Rhea

The flames danced wildly, consuming every last remnant of the life I had once desperately clung to.

Elegant gowns, ornate jewels, luxurious fragrances—tokens from my engagement to Alpha Draven—now vanished in a blaze. Not because I held sentiment for them, but because they were meaningless. Each gift had been a formality, a transaction devoid of affection. Draven never picked them himself; his parents orchestrated every detail, feeding the illusion of a fairy-tale bond while he hardly even acknowledged me.

I used to be naïve. I truly believed that even if love wasn’t there from the start, maybe time would change that. That perhaps loyalty would bloom into something deeper.

But affection cannot take root where resentment is the only soil.

I stared into the fire, watching the last silk strip curl into ash, the scent of burning memories heavy in the air. Of all the things I discarded, one remained untouched.

The heirloom of the Silver Hollow Pack.

A pendant of age and power, inscribed with the crest of the pack—meant to adorn the neck of the Luna. A role I would never fill.

My fingers curled around it tightly. This was never meant for me. And now, I would return it.

With the pendant gripped in my hand, I turned and moved toward Draven’s quarters.

The corridor leading to his room was dim, torchlight flickering across stone walls and casting trembling shadows. My steps were silent. I was a ghost in the halls, guided only by instinct and purpose.

The door was slightly open.

Voices slipped through the crack, low and tense. I froze, breath caught in my lungs. Mirielle was inside.

I didn’t have to look. I could picture it already—her small form tucked into his arms, her tears soaking into his shirt as he held her, whispered to her, comforted her. Just as he always had.

My grip on the pendant tightened. I remained in the shadows, listening.

“I-I’m frightened,” came Mirielle’s trembling voice, thick with emotion. “What happens to our child if… if Rhea ends up pregnant after the mating rites? What will we do then?”

My body went still.

A child?

My heart pounded as I waited for Draven’s response, barely daring to breathe.

“She won’t,” he said quietly, his voice steady, assured.

“But what if—” she began again.

“I’ve taken precautions,” he cut in, calm and resolute. “She’ll never carry my heir. The potion’s ready. She won’t taste it in her drink, but it’ll make her barren—permanently.”

My entire world reeled.

Sterile. Permanently.

He had never once considered a life with me. I wasn’t even a possibility in his future. To him, I was something to eliminate—an inconvenience. A means to an end that he intended to cut off, quietly and cruelly.

All this time, I believed his coldness was due to indifference. That he didn’t love me, that he couldn’t. But I had never imagined this level of calculated malice. That he would go so far as to destroy my ability to have children just to preserve his life with her.

I should have felt fury. I should’ve burst into that room, flung the pendant at his feet, confronted him with every ounce of betrayal.

But I didn’t.

I did the opposite.

I stepped away, quiet as moonlight, and disappeared down the corridor.

Back in my room, I opened my bedside drawer with steady hands and pulled out a second phone, the one I hadn’t touched in months. My fingers moved with certainty, dialing a number etched into my soul.

The line connected after a few rings.

“Rhea?” my father’s voice rumbled on the other end, familiar and firm.

I closed my eyes, voice low but unwavering. “I’m coming back, Father.”

A pause stretched between us before he replied, “The ceremony… did something happen?” His voice softened slightly. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“I’m sure,” I answered without hesitation.

His exhale came through the line, laced with both relief and something more—perhaps understanding. “Then come home. We’re waiting.”

I felt something inside me loosen, as if a great burden had finally begun to lift. But just as I was about to end the call, another notification flashed on the screen.

An incoming call. Alpha Damon.

I paused only for a second, then answered.

“Rhea,” his voice was smooth and self-assured. “Everything is in place. Just give the command, and your mating ceremony with Draven will be nothing but ashes.”

Rhea

Two days before the mating ceremony.

I should’ve been finalizing details for my Luna coronation, relishing the last hours of freedom before I officially took on the role beside Alpha Draven. But instead, I stood motionless, staring at the angry red mark on my palm—raw, blistered, and pulsing with pain.

It wasn’t normal. Wounds healed fast for werewolves. Even deep cuts and burns vanished within hours. Yet this one refused to close. It lingered, sore and inflamed.

Was it because of the way I died before?

I had perished in flames. That night, fire had devoured me—engulfed my body until only ash remained. My final moments were filled with unbearable heat, excruciating pain, and the devastated look in the eyes of those I once called my pack as they watched everything burn.

Now, even a small burn lingered like a curse.

My jaw tensed as the nurse gently applied a salve, the sting dull compared to what I’d endured in that other life.

“You’re lucky it didn’t go deeper,” she murmured as she wrapped my hand in fresh gauze, her touch delicate.

Once the treatment was done, I stepped into the corridor, stretching my fingers slightly beneath the tight bandages. They hid the wound—my secret vulnerability.

That’s when I spotted them.

Draven and Mirielle, standing outside the obstetrics wing of the hospital.

