"Well, look who it is."

A sharp female voice floated down from the rooftop terrace of the commercial center.

I looked up to see three high-born Beta females surrounding a trembling Selena.

"You dare wear the Heart of the Luna? A filthy half-breed like you isn't even worthy to touch something meant only for Silver Wolf blood."

My heart clenched.

The Heart of the Luna was around Selena's neck, sparkling in the sun.

"I... I didn't..." Selena stammered, trying to cover the necklace with her hand.

"Didn't what? Didn't steal it, or didn't seduce our future Alpha?"

"Please, don't do this..."

"Kneel!" one of the women snapped. "Show us submission! Prove you remember your place!"

A crowd started to form.

I felt Ethan tense beside me.

He didn't even care that the necklace was exposed.

His eyes found mine from behind the crowd, pleading. Go help her, Elara, his voice commanded in my head.

He wanted me to save her.

Just like all the other times, he wanted me to solve the problems his little sweetheart created.

While he stayed hidden, playing the innocent bystander.

I slowly walked up the stairs.

"Stop it," I said, stepping between them. My voice was calm.

"Oh, the future Luna has arrived," the lead woman sneered. "Elara, do you know this bitch stole your—"

"I know," I cut her off, my eyes fixed on Selena. "But now is not the time to deal with this."

A flash of panic crossed Selena's eyes before she put on a grateful expression. "Elara, thank you..."

"Don't thank me yet," my voice was quiet, but every word was terrifyingly clear. "I just don't want to see an ugly scene in public."

"What ugly scene?" a man in the crowd shouted. "I saw Ethan carrying this woman into his private villa last night with my own eyes!"

The area fell silent.

Everyone's eyes darted between me and Selena.

Selena's face went pale.

"That must be a misunderstanding..." she explained, her voice shaking.

"A misunderstanding?" the man scoffed. "I saw it clearly! Ethan even opened the car door for her!"

"Enough!" Selena suddenly screamed. "I don't want to hear this!"

She pretended to be overwhelmed and lunged toward me.

"Elara, protect me! They're bullying me!"

Her hand gripped my arm, her nails digging into my skin.

Then, as everyone watched, she suddenly went limp and fell backward.

But her hand was still latched onto my arm, making it look like I had pushed her.

"Ahhh—!"

She tumbled over the edge of the terrace.

Time seemed to stand still.

Everyone was staring at me.

Staring at the evil woman who had "pushed" Selena.

"Murderer! The future Luna just pushed her!"

"Somebody do something!"

"Gods, she's a monster!"

A silver blur exploded from the crowd below. Ethan. His massive wolf form caught Selena in mid-air.

He landed safely on the terrace, shifting back to human in a fluid motion and clutching her to his chest.

"Selena! Selena! Are you okay?"

"I... it hurts so much..." she whispered weakly against his chest, looking like she was at death's door.

Ethan looked up, his eyes locking on me with pure murder.

His voice crashed into my mind, "I told you to help her, not kill her!"

I stood silently on the terrace, watching the drama unfold below.

"It was an accident," I said. My voice was so calm it felt foreign even to me.

"An accident?" The crowd hissed in anger. "We all saw you!"

"That's right! We saw everything!"

"Elara is consumed by jealousy!"

"Our future Luna is a monster!"

I didn't defend myself.

There was no point.

This was all part of their plan.

Ethan carried Selena away without a second glance in my direction.

The crowd dispersed, leaving me alone on the terrace.

Just before they disappeared from view, Selena peeked over Ethan’s shoulder.

She gave me a triumphant, ice-cold smirk.

He chose me, her eyes screamed. You lose.

A snarl ripped through my chest, my wolf reeling from the betrayal.

I was the last of the Silver Wolf bloodline. Mating with me was a gift!

How dare he treat me like this? Humiliate me?

I clenched my fists and shifted, running back to the pack house.

Even if he had saved my life once, I couldn't accept this...

Just as I was planning my escape, Ethan appeared.

"Come with me."

He grabbed my arm roughly, dragging me out of my rooms.

"What are you doing?"

"You're going to apologize," he said, his voice like ice. "You terrified Selena. She's still shaking."

