Chapter 1
Selenes POV
On the night of our sixth mating anniversary,I walked into Alpha Lucians den with two gifts hidden beneath my cloak.
One—a small black box bound in moon-silk—held the forged crest of a Shadowfang bloodline stallion,the fastest beast in all Northern packs.Lucian had been obsessed with claiming one,and I had traded half my dowry lands to obtain it.
The other gift was more fragile—a small crystal vial containing two glowing pink strands.Proof that the Moon Goddess had blessed me again.I was carrying his pup.
My heart raced with joy as I pushed open the oak doors.The fire was burning low,and the scent of jasmine and musk filled the air.
I almost wished I hadn’t entered.
He wasn’t alone.
Maris—the she-wolf who had once sworn sisterhood to me beneath the moon—was perched on Lucians war-table like she owned the pack.Her tunic hung open,her lips swollen,her claws tracing slow circles across his chest.He stood between her thighs,growling softly,a predator drunk on lust.
My breath hitched.
My best friend.
My mate.
The gifts trembled in my hands as I froze in the doorway.I wanted to snarl,to let my wolf burst free and tear them apart—but my body refused to obey.The betrayal hit deeper than any blade.
Then,his comm-crystal flared with a sharp light.
He pulled away from Maris,irritation flashing in his golden eyes.“What do you want now?”His tone was cold,dangerous.“I paid you to keep quiet.Don’t test me.”
Maris giggled,trailing her fingers along his arm.
“I already gave you a chest of moonstones for the ritual,”Lucian hissed into the crystal.“Do you know how much I spent to make this disappear?”
Ritual?My ears rang.
The mage’s muffled voice echoed faintly from the other end,but Lucians next words sliced through me like claws.
“I already gave you the payment so that the heart essence would go to Maris,not Jasmine.Jasmine’s gone now—don’t threaten me again.”
The ground vanished beneath my feet.
Our daughter’s heart…her spirit core…had been given to Maris?
I staggered backward,struggling to breathe as the world spun.Lucians voice lowered,deadly calm.
“If this leaks,you’ll wish the Moon had never birthed you.”
He ended the call,tossing the crystal aside.Maris smiled,her wolf eyes glowing faintly silver.
“You still can’t believe you did all that for me,”she whispered,loud enough for me to hear.“You really gave me her heart essence.”
Lucians expression softened.He kissed her wrist reverently.
“I told you,Maris.I’d do anything for you.Selene never suspected.She even signed the spell scroll herself.I told her it was a trade alliance contract.”
A strangled sound escaped me,half growl,half sob.They didn’t notice.
Two moons ago,our pup Jasmine’s heart had been failing.The healers said only a direct spirit-core infusion could save her.Then came a miracle—a matching heart essence had been found.
I had fallen to my knees in gratitude.I believed the Moon Goddess had heard me.
But Jasmine had died during the ritual.
Lucian told me there were complications.I believed him.
Now I knew the truth.
He had stolen our pup’s heart and given it to Maris,whose bloodline was too weak to awaken her wolf fully.
My mate.My child’s father.The Alpha I trusted.
Maris—my dearest friend,my daughter’s godmother—had smiled at me while my baby’s heart pulsed inside her chest.
The vial in my trembling hand glowed faintly between my fingers.The unborn pup within me shifted,sensing my rage.
Under the pale moonlight that poured through the window,my wolf stirred,whispering from deep inside:
“He took our child’s heart,Selene.Now take his.”
And for the first time in six years,I did not suppress her voice.
Chapter 2
Selenes POV
Mariss breath ghosted against Lucians throat as she whispered,
“But,Alpha…what if Selene finds out?What if she remembers?”
Lucians chuckle was low and cruel.“Selene?She’s nothing without me.She turned her back on her blood pack for this one—she’s got no allies,no territory,no bite.If she dares to defy me,I’ll strip her mark and banish her to the Frost Plains,where rogues eat the weak.”
Maris laughed softly,purring like a satisfied predator.
