"I am breaking the bond."

Ethan's voice rang out across the grand hall, silencing the murmurs of the gathered council members.

He stood on the raised dais, holding a small glass vial. The silver liquid inside glowed under the crystal chandeliers.

I stood at the base of the steps, my fists clenched at my sides.

"You summoned the entire council just to do this?" I asked, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands.

"The pack needs to see their Alpha make the hard choices," Ethan declared. He gestured to the elders watching from the shadows. "They need a Luna who can secure our future."

"You mean a Luna who isn't barren," I shot back.

"Exactly," Ethan said.

"A condition you caused," I yelled, taking a step up the dais. "You poisoned my supplements for three years. You destroyed my body on purpose."

"I did what I had to do," Ethan replied, his tone entirely too calm. "You were a political asset. I needed your name to secure the borders, but I refused to hand my legacy over to a rogue royal."

Sophia stepped out from behind the heavy velvet curtains. She wore a smirk that did not belong on a supposedly exiled wolf. She linked her arm through Ethan's, pressing her body against his side.

"Stop whining, Olivia," Sophia scoffed.

"You are supposed to be in the Silent Lands," I said, glaring at her.

"And miss my own promotion?" Sophia asked, batting her eyelashes. "Ethan needs a real Luna. Someone who understands pack dynamics. You always thought you were better than us, walking around with your perfect posture, judging our traditions."

"I gave him my loyalty," I said. "Something you clearly know nothing about."

Sophia laughed, a high, grating sound.

"No one cares about the details, Olivia," she said. "No wolf blames an Alpha for finding a fertile mate. They just see his little affair. But you? No pack will ever accept a barren she-wolf as their Luna."

I stared at the woman I once called a sister, then shifted my gaze back to Ethan.

"You violated werewolf federal law," I told them, keeping my chin raised. "Both of you. Forced sterilization is a severe crime."

"Only if you can prove it," Ethan countered.

"And you know exactly what bloodline runs through my veins," I pressed, ignoring his taunt. "Do you really think my family will ignore this?"

Ethan threw his head back and laughed. The sound scraped against the stone walls.

"Your bloodline?" Ethan asked. He pointed the vial at my chest. "You are not an Ashbourne anymore."

"I am still my father's daughter," I warned him.

"You threw that away for me," Ethan mocked. "You renounced your title. You gave up the crown to play house in my territory."

"You think they won't care?" I asked.

"I know they won't," Ethan said. "You burned those bridges. You have no one left to call."

He popped the cork off the vial.

"To a stronger pack," Ethan announced to the silent room.

He tipped his head back and swallowed the silver potion.

The reaction hit me before he even lowered his hand.

A massive, invisible blade cleaved through my chest. My knees slammed into the marble floor. I gasped, clutching my sternum. The phantom tearing sensation I felt earlier magnified into a violent, physical rupture.

It felt like someone had reached into my ribcage and ripped out half of my soul.

I curled into a ball, struggling to draw a single breath. The bond connecting my mind to his snapped like a dry twig.

Ethan wiped his mouth. He stepped down off the dais, standing over my trembling form.

"This is your own choice," he sneered, looking down at me with pure disgust. "Your family won't accept a piece of trash who walked away voluntarily. You have nothing left."

My vision blurred. A high-pitched ringing filled my ears.

Then, the heavy iron doors of the hall exploded open.

Wood splintered, flying across the room and striking the stone pillars. Metal hinges shrieked and snapped, hitting the floor with a loud clang.

The loud crash jolted the council members. They scrambled backward, clearing a wide path down the center aisle.

King Victor Ashbourne marched into the room.

My father.

His golden eyes blazed with uncontrolled fury. The sheer force of his Alpha aura slammed into the room, dropping several of the weaker wolves to their knees.

Behind him strode a young werewolf radiating immense, suffocating power. Alexander Nightbane.

I recognized him from the royal court archives. A lethal enforcer. An apex predator. He wore a tailored black suit that barely contained the sheer bulk of his muscles. The air around him crackled with raw, untamed energy. He didn't just walk into the room; he commanded it. Every council member who met his gaze instantly dropped their eyes to the floor, submitting to his overwhelming dominance.

My father did not pause to speak. He crossed the distance in huge, ground-eating strides.

Ethan barely had time to turn his head.

King Victor's massive hand cracked against Ethan's jaw. The impact sounded like a gunshot.

Ethan spun through the air, crashing into a heavy oak table. The wood splintered under his weight.

Sophia opened her mouth to scream.

My father backhanded her across the cheek, sending her sprawling onto the floor beside my former mate.

"Two pieces of garbage," King Victor roared, his voice shaking the glass in the windows. "Bloodline never breaks!"

He pointed a massive finger at Ethan, who was struggling to sit up.

"You dare harm my daughter?" my father shouted. "Prepare to face the wrath of the Ashbourne royal court!"

"She renounced her title!" Ethan argued, clutching his bleeding jaw. "She doesn't belong to you anymore!"

"She is my blood," my father snarled. "And I will level this entire territory to dust for what you did to her."

I tried to push myself up, but my arms gave out. The pain of the severed bond dragged me toward unconsciousness.

Strong arms slid under my knees and shoulders. I was lifted from the cold floor, suspended in the air.

I blinked up into Alexander Nightbane's striking face. His jaw was set in stone, his expression unreadable, but his touch remained incredibly gentle.

He adjusted his grip, pulling me securely against his chest. Then, his large hand moved to the back of my head, rubbing my hair in a soothing, protective motion.

Ethan pushed himself up from the wreckage of the table. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor. His eyes locked onto Alexander's arms wrapped around me.

A vicious snarl ripped from Ethan's throat.

"Don't touch her!" Ethan yelled, his fangs extending fully.

