Three weeks had passed since the rogue attack, and my body was healing, but something else was breaking—something far more precious than bone or flesh.
I stood at the edge of the training field, watching as Ethan demonstrated a defensive maneuver to our younger pack members. His powerful form moved with fluid grace, muscles rippling beneath his skin as he pinned Delta wolf Ryan to the ground.
"See the angle of approach?" Ethan called out to the gathered wolves. "It leaves your opponent no room to counter."
The pack nodded in appreciation. Under different circumstances, I would have swelled with pride at my mate's strength and leadership. Instead, my attention was drawn to the copper-haired figure standing much closer to him than necessary.
Amber Collins. My blood donor. My supposed savior.
Grace growled within me, hackles raised. *Something's not right about her.*
I couldn't disagree. Since the transfusion, Amber had become Ethan's shadow—always nearby, always watching with those calculating amber eyes. And Ethan... he encouraged it.
"Luna," Delta wolf Lena approached hesitantly, "will you be joining training today?"
Before I could answer, Ethan's voice boomed across the field. "Olivia is still recovering. She'll observe only." He hadn't even looked in my direction.
"Actually," I said, stepping forward, "I feel strong enough for basic forms."
Ethan finally turned toward me, his expression unreadable. "Better not risk it."
"Amber," he called, gesturing her forward, "you should participate. The pack needs to see what you're capable of."
My mouth fell open slightly. Amber wasn't even officially pack, yet Ethan was inviting her to train while sidelining me?
"I'd love to," Amber replied, her voice honey-sweet as she stepped into the circle.
I watched in disbelief as my mate guided her through the movements, his hands lingering on her shoulders, her waist, adjusting her stance with an attentiveness that made my stomach clench.
"Perfect," he praised when she executed a move correctly. "You're a natural."
The training session stretched into an hour, then two. Not once did Ethan glance my way or invite me to join. When it concluded, he announced, "Amber will be joining us for all future training sessions. Her reflexes are impressive, and as our blood security for Luna Olivia, we need her in top condition."
Blood security. As if she were some living insurance policy that needed constant attention.
*He's never excluded you before,* Grace whispered in my mind.
I swallowed the hurt and turned away, heading back to the pack house alone.
---
The midday pack dinner was a tradition Ethan and I had started early in our leadership—a time for the pack to gather, share news, and strengthen bonds. Today, the great hall was filled with the scent of roasted venison and fresh bread, the long wooden tables arranged in a U-shape with Ethan and me at the head.
Or rather, Ethan, me, and Amber, who had somehow secured a seat directly to his right—my traditional place. I had been shifted one seat over, a small displacement that felt monumental in its significance.
"The border patrols report no further rogue activity," Beta Marcus was saying as servers brought out steaming platters. "We've doubled security on the northern perimeter nonetheless."
Ethan nodded approvingly. "Good. We can't risk another incident like—"
"Oh!" Amber's exclamation cut through the conversation as she stood abruptly, bumping into my chair with enough force to send me lurching forward.
I caught myself on the table's edge, but not before hearing a distinct snap. Looking down, I watched in horror as my mother's moonstone bracelet—the last gift she had given me before passing to the Moon Goddess—broke apart, iridescent beads scattering across the wooden floor.
"My bracelet," I whispered, dropping to my knees to gather the precious stones.
"I'm so sorry!" Amber cried, her voice trembling with what sounded like genuine distress. But when I glanced up, her eyes held no remorse—only calculation. "It was an accident!"
I rose slowly, clutching the broken pieces. "That was my mother's bracelet," I said, my voice tight. "You knew how important it was to me."
Amber's eyes widened, tears instantly welling. "Are you suggesting I broke it on purpose? After I gave my blood to save your life?"
The hall fell silent. All eyes turned to us.
"I didn't say that," I replied carefully. "But you've been—"
"ENOUGH!"
Ethan's Alpha tone slammed into me like a physical force, making me stagger back. The power of it silenced not just my voice but seemed to compress the very air in my lungs.
"How dare you accuse someone who saved your life?" he growled, standing to his full height, his aura pulsing with dominance. "Amber has been nothing but helpful, and this is how you repay her kindness?"
I stared at my mate in disbelief. In seven years, he had never once used his Alpha tone on me.
"Ethan," I whispered, "she—"
"Apologize," he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Now."
The pack watched in stunned silence. Some lowered their eyes, unable to witness their Luna's humiliation. Others stared openly, shock evident on their faces.
Amber stood trembling, tears streaming down her face, the perfect picture of innocence wronged. But as I met her gaze, I caught the briefest flicker of triumph in those amber depths.
My hands shook as I clutched the broken pieces of my mother's bracelet. "I apologize for the misunderstanding," I forced out, each word like glass in my throat.
Ethan nodded curtly, then placed a protective arm around Amber's shoulders. "It's alright," he soothed her. "Some people forget what gratitude means."
The words struck deeper than any physical blow. As I stood there, publicly chastised and dismissed by my own mate, something fundamental shifted between us—something that, like my mother's bracelet, might never be repaired.
