Moments before my Mating Ceremony, the guards shoved me from the altar.

I watched, paralyzed, as another she-wolf in a pristine white gown took my place. My mate, Beta Seth, didn't even flinch.

He took her hand—the hand of his childhood sweetheart, Brielle.

And in that silence, his voice echoed in my head through the mind link.

"Brielle is pregnant with a rogue's pup. She's mateless. I have to claim her, give her a home in the pack. It's to protect the child. I won't actually mark her. When this is all over, you'll still be my only one."

I almost believed his bullshit.

Until I saw Seth's hand stroking Brielle's waist after the ceremony. And Brielle, pulling him in for a kiss.

In that moment, my eyes burned, and I was rooted to the spot.

Seth thought I'd wait. Everyone who watched me pine for him thought I'd come crawling back, begging him to complete our bond.

After all, we were fated mates. I'd been waiting for this ceremony for five years.

But they had no idea. I turned my back on the pack and left.

The moment that failed ceremony ended, I bonded with Lucian. The most powerful Vampire Prince.

Three years later, I came back.

Lucian called for a truce with the werewolves—all for me. As his mate, I returned to my former pack lands to witness the treaty.

But the first thing my arrogant ex-fated mate did was rip the huge moonstone pendant off my neck.

"That's the Vampire Prince's moonstone. He bought it for his blood-bonded mate years ago. Where did you get that cheap knock-off? A street stall?"

"Enough with the tantrum. Come back. Brielle's kid is three. You can have a cot in the utility closet and clean up after him. Now take that cheap thing off your neck. Don't screw up the peace treaty."

I just stood there, rubbing the sore spot on my neck where the chain had scraped, and let out a quiet sigh.

He didn’t know that the moment anyone tried to rip this pendant from my throat, Lucian would feel it.

And the only thing that would greet them… was his world-ending fury.

Moments before my Mating Ceremony, the guards shoved me from the altar.

I watched, paralyzed, as another she-wolf in a pristine white gown took my place. My mate, Beta Seth, didn't even flinch.

He took her hand—the hand of his childhood sweetheart, Brielle.

And in that silence, his voice echoed in my head through the mind link.

"Brielle is pregnant with a rogue's pup. She's mateless. I have to claim her, give her a home in the pack. It's to protect the child. I won't actually mark her. When this is all over, you'll still be my only one."

I almost believed his bullshit.

Until I saw Seth's hand stroking Brielle's waist after the ceremony. And Brielle, pulling him in for a kiss.

In that moment, my eyes burned, and I was rooted to the spot.

Seth thought I'd wait. Everyone who watched me pine for him thought I'd come crawling back, begging him to complete our bond.

After all, we were fated mates. I'd been waiting for this ceremony for five years.

But they had no idea. I turned my back on the pack and left.

The moment that failed ceremony ended, I bonded with Lucian. The most powerful Vampire Prince.

Three years later, I came back.

Lucian called for a truce with the werewolves—all for me. As his mate, I returned to my former pack lands to witness the treaty.

But the first thing my arrogant ex-fated mate did was rip the huge moonstone pendant off my neck.

"That's the Vampire Prince's moonstone. He bought it for his blood-bonded mate years ago. Where did you get that cheap knock-off? A street stall?"

"Enough with the tantrum. Come back. Brielle's kid is three. You can have a cot in the utility closet and clean up after him. Now take that cheap thing off your neck. Don't screw up the peace treaty."

I just stood there, rubbing the sore spot on my neck where the chain had scraped, and let out a quiet sigh.

He didn’t know that the moment anyone tried to rip this pendant from my throat, Lucian would feel it.

And the only thing that would greet them… was his world-ending fury.

...

The moment I stepped into the great hall of the Twilight Trading Post, I saw them: a delegation of pack warriors in uniform, waiting to greet the Vampire Prince's mate.

This was neutral ground, a chaotic crossroads where werewolves, vampires, and humans mingled.

I hadn't set foot on this land in three years. I thought seeing my own kind again would feel… new.

But my breath caught when I recognized the man at the head of the line. I froze.

Seth.

My ex-fated mate. The man I hadn't spoken to in three years. The pack's Beta.

Three years. He looked stronger, a gleaming Beta pin on his tailored suit. He was full of himself.

Plastered to his side was a woman—Brielle. Blood-red nails, stiletto heels, her hips pressed deliberately against his.

"Oh my Gods, isn't that Ember?"

A sharp, female voice sliced through the air. Mira, one of Seth's warriors.

She pointed at me, her voice dripping with scorn.

"Gods, isn't that the pathetic stray Seth dumped three years ago? What is she doing back?"

