The scent hit me first—sweet and steady.

I froze in the middle of the marketplace, my claws itching beneath my skin as my wolf stirred restlessly. A group of wolves from the Obsidian Fang Pack milled about, but it wasn’t their presence that made my heart pound. It was the photograph plastered across a wooden notice board.

“Kieran Blackthorne and Aria Nightshade at the Solstice Auction—Reigniting Old Flames?”

The headline felt like a punch to the gut. My fingers trembled as I reached for the paper, ripping it down. There they were—Kieran and Aria, standing too close beneath the auction’s

crystal chandeliers, their smiles soft, intimate. His hand cupped her elbow, his gaze locked

on hers with a warmth I hadn’t seen in months.

He told me he was off securing a treaty with the neighboring pack.

I bit down hard, tasting blood as I fought the shift bubbling beneath my skin. Around me, the marketplace buzzed with life—wolves haggled over fresh meats, herbs, and enchanted

trinkets—but I felt trapped in a suffocating silence.

I turned away, clutching the paper, the image seared into my mind.

I couldn’t run. Not now. Not with the life growing inside me.

My hands instinctively covered my stomach, feeling the faintest pulse of energy there. A pup.

His pup. I wanted to scream, to tear the world apart, but instead, I inhaled deeply, focusing

on the tiny flicker of life.

I had to be strong.

I made my way to the healer’s den, pushing through the heavy furs that guarded the

entrance.

“Selene,” Elder Liora greeted, her silver hair cascading down her back, eyes glowing faintly.

“I didn’t expect you today.”

“I need to make sure…” My voice cracked before I could finish.

Liora nodded knowingly and guided me to the stone table. The ritual was simple. She pressed her hands over my belly, her magic seeping through my skin like a soft hum.

Moments later, she smiled. “The pup is strong. Healthy.”

Tears slipped down my cheeks, but they weren’t from sorrow this time. Relief, pure and sharp, coursed through me.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

But the calm didn’t last.

I left the den and headed straight to the Obsidian Fang Pack’s stronghold. Its black stone towers loomed like jagged teeth against the grey sky. Every step I took was filled with purpose.

I clutched a folded letter—my formal renunciation as Luna.

I’d made up my mind.

The guards at the entrance hesitated but allowed me through, probably sensing the rage simmering beneath my surface. The main hall bustled with wolves, but I ignored them, heading straight for Kieran’s war chamber.

I didn’t expect to be stopped.

“Selene,” Beta Magnus called from behind me.

I turned. His amber eyes were filled with something I couldn’t place—pity? “He’s inside. But… he’s not alone.”

The words hit me harder than I thought possible.

“I know,” I murmured before pushing past him.

The war chamber doors were slightly ajar. I peeked inside, and there they were—Kieran, my

mate, and Aria Nightshade, his former betrothed. She was wrapped around him, her hand resting on his chest, laughing at something he whispered.

Then it happened.

His lips brushed against hers.

It wasn’t aggressive or demanding. It was soft, tender, like he had been waiting for that

moment for years.

I backed away, my breath shallow. Rage burned through me, but I didn’t storm in. I did

something worse.

I snapped a quick photo with the enchanted communicator Beta Magnus had gifted me

months ago—a magical device that sent images instantly through pack networks.

I sent the photo to Aria’s current mate, Alpha Lucien of the Crimson Dawn Pack.

Let the world burn.

I stormed back to my quarters, gathered every gift Kieran had ever given me—wolfbane-dusted jewelry, enchanted cloaks, rare spellbooks—and threw them into the fire pit. Flames roared as the items cracked and twisted.

But before the flames could consume the last of it, a gust of cold wind blew through the open

balcony doors.

And there she was.

Aria.

Her golden hair whipped around her face, eyes glowing bright silver.

She kicked the fire pit with a force that sent embers flying, some landing on her face, but she

didn’t even flinch.

“Oops,” she sneered, her voice sickly sweet.

“Clumsy me.”

I growled, my wolf straining beneath my skin.

“What are you doing here?”

She tilted her head.

“Just thought I’d visit. You know, see how the soon-to-be-ex Luna is doing.”

I clenched my fists, but she stepped closer, her aura suffocating.

“Face it, Selene. You were never good enough. You couldn’t even protect your mother when

the rogues slaughtered your village. She died because of you.”

My vision blurred with rage. The memory of my mother’s death, the blood, the screams—it all came flooding back.

Before I knew it, my hand flew across her face, claws half-shifted.

But I didn’t expect what happened next.

Aria stumbled backward, her heel catching on the edge of the fire pit.

She fell straight into the flames.

I gasped, rushing forward, but she didn’t scream.

