Chapter 2

ISOLDE

I planned to talk to Draven, but while I walked down the street, I saw Kane go into his house with a big bag. I had not seen him for days, and I needed answers about everything-Larkin, the Second Lunas, and especially Draven. My heart beat fast as I walked to his porch and knocked on the door.

"Isolde!" Kane sounded surprised when he opened the door. "You are still here?"

"Where else would I be?" I snapped, losing my patience.

Kane looked around nervously before he spoke. "Do you know what the other Alphas are doing to these women? What Draven has done?" I asked, my words sharp.

"Calm down, Isolde. Come in." He opened the door wider and let me inside.

Anger and sadness grew inside me, and memories of Draven's lying made me want to let Nova take control. I tried to stay calm, but my wolf wanted revenge.

"I know things are bad, but Isolde, we must be sensible. There is a war nearby," Kane said with a worried voice.

"Sensible? You call this sensible?" I shouted, my voice shaking with anger. "There is always a choice."

"I am begging you to think before you do anything. There is more at risk than you know."

His eyes begged me, but I was too angry to care. I wanted to hurt him and then find Draven to do the same.

"I will tell you something, but you have to promise to keep it a secret," Kane said, stepping closer.

I crossed my arms and tried to hide my feelings. "Tell me."

"The Dark Wolves are led by many Alphas. They are attacking the South to find those who took their sisters. I arranged a meeting with one of their generals. If it goes well, we could stop this war. Once the threat is gone, we can handle our own Alphas."

I stayed quiet, thinking about his words. I wanted to kill Draven, but the threat from the North was real. Stopping the war had to happen first.

"When is this meeting?" I asked.

"Tonight. I am leaving soon." Kane went to his bookshelf, opened a small box, and gave me a sealed envelope. "Take this. If something happens to me, promise you will protect Astrid and our child."

"Your child?" I was shocked. How could I know so little about my own pack?

"Yes. I am sorry I did not tell you sooner. Please, just promise me."

"Kane, I... I promise." I took the envelope, feeling confused.

"I am sorry for everything. I have to protect my family. Watch yourself, and do not trust anyone, not even our pack." He grabbed his bag and put some papers inside.

"Why would I need to be afraid of my own pack?" I asked, feeling lost.

"You are strong, Isolde. People are jealous and want you, but they do not really care about you. Your wolf gives our pack strength. They will not lose that, even if they have to betray you."

"I do not understand," I whispered.

"Mates become stronger when they mark each other. Alphas get stronger the more they mark." He looked away, feeling ashamed.

"Are you saying they want these women enslaved for power? They want that for me?" I shook my head, not wanting to believe it.

"Not everyone, but many do. Stay out of it for now. A lot of things need to be fixed." Kane wiped his face, showing how tired he was.

"I will not tell anyone, Kane. I swear. If something goes wrong, I will protect your family. Go, meet this general, and make a peace deal." I stepped aside to let him get his things.

I watched him leave, feeling the weight of his news. I had to let him go and try to help our packs in the South. I also needed to finish what I started with Draven.

When I reached the fire, I saw the red-haired woman laughing with our pack members. Nova wanted me to get rid of her.

The woman's smile turned toward my sister, making me very angry again. I was about to let Nova take over when I saw the mark on her neck and the baby bump on her belly.

Draven never rejected her. He did the exact opposite.

I felt like I was going to collapse. Nova, my inner wolf, became quiet and let me handle it. She can be a wild beast, but she would not hurt an unborn child.

"There she is! Are you happy our Alpha is in the medical room because of your betrayal?" the red-haired woman yelled as I walked toward her, making everyone look at me.

"I did not know about you or any of this." I tried to speak calmly, not knowing how to handle it. My whole life was a lie!

"Do not act like you had no idea. I am tired of this game you are making my mate play. I am the true Luna of this pack, and now everyone knows it," she said.

While I was suffering because I rejected my lying husband, she was here telling lies.

"No! I did not know anything about this. He lied to me! He said he rejected you." My voice shook as I felt anger growing inside.

"You knew about his fated mate?" My sister, Thalia, sounded shocked. "So it is true. I cannot believe you lied to us all this time. I am ashamed to call you my sister." She made sure everyone heard her.

My hands turned into fists, and I tried to stop Nova from hurting Thalia. "Yes! I knew about his fated mate, but Draven told me he rejected her." I tried to explain, but everyone seemed to think I was the one lying.

"Oh please, Isolde." The red-haired woman waved her hand. "You want us to believe that Draven lied about rejecting his fated mate and you, of all people, did not realize it. I thought you were a powerful Luna." Her voice was mean. "It is clear you made Draven hide me like I was not worthy. Your jealousy made us all weak, and I will not allow it anymore."

"Allow it? I do not owe you an explanation. You mean nothing to me, and I will not take this. When I see Draven, I will make him reject me, and then I will destroy him." My eyes turned black, and Nova's voice sounded strong.

Draven's fated mate stepped behind Thalia and put a hand on her belly. The crowd was scared, which only made me want to scream more.

"I will not let this happen! She is not our Luna, and Draven is not our Alpha!" Nova said, but nobody listened.

