Stella turned toward Vladimir with wide, innocent eyes. "Alpha, I truly desire this treasure."

Before Vladimir could respond, I intervened sharply. "That belongs to me."

Because my voice was harsh, Vladimir's expression turned predatory and dark. "It is a mere trinket. She honors you by even noticing it. Do not cause a scene in my den," he growled.

Fury boiled in my veins. "That bracelet belonged to my pack mother!"

I was a rogue's pup, raised in secret within the distant forest borders with my younger brother. My foster mother possessed nothing. That charm was a gift she spent months gathering pelts to buy for my First Shift ceremony.

Vladimir knew its value to my soul.

His brow tightened as he hesitated, glancing at Stella.

That she-wolf, the master of deceit, quickly feigned regret. "I am so sorry, Abigail. I did not know it held such magic for you. Here, take it back."

She reached out, but as she did, her grip intentionally failed. The bracelet hit the stone floor and shattered into useless shards.

My hand remained frozen in the air as I watched the last tie to my mother break forever. Tears fell before I could mask them, but I silenced my cries and struck her across the face with all my strength.

Stella staggered back in shock, her head hitting the heavy oak dresser, a dark mark forming on her skin.

Vladimir erupted in a wolfish rage. He struck me so hard I crashed to the ground, my ears ringing with the force of an Alpha. My palm landed on the broken shards, and blood soaked the floor.

Stella began to wail, crying out, "Alpha, my face! Will I be scarred for the mating season?"

Her face, so much like my sister's, only made his anger worse. Vladimir lifted her in his arms protectively. "It is all right, my love. I will take you to the healer."

He stormed out with such force that he crashed into the stone pedestals along the wall. A heavy statue tipped over and struck my head, sending a stream of blood down my face.

He did not spare a single glance for the mate he had cast aside.

I was used to this kind of cruelty. Without a word, I reached for my crystal communicator and called for a healer from the village.

When I regained consciousness, Vladimir sat by my cot, his face as cold as winter.

Usually, he would be howling threats at me. Instead, he looked at me with loathing and said, "Tomorrow, we fly to the Moon Cliffs. You once trained in the sacred water rituals, did you not? Stella will grant you her mercy if you dance for her in the tides. This is your penance."

I had learned the water rites only because Vladimir admired the elegance of the sea fairy. That’s why I wanted to prove that I was worthy of standing in his pack. I even spent my small savings to rent a private lagoon for his lunar birthday, hoping to surprise him.

But when he saw me beneath the water, the look of disgust in his eyes struck harder than any blow.

He commanded the guards to strip away my breathing charms, leaving me gasping beneath the waves for nearly an hour. I lost my senses from the drowning weight before he finally pulled me out.

Since then, I have been terrified of deep water.

"I'm not going," I said instinctively.

Alas, he didn't even bother to argue.

The next morning, his men dragged me onto a flying craft powered by moon crystals. As it rose into the sky, my stomach tightened.

The ocean surrounding the Moon Cliffs glittered under the sun, a vast blue territory. To any other shifter, it was a paradise. But as I watched the waves rise and fall like the breath of a beast, I felt a heavy terror crushing my lungs.

The moment we landed, I bolted, running toward the furthest edge of the cliffs. Oddly, he did not hunt me down. A surge of unease crawled up my spine.

Suddenly, the bright sky turned to ash. The golden sunlight vanished as thick, enchanted storm clouds rolled in. The wind howled like a hunting predator, and I knew a supernatural gale was coming.

Terrified, I called his crystal communicator. "Where are you? Where is my shelter for the night?"

Vladimir laughed with a chilling sound on the other end. "After your crimes, you believe I would grant you the safety of my walls? You truly are a delusional stray."

My heart pounded harder. "What do you mean?"

The wind screamed, but his voice was even sharper. "The pack is leaving on the chopper. The magic here will kill the crystal's connection soon. If you wish to live, find your own way to survive the moon storm."