She stood amidst the roaring fire, her body untouched, her skin glowing brighter, almost

ethereal. Her eyes snapped open, no longer silver but molten gold.

A twisted smile curled her lips.

“You’ll regret this, Selene."

And with that, her expression shifted and she screamed Kieran’s name.

My heart pounded as I tried to catch my breath, the sharp scent of betrayal lingering in the

air. I hadn’t expected it—none of it.

Before I could steady myself, a growl erupted behind me, followed by a heavy force slamming into my side. I tumbled into the dirt, winded, and barely caught sight of Aria before she was swept into Kieran’s strong arms.

“Kieran…” I whispered, but my voice faltered.

His obsidian eyes, once filled with warmth, now glared at me with nothing but fury.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Selene? Aria came to the Obsidian Fang Pack lands to offer peace, and you attack her like some feral rogue?”

I scrambled to my feet, my body aching from the fall, but the pain in my chest was worse. His

words cut deeper than claws.

“She provoked me! She spoke of my mother… called her weak for dying during the pack raid—like it was my fault!”

For a fleeting moment, I saw something flicker in his eyes—guilt? Panic? But it vanished as quickly as it came.

“Selene, your mother’s death was a tragedy, but that’s no excuse for what you did.”

“No excuse?” My voice trembled with rage.

“You told me the raid was unavoidable. That her

death was… an accident. But now I’m starting to wonder what really happened.”

Kieran’s jaw tightened.

“This isn’t the time.”

“Of course not,” Aria cut in sweetly, though her eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Blood stained

her temple where my claws had grazed her, but her expression was victorious.

“I understand if Selene still resents me. After all, Dorian broke off their mate bond to choose me. Maybe I deserved her wrath.”

I flinched at her words. Kieran’s arm around her tightened, protective. I had nothing left to say.

“Selene,” Kieran’s tone dropped, colder now, “you will apologize to Aria. Now.”

The final thread snapped. I bit down my wolf’s urge to shift and attack, but the fire inside me

was consuming.

“No,” I hissed before turning away.

But I didn’t miss Aria’s whisper to Kieran as they walked away.

“If she hates me this much,

perhaps it’s best I don’t visit the pack anymore. I wouldn’t want to strain your… relationship.”

A deep growl rumbled from my chest, but I forced it down. Enough. I wouldn’t let this break

me any further.

Later that night, alone in my den, I shifted back to human form, my fur matted with dirt and blood. My hands trembled as I reached for my pack’s insignia—a silver pendant—and yanked it off. The bond I once cherished was meaningless now.

A sharp knock echoed through the den. I didn’t answer, but the door creaked open regardless.

It was Rowan, one of the Obsidian Fang warriors.

“Selene, Alpha Kieran wanted me to deliver this.” He held out a scroll, his eyes flickering with unease.

I unrolled it, my stomach turning as I read Kieran’s words:

"I know you’re angry. But Aria is vital to the alliance with the Crescent Claw Pack. The survival of the Obsidian Fang depends on this. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll even grant you that gift you’ve been wanting. Just don’t make this harder than it has to be."

I crushed the scroll in my hands. Gift? Was I nothing more than a pawn in his political games?

I packed a small satchel with what little I needed—daggers, a cloak, and the letter I had written weeks ago but never had the courage to send.

Tonight, I would leave the Obsidian Fang Pack… and Kieran.

The forest was eerily silent as I navigated through the moonlit paths, heading toward the old

outpost at the pack’s borders. I had planned everything—my escape, my disappearance.

Even my fake death.

But just as I reached the ridge, my wolf hearing caught something—voices. I crouched low behind a boulder, focusing.

Kieran’s voice echoed through the night, speaking to Magnus.

“Prepare the healers. I don’t care what it costs—Aria needs the best treatment.”

“She only had a scratch,” Magnus replied hesitantly.

“Doesn’t matter. She’s the key to the Crescent Claw alliance.”

My blood boiled. So that was it. Politics over loyalty. Over me.

I slipped away before they could sense my presence and headed straight to the witch’s cabin—my final stop.

The plan was simple. The witch owed me a favor. A spell that would fake my death—my scent would vanish, and the Obsidian Fang Pack would believe I was gone forever.

After hours of ritual and incantations, the deed was done. All that was left was the letter I had

asked Rowan to deliver after my “death.”

But just as I stepped out into the dawn-lit forest, my wolf senses tingled. Someone was near.

Then, I heard it—a panicked howl from the Obsidian Fang Pack’s lands.

“Kieran!” a voice shouted.

“It’s Selene—she’s dead!”

A satisfied smirk tugged at my lips.

But my heart shattered all over again.

And this time, there was no going back.