The commotion made Seth turn. His eyes locked onto mine.

For a split second, a storm of emotions crossed his face. But it was quickly replaced by a cruel smirk.

"Just as I thought. Life out there was too hard, so you came crawling back to me."

Before I could even speak, the wolves with Seth started to jeer.

"We had a betting pool going. I wagered she'd be back within three years, begging Seth to complete their bond. He's the most respected Beta now. She must have heard the news and gotten desperate."

"Look how pale she is. And that black ribbon on her wrist… Isn't that the mark low-level vampires use on their blood thralls? She actually stooped so low as to become a blood thrall!"

I glanced down at the black silk band tied around my wrist.

Simple. Plain. No markings.

They had no idea it was a gift from my blood-bonded mate, the Vampire Prince Lucian. He had tied it himself, using the priceless shadow-spun silk from his ancient castle.

Beneath the soft fabric was my skin, which had become sensitive to most metals due to my pregnancy. Lucian, fearing a normal bracelet might irritate it, had chosen this gentle way to adorn my wrist.

As for my pale complexion? Just a normal side effect of nourishing a powerful hybrid fetus in my first trimester.

A smile played on my lips.

In their eyes, I had become a pathetic blood thrall, selling my life force to survive.

As for whether Seth still cared… I couldn't care less.

I had seen the truth three years ago, at our failed mating ceremony.

My dear blood-bonded mate would never hurt me for someone else, not like Seth. He always puts my needs first. He senses my moods before I even speak. Sometimes, I think he knows me as well as my own wolf.

So let them mock me. It had nothing to do with me anymore.

Besides, they clearly had no idea that I was the Vampire Prince's mate they were here to greet.

My silence slowly killed their jeers.

Awkwardness began to fill the air.

"Why isn't she fighting back? This is no fun," I heard someone whisper.

Finally, Alisa, a friend I used to be close with, spoke up. "Ember, it's good you're back. You have no idea… Seth's been looking for you all these years. He never stopped."

Before I could even react to that, Seth's expression soured.

"Enough." He waved a hand for silence. "Ember, I don't care what you've been through for three years. You're back, and that proves you still feel our bond. I can offer you a chance at purification."

His voice dripped with condescending charity. "I'll take you to a witch. She can break your bond with whatever low-life vampire you've latched onto. After that, Brielle needs help with the child. You can have the storage room and do some chores."

Break my bond? A nanny? A storage room?

He was still so arrogant. So full of himself.

Too bad I wasn't that girl anymore. The one who lived for his approval, whose eyes saw only him.

"I am—" I started to declare my identity, but Brielle cut me off again.

"That's a fitting arrangement," Brielle said with a show of false kindness. "You can re-learn the pure ways of our pack, get a taste of motherhood. You must have had a hard time as a blood thrall. At least in a storage room, you won't have to sell your own blood anymore."

Her words were laced with undisguised venom and superiority, exactly as I remembered.

The crowd around them erupted in laughter.

"Haha, a stray wolf who stooped so low as to become a blood thrall should definitely learn how to be a good nanny."

"Brielle is so kind, still willing to give her a chance."

"Ember should be on her knees thanking her."

I listened to them, feeling nothing.

If Lucian heard someone talking to his pregnant, blood-bonded mate like this—

The last person who mocked me at a banquet for being a different species spent a full month in the vampire dungeons. When he got out, he couldn't even spell his own name.

"Well?" Seth was waiting for my answer, his tone light, as if I should be groveling in gratitude. "You threw a tantrum and left over nothing. I’m giving you a chance to come back. You should take it."

My wolf sneered at him.

I just stared at the face I once loved, unable to believe the man I knew was gone so completely.

I remembered him holding my hand under the moonlight, whispering, "Ember, you'll be the most dazzling she-wolf in this pack, second only to the Luna. I'll give you everything."

Now he stood here, offering me a storage room and a nanny job like it was a prize.

My hand instinctively went to my stomach.

It was still flat, but I could feel the new life inside.

Thank the Goddess I wasn't trapped in this anymore.

I had a new life.

And this child—a hybrid of royal vampire and werewolf blood—would be born with the power to shatter the world.

There was no point in arguing with them about the past. If they wanted to know anything, they'd find out in three days.

I looked up at Seth, my voice calm. "If you're here to pick me up, then let's go."

My words made everyone freeze. Then, an explosion of laughter.

"What is she talking about?"

"Pick her up?"

"Who does she think she is?"

Brielle was bent over, howling with laughter. "Ember, did you lose your mind living on the streets?"

"We're here for the Vampire Prince's mate," Seth snapped. "Not some pathetic stray who got herself cast out."

