The summons came at dusk, delivered by a stone-faced Delta who wouldn't meet my eyes. Alpha Rowan wanted to see me in his office—immediately.

My stomach twisted as I followed the messenger through the winding corridors of the Shadowridge Pack house. Tomorrow was supposed to be our marking ceremony. After seven years as his chosen mate, I was finally going to become Luna. Something had to be wrong.

"Alpha," I murmured, entering his study with my head slightly bowed, the way he preferred. "You wanted to see me?"

Rowan stood by the window, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the fading light. He didn't turn when I entered. "Paisley. The marking ceremony is tomorrow."

"Yes, Alpha." My voice sounded small even to my own ears. I pressed a hand to my abdomen, where a secret suspicion had been growing for weeks. Could it be possible? A child?

"You will prove your worthiness tonight," he continued, finally turning to face me. His amber eyes were cold, calculating. "The ninety-ninth test."

My heart sank. "Tonight? But the ceremony is tomorrow, and I—" I hesitated, unsure how to tell him about my suspicions. We hadn't been intimate in months. Would he even believe me?

"You will join the rogue hunt," he declared, his Alpha tone vibrating through the room, making my knees weak. "The warriors leave in an hour."

"I don't feel well," I whispered, fighting against the command. "Please, Rowan. I think I might be—"

"Indispensable?" Clara's voice cut through the room like a blade. She stepped from the shadows, her perfect lips curved in a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "A real Luna wouldn't be so... fragile."

I hadn't even noticed her there. How long had she been listening?

"Clara," Rowan acknowledged with a warmth he never showed me. "I was just explaining to Paisley that her participation is non-negotiable."

"But if I'm carrying your child—" I began, desperation making me bold.

Rowan's laugh was cruel. "If you are, then it will be strong enough to survive a little discomfort. If not..." He shrugged. "Then perhaps it's for the best."

Clara's smirk widened as she moved closer to Rowan, her hand brushing his arm in a gesture too intimate for mere friendship. "Don't worry, Paisley. I'll take good care of our Alpha while you're off proving yourself."

---

The forest was alive with danger. I could feel it in every shadow, every rustling leaf as our hunting party moved through the darkness. The warriors had deliberately separated me from the main group, claiming they needed to cover more ground.

"Paisley, check the eastern ridge," Gamma Ryan ordered, pointing to a narrow path that led deeper into unfamiliar territory. "We'll circle back for you."

I nodded, swallowing my fear. Something wasn't right. The eastern ridge was known rogue territory—too dangerous for a solo scout, especially one without a wolf.

The moment I was alone, the forest seemed to close in around me. A twig snapped somewhere to my left. Then another to my right.

"Hello?" I called, my voice thin in the darkness.

The first attack came from behind—claws raking across my back before I could turn. I screamed, stumbling forward as pain exploded through my body. Without a wolf to protect me, I was defenseless.

"Please," I gasped, curling into myself as three rogues circled me. "I'm pregnant."

Their leader—a scarred male with wild eyes—laughed. "Shadowridge Alpha's bitch, out here all alone? He doesn't care about you or your pup."

The second blow sent me sprawling. Something warm trickled down my legs as agony tore through my abdomen. No. Not my baby. Please, not my baby.

As consciousness began to fade, I caught a familiar scent mingling with the rogues' musk—jasmine and something sharp. Clara's perfume. My eyes widened as understanding dawned through the haze of pain. This wasn't random. This was planned.

---

Beeping machines pulled me back to awareness. The sterile smell of the pack hospital filled my nostrils as I blinked against harsh fluorescent lights.

"She's awake," someone whispered.

I kept my eyes closed, too exhausted to face anyone. The hollow ache in my womb told me everything I needed to know. My baby was gone.

"Rowan wants an update," a male voice said—his Beta, I realized. "How is she?"

"Stable, physically," the healer replied. "But the miscarriage..."

"Unfortunate," the Beta agreed, his tone suggesting anything but sympathy. "What about tomorrow's ceremony?"

I strained to hear, something strange flickering at the edges of my consciousness. Suddenly, voices filled my mind—not spoken aloud, but through the pack mind-link that should have been beyond my abilities.

"—collateral damage," Rowan was saying, his mental voice cold and distant. "The ninety-ninth test served its purpose. She's weak, always has been."

"And tomorrow?" His Beta asked.

"The hundredth test will be public," Rowan replied. "At the ceremony, I'll reject her formally and claim Clara as my true Luna. The Knight family can't object—they signed the alliance agreement."

Clara's delighted laugh echoed through the link. "Finally! Seven years of watching you pretend with that pathetic wolfless bitch."

