The full moon hung low in the crimson-streaked sky as I made my way through the dense forest, the crunch of leaves beneath my boots muffled by the pounding of my heart. Clutched tightly in my hand was the small wooden box, carved with ancient runes — a gift for my mate, Kieran. Inside it lay the pendant of the Blood Oath, a symbol of eternal loyalty among werewolves. I had it blessed by the elders, ready to present to him tonight as a mark of our bond.
But that wasn’t the only secret I carried.
Tucked inside my coat was the result from the healer — a delicate parchment that confirmed
what I’d suspected for weeks. I was pregnant. Kieran’s child. The future Alpha of the Obsidian Fang Pack growing inside me.
I’d spent the entire walk rehearsing how I’d tell him. Should I give him the pendant first and then reveal the news? Or should I just blurt it out, letting the joy spill freely?
The massive stone hall of the Alpha’s quarters loomed ahead, its towering spires reaching
toward the blood-streaked moon. As I neared, the faint echo of voices seeped through the
crack in the ancient oak doors. I paused, my hand hovering over the handle.
“You think Selene needs to know?” Kieran’s deep voice rumbled.
“It’s done, Magnus. There’s no undoing it.”
Selene. My name on his lips, but… what was he talking about?
I leaned closer, my wolf ears sharpening the sound.
Magnus, his Beta and oldest friend, let out a growl.
“You drained her mother’s life force to save Aria. You know what will happen if Selene finds out?”
My blood ran cold.
Aria. Kieran’s first love. The she-wolf he had once sworn to protect above all else. The same she-wolf my older mate, Dorian, had left me for before he was slaughtered by rogues.
“She was dying anyway,” Kieran replied, his voice flat. “Selene’s mother was too weak to survive the next full moon. I just… sped up the process.”
A tremor wracked my body, the parchment slipping from my hand and fluttering to the ground.
“You killed her!” Magnus hissed.
“I saved Aria,” Kieran snarled back, his canines elongating briefly. “And I mated Selene Voss. Isn’t that enough?”
“You’ve lied to her for three years. She worships you, Kieran.”
I gripped the wall to stay upright, bile rising in my throat.
“Selene was never the plan,” Kieran sneered.
“She was a means to an end. Her bloodline is
strong, pure. It secured my position. But if she finds out… so be it. I’ll cast her aside. Aria is
all that matters.”
Something inside me shattered. The pendant slipped from my fingers, clinking against the
stone.
I stumbled backward, my vision blurred with tears. The world around me twisted, the howls
of wolves echoing in my ears, but none of it felt real.
I ran.
Branches clawed at my skin as I tore through the forest, my heartbeat drowning out every thought. My mother’s last moments — stolen for Aria.
Every touch, every whispered promise from Kieran — all a lie.
I barely noticed when my foot snagged on a gnarled root. I flew forward, crashing hard into
the ground. Pain shot through my side, but I pushed myself up, gasping for air. And then the scent of iron hit me.
Blood.
My hand instinctively flew to my abdomen. No. No, no, no—
The pain intensified, hot and blinding.
The last thing I saw before darkness swallowed me was the bloodied parchment half-buried
in the dirt, its damning words mocking me.
'You are with child.'
When I woke, I was surrounded by the sterile scent of herbs and burning sage. The healer’s
den. The dull ache in my body was nothing compared to the sharp, raw wound in my chest.
Kieran was there.
His head bowed against the edge of my cot, his large hand gripping mine tightly. His shoulders trembled, silent tears staining the fur-lined blanket beneath me.
“Selene,” he choked out, his voice cracking.
“Moon Goddess, I thought I lost you.”
I swallowed the scream clawing up my throat.
His hand moved to my cheek, warm and tender, as if he hadn’t condemned my mother to death.
“Why were you out there alone?” His voice was full of fake concern. “The healer said… you
almost didn’t make it.”
I forced a fragile smile, feeling the burn of tears I refused to let fall.
“I tripped,” I whispered hoarsely. “The ground was slick. I wasn’t careful.”
Relief flooded his face. His hand gripped mine tighter, as if he couldn’t bear to let go.
“I thought I lost you,” he repeated, his voice trembling. “You’re my everything, Selene. I don’t
know what I’d do without you.”
I wanted to scream, to tear him apart with my claws, but instead, I squeezed his hand back.
“I’m fine,” I murmured.
He pulled me into his arms, his scent surrounding me, suffocating me.
“I’ll protect you. Always.”
Liar.
As he held me, I made a silent vow.
Kieran Blackthorn had taken my mother, my trust, my love — and almost my child.
I would take everything from him.
But first… I had to make him believe I was still his.
I closed my eyes, hiding the storm raging within, and planned my revenge.