I wrenched my arm free.

"I'm not going."

Ethan spun around, his eyes blazing with fury. "What did you say?"

"I said, I'm not going," I repeated, word by word. "I didn't push her. I have nothing to apologize for."

"Didn't push her?" he sneered. "Everyone saw you!"

"Then why didn't you ask me what happened?"

"I don't need to ask!" he roared. "I saw her fall with my own eyes! If I hadn't caught her, she'd be seriously injured right now!"

"She wouldn't have jumped if you weren't there waiting to catch her!" I screamed back.

The words hung in the air. We both froze.

Ethan's eyes turned dangerous. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing." I tried to walk away. "I'm tired. I want to rest."

"Stop!"

His Alpha command hit me from behind.

My body locked up against my will.

"You are going to apologize."

"I refuse."

"Then you leave me no choice."

He pulled something from his pocket and dangled it in front of me.

The Alpha sigil of the Silver Moon pack.

An ancient silver ring, carved with my family's totem.

It was the only thing my parents left me.

"That's mine," I reached for it.

"It's mine now," he closed his fist around it. "You want it back? Go apologize."

I stared at him.

This was the face I had promised to protect forever, spark or no spark.

Now it was just a stranger’s face, etched with lies.

"Fine," I said. "I'll apologize. But you give me back my ring."

"After you apologize."

"Now."

We stared at each other for a long moment.

My father once told me this ring held the honor and dignity of our pack.

Now, I would use it to witness the end of that honor and dignity.

Selena's new room was in the east wing of the manor.

Ethan had it prepared for her overnight.

It was decorated like a princess's chamber.

"Come in," her weak voice called from inside.

I pushed the door open.

She was lounging on the bed in a silk robe, the Heart of the Luna still around her neck.

"Selena, I'm here to apologize."

"Apologize?" Ethan stepped in behind me. "Like that? Standing up?"

I turned to look at him.

"Kneel," he ordered, his voice flat. "Shift. And apologize to her in your wolf form."

The air turned to ice.

Kneeling in wolf form was the ultimate sign of submission.

He actually made me, the last Silver Wolf blessed by the Goddess, kneel to a half-breed Omega.

This is more than personal humiliation.

He spat on the pride and legacy of my entire clan!

"Ethan..." Selena said, pretending to be concerned. "Isn't that a bit much?"

"No, it's perfect," Ethan's eyes were cold, empty of any warmth. "She has to pay for what she did."

I looked at him, the man I would have died for.

"As you wish."

I shifted.

My massive, silver-white wolf form filled the room, my fur shimmering in the dim light.

Slowly, I lowered my proud head.

I, the last of the Silver Wolf bloodline, bowed before an omega half-breed.

"Are you satisfied?" I asked, shifting back to my human form. My voice was terrifyingly calm.

A flicker of something complex crossed Ethan's face, but it was gone in an instant.

Finally, he tossed the ring to me.

I caught it and slid it onto my finger.

"Get out."

I turned to leave.

At the door, I paused.

"Ethan."

"What?"

"Is the ceremony still on for tomorrow?"

His entire body tensed. His eyes wouldn't meet mine.

"Of course. You're my fated mate. I just can't stand to see you hurting the weak..."

I looked back at him. A cold smile touched my lips.

"Okay. I'll be waiting."

I was going to leave right after the Mating Ceremony.

But now, I'd changed my mind.

So, my destiny is to mate with an Alpha from his pack?

Fine.

What's the difference if he's an exile? An Alpha is an Alpha.

The next day, the full moon rose, and the ceremony began on schedule.

Ethan came to my room, his face grim. "Elara, no matter what happens tonight, don't fight it. Trust me. Everything will be okay."

I sat quietly at my vanity, dressed in a holy white ceremonial robe. "I know," I replied calmly.

The ceremony unfolded exactly as I’d overheard.

When the shadow rune activated, I felt the raw fury of the Moon Goddess.

Ethan seized the moment, announcing to everyone that I had angered the deity.

He had to temporarily reject me, to postpone our union.

