Three years ago, I had no choice.
The night of the Bloodmoon War, Riverdale Pack stood on the brink of destruction. The battlefield was drenched in blood, the air thick with the scent of death. My father, Beta of the Nightbane Pack, fought fiercely to protect our warriors, but we were outnumbered. Lucian the Alpha of Bloodmoon Pack, had come for me.
His claim was clear—I was his fated mate.
At the time, my wolf, had whispered of a bond, a connection she sensed in Lucian presence. But before I could understand what it meant, my father rejected the idea outright. He didn’t trust Lucian, and neither did I.
The battle was my father’s attempt to keep me from Lucian grasp. But it wasn’t a war we could win.
Then came Caleb’s offer.
Riverdale was the strongest of the allied packs. Caleb, their Alpha, was ruthless, feared across the region. He had no interest in a mate, but he made my father a promise:
"Give me Nyra, and I will ensure Nightbane survives this war. I will take her as my Luna, and Lucian will never lay claim to her."
A forced bond. A cold transaction.
It was never love.
And yet, I had been fool enough to believe that over time, Caleb had come to care.
Now, standing in the aftermath of what I overheard, I realized the truth—he had never seen me as anything but a shield. A pawn. A burden he had endured out of necessity.
Not his Luna.
Never his mate.
The night I was marked still haunted me.
After the war had ended and Caleb had upheld his end of the bargain, I had been brought to Riverdale’s estate. The packhouse, a towering stone fortress nestled deep in the mountains, had felt more like a prison than a home.
I remembered the way Caleb had looked at me that night—impassive, detached, his golden eyes unreadable. There was no warmth, no tenderness. Just obligation.
“You will be Luna,” he had said simply, unbuttoning his shirt with slow precision. “This is the price of peace.”
My wolf had stirred in protest. Everything in me had screamed that this wasn’t right, that this wasn’t how a bond should feel. But there had been no choice.
Caleb had bitten down on my neck, sealing our bond with cold finality. I had clenched my teeth against the pain, my body trembling as the forced connection took root. A mate bond was supposed to feel like fire and lightning, a rush of power that united two souls.
For me, it had felt like chains tightening around my throat.
For him, it had meant nothing.
That night, I had lain awake, staring at the ceiling, waiting for something—anything—to change. But Caleb had remained distant, leaving the room as soon as the bond was sealed.
And I had learned, in that moment, that I was nothing more than a means to an end.
Back in the present, the weight of that memory pressed down on me as I climbed the stairs to my room in the packhouse. My heart pounded in my chest, but I kept my expression neutral.
I couldn’t let Caleb see the truth.
I couldn’t let him know I had heard everything.
The halls of Riverdale were quiet, the pack already asleep for the night. The massive stone walls made the space feel cold, unwelcoming. I passed the portraits of Alphas before Caleb, their watchful eyes seeming to follow me as I walked.
For years, I had convinced myself that this was my home.
I had convinced myself that Caleb would someday see me.
How pathetic.
I stepped into my room, shutting the heavy oak door behind me. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting silver streaks across the floor. I crossed the room and braced my hands against the wooden dresser, my breathing uneven.
I touched my neck where Caleb’s mark burned.
Could I break the bond?
The thought had never fully formed before tonight. A bond between mates wasn’t meant to be severed—it was meant to last for life. But tonight, something had shifted in me.
For the first time in Three years, I wasn’t afraid of the consequences.
I reached for the pendant around my neck—a simple silver charm in the shape of a crescent moon. My mother had given it to me before the war, whispering that it held a protection spell, that I should never remove it.
I had kept it close all these years, even when my father had fallen in battle, even when my mother had disappeared.
Now, I clutched it so tightly that the edges dug into my palm.
"You will be Luna. This is the price of peace."
No.
I would not pay this price any longer.
A knock on the door jolted me from my thoughts. My pulse jumped, and I turned sharply, schooling my expression into calm neutrality.
“Caleb?” I called, though I already knew who it was.
The door pushed open, and sure enough, he stood there. Tall, powerful, exuding the quiet dominance of an Alpha who had never been questioned. His golden eyes studied me, unreadable as ever.
His gaze flickered to my clenched fist. “What are you holding?”
I forced a small smile and released the pendant, letting it rest against my collarbone. “Nothing. Just a habit.”
Caleb stepped inside, his presence filling the space. He didn’t come near me, but he didn’t need to. His presence was enough to suffocate.
His expression remained unreadable as he spoke. “You’ve been quiet tonight.”
A test.
He was gauging me, searching for any cracks in my facade.
I met his gaze steadily. “I’m just tired.”
Another test.
His eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing. Instead, he nodded toward the bed. “Get some rest. There’s a gathering tomorrow.”
Astrid’s gathering.
The one where the entire pack would celebrate the true Luna—the woman Caleb actually wanted.
My stomach twisted, but I kept my expression neutral. “Of course.”
Caleb lingered for a moment longer, as if debating something, but then he turned and left, the door clicking shut behind him.
I waited, listening to his retreating footsteps.
Then I exhaled shakily, my hands trembling as I pressed them against the dresser.
Tomorrow, the pack would gather.
Tomorrow, Caleb would stand at Astrid’s side.
Tomorrow, I would be nothing more than an afterthought.
But tomorrow would also be the last time I let them humiliate me.
Tomorrow, my plan would begin.
I would break this mate bond.
I would leave.
And I would never look back.