The small black moonstone box slipped from my trembling fingers and landed on the stone floor with a dull thud.Neither of them noticed.They were too busy devouring each other’s mouths,their wolves rumbling beneath the surface.
Maris had been there the first night Jasmine’s little heart faltered under the healer’s wards.
She stayed by my side through the storm,brought meat broth when I forgot to eat.She told me Jasmine was her light.
Now I realized what she meant when she whispered,“Jasmine lives on inside me.”
She hadn’t been lying.
Tears blurred my sight as I stumbled backward,choking on my breath.The world tilted,the scent of betrayal thick in the air.
I picked up the fallen gift and left without a sound,each step heavier than the last.
By the time I reached the common den,my legs buckled.I collapsed onto the furs and sobbed until my chest ached and my throat burned raw.
Then my comm-stone vibrated.
It was a MoonNet post.Mariss.
The image appeared—Maris smiling beside a man whose face was half-hidden,one of his hands resting on her swollen belly.But the silver fang bracelet gleamed clearly on his wrist.
Lucians.
The caption read:“Counting down the moons until our little miracle is born.”
My vision went red.
That was my mate.
That was my daughter’s heart—still beating,inside my best friend’s chest.
A guttural scream tore out of me.I hurled the moonstone box at the wall,shattering it to dust.
My stomach twisted;I stumbled to the wash basin and retched until nothing but acid burned in my throat.I wanted to rip my own skin away,to stop feeling what my wolf felt—the grief,the rage,the loss.
This was my fault.I had signed the Blood Scroll without reading it.I believed Lucian when he said it was an alliance document between packs.I trusted him blindly—and he had used my own signature to sacrifice our pup.
He thought I was alone.That I had no pack.
He was wrong.
My fingers trembled as I touched the old rune carved into my comm-stone—a mark I swore never to use again.The link opened with a pulse of crimson light,and a deep,gravelled voice filled the air.
“Selene,”came the growl,low and commanding.“After all these moons,you finally call?”
“I’m ready,Alpha,”I said,forcing my voice to steady.“Send the scouts.I’ll return in five days—once the mating bond is severed.”
A pause,then a cold chuckle.“Divorce?You were ready to die for that traitor.What changed?”
My answer came without hesitation.“He murdered our pup.He gave her heart to his mistress.”
The line went silent for a beat.Then the Alpha’s tone hardened like forged steel.
“I warned you,child.He was never worthy of a Redfang bloodline mate.”
A bitter laugh escaped me.“I know that now.But he will learn too.”
“Then come home,”my Alpha father said.“Your brothers are waiting.And the Carter pack will remember why the Redfangs were once feared across the Northern Forests.”
Tears stung my eyes.The Redfang Pack—my birth pack.Seven warrior brothers,battle-hardened and fiercely loyal.They were loud,protective,merciless in war but tender with their kin.I had rejected them all for Lucian,the Silvermoon Alpha.
They had begged me not to mate him.
They’d said his scent reeked of deceit.
I had howled at them to leave me alone,torn my own crest from my fur,and stormed away into Silvermoon territory.
Now,I whispered,“Tell them their sister is coming home.”
The Alpha gave a growl of satisfaction before the rune dimmed.
I wiped my tears and looked around the den—once filled with love,now nothing but ashes and lies.
In five days,I would leave.
In five days,I would make Lucian Voss pay.
He had traded our daughter’s life for his mistress’s.
Now I would take his pack,his throne,his name.
This was not just a vow.
It was a mother’s oath—a Luna’s curse.
Lucian thought I was just a broken mate.
He had forgotten what runs in my blood.
I was born of the Redfang Pack—the oldest bloodline of the Northern Wolves.
And when a Redfang swears vengeance under the Moon Goddess’s gaze…
Even the gods listen.
Chapter 3
Selenes POV
The moment the Bloodlink with my father—Alpha Redfang—faded,I yanked an old leather pack from the wardrobe and began stuffing it with what little I still called mine.My hands trembled,but I forced them to move.