The Elder's voice boomed: "By the law of our ancestors, the future Alpha has postponed his fated mating! The Exile's Blood Pact is now in effect! Elara Silvermoon, you will be sent to Alpha Damon's territory to mate with him."

I met Ethan's calculating, falsely apologetic gaze. And I simply nodded.

Moments later, I was escorted from the sacred altar and taken to a skyscraper in the heart of the city.

The door to the penthouse apartment opened before me.

A tall figure stood with his back to me.

He turned around slowly.

His eyes were as deep as a night sky, holding a calm that controlled everything.

This was Damon. The ruthless, exiled Alpha.

The air grew thick with a suffocating Alpha aura. It was a physical weight, pressing in on me from all sides.

This wasn't like Ethan’s arrogant dominance.

This was the raw power of a true predator.

My wolf didn't cower. She rose to meet it, a strange, thrilling hum vibrating through my bones.

"They sent you," his voice was a low, magnetic rumble that felt strangely familiar. "Just as I expected."

I straightened my back, looking at him coldly. "You knew?"

"Ethan's little tricks don't fool anyone," Damon said, his voice a low rumble as he stalked toward me. "The question is, what are you going to do? Cry and beg me to send you back, or..."

He stopped right in front of me, his tall frame completely shadowing mine.

He leaned in, his nose brushing mine. His dark eyes stripped my soul bare.

"...Or will you seize your new fate?"

My heart pounded. A wave of heat shot up my spine.

I had never felt anything like this before.

It was dangerous, exhilarating, and lethally attractive.

Ethan’s betrayal had ripped my heart to shreds.

I had only wanted revenge, to make him feel the pain of losing everything.

But now, looking at this man, a new, crazier idea began to form.

"If I accept," I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze, "what do I get?"

A playful smirk touched Damon's lips.

"You get a loyal mate. My power. And revenge so sweet, it will bring that pathetic Alpha to his knees."

"Deal," I said without hesitation.

"Then," his voice dropped, laced with raw temptation, "will you, Elara? Mate with me. Be my Luna. And leave your past to burn."

He wasn't forcing me. He was giving me a choice.

I closed my eyes. The image of Ethan and Selena embracing flashed in my mind.

His words echoed: It's only for the power in her bloodline.

To hell with fated mates. To hell with ten years of waiting.

"I will," I said, opening my eyes, my gaze firm.

The moment the words left my lips, Damon's aura exploded.

He stopped holding back. His powerful Alpha scent crashed over me like a tsunami.

My knees went weak, and he caught me, pulling me into his arms.

His kiss was possessive and scorching hot, igniting every fire within me.

He lifted me, carried me into the bedroom, and tossed me onto the soft, massive bed.

Moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating his defined muscles and eyes that burned with desire.

He leaned over me. The second his canines sank into my neck, fire and pleasure shot through my veins. Pain and power. A brand on my soul.

I could feel his immense power flooding into me, merging with my bloodline.

A new, unbreakable bond formed deep in my soul.

The mark was complete.

I gasped, his scent now a permanent part of me, branded on my very soul.

In that moment, I knew. This wasn't just a good decision. It was the only decision.

The next morning.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The frantic pounding on the door echoed through the entire floor, accompanied by Ethan’s furious roars.

"Damon! You despicable half-breed! Get out here!"

Inside, Damon strolled out of the bathroom. A towel was slung dangerously low on his hips, his chest and abs still glistening with water.

He casually dried his wet hair, a lazy, satisfied look on his face.

Ethan screamed from the other side of the door, "You used dark magic to fool the Goddess! It was an accident! Elara is mine! Give her back to me now!"

Damon walked to the door, a mocking smile on his lips.

I sat up in bed and walked over to him.

"Let him in," I said softly. "It's time for the show to begin."

The moment the door flew open, Ethan stormed in, flanked by the Elders.

His eyes landed on me—my messy hair, the way I stood beside Damon—and they turned bloodshot with rage.

"Elara! Get away from him! That bastard—"

His words choked in his throat. His gaze locked on my neck.

On the raw, crimson mark marring my skin.

The mark of another Alpha.

Ethan stumbled back a step, his face a canvas of disbelief.

"You... you mated?!"