.

Vienna’s cheeks flushed, and she bit her lower lip, her eyes darting toward Amazon before she nodded slowly. Her intentions were unmistakable, and the room buzzed with murmurs. My stomach twisted, not just from the lingering effects of the treatment but from the way Amazon simply chuckled, his deep voice warm and indulgent.

"Vienna, don’t be silly," he said, his tone gentle, as if he were speaking to a pup rather than a grown she-wolf. His gaze lingered on her, tender and unguarded, and I felt my heart clench. He knew how she felt about him. He couldn’t bring himself to hurt her, yet he seemed perfectly willing to hurt me over and over for her sake.

When it was my turn, I chose "truth," my voice barely above a whisper.

"Do you regret being in love with Beta Amazon?" someone asked, their tone careless, as if they hadn’t noticed the tension in the room.

Amazon’s smile vanished, and he shot a sharp glare at the speaker, his alpha tone cutting through the air. "Watch your words," he growled, his aura flaring with authority.

Someone tried to lighten the mood, "What kind of question is that? She ran away with Beta Amazon, didn’t she? Isn’t it obvious?"

Another added, "Exactly, stop being ridiculous."

I forced a smile, though my hands trembled. "If that’s the question, then I choose dare."

The room fell silent, all eyes on me and Amazon. He watched me intently, his dark eyes searching for something I couldn’t name, but I refused to meet his gaze.

"So what’s the dare? Ten shots of whiskey, right?" I asked, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest.

No one answered. I poured the drinks myself, one after another, the sharp scent of alcohol filling my nostrils. By the fifth glass, the whiskey burned my throat, making it hard to breathe.

Amazon’s hand shot out, gripping my wrist tightly. "Stop, Luna Mikayla," he said, his voice low and commanding.

I shook off his hand, the bitterness in my mouth nothing compared to the bitterness in my heart. I met his gaze head-on, my voice clear despite the pain. "Beta Amazon, I, Mikayla Morrison, will face the consequences."

Back then, I had gambled on his love and become his mate. Later, I had taken another gamble, running away with him to a foreign territory to start anew. Now, watching him with Vienna, I knew I had lost the bet. Between her and me, he clearly cared more about her.

But that was okay. I would face the consequences.

Tears welled in my eyes, my stomach churning with both physical and emotional agony. Countless nights I had woken up, weeping after dreaming of my parents’ lifeless faces. I had never regretted my choices until now.

But now, I did.