If I stopped,the grief would crush me.
Tunics,cloaks,weapons—anything useful went inside.Then my fingers brushed a soft white gown.Jasmine’s favorite.
“Mommy,you look like a Moon Princess,”she had said.
My throat tightened.I folded it gently,tucked it at the bottom,and swallowed my tears.Not now.Not yet.
The door creaked open behind me.
“Selene?”
Lucians voice.
I turned,masking my fury with a brittle smile.“Just cleaning the wardrobe.”
His golden eyes scanned the room,sharp,suspicious.He opened his mouth—but another voice followed him in.
“Hey,Selene.”
My blood went cold.Maris.
She stepped in behind him,her scent filling the space—my daughter’s scent.My wolf bristled,fangs pressing against my gums.I wanted to leap,to tear the stolen heart from her chest.But I forced myself still.Not here.Not yet.
Then I noticed the two travel trunks behind Lucian.My stomach twisted.
“What’s that?”
He smiled like a man doing me a favor.
“Maris will be staying here for a while.”
I blinked slowly.“What?”
Before he could explain,Mariss laugh rang out,airy and sweet.
“Didn’t you hear?I’m pregnant.”
She cradled her stomach like a fragile treasure,waiting for my gasp,my blessing.
Instead,I raised an eyebrow.“And?”
Her smile faltered.She tried again,softer this time.
“I thought you’d be happy for me…after everything we’ve been through.”
Happy?
The word clawed through my chest like a blade.
Before I could answer,Lucian snapped,“Selene,what’s wrong with you?She’s your closest friend.You should be happy for her,not act jealous and bitter.”
Jealous.Bitter.
I turned to him slowly,letting the cold in my voice cut the air.
“Jealous?Why on earth would I be jealous?”
He hesitated,then muttered,“Because she’s carrying a pup—and you—”
He stopped,but it was too late.The words were silver-tipped arrows straight to my heart.
Because I lost mine.Because he killed mine.
I inhaled sharply through my nose,forcing calm.
“Then tell me,Lucian,”I said quietly,pointing toward Maris,“why does she suddenly need to stay in my den?”
He stepped closer,trying to sound righteous.
“Because she shouldn’t be alone right now.She needs us—our protection,our support.That pup needs stability.”
“Us?”I repeated.
Maris nodded quickly,lowering her lashes.
“It’s just until things settle.I thought you,of all wolves,would understand.”
“She’s pack,”Lucian said firmly.“She’s family.”
I laughed bitterly.
“She’s not my pack.”
Maris flinched;Lucians expression hardened.
“Why are you so petty,Selene?You sound pathetic.”
Pathetic.
The word rang in my skull like a whip crack.
I tilted my head,lips curling into a half-smile.
“Then tell me,Alpha,”I murmured,“is it your pup?”
The room went dead quiet.
Maris froze.Lucians jaw flexed,his eyes flashing gold.
“Don’t be ridiculous,”he snarled.“Of course not.”
“Really?”I asked softly.“Then why are you defending her like she’s your Luna?”
He bared his teeth.
“Because she’s alone,Selene!What kind of monster would turn away a pregnant she-wolf?”
A monster who killed his own pup,I thought.
But I didn’t say it.
Instead,I turned back to my pack and zipped it shut with deliberate calm.
“Now,if you’ll excuse me,”I said flatly,“I’d like to finish cleaning my den.”
Lucian muttered something to Maris,and together they left.
The moment the door closed,my smile fell.My hands shook so violently the bag’s strap nearly tore.
My wolf’s voice rose inside me,low and vicious:
He took our child.He brought her killer into our den.The Moon will demand blood.
And this time,I didn’t silence her.
Chapter 4
Selenes POV
That night,sleep never came.
I lay still in the dark,listening to the faint rhythm of Lucians breathing beside me—until it stopped.
His scent shifted,moving away from the bed.The mattress dipped,then the door clicked softly shut.
Moments later,faint laughter drifted from the guest den.Mariss voice.