The Vampire Prince's mate.

I thought of Lucian's face, and my mood instantly lifted.

"Did you know, Ember?" Brielle began to gloat. "The Vampire Prince Lucian treats his blood-bonded mate like a goddess. It's almost sickening."

"They say he broke centuries of vampire tradition for her."

"They say he prepares her every meal with his own hands."

He does. He insists on making my breakfast himself every morning.

"He even built her a garden filled with her favorite moonpetal flowers."

More than one garden. He planted different flowers for me every season. Cherry blossoms in spring, roses in summer, osmanthus in fall, and plum blossoms in winter.

"But the most incredible gift," Brielle's voice was practically dripping with envy, "is the necklace he gave her."

I instinctively touched my neck.

"A legendary necklace made from the rarest moonstone," she went on. "It's one of a kind, worth a fortune. They say the moonstone is huge, and it glows with a mystical light at night. Only his blood-bonded mate is worthy of wearing it."

Brielle was lost in her fantasy of a lavish life, her eyes sparkling.

She didn't notice my silence.

And she didn't notice that I was wearing the "legendary" necklace she was describing.

"I'm so jealous," she sighed dramatically. "If I were the Vampire Prince's mate, I would—"

Suddenly, her voice died in her throat.

Her eyes widened, fixed on my neck. Her smug expression turned to shock.

"Wait... wait a minute!" She pointed a trembling finger at me. "On your neck... is that..."

Everyone's gaze followed her finger.

The moonstone pendant shimmered with a soft, silver light in the sun.

A perfect oval, the size of a robin's egg, surrounded by tiny, glittering diamonds.

It was exactly as Brielle had described.

"Impossible!" Brielle shrieked. "That's impossible!"

The crowd started murmuring.

"Is... is that really the legendary necklace?"

"It... it looks just like it..."

"But how could it be? She's just a rejected... a stray wolf."

Seth stared for a few seconds, then strode toward me.

He grabbed my chin roughly, forcing my head up.

"Let me see." He studied the necklace, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. "It... does look real."

Then he sneered.

"But a fake is a fake. Where'd you get it? Some street market knock-off? You're getting pathetic, Ember."

I remembered last year. Lucian and I were watching the northern lights after our trip around the world.

That night, green light danced across the sky. It was breathtaking.

Lucian held me from behind, kissed my neck, and fastened the necklace.

"My moon," he whispered in my ear. "This moonstone glows on a full moon. Just like your eyes."

It wasn't the most valuable gift he'd ever given me, but the moonstone was filled with his love. It rested warm against my skin every night.

I was lost in the memory when Seth's hand shot out. With a sharp tug, he ripped the necklace from my neck.

"Seth!" I lunged for it.

But he held it up, out of my reach. "Even a fake isn't worthy of your neck."

Brielle immediately scurried over and took the necklace from his hand.

She held it up to the light, the moonstone flashing between her fingers.

"It's a good fake," she said, feigning sympathy. "But Ember, this is embarrassing for the pack. What if the Vampire Prince finds out someone is wearing a replica of his mate's necklace? The consequences would be dire."

She paused, then covered her mouth dramatically.

"Wait… unless you’re her? The mysterious mate the Vampire Prince keeps under such heavy guard?"

The crowd erupted in laughter.

"Hahaha! Ember? The Prince's mate?"

"A rejected stray wolf?"

"Vampires are obsessed with bloodlines. They'd never choose a werewolf."

"Especially not a traitor who abandoned her pack!"

Brielle dangled the necklace, her eyes dripping with contempt.

"You can't afford the Prince's wrath, Ember. So why don't you give it to me? I'll do you a favor and take the fake off your hands. I'll even trade you two stalks of moon-grass for it. Enough for an omega like you to last a lifetime."

Moon-grass. The pack's most precious herb. But it was useless to me.

Vampire power flowed through my veins now. Lucian's blood bond meant I no longer needed anything from the pack.

"Give it back." I stepped toward Brielle, reaching for the pendant. "That was from Lucian—"

"Stop!" Seth cut me off, his face turning to stone. "Are you insane? The treaty is about to be signed! You want to openly offend the Vampire Prince?"

He grabbed my arm and shook me hard.

I wrenched myself free and stared at him coldly.

"I said, give it back."

"What's with that look?" My cold stare seemed to enrage him. "Just who do you think you are?"

SLAP!

The sharp sound echoed.

My head snapped to the side, my cheek burning.

The crowd went silent.

" Three years as a blood thrall has made you forget even the most basic respect for your own kind." Seth said, looking down at me. "You think wearing a fake necklace will get you attention? Prove you're doing well?"