The bond snapped, and his words sliced through my spirit like silver blades.

Clutching my thin cloak, I heard the first rumble of thunder echo over the peaks, and then the sky tore open. Heavy rain hammered down, so the horizon disappeared as the sea churned into a furious, thrashing beast.

My eyes widened with horror, and I spun to run in the opposite direction. But thunder exploded, the gale shrieked, and waves rose like giants, crashing down upon me.

The freezing tide swallowed me whole, and the violent water muffled my screams for mercy. Lightning tore the sky apart, illuminating the world for one last, terrifying second.

And as my life slipped into darkness, I saw them. In that flash of light, my foster parents smiled at me with warmth.

"Dear pup, your true father has been searching for you. Do you wish to return to his kingdom?"

No! If this pain was the price of being a Lacroix, then I would rather spend eternity in that quiet mountain village.

I did not want blood ties, nor did I want to know Vladimir Barnes.

The sharp scent of healing herbs and moon elixirs dragged me back to awareness. I opened my eyes to a stone ceiling, the steady hum of healing crystals vibrating near my cot.

Stella's voice reached me first. "You really are stubborn. I can't believe those sea hunters actually pulled you out alive."

Turning my head, I saw her standing by my side.

Her sweet, pack-sister act was gone. Instead, she reached out and crushed my throat with her claws, squeezing with supernatural strength. "Why will you not just die, Abigail? If you were dead, I could finally be the Luna of the Barnes Pack."

"Can you not see it? Vladimir does not love you. You are like a stray omega clinging to a title you stole. Pathetic."

"It only took one whisper from me for him to exile you to that island, knowing your wolf is terrified of deep water. Do you still not understand who his heart truly beats for?"

Her grip tightened. She was not bluffing; she fully intended to choke the life out of me right there.

I could not draw a breath, and my shifting instincts surged, forcing me to claw at her to push her away.

Suddenly, she released me and threw herself backward, crashing into a tray of medical tools that clattered across the stone floor. A sharp dagger cut across her palm, leaving a deep, bleeding gash.

Stella let out a high-pitched howl. "Luna Abigail, why did you attack me?"

Before I could respond, Vladimir appeared in the doorway.

Tears immediately welled in Stella’s eyes. "Alpha, I was only checking on Abigail’s recovery, and she … "

She did not need to finish. The lie hung in the air like poison.

Vladimir did not even ask for my version of the truth. His jaw set, ready to roar at me.

But when he saw how pale my face was, for once, he stayed silent. Instead, he scooped up the bleeding Stella and rushed her out of the chamber.

Ten minutes later, he stormed back in with the fury of a True Alpha. Without a word, he yanked me off the cot.

I stumbled on weak legs. "Let go! What are you doing?"

"Stella's essence is fading because of you. She is losing too much blood. You are the same rank and type. You will give her a transfusion of your life force." His voice was low and freezing.

I froze. I had never heard of her having any wasting sickness. And after barely surviving the cold waters of Moon Cliffs, my inner wolf could hardly stand.

I struggled desperately. "I will not do it! Let me go!"

However, Vladimir gripped my wrist even tighter. "You have no choice in this pack."

He shoved me toward the healers.

One of them looked at me with hesitation. "But Alpha, she is severely drained after the exile. Forcing a blood bond transfusion now could cause her soul to shatter."

Vladimir's face remained like ice. "Stella's life comes first. Do it."

The needle directly pierced my skin. My blood drained into the vials, leaving my entire body aching, especially my lower belly.

Without knowing, something warm trickled beneath me. It was sticky and burning, but it was not my monthly cycle.

A cold sweat broke out on my brow. I clutched my stomach as a sharp pain tore through me, and then the world went dark.

When I woke again, the healer was sitting beside me with a heavy expression. "Luna, I am so sorry. After the trauma your body suffered, you lost the pup."

I went numb. "The pup?"