The sound sliced through the silence like a blade.
I pressed my palm to my stomach.A small,hidden pulse stirred beneath my skin—the pup he didn’t know existed.
He would never know.Not this time.
By dawn,he returned.The scent of jasmine clung to him.He smiled as if he hadn’t spent the night with another she-wolf.
“Selene,”he said carefully.“We need to talk.”
I looked up,my voice flat.“What now?”
He hesitated before clearing his throat.
“Maris shouldn’t stay in the guest den.She’s expecting,and she needs comfort.”
I stared,waiting for the rest.
“The Alpha’s quarters are larger,”he continued.“It only makes sense that she takes them.Just until her pup is born.”
For a heartbeat,I thought I had misheard.
Then laughter—cold,hollow—escaped me.
“You want me to give up my den…to her?”
His jaw tightened.“It’s not permanent.You’ve had it long enough.Mariss with child.She deserves comfort,Selene.Make a small sacrifice—for your best friend.”
The audacity almost made me bare my fangs.
I wanted to scream that I,too,carried life inside me.That my unborn pup deserved warmth far more than his mistress ever would.
But I said nothing.
In less than a day,I would be gone.
I forced my voice steady.
“Fine,”I whispered.
He sighed in relief,stepping closer to brush a kiss against my forehead.The touch made my skin crawl.
“Lucian?”Mariss voice echoed from the corridor.
He turned instantly,ready to obey.
“Hold on,”I said calmly.“I need your mark on something first.”
I picked up the parchment from the table.“Just pack paperwork,”I added lightly.
“Selene,not now—”
“It’ll only take a second.”
Maris called again.His patience snapped.“Fine.Give it here.”
He scrawled his signature without a glance.
When he handed it back,I smiled faintly.
He had just signed the formal dissolution of our bond—the Lunar Severance.
He had no idea he’d freed me.
“Is that all?”he asked gruffly.
“Yes.”
He left without another word.
The moment the door shut,I lifted the comm-stone.
“The bond’s severed,”I told my advocate wolf.“Pull every Redfang investment from Silvermoon Holdings.The Alpha no longer has our protection.”
Lucian had never known that my bloodline’s fortune kept his empire alive.Now it would crumble,piece by piece.
A bitter laugh slipped out as I turned back to packing.
Then came her voice.
“Selene,let me help.”
Maris stood in the doorway,her smile sweet as poison.
“Don’t bother,”I said curtly.
She ignored me,stepping into my den.Her gaze swept over the shelves until it landed on the small wooden chest—Jasmine’s belongings.
“Careful,”I warned.“Don’t touch that.”
She smiled,feigning innocence,and reached for the snow globe—a fragile orb with a tiny wolf cub dancing under falling flakes.Jasmine’s favorite.
“This is lovely,”Maris said softly,tilting it.“It was Jasmine’s,right?”
My chest ached.“Yes.Put it down.”
Her grin sharpened.
“Oops.”
The globe slipped from her hand.It shattered against the stone.Glass and water scattered.The little cub’s figure cracked clean in half.
“Oh no,”she gasped,clutching her chest in fake remorse.“Clumsy me.Pregnancy brain.”
Her eyes gleamed as she watched me kneel.
The snow globe wasn’t just a trinket—it was the only thing that soothed my nights after Jasmine’s death.
Now it lay ruined,shards glinting like tears.
I gathered the pieces with shaking hands,blood seeping where glass bit into my palms.
“It was her favorite,”I whispered.
Maris crouched beside me,her lips curling.
“Don’t worry,Selene,”she murmured,her voice dripping honey.“You’ll have other pups.You’ll move on.”
Something inside me snapped.
The wolf that had been silent for too long finally bared her fangs.
A growl rumbled up my throat,low and feral.The air trembled with it.
Mariss smirk froze as the scent of danger filled the den.
Chapter 5
Selenes POV
The broken wolf figurine trembled in my bleeding hands.
Something inside me snapped.
