I stumbled away from Cason's office, my vision blurred by tears that refused to fall. The mate bond in my chest burned like acid, each pulse of connection between us now a source of agony rather than comfort. My grandmother's chalices—ten years of restoration, of love and devotion—now in the hands of a woman who saw them as nothing but trinkets to be coveted.

I found myself in the pack's sacred grove without conscious thought, my feet carrying me to the ancient oak tree where generations of Crescent Moon wolves had communed with the Moon Goddess. The massive trunk's bark pressed against my palms as I slid to my knees, clutching at my chest where the pain radiated outward in waves.

"Make it stop," I whispered to the silent trees. "Please, make it stop hurting."

But the pain only intensified, burning through my veins like liquid fire. Something inside me was changing—awakening—as the betrayal sank deeper than skin or bone.

*Elena.*

The voice inside my mind was unfamiliar yet intimate, like a forgotten memory suddenly recalled.

*Who—?* I thought, startled.

*I am Selene.* The voice grew stronger, more commanding. *Your wolf. Your true self.*

"My wolf?" I gasped aloud, pressing my forehead against the cool earth. "But I'm not—I haven't—"

*You have been suppressed too long.* Selene's presence expanded within me, filling spaces I hadn't known were empty. *The royal blood of the Sterling Lycan line does not submit to such humiliation.*

Royal blood? Sterling Lycan? The words should have sounded crazy, but instead they resonated with a truth I'd somehow always known.

"Selene," I whispered, and felt my eyes flash with an amber light I'd never seen before. "What do we do?"

*We reclaim what is ours.* Her voice was steel wrapped in silk. *We show them who truly holds power.*

---

Morning came too quickly. The mating ceremony was scheduled for noon, but I had no intention of attending. Instead, I positioned myself in the forest's edge, hidden among the ancient pines that bordered the ceremonial clearing. My enhanced senses—suddenly sharper than they'd ever been—brought every detail to me with perfect clarity.

Cason paced the altar stone, his Alpha aura flaring with impatience. He wore the ceremonial robes I had embroidered for him last winter, silver thread catching the sunlight. Beside him stood Brittany, draped in white silk that made her look like a bride already.

"Where is she?" Cason growled, sending two young pack members running in opposite directions. "Find Elena!"

Brittany placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Perhaps she's just nervous," she suggested, her voice dripping with false concern. "Some girls get cold feet before their big day."

I watched her fingers stroke his skin possessively, and Selene snarled within me.

*She will pay for every touch,* my wolf promised.

As the minutes stretched into an hour, Cason's agitation grew. The pack gathered in confused murmurs, exchanging worried glances. Derek organized search parties, sending them in widening circles from the pack house.

"She couldn't have gone far," I heard him tell Cason. "Her scent trail leads toward the eastern woods, but it's... strange. Almost like it's changing."

I smiled bitterly. Of course it was changing. Elena Foster, the meek mate-to-be, was gone. In her place stood a Sterling Lycan Princess with nothing left to lose.

A twig snapped behind me. I didn't need to turn to know who approached.

"Elena." Derek's voice was relief mixed with confusion. "Thank the Moon Goddess. Everyone's looking for you."

I turned slowly, letting him see the changes in me. My eyes held their amber glow, and Selene's presence radiated from my skin in waves of power that made the air shimmer.

"I'm not coming to the ceremony," I said, my voice carrying an authority that made him blink.

"But—the mating—Cason is waiting—"

"I know exactly what Cason is doing," I cut him off coldly. "And who he's doing it with."

Derek's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about? What's happened?"

I stepped closer, and something in my movement made him drop to one knee instinctively, head bowed in submission.

"I am Elena Foster no longer," I said softly, watching his body react to the power in my words. "I am Elena Sterling, eldest daughter of the Sterling Lycan King."

Derek's head snapped up, eyes wide with shock. "That's impossible. The Sterling royal family—"

"Has been waiting for the right moment to reclaim what's ours." My aura flared, pressing down on him with the weight of generations of royal blood. "And that moment has come."

He couldn't speak, couldn't move as I stepped around him and walked deeper into the forest. Behind us, I could hear Cason calling my name, his voice growing more desperate with each passing minute.

But Elena Foster wouldn't answer.

Not anymore.