Draven’s arm rested protectively across her back, his body angled toward her as if to shield her from the world. The second they noticed me, both went rigid.

Draven stepped forward instantly, moving to obscure her from sight. His gaze flashed with something alarmingly close to panic.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded, voice tense.

I raised my wrapped hand with a crooked smile. “Caught a burn.” Then I nodded toward the sign above the door behind them, bold silver letters spelling out their location. “What about you, Alpha? You singed something too?”

His jaw ticked with restrained anger.

Mirielle shrank behind him, fingers twisting into her dress, face pale and mouth pressed in a thin line.

Draven gave a brittle laugh, completely lacking humor. “She wasn’t feeling well after standing in the storm. I brought her in to get checked.”

I hummed thoughtfully, crossing my arms. “Oh, at the OB-GYN?”

Silence dropped like a stone.

Neither spoke. Draven’s eyes narrowed, his irritation barely restrained, while Mirielle blinked rapidly, looking for an explanation she couldn’t form.

Then Draven recovered. “Just a precaution. Wanted to make sure she’s fine in every way.”

Just a precaution.

I looked between them, chuckling quietly. “Of course. Nothing serious at all.”

Without waiting for their response, I brushed past, their eyes burning into my back as I walked away.

That evening, the packhouse was steeped in tension. Dinner passed under a heavy silence that clung to every corner of the room.

I had prepared everything myself—set the table, arranged the dishes, and most importantly, filled every glass with freshly pressed juice. When I placed Mirielle’s drink before her, my fingers tingled faintly.

“Drink up,” I said, my voice pleasant, eyes gleaming with something unreadable.

She hesitated, her gaze flicking to me with caution. Draven gave her a reassuring nod, so she slowly lifted the glass.

I took a sip from my own. One by one, the rest followed suit. It was quiet. Still. Until—

A gasp tore from Mirielle’s throat.

Her body jerked, trembling violently. She gripped the edge of the table, knuckles white, as a choked sound escaped her. A bright flush spread across her cheeks. Her breathing turned ragged, uneven.

“Draven…” she croaked, eyes wide with fear.

Draven stood so fast his chair scraped loudly against the floor. He rushed to her, catching her before she collapsed.

“Mirielle?” he called out, his voice laced with panic.

She clutched at him, pressing her heated body against his, her hands curling in his shirt. “I feel… burning. Something’s wrong…”

Draven’s golden gaze found me. And it burned.

“You,” he hissed, voice deadly with accusation. “What did you do to her?”

I blinked innocently. “What are you suggesting?”

His lips pulled back in a snarl. “You drugged her drink.”

I let out a short laugh. “And why would I do that?”

“Because you’ve done it before!” he snapped. “After the Full Moon Festival—you drugged me, didn’t you?!”

The words struck something deep, but I kept my expression neutral.

I remembered that night well—how he’d been drunk, how we woke tangled in the same bed, how our furious parents burst in. He’d held it against me ever since, convinced I’d tricked him into this union. But I knew the truth. I hadn’t drugged him. He’d drowned himself in wine and poor decisions.

I met his furious gaze calmly. “I didn’t touch her drink, Draven.”

He didn’t believe me. His silence said it all.

But that didn’t matter.

He carried Mirielle upstairs, leaving me at the table, the room cloaked in lingering suspicion and quiet judgment.

The following morning, he confronted me again, jaw tight, face unreadable.

“It was a false alarm,” he said coldly.

I raised a brow. “Was it?”

“She’s alright now,” he went on. “Nothing serious.”

“How comforting,” I replied dryly, the corner of my mouth twitching.

Mirielle stepped out from behind him, looking ashamed.

“I just… I want to apologize,” she began softly.

I regarded her silently.

“As a peace offering,” she continued, “I repaired your bracelet. The moonstone one.”

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

My heartbeat slowed. She held out the bracelet—once shattered, once sacred. The last keepsake from my mother.

But the moment I examined it, my chest hollowed.

It wasn’t the same.

The original fragments—those precious shards I’d gathered with trembling fingers—were gone. Replaced by something new. Foreign.

“You did what?” My tone was even, but dangerously quiet.

Mirielle’s smile wavered. “I threw away the broken parts and used a new moonstone. I wanted to make it beautiful again.”

Everything stopped.

She had discarded it. The final connection I had to my mother—gone like trash.

Before I could stop myself, my hand struck her cheek with a sharp slap. The sound echoed.

Mirielle stumbled back, gasping, her hand flying to her face in stunned silence.

“You had no right,” I whispered, every word trembling with fury. “None.”

Draven immediately stepped between us, golden eyes ablaze. “Rhea!” he barked.

Rhea

Draven had been simmering with rage ever since I struck Mirielle. He hadn’t exchanged more than a few words with me since the incident. When he did, his tone was icy, his demeanor distant and cold. But I wasn’t bothered. Let him loathe me. Let his anger consume him. It no longer made a difference.