“You're disgusting and shameless!”
The growl came out before I even realized I was speaking.
Maris tilted her head,her lips curling in a mock-sweet smile.
“Selene,calm down.It was an accident—”
That word detonated something inside me.
My hand moved faster than thought.
The slap cracked through the den like a whip.
Maris stumbled back,clutching her cheek,her eyes wide in disbelief—she had never expected the Luna of Silvermoon to strike her.
“You don’t get to touch her things!”I shouted,my throat raw.“You don’t get to destroy what’s left of my pup!”
“Selene!”
Lucians voice thundered from the doorway.
He stormed in,fury in every stride,and pulled Maris into his arms as if shielding her from me.
“She hit me,”Maris whimpered,tears shimmering on command.
I stood there,chest heaving,the broken figurine shaking in my grip.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”Lucian roared.
“She broke Jasmine’s charm stone!”I cried,pointing at the shattered shards.“She did it on purpose!”
“Enough!”His growl shook the air.“You sound insane—jealous,bitter,pathetic!Look at you,raging at a pregnant she-wolf who has what you never could!”
The words hit harder than claws.
But he wasn’t done.
“It’s not her fault your pup is gone,Selene.Maybe if you’d been a better mother—”
“Don’t you dare!”I screamed.“Don’t you dare blame me!”
His eyes darkened,and his wolf surged forward.
The backhand came fast.
The impact sent me crashing to the floor.My vision blurred.My cheek burned,but humiliation burned hotter.
Maris gasped dramatically,her hands over her mouth,her eyes wide with fake horror—but I saw the satisfaction lurking there.
My fingers brushed my throbbing cheek.
Lucian stood frozen,breathing hard,shock flickering in his gaze as if he hadn’t meant to strike me.
“Selene—”
“Oh,Lucian,”Maris interrupted,collapsing against him.“This is all my fault.I never should’ve come here.Selene was right—I bring nothing but pain.”
Her trembling voice filled the room.Crocodile tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Maybe I should just end it.Take this pup with me—then you’ll both be free.”
Lucians panic was instant.He crushed her against his chest.
“Don’t say that!Don’t ever say that.You and the pup are everything.”
I stared from the floor,tasting blood and disgust.
Mariss tears were fake—but Lucians devotion was real.
He glared down at me.
“Look what you’ve done.She’s terrified,she’s blaming herself—because of you.”
“Because of me?”My voice cracked.“She—”
“Enough!”Lucians growl echoed off the walls.“You’re not yourself.You’re becoming dangerous.”
Maris whimpered again,clutching her stomach.
“Lucian…it hurts.”
That was all it took.
Lucians fury returned tenfold.His wolf’s aura flared.
“You’re staying in here until you learn control,”he snarled.“I won’t let you hurt her—or this pup.”
Before I could move,he wrapped his arm around Maris and dragged her out,slamming the heavy wooden door behind them.The lock clicked.
“No!”
I threw myself at the door,pounding my fists against it.
“Lucian!Don’t you dare lock me in!Open this door!”
No answer.
“Lucian!”
My voice cracked.“Please!You can’t do this!”
Only silence answered.
I was trapped in the upper den—the old Alpha chamber,high above the pack hall.No windows large enough to break through,no passage out.
Minutes bled into hours.I screamed until my throat shredded.
I called his comm-stone again and again until the connection severed—blocked.
The air grew cold.Hunger gnawed,thirst clawed at my throat.
The scent of my own blood lingered in the room from where glass had sliced my palms.
I sank to the floor,back against the wall,trembling with fury.
He had locked me up like a rogue.
He had chosen her—the thief who carried my daughter’s stolen heart.
In the silence,my wolf stirred deep inside me.Her voice was low,ancient,patient.
He’s no Alpha.He’s prey.
I pressed my hand to my stomach.The faint heartbeat pulsed beneath my palm—steady,defiant.
Our pup will never know chains.
For the first time since Jasmine’s death,I didn’t cry.
I smiled.