Alpha Larkin stepped forward, making things worse. "I think you should try to calm your sister, for the pack's sake. I told Alpha Draven she is here, but he is still in the medical room suffering from what she did earlier."

Chapter 3

ISOLDE

"Of course, Alpha. I have been taking care of her since our parents died," Thalia said happily, and he smirked at her.

"Taking care of me? I am the one who was lied to! I am your Luna, and this is my land. You will not tell me I need to be taken care of or to calm down," I shouted.

The crowd became more afraid and stepped back.

"Isolde, I know this is a hard change." Larkin walked closer, and I growled at him.

"I am your Luna," I snapped.

He sighed in an annoyed way. "My wife Mave can help you. Why do you not let her take you home? Think before you do something you will regret."

"Is that a threat?" Nova looked at Larkin. He glared but then looked away.

"No, just advice. We do not want to hurt you. We are not your enemy. Your wolf seems confused. You should leave before she hurts someone," he said calmly.

I looked at everyone. No one was on my side. I saw Mave, Alpha Larkin's mate. She looked scared. Then I saw Bianca, who looked sad. She had to believe me.

"Bianca, you know I would not do this! You know this is wrong! Tell them," I pleaded.

"Isolde, you are not Draven's fated mate. We can smell that she is marked by him and is pregnant. Know your place. Go home and take some time."

"Right, I am not his fated mate." I laughed a little, and my anger turned into sadness. "You all want your real Luna?" I shouted, my voice full of sorrow.

Nobody said a word. They did not need to; I could see it in their faces.

"It is time to go home, Isolde," Larkin said, making me growl again.

"I will take you home, and we can stay together. Do not worry, I am here for you." Thalia put her arm around my shoulder, and I wanted to shove her away.

"I never needed you before, and I do not need you now." My words were mean, and Thalia pretended to cry as she ran to the woman who was pregnant with my husband's child.

"It is okay, Thalia. She just needs some time. I am sure your sister loves you and did not mean it." This woman, a stranger, sounded kind as she hugged my sister. The crowd praised her and ignored me.

I could not say anything. I could not move; I could not even cry. How could Draven do this to me? For months, maybe years, he looked at me and lied.

He held me and said he loved me and that I was the only one. I was his wife and his mate; he said I was his whole world. It was all a lie. Now, even my pack hated me and saw me as a traitor.

I turned and ran to my house as fast as I could. The workers there went quiet when I walked in, and none of them would look at me. Whispers followed me, and I felt sick.

"Isolde is back. Should we call the guards?"

"She deserves what is coming for keeping our true Luna from us."

"She rejected Draven after almost being attacked. I always thought she was selfish."

I ran upstairs and broke down where everyone could see. I was now an outcast, blamed for just trusting a bad man.

I packed a small bag and ran away. My wolf came out, and Nova made us run as fast as we could. I could not face them or hear more lies and mean comments.

I felt so many things: hurt, betrayal, sadness, and anger. I felt a lot of pressure, not knowing how to handle it.

In that mess, one thing was clear: Draven had to pay, and I would be the one to make him suffer. I let Nova take over, and I was filled with hate, wanting him to feel as worthless as I did right now.

After a night of restless running, hunger bothered me as I found a nice inn in a small town. Its old stone outside looked pretty, and as I walked in, the smell of aged wood and a fireplace welcomed me.

I fell onto a squeaky bed, finally letting myself get some rest. Hours later, I turned on my phone and saw over fifty missed calls from Draven. Anger grew in me at the thought of hearing his excuses or seeing his face again. Memories of our past, from being childhood friends to becoming Alpha and Luna, filled my mind.

How could I have been so blind? I believed him for so long and felt like a fool. Then, the thought that I would never feel his arms around me again hurt my chest. I had never loved anyone like Draven, and the idea of a life without him was impossible. It was always Draven and Isolde; then we became Alpha and Luna.

As I thought about turning off my phone to hide from the pain, Kane called. I waited for a moment but answered, getting ready for the argument.

"Where are you?" Kane's voice sounded just as angry as mine.

"You are not my Alpha. Watch your tone," I snapped, barely stopping Nova, my wolf, from taking over in a burst of rage.

"Isolde, it is dangerous out there. You promised you would not leave."

"You expected me to stay? You are as pathetic as he is."

"What happened? What are you talking about?" Kane's growl came through the phone.

"You knew about her, did you not? Draven's fated mate. The one he marked and got pregnant." My voice shook with betrayal and disgust.

"I did not know. That jerk!" Kane's anger sounded real, but I could not trust anyone anymore.

"I do not believe you."

"Isolde, I swear I had no idea he already marked her."

"Already? But you knew he never rejected her?" The truth made my stomach turn.

"I did, but he swore he was going to reject her. He said he needed more time."

"You did not think I needed to know that?"

"Isolde, there are bigger problems right now."

I laughed in a sad way. My life falling apart was not the priority, not when I was a Luna. I could not be selfish or proud. My life belonged to my people, people who no longer wanted me.

"I do not care about your pack's problems, Kane. I am done with all of it."