She nodded slowly. "You were only one moon along. With your weak condition and the massive blood loss, the little one could not survive."

I placed my hand over my empty stomach, unable to find my voice.

The tiny life I had not even known was growing there was gone. Perhaps the Moon Goddess intended this fate.

Outside, loud booms suddenly shook the sanctum, followed by a chain of magical explosions.

It was the fireworks. Those giant bursts of light painted the afternoon sky with brilliant colors, visible even in the bright sun.

A group of young pack girls crowded by the window, whispering with excitement. "Did you hear? The Alpha Barnes ordered this display to celebrate his mate's pregnancy. It is so romantic."

"If I had a mate like that, I would be the happiest wolf in the woods."

"He is planning a massive feast for the whole pack next week. Whoever the Barnes Luna is must be so lucky!"

If I were not the Luna of Barnes myself, I probably would have been moved by such a grand gesture of love. Unfortunately, I was her.

My mind drifted back to a year ago.

That night, Vladimir came home reeking of moon wine. He pinned me down, his Alpha strength overwhelming me as he claimed me without marking me or using protection. The next morning, he tossed a handful of wolfsbane-laced pills onto the bed.

"A lowly omega like you has no right to carry my heir. Even if an accident happened, I would tear the pup from your womb myself."

Well, his cruel wish had been granted.

He had forced me to give my blood to heal his mistress, and that sacrifice had killed my unborn pup. Now, he was lighting the ceremonial fires across the kingdom to celebrate Stella's pregnancy.

I cried in silence. Once the healing herbs finished dripping into my veins, I signed the release scroll and went back to the den.

I walked to the backyard and stood beneath the wisteria tree. Its purple flowers were glowing with moon magic. I sat there for hours, lost in the scent of the petals.

By dusk, Vladimir arrived with Stella at his side. He stopped when he saw me.

Stella's eyes glimmered as she said sweetly. "Alpha, this tree holds so much lunar energy. We should cut it down to carve a protection amulet for our pup. But ... I heard Luna Abigail planted this tree herself."

She looked at me with a fake smile. "You wouldn't mind, would you, Abigail?"

This tree was the last scrap of peace in our bond. My foster father had planted it for his mate as a symbol of their eternal pack bond. Four winters ago, I moved it here from my old territory, digging the earth until my hands bled.

Vladimir had told me that a tree that had been moved from its home would die. So, I used that moment to make a plea. "If I can make it bloom in your soil, will you try to love me?"

He was silent for a long time before answering. "I will think about it."

That was the only hope he had ever given me. Since then, I have protected that tree more than my own life.

Once, his eighteenth chosen woman plucked a single bloom, and I fought her like a wolf defending its last ground. Anyone who dared suggest destroying it would have faced my fury.

But now, facing Stella's provocation, I smiled faintly. "Go ahead. Cut it if you want."

Vladimir squinted, looking annoyed by my lack of spirit. As I tried to walk away, he blocked my path.

"You planted it," he said coldly. "So you cut it. I do not want you bringing this up later and blaming Stella for it."

He wanted me to destroy my own sanctuary. Though I had expected this, my heart still trembled.

A guard handed me a heavy silver saw, and my hands shook as I forced the metal into the thick wood.

My private den, my mother’s memory, my lost pup, and even my faith in him. Everything I had loved had become nothing more than a toy for Stella.

Vladimir looked at her with indulgence. "Choose the piece you favor. I will have it shaped into a charm for you."

Stella carefully selected a slender branch no thicker than a finger.

After that, Vladimir turned to the guards. "Burn the rest. Throw the ashes in the waste pit."

Ashes. That was all my devotion was worth. I dropped the saw and walked to my room like a ghost.

That night, Darius sent me a message through the crystal communicator. [A month is too long. I have crossed the border already. I will come to take you away in three days.]

I looked out at the scarred, empty garden and sent my reply back to him. [Okay.]

Three days. That was all the time I needed to leave this pack forever.