The Redfangs would come for me.
And when they did,Silvermoon would burn.
Chapter 6
Selenes POV
I lost track of time on the cold stone until the lock clicked and the door swung open.
Lucian Silvermoon stood there,disgust carved into his face.
“You should thank Maris,”he said.“If it weren’t for her,you’d still be rotting in there.She begged me to let you out—for the sake of your‘friendship.’”
His words were knives.I kept my face still.“How noble of her,”I croaked,throat raw from screaming.
He stepped aside without offering a hand.My legs trembled;he didn’t help.“Clear everything from this room by tomorrow,”he said,flat,and left.
I leaned on the wall in the hallway and breathed until the heat of humiliation cooled to coiled resolve.Soon,they would pay.
~
That evening Maris walked in as if she owned the den,cradling a bowl of soup.“You should eat.You look terrible,”she purred.
I packed.She tutted.“You can fool Lucian,but not me,”she said softly.“I see it in your eyes.You know the truth.”
I kept packing.She stepped closer.“How does it feel,”she asked,“knowing he sacrificed your pup for me?”
I turned to the window and said nothing.Exhaustion made me mute.
A mocking laugh escaped her.“I can’t imagine how it felt—seeing us in his study.”
Silence.Not the reaction she wanted.Then a loud thud:she slammed her head against the wall.“Lucian!”she cried,tears welling on cue.
Heavy steps pounded.The door burst open.“What happened?”Lucian demanded.
Maris dissolved into sobs.“She slammed my head against the wall!I came with food—she hit me!”
I opened my mouth.“That’s not true—I didn’t—”
His fist cut me off.The impact sent me into the stone;I slid down,spine raking the floor.“Are you insane?!”he barked.“You touch her again and I swear—”
“I didn’t touch her,”I mouthed through blood.“She—”
A boot into my stomach knocked the air out.I doubled over,hands clamped to my abdomen.Maris stood behind him,tears glittering but empty.
“I—”I coughed.“Lucian…I’m—”The word on my lips—pregnant—cried to be born.His fist smashed into my face again before I could finish.My head hit the floor.Pain flared;the room blurred.
“I’m…carrying—”I forced the syllables out.
“Shut up!”he spat,and kicked me.“You’ll learn your place!”he snarled,a final blow that left me gasping.
He hauled Maris away and slammed the door.The lock clicked.
Warm wetness pooled.I touched the floor—my fingers came away red.
“No…”I whispered,pressing my hands to my belly.Blood soaked through my fingers and down my legs.I didn’t need a healer to tell me what it meant.Rage and hate flooded me;they were the only things keeping me standing.
“Lucian!”I screamed.Hate steadied every breath.
~
I dragged myself from the den to the nearest carriage.Every step imploded with pain.Blood stained my dress.I forced the driver to the hospital.
Hours later,hollow and spent,I lay on a narrow cot while a healer’s voice said the thing I already knew:the pregnancy couldn’t be saved.They kept me overnight,then discharged me the next afternoon.
Lucian never came.He didn’t call.He did not care.
Two days later he stood at the door with Maris at his side.“Selene,my birthday gathering is tonight.Be on time.Maris and I have plans;we’ll meet you there later.”
I gave him a soft,obedient smile.No anger,no complaints.I learned silence—agreeable,docile.He liked it.He smiled like a master pleased with a tamed wolf.He leaned to kiss me;I turned my head so the kiss landed on my cheek.
“See you later,”I said sweetly.
They left.Mariss purse brushed the table and knocked Jasmine’s framed photo to the floor.Glass spidered.Lucian flinched,waiting for me to react.I only smiled calm,unbothered.“Don’t worry.I’ll clean it up,”I said.
For a moment he hesitated,then he let Maris guide him out.He had no idea this would be the last time he saw me as his wife.
I gathered the papers—divorce paperwork,orders to pull Redfang investments from Silvermoon Holdings,photos of Lucian and Maris,my medical report,evidence that he’d betrayed and sacrificed our daughter.I slid them into a brown envelope.