The pack house was eerily quiet when I returned that evening. I'd spent the day in the forest, letting Selene's presence settle within me, learning to control the power that had lain dormant for so long. My absence at the mating ceremony had created exactly the chaos I'd anticipated.

"Elena!" Derek's voice carried through the hallway as I stepped through the front door. "Where have you been? Everyone's been worried sick."

I summoned a weak smile, leaning against the doorframe with calculated fragility. "I wasn't feeling well," I murmured, letting my voice tremble just enough. "I needed some time alone."

His eyes narrowed with suspicion, but the concern won out. "You missed your own mating ceremony."

"I know." I looked down, letting him see my supposed shame. "I'll speak with Cason."

"He's in the dining hall with..." Derek hesitated, and I knew who else was there.

"Brittany," I finished for him. "Of course."

Selene growled within me, but I soothed her. *Patience,* I thought. *Our time is coming.*

The dining hall was tense when I entered. Cason sat at the head of the table, Brittany at his right hand—my place. The moonstone chalices sat between them, filled with wine that should have been ours to share.

"Elena." Cason's voice was tight with anger barely contained. "You have some explaining to do."

"I'm sorry," I said, taking a seat at the far end of the table. "I wasn't well."

Brittany's smile was all sympathy, but her eyes gleamed with triumph. "We saved you some dinner," she said, gesturing to a covered plate. "I made sure it was prepared specially for you."

The way she emphasized "specially" should have warned me, but I was still underestimating her cruelty.

Cason watched me with narrowed eyes as Brittany brought the plate to me. "Eat," he commanded, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

I lifted the fork to my lips, and the first bite tasted normal enough. It was only as I swallowed that the burning began.

Wolfsbane.

The poison spread through my system like wildfire, and I knew immediately what had happened. Brittany had laced my food with it—she knew about my sensitivity, had seen me react to small amounts before.

"Elena?" Cason's voice seemed distant as the room began to spin.

I clutched my throat, feeling the burn spread down to my chest. "Wolfsbane," I gasped, meeting Brittany's eyes across the table.

Her face registered mock horror. "Oh! I had no idea!" she cried, turning to Cason. "It must have been an accident!"

I collapsed to the floor as the poison overwhelmed my system. Through the haze of pain, I heard Cason's voice:

"Brittany, are you alright? This must be so distressing for you."

Not "Elena, are you okay?" Not "Get the healer!" But concern for Brittany's feelings.

Selene howled within me, her rage matching my agony as darkness closed in.

---

I woke to the sterile smell of the pack hospital. My body felt leaden, my throat raw from vomiting. The wolfsbane had been purged from my system, but the damage was done.

"She'll recover," I heard the healer telling someone outside my room. "But it was close. Another hour and even I couldn't have saved her."

I closed my eyes again, gathering my strength. The betrayal had nearly killed me—literally. But it had also cleared my mind of any lingering doubts.

*Selene,* I called internally. *We need to contact them.*

*Yes,* she agreed, her presence surging within me. *It's time.*

I focused my thoughts outward, reaching for the connection I'd never used before but had always known existed. The Sterling Royal Pack mind-link was encoded in my blood, a frequency only royal wolves could access.

*"Father,"* I projected, my mental voice stronger than my physical one. *"Elena Sterling calls."*

The response was immediate, a chorus of shocked voices flooding my consciousness.

*Elena? Is it truly you?*

*The lost princess calls!*

*Where have you been, daughter?*

And then, overriding them all, a commanding presence that could only belong to one wolf.

*"Elena."* My father's voice filled my mind, powerful and familiar despite our years apart. *"What has happened?"*

*"I've been betrayed,"* I told him, letting him feel the pain of the wolfsbane still echoing through my system. *"My mate has chosen another, and she tried to kill me tonight."*

A growl reverberated through the link, shaking even my weakened body. *"Tell me what you need."*

*"Terminate all alliances with the Crescent Moon Pack,"* I commanded, feeling Selene's power merge with mine. *"Withdraw all royal protection. Immediately."*

*"Consider it done,"* my father replied without hesitation. *"And Elena? The royal council awaits your return."*

I smiled bitterly as the link faded. Cason had no idea what was coming. No idea at all.

Outside my hospital room window, clouds gathered on the horizon—a storm was brewing, and its name was Sterling.