By tomorrow, I was supposed to officially take my place as his Luna. The entire pack was preparing for the grand ritual—our formal union. It was to be the moment Alpha Draven marked me as his mate, binding us together in an eternal tie.

But I had no intention of letting it happen.

That night, I slipped away from the packhouse without drawing attention. My heart hammered in my chest as I moved swiftly and silently through the dimly lit streets. I kept my cloak’s hood drawn low over my face, body tense, every sense alert for the presence of wandering eyes. I couldn’t afford to be intercepted—not tonight.

By the time I arrived at the hotel, he was already there.

Alpha Damon sat quietly in a shadowed corner of the lobby, his piercing gaze locking onto mine the second I entered. He didn’t offer a warm greeting. There was no smile, no pretense of friendliness. He stood, movements smooth and deliberate, and gave a single nod toward the elevator.

I followed without a word, my throat dry and hands cold.

There was no room left for second thoughts.

We stepped into a private suite, the door clicking softly as it shut behind us. The space around us pulsed with tension—heavy, unspoken.

“Is this what you want?” His voice was calm but unwavering, eyes boring into mine with quiet intensity.

I gave a firm nod. This was the only path left to me.

I couldn’t afford to repeat the past.

He stepped forward, his presence overwhelming—tall, commanding, his scent wrapping around me like forest and fire. Pure Alpha.

Before I had a chance to fully register it, he leaned close. His lips brushed the sensitive spot at the base of my neck, directly over my scent gland.

When his fangs sank in, I gasped.

A sharp, searing pain exploded across my skin, immediately followed by a deeper, more primal sensation—like something old and sacred had been awakened inside me.

In that instant, the bond clicked into place, tight and irreversible, like a cord pulling taut between our souls.

His bite was deep and assertive, a claim written into my very blood. My body responded instinctively—fangs emerging, senses heightening—as the connection surged through us like wildfire.

He held my gaze, his eyes glowing with the same intensity I felt coursing through me.

This was real. I was now linked to a man I barely understood.

Yet, as that powerful pull settled deep within me—as something inside recognized that I was no longer alone—I realized I had made the right decision.

My turn.

I leaned in, pressing my lips to the side of his neck. I inhaled slowly, grounding myself in his scent, then bit down hard on his gland.

A sharp breath escaped him. His hands gripped my waist, muscles tightening as the bond locked in from my end. I felt the connection ignite again, deeper this time, fusing us in a way that transcended words or logic.

The heat between us. The magnetic pull.

It was real. Unbreakable now.

There was no going back.

---

The following morning, my nerves were frayed.

The mark on my neck still tingled with heat. I could feel the bond humming beneath my skin, a constant reminder of what I had done—who I now belonged to. Every sense was alert, as if my body knew I wasn’t meant to be here.

And yet, no one suspected a thing.

I stood at the altar, staring straight ahead, my face unreadable. Alpha Draven stood across from me, his features carved from stone. His gaze was hard, lacking any warmth. There was no reassurance in his stance, no affection in his eyes. If I had ever foolishly hoped that he would see me—truly see me—and choose me with his heart, that hope had died long ago.

But I wasn’t here for love. I was here to put an end to the illusion we had both been clinging to.

The ceremony unfolded in carefully rehearsed steps, each moment bringing us closer to the irreversible. When it came time for the rings, Draven was the first to act.

Without hesitation, he lifted the band and slid it onto my finger, the movement mechanical, almost detached.

As the officiant continued with the sacred vows behind us, my mind wandered. Flashes of last night flickered in my thoughts—Damon’s bite, the pulse of the bond, the way my soul had settled in his presence.

“I do,” Draven’s voice interrupted, flat and clipped. It lacked even the courtesy of pretense, his tone sharp enough to draw a few confused whispers from the guests.

I felt a muscle twitch in my jaw.

Then came my part. I reached for the second ring but stopped midway. The officiant turned to me, the traditional words falling into place like dominoes.

“Rhea, do you accept Alpha Draven as your bonded mate and husband? Will you love him, stay loyal through joy and pain, youth and age, for the rest of your shared life?”

Silence followed.

I didn’t answer.

My hand hovered, then slowly dropped to my side. I hesitated.

The air seemed to freeze. All eyes turned toward me, puzzled murmurs rising like smoke. Even Draven, ever composed, blinked, his eyes narrowing as confusion flickered across his face.

But I wasn’t looking at him anymore.

I was staring at the grand doors at the back of the hall.

Something in me strained toward them, waiting. Hoping.

Draven followed my gaze, tension radiating off of him.

What’s taking so long?

Where is he?

The officiant, clearly flustered, cleared his throat and began again.

“Rhea, will you pledge yourself to Draven—through fortune and—”

Suddenly, the massive double doors were flung open, crashing against the walls with a thunderous bang.