His voice was laced with contempt and rage.

"I'm warning you, Ember. Drop the childish games. The real vampire delegation will be here any minute. If they see you insulting their Prince and his mate, you'll be torn to shreds! The whole pack will suffer for your stupidity!"

I stood there silently, my cheek still on fire.

Three years ago, his every glance could break my heart.

Now, his slap felt like a light breeze.

"Still not taking it off?" Brielle added from the side. "Do you want to get the whole pack killed?"

Seth pulled a credit card from his pocket. A platinum card, but I could tell it had a low limit.

He tossed it at my feet.

"Go buy yourself something decent. Something that fits your station. And stop wearing rags you dug out of the trash and cheap fakes."

Every word was an act of charity.

Like he was feeding a stray dog.

I looked at the credit card by my feet and didn't bend to pick it up.

"Keep your pity, Seth."

I lifted my head and met his gaze.

"I don't need anything from a stranger."

My cheek was still hot, but I was done.

The baby in my womb needed peace, and this pointless fighting was just making me tired.

I turned to leave.

"Wait." Seth's hand closed around my wrist. His grip was light, but firm enough to stop me. "Are you still sulking?"

After hitting me, his voice was suddenly gentle. Just like the man who used to make me happy.

"Ember, I know you still have feelings for me."

He stepped in front of me. His palm brushed against the cheek he'd just slapped. The touch made me freeze.

"See?" he murmured, mistaking my frozen shock for longing. "You still react to me." A triumphant glint lit his eyes.

"I'll give you a chance. A real one. In three days, the pack is hosting a gala for the peace treaty. I can take you. Show you real high society."

His fingers traced my cheek, as if soothing a frightened kitten.

"But you'll have to get rid of that disgusting band on your wrist. And lose the cheap jewelry. I'll turn you back into the beautiful Ember I remember."

The beautiful Ember.

The woman who would do anything for a glance from him. The woman who lost sleep over his cold shoulder.

That woman died three years ago at our mating ceremony.

"No, thank you." I frowned, shoving his dirty hand off me.

"What?"

"I said no, thank you." I took a step back, putting distance between us.

Seth's face turned ugly.

"Ember, do you really think you have a choice? Three years as a blood thrall is enough. Stop lying to yourself."

I didn't answer. I just held his gaze for a moment, then turned and walked away.

This time, he didn't stop me.

I walked to the lounge area of the trading post and sat on a long bench.

Outside the window, twilight was falling.

The magical lights of the station began to glow, mingling with the last fiery embers of the sunset.

I stroked my stomach and thought about that night, three years ago.

The night before my mating ceremony, I was crying in the park, jealous of the way Seth and Brielle were flirting.

That’s when Lucian found me.

The man I had met once before at a supernatural auction.

Tall, elegant, with the ancient, mysterious air of a vampire.

He gently wiped away my tears. His cold fingertips held a strange warmth.

"I told you before. I don't care about bloodlines or species. I care about the heart. And my heart tells me I've waited centuries for you."

I turned him down.

My mating ceremony with Seth was the next day.

I thought that was my destiny, my home. But destiny dealt me a cruel betrayal.

At the ceremony, Seth chose Brielle.

When I left the pack, heartbroken, Lucian appeared again.

This time, I didn't refuse him.

He hadn't cared about my broken heart or my fated bond to another. He'd only cared about me. His love was a relentless, healing fire. He didn't just give me a new life; he showed me what it felt like to be treasured.

I never would have come back here if it wasn't for this treaty.

Three days later, the night of the gala arrived.

The pack's most lavish ballroom was glittering with lights. Important guests were already arriving.

I stood at the entrance, wearing a simple, elegant black gown.

"Ember?"

That familiar, nauseating voice again.

Seth was standing nearby. Surprise flickered in his eyes, followed by smug satisfaction.

"I knew you'd come." He walked toward me, a victor's smile on his face. "You still can't let me go, can you? Three days was enough to make you see sense. Good. That's how it should be."

He reached for my hand, but I sidestepped him effortlessly.

He blinked, his smile faltering. "Ember, what game are you playing? Everyone is watching. Don't embarrass me."

Just then, Brielle pushed through the crowd.

She was wearing a flamboyant red gown, dripping with so many jewels she looked like she was trying to wear a nation's entire treasury.

Her eyes landed on my neck and went wide.

"How dare you!" she shrieked.

Her shriek sliced through the ballroom's polite chatter.

"That necklace! How dare you wear that fake to the gala? Are you trying to humiliate the entire pack? Or are you trying to start a war?"

The room fell silent.

All eyes were on me.

On the massive, glittering moonstone around my neck.