On the front I wrote,plain and cold:Happy Birthday,Alpha Lucian Silvermoon.—Selene Redfang.
I handed the envelope to the courier.“Deliver this at the party,”I said.
Minutes later,a black SUV—Redfang transport—pulled up.My father’s driver opened the door for me and loaded my bags;no words,no pity.
We drove away.I did not look back.My fists clenched until my nails bit into my palms.The fury inside me coalesced into a single promise.
One day,Silvermoon would answer for what they’d done.
Chapter 7
Lucians POV
The Silvermoon Hall was alive with music and laughter.
Alpha Lucian moved through the crowd,greeting every pack ally and visiting Alpha,Maris on his arm.She gleamed in silver silk,radiant and smug—to outsiders,she looked like his Luna.
For hours,he didn’t notice Selenes absence.
“Happy birthday,Alpha Silvermoon!”a pack leader greeted.Lucian grinned,accepting the praise easily.
Then a deep voice boomed across the hall.
“Lucian!”
He turned to see Elder Robert Kane of the Ironfang Clan—one of Silvermoon’s strongest trading partners.Kane clasped his arm in greeting,eyes sharp with warmth.
“I wouldn’t miss your celebration,”Kane said,grinning.“But tell me—where’s your Luna?”
Lucian blinked.He hadn’t realized until that moment that Selene hadn’t shown up.
“My Luna?”he echoed.
Kane laughed heartily.“Selene Redfang,of course.Do you know how much respect I have for her?That woman convinced my entire council to grant Silvermoon trade rights.She stood in our stronghold for a week,arguing for you.Said you had vision and honor—and she was right.”
Lucians smile faltered.“She…did?”
“You didn’t know?”Kane chuckled,clapping him on the shoulder.“You’re a lucky male,Lucian.A Luna like that—she’s rare.”
Lucian forced a smile,but something twisted in his gut.
He remembered that contract—the one that had saved Silvermoon from collapse.He’d thought it was his brilliance.He’d never known Selene had fought for it.
“She’s running late,”he said,voice tight.
Kane nodded.“Tell her I said hello.”
When Kane walked away,Lucians fake smile dropped.He pulled out his comm-crystal and sent a pulse.
Where the hell are you?
No response.Signal steady—but the message didn’t deliver.He frowned.
The feast’s nearly over and you’re still not here.
Still nothing.
Before he could try again,a woman approached—the mate of another allied Alpha.
“Alpha Silvermoon,”she said with a polite smile.“I was hoping to see your Luna again.”
“She’ll be here,”Lucian said automatically.
“You’re fortunate,”the woman said softly.“Few she-wolves would fight so fiercely for their mate’s dream.When my Alpha hesitated to support your claim,she came to us herself.Told us your pack had potential,and that you’d never betray a promise.”
Her tone cooled as her eyes flicked to Maris,who still clung to Lucians arm.Without another word,the woman turned and left.
The flush that rose in Lucians neck wasn’t pride—it was shame.
He gently freed his arm.
“Lucian…”Mariss voice trembled.“Are you ashamed of me?”
He sighed.“No,Maris.But the elders are watching.They respect Selene.This isn’t the place.”
She pouted,then whispered,“You promised me the diamond headpiece.”
“You’ll have it,”he muttered.
But his gaze kept roaming the crowd.Selenes absence was beginning to draw attention.Whispers rippled through the hall like wind through dry leaves.
“Where’s the Luna?”
“She’s always beside him.”
“Who’s that she-wolf on his arm?”
“Selenes friend,isn’t she?”
“Friend?That looks like more than friendship.”
“If he replaces her,he’ll regret it.Without Selene Redfang,Silvermoon will fall.”
The murmurs tightened around him like a noose.Lucians jaw locked,his hand twitching toward his pocket again.No message.No response.
Then,over the noise,a voice rang clear at the great doors.
“Delivery for Alpha Lucian Silvermoon!”