The pain that ripped through me then had nothing to do with physical wounds. Seven years of devotion, of enduring his coldness and cruelty, all for nothing. A strategic alliance. A test.

Something inside me cracked—not just my heart, but something deeper, more primal. My bones began to shift beneath my skin, a strange heat flooding my veins as a voice I'd never heard before whispered through my consciousness.

*Finally*, it growled. *They've made you suffer long enough.*

My eyes flew open as my body began to change, silver light spilling from my pores as my dormant wolf—my Alpha Silver Wolf—awoke at last.

The hospital room was silent except for the steady beep of monitors and my ragged breathing. I lay still, eyes closed, as something ancient and powerful stirred within me. The hollow ache in my womb where my baby had been was now overshadowed by a different kind of pain—one that burned through every cell in my body.

"Stop fighting it," a voice whispered inside my mind—a voice I'd never heard before yet somehow recognized to my core. "Let me protect you now."

My back arched involuntarily as silver light spilled from beneath my skin. My bones shifted, muscles stretching and contracting of their own accord. I bit down hard on my lip to keep from screaming, tasting blood as my canines lengthened.

"What's happening to me?" I thought desperately.

"Finally," the voice growled, feminine and powerful. "I am Selene, your wolf. Your Alpha Silver Wolf."

"Alpha?" I gasped mentally. "But I'm wolfless—I've always been—"

"A late bloomer," Selene corrected, her presence unfurling through my consciousness like wings. "Alpha bloodlines sometimes remain dormant, waiting for the right catalyst. They needed you to suffer enough to wake me."

The silver light intensified, pouring from my pores as my body underwent a partial shift—not complete, but enough to heal the wounds the rogues had left. I watched in awe as claw marks faded from my skin, leaving not even scars behind.

"Why now?" I asked, feeling stronger than I ever had.

"Because they've made you suffer enough," Selene's voice was cold with fury. "And because you lost something precious tonight."

My hand moved instinctively to my stomach. "The baby..."

"I can mask our scent and aura," Selene continued, ignoring my grief. "They must not know what I am until we're ready."

"Ready for what?" I whispered aloud.

Selene's response was immediate and fierce: "To make them pay."

---

The pack house was quiet when I returned to my room. Everyone assumed I was still in the hospital, recovering from my "accident." Little did they know that Selene had healed me completely.

I moved silently to my closet, reaching for the false bottom of the wooden chest where I kept my few treasures hidden. My fingers closed around a small velvet pouch.

"Open it," Selene urged. "You need to remember."

Inside was a silver pendant—a delicate crescent moon embracing a smaller circle, with tiny stars dotting between them. I'd kept it hidden for seven years, unable to part with it yet afraid to acknowledge its significance.

"I found this after the rogue attack," I whispered to Selene. "The stranger who saved me dropped it."

With my newly awakened senses, I lifted the pendant to my nose. The scent hit me like a physical force—wild jasmine and ozone, powerful and intoxicating.

"Mate," Selene purred, her presence rumbling with satisfaction. "Our true mate."

The pendant grew warm in my palm as memories flooded back—strong arms lifting me from the dirt, gentle hands checking my wounds, and a scent that made my heart race even through my terror.

"He was Lycan," I breathed, understanding dawning. "Not just any wolf—royalty."

"And he's been looking for you," Selene added. "I can feel it."

---

I pulled out the encrypted phone my father had given me years ago, using it only in emergencies. This certainly qualified.

"Paisley?" My father's voice was tense with worry. "Are you safe?"

"I am now," I replied, my voice steadier than it had been in years. "Dad, I need information."

There was a pause. "You've awakened, haven't you? I can sense the change in you."

"How did you know?" I asked, surprised.

"I've always known what you could be," he said softly. "There's someone who's been asking about you for years—Lycan Prince Maverick Cruz."

My heart stuttered. "Maverick Cruz..."

"He saved you during that rogue attack seven years ago," my father continued. "He's been trying to find you ever since."

Selene growled with impatience. "Give me his contact."

Minutes later, I sat cross-legged on my bed, pendant clutched in one hand, phone in the other. I closed my eyes and reached out through the mind-link my father had established.

The moment I touched Maverick's consciousness, something exploded between us—a bond so powerful it took my breath away. Images flashed through my mind: a massive black wolf with silver eyes, a crown of silver light, and a voice that called my name with reverence.

"Paisley," he breathed through our link, his mental voice deep and commanding. "Finally."

I felt his shock as he sensed Selene's presence, then his rage as he discovered the remnants of my injuries and the loss of my baby.

"Who dare harm my mate?" His fury vibrated through our connection, so intense I could almost feel the earth shake with it.

"Rowan," I whispered into our link. "And Clara."

