The scent hit me first—sweet and steady.
I froze in the middle of the marketplace, my claws itching beneath my skin as my wolf stirred restlessly. A group of wolves from the Obsidian Fang Pack milled about, but it wasn’t their presence that made my heart pound. It was the photograph plastered across a wooden notice board.
“Kieran Blackthorne and Aria Nightshade at the Solstice Auction—Reigniting Old Flames?”
The headline felt like a punch to the gut. My fingers trembled as I reached for the paper, ripping it down. There they were—Kieran and Aria, standing too close beneath the auction’s
crystal chandeliers, their smiles soft, intimate. His hand cupped her elbow, his gaze locked
on hers with a warmth I hadn’t seen in months.
He told me he was off securing a treaty with the neighboring pack.
I bit down hard, tasting blood as I fought the shift bubbling beneath my skin. Around me, the marketplace buzzed with life—wolves haggled over fresh meats, herbs, and enchanted
trinkets—but I felt trapped in a suffocating silence.
I turned away, clutching the paper, the image seared into my mind.
I couldn’t run. Not now. Not with the life growing inside me.
My hands instinctively covered my stomach, feeling the faintest pulse of energy there. A pup.
His pup. I wanted to scream, to tear the world apart, but instead, I inhaled deeply, focusing
on the tiny flicker of life.
I had to be strong.
I made my way to the healer’s den, pushing through the heavy furs that guarded the
entrance.
“Selene,” Elder Liora greeted, her silver hair cascading down her back, eyes glowing faintly.
“I didn’t expect you today.”
“I need to make sure…” My voice cracked before I could finish.
Liora nodded knowingly and guided me to the stone table. The ritual was simple. She pressed her hands over my belly, her magic seeping through my skin like a soft hum.
Moments later, she smiled. “The pup is strong. Healthy.”
Tears slipped down my cheeks, but they weren’t from sorrow this time. Relief, pure and sharp, coursed through me.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
But the calm didn’t last.
I left the den and headed straight to the Obsidian Fang Pack’s stronghold. Its black stone towers loomed like jagged teeth against the grey sky. Every step I took was filled with purpose.
I clutched a folded letter—my formal renunciation as Luna.
I’d made up my mind.
The guards at the entrance hesitated but allowed me through, probably sensing the rage simmering beneath my surface. The main hall bustled with wolves, but I ignored them, heading straight for Kieran’s war chamber.
I didn’t expect to be stopped.
“Selene,” Beta Magnus called from behind me.
I turned. His amber eyes were filled with something I couldn’t place—pity? “He’s inside. But… he’s not alone.”
The words hit me harder than I thought possible.
“I know,” I murmured before pushing past him.
The war chamber doors were slightly ajar. I peeked inside, and there they were—Kieran, my
mate, and Aria Nightshade, his former betrothed. She was wrapped around him, her hand resting on his chest, laughing at something he whispered.
Then it happened.
His lips brushed against hers.
It wasn’t aggressive or demanding. It was soft, tender, like he had been waiting for that
moment for years.
I backed away, my breath shallow. Rage burned through me, but I didn’t storm in. I did
something worse.
I snapped a quick photo with the enchanted communicator Beta Magnus had gifted me
months ago—a magical device that sent images instantly through pack networks.
I sent the photo to Aria’s current mate, Alpha Lucien of the Crimson Dawn Pack.
Let the world burn.
I stormed back to my quarters, gathered every gift Kieran had ever given me—wolfbane-dusted jewelry, enchanted cloaks, rare spellbooks—and threw them into the fire pit. Flames roared as the items cracked and twisted.
But before the flames could consume the last of it, a gust of cold wind blew through the open
balcony doors.
And there she was.
Aria.
Her golden hair whipped around her face, eyes glowing bright silver.
She kicked the fire pit with a force that sent embers flying, some landing on her face, but she
didn’t even flinch.
“Oops,” she sneered, her voice sickly sweet.
“Clumsy me.”
I growled, my wolf straining beneath my skin.
“What are you doing here?”
She tilted her head.
“Just thought I’d visit. You know, see how the soon-to-be-ex Luna is doing.”
I clenched my fists, but she stepped closer, her aura suffocating.
“Face it, Selene. You were never good enough. You couldn’t even protect your mother when
the rogues slaughtered your village. She died because of you.”
My vision blurred with rage. The memory of my mother’s death, the blood, the screams—it all came flooding back.
Before I knew it, my hand flew across her face, claws half-shifted.
But I didn’t expect what happened next.
Aria stumbled backward, her heel catching on the edge of the fire pit.
She fell straight into the flames.
I gasped, rushing forward, but she didn’t scream.
She stood amidst the roaring fire, her body untouched, her skin glowing brighter, almost
ethereal. Her eyes snapped open, no longer silver but molten gold.
A twisted smile curled her lips.
“You’ll regret this, Selene."
And with that, her expression shifted and she screamed Kieran’s name.