Every head turned.The courier stood in the doorway,holding a large brown envelope high.
“From Luna Selene Redfang.”
Silence rippled through the hall.
Lucians pulse stumbled once—and for the first time all night,his smile disappeared.
Chapter 8
Lucians POV
The grand hall of the Silvermoon Pack went still.
Every wolf turned toward the courier standing by the gates.
“Delivery for Alpha Lucian Silvermoon,”the man announced again,voice echoing,
“From Luna Selene Redfang.”
The silence broke instantly into excited murmurs.
“Ah,the Luna must be planning a surprise!”
“Of course she is.She’s always thinking ahead.”
“She’s never missed one of his celebrations.”
Relief washed over Lucians chest.The tension left his shoulders as he straightened proudly.
Of course.Selene was dramatic like that—always making grand entrances,always stealing the room without even trying.
He grinned,spreading his arms as wolves turned to him.
“That’s my Luna,”he said loudly.
Admiration replaced the earlier whispers.
“See?She never disappoints her Alpha.”
“A true Luna.”
“The clever Redfang blood,through and through.”
Lucians pride swelled.Maris,however,stiffened beside him,her jaw tight.
“Open it!”someone called.
“Yes,open it!”another chimed in.
The chant grew until it filled the entire hall.
Maris leaned in,whispering urgently,“Maybe don’t open it here.It’s private—a gift between mates—”
Lucian shook his head with a small laugh.“Selene loves spectacle.She probably planned this herself.”
If only he knew how right he was.
The crowd clapped in rhythm now,urging him on.
“Open it!Open it!”
Lucian raised the envelope high,grinning.
“My Luna always knows how to surprise me,”he said proudly.“Let’s see what she’s prepared this time.”
Even Elder Kane stepped closer,smiling.
“Selene Redfang is a remarkable woman,”he said.“This will be good.”
Lucian tore the seal open.
For a heartbeat,the room held its breath.
He reached inside and pulled out the first page—a photograph.
His grin froze.The air left his lungs.The color drained from his face.
The crowd leaned in,expecting laughter,a smile,a kiss—something.
But Lucian stood motionless,staring down at the image in horror.
Whispers rose again.
“What is it?”
“What did she send?”
He shoved the photograph back into the envelope too fast.His hand shook,and several sheets slipped free,spilling to the floor.
The first to land faced upward.
Gasps erupted.
“Is that…Alpha Lucian and…Luna’s best friend?”
Dozens of eyes turned on him.Mariss name hissed across the room like venom.
Lucian dropped to his knees,snatching at the photos.“It’s not what it looks like!”His voice cracked.
But the damage was done.
Then came another sound—paper sliding.Another document hit the floor.
This one bore a single bold heading.
Divorce Decree.
For a second,even the air seemed to vanish.Lucian stared,numb.His mind emptied as he picked it up with trembling fingers.
His own signature marked the bottom.
He blinked once,twice.When had he…
Then it hit him.Maris calling from the other room,Selene insisting on his signature before he left—a trivial paper,he’d thought.He’d signed it without reading.
Selene had tricked him.
The hall spun.He remembered her voice that morning—calm,almost kind.
“Don’t worry,go ahead.I’ll clean it up.”
Now he understood.
Around him,wolves whispered.
“She sent him divorce papers?”
“On his birthday?”
“Serves the traitor right.”
Lucians ears rang.He reached for the rest of the fallen pages—and froze again.
Investment Withdrawal Contract.
He scanned it,his throat tightening.It declared that the major investor in Silvermoon Holdings had retracted all funding effective immediately.
He laughed—a brittle,disbelieving sound.
“This is ridiculous.Selene has no holdings in my company—”
Then he saw the signature.
Not Selene Silvermoon.
Just Rory.
The name hit him like a blade.
Rory—the anonymous patron who had saved Silvermoon through every collapse.The one who had funded him for years.
Selene.
It had been her.All along.
Lucians mouth went dry.His vision blurred.
“No…this can’t—”