"I will burn Shadowridge to the ground," he growled.

"No," I replied, surprising myself with my cold resolve. "Help me destroy him systematically instead."

Through our bond, I felt Maverick's approval—and something else. Something that made Selene purr with satisfaction.

"My Luna," he called me through our link. "Tell me what you need."

The night air carried a chill that couldn't touch the fire burning inside me. I slipped through the shadows at the edge of Shadowridge territory, Selene's presence giving me confidence with each silent step. The pendant in my pocket pulsed with warmth, guiding me toward something—someone—I'd been denied for seven years.

"I can sense him," Selene whispered in my mind. "Our true mate."

The clearing ahead shimmered with moonlight. I paused at its edge, suddenly nervous. What if this was a mistake? What if he'd changed his mind about me?

"Paisley."

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere—deep, commanding, yet achingly gentle. A figure materialized from the darkness, tall and powerful, moving with the fluid grace of royalty.

Maverick Cruz stood before me, his midnight black hair gleaming with silver highlights under the moon. His eyes—pure silver that seemed to glow—fixed on mine with an intensity that stole my breath.

"You're real," I whispered, my voice catching. "All these years..."

"I never stopped looking for you," he replied, taking another step forward. The scent of wild jasmine and ozone enveloped me, making Selene purr with recognition.

What shocked me next nearly brought me to my knees. Maverick—Lycan Prince, ruler of territories beyond Rowan's wildest ambitions—sank to one knee before me.

"My Queen," he said, his voice reverent. "I've waited seven years to meet you properly."

No one had ever looked at me the way he did—not as a broken, wolfless she-wolf, but as an equal. As his equal.

"I'm not—" I began, but he silenced me with a gentle touch to my hand.

"Your wolf has awakened," he said. "Alpha Silver blood runs through your veins. You were always meant for greatness, Paisley."

From his pocket, he produced a small device—a sleek earpiece that gleamed with advanced technology.

"My intelligence network is at your disposal," he explained, helping me place it in my ear. "We have one day to gather what we need."

"One day?" I asked.

"Rowan's ceremony is tomorrow," Maverick's jaw tightened. "Before I destroy him completely, we need irrefutable evidence of his crimes against you and your family."

Selene growled in agreement. "We need proof of everything."

---

The pack house was quiet when I returned, most wolves either asleep or on patrol. I moved silently through the corridors, practicing the new stealth techniques Selene had taught me.

"Luna Paisley?"

I froze at the whisper, turning to find Leo—Gamma Ryan's son—standing in the shadows. His young face was serious, his eyes wide with something like awe.

"You can sense it, can't you?" I asked quietly.

He nodded, stepping closer. "A Royal aura. I've never felt anything like it." His eyes dropped to my hand where Maverick's pendant now hung openly. "You're not what they say you are."

"Leo," I began cautiously, "what you sensed—"

"Should be reported immediately to Alpha Rowan," he finished, then surprised me by shaking his head. "I won't."

"Why not?"

"Because I've seen what he's done to you," Leo whispered fiercely. "And what he did to my father when he questioned the 'tests.' This pack has lost its honor."

I studied him carefully, sensing truth in his words. "What do you want, Leo?"

"To help you," he replied simply. "To restore honor to Shadowridge."

Selene approved of his sincerity. "He could be useful."

"Rowan keeps records in his office," I said slowly. "Financial records. Communications."

Leo nodded. "I know where he hides them. And I know when he'll be distracted tomorrow."

---

With Leo's help, I moved through the pack house like a ghost. While Rowan attended a border meeting with Clara at his side, we slipped into his study.

"The archives are here," Leo whispered, pointing to a hidden panel behind Rowan's desk.

Using the tools Maverick had provided, I bypassed the security system with surprising ease. Inside, I found exactly what I needed—financial records showing how Rowan had systematically drained resources from my family's alliance funds.

"There's more," Leo urged, checking the corridor. "Clara's vanity in her quarters. She thinks no one would dare search it."

Slipping into Clara's room made my skin crawl, but the risk paid off. Hidden beneath expensive perfumes and makeup was a burner phone—the kind rogues used to avoid pack tracking.

My hands trembled as I scrolled through its messages:

"Eastern ridge clear for attack. Knight's daughter will be alone."

"Payment received. The brother is dead."

The date matched perfectly—four years ago, when my brother died in what was reported as a random rogue attack.

"Got it," I whispered, recording everything and uploading it to Maverick's secure server through the earpiece.

As I slipped out of Clara's room, a cold smile spread across my face. Tomorrow, at what should have been my marking ceremony, Rowan and Clara would learn what happens when you betray a true Alpha wolf.

And Maverick would be there to witness their fall.