Alexander paused. He turned his head slightly, peering down his nose at the bleeding Alpha.

"In what capacity are you saying that to me right now?" Alexander asked.

His tone was dead flat. It sliced through the tension like a razor, mocking Ethan's newly severed bond.

Ethan froze, his mouth hanging open.

"I am her Alpha," Ethan stammered.

"You were," Alexander corrected.

Alexander didn't wait for another response. He turned toward the exit, carrying me past the stunned council.

My father flanked us, his golden eyes glowing with lethal promise as he glared down every wolf who dared to look our way.

I rested my cheek against Alexander's shoulder, slipping into darkness just as he tossed a silver coin bearing the royal crest onto the floor, declaring a formal blood feud.

"I am summoning Dr. Adrian Sterling immediately."

My father’s voice cut through the fog in my mind.

I sat up, the gold-leaf ceiling of the Ashbourne royal palace spinning into focus.

"Wait," I said, pressing a hand to my sternum.

The agonizing void of the severed mate bond was completely gone. A warm, steady hum pulsed in its place, knitting my fractured soul back together.

"How is this possible?" I asked.

King Victor stepped to the edge of the mattress, his face lined with exhaustion. "Alexander Nightbane. He transferred half his wolf energy to stabilize your core. He is resting in the adjoining suite."

"Alexander Nightbane," I repeated, rolling the syllables over my tongue.

"You know him?" my father asked.

"I know the name," I corrected, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. "Ethan hated him."

King Victor scoffed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Is that so?"

"Ethan paced our living room constantly, complaining about him," I explained. "Alexander was the rival Alpha who always outmaneuvered him in border disputes and trade agreements. Ethan despised him for always being one step ahead."

A deep, rumbling laugh shook my father’s shoulders. "Of course he did. Alexander was the match I originally chose for you. But you ran off with that weakling before you even met him."

The heavy oak door connecting the suites clicked open.

Alexander leaned against the doorframe. The tailored black suit from the council hall was gone, replaced by a loose white shirt. He looked pale, dark circles bruising the skin under his eyes.

"Are you recovering?" Alexander asked, his voice rough and low.

I stood up, my bare feet hitting the cold marble floor. "I should be thanking you. You saved my life."

He shook his head, taking a slow step into the room. "I don't need your gratitude, Olivia. I just need you to heal."

His knee buckled.

I lunged forward. My arms caught his waist just as he collapsed. The sheer weight of him drove us both against the edge of the mattress.

"You drained yourself," I said, gripping his shoulders to keep him upright. "Tell me how to transfer the energy back."

A dry chuckle vibrated in his chest. He didn't pull away.

"Keep it," Alexander muttered, his forehead resting against my collarbone. "I don't need it right now. Though my rut is fast approaching."

I stiffened, my hands freezing on his arms. "Then you need your strength. You need to be with your fated mate."

"I would," he replied, his tone laced with dark amusement. "But unfortunately, she never liked me."

I looked down at his dark hair, a sudden wave of fierce protectiveness washing over me.

"Then I will help you find her," I declared.

He tilted his head back, his piercing gaze locking onto mine.

"I will prove to her that you are worth entrusting her life to," I promised, my voice firm. "I will make her see the Alpha you truly are."

The corner of his mouth twitched upward. "Really?"

"Yes," I insisted. "Whoever she is, choosing you will be a far better decision than the one I made."

Alexander held my gaze for a long, silent beat. The air between us crackled with an unseen tension.

"Then choose me," he said.

My mouth opened, but no sound came out. The oxygen vanished from the room.

King Victor’s booming laughter shattered the silence.

"His fated mate has always been you, Olivia," my father announced, slapping a hand against the bedpost. "The Goddess paired you two years ago."

I stared at Alexander. The missing puzzle pieces slammed into place. The instant comfort of his touch in the council hall. The warm energy currently humming through my veins, recognizing its true master.

"Since you just promised to help him," my father continued, a sly grin spreading across his face, "why not marry him today?"

"Today?" I choked out, my pulse hammering in my ears.

"He will inherit my throne," King Victor stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "And you will step up as the new Luna of the royal court."

Alexander pushed himself upright, his hands gently framing my face. "Only if you want this, Olivia. I will not force you."

"I want this," I whispered, the truth of the words surprising me.

"Good," my father barked. "Get dressed. The high priest is already waiting in the chapel."

Two hours later, the scent of burning sage and melted wax filled the royal chapel's antechamber. A knot of nervous anticipation tightened in my gut.

I stood before the arched wooden doors, wearing a simple white silk gown my father's attendants had rushed in. The fabric clung to my skin, a stark contrast to the heavy, suffocating dresses Ethan used to force me into.

Footsteps echoed on the stone floor.

Alexander stepped out of the shadows. Color had returned to his face, his Alpha aura radiating power once more. He wore a ceremonial black tunic embroidered with silver threads.

He reached for my hand.

I pulled back, crossing my arms over my stomach.

"You need to know the truth before we walk out there," I said, my fingernails biting into my palms.

Alexander stopped, dropping his hand to his side. "I know everything I need to know."

"No, you don't," I argued, my voice cracking. "Ethan wasn't lying about the poison. Three years of sterilization potions destroyed my body."

I forced myself to look him in the eye, bracing for the disgust.

"I may never be able to give you an heir," I confessed.

The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy.

Alexander closed the distance in two strides. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest. His chin rested on the top of my head, his warmth enveloping me completely.

"Having pups was never the reason I chose you," Alexander murmured, his voice a soothing rumble against my ear.

I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting the sting of tears.

"If it brings you sorrow, I will find a cure," he vowed, his grip tightening. "And I will make every single person who poisoned you pay in blood."

He pulled back just enough to frame my face, his thumbs wiping away a stray tear.

"But right now, my Luna," he said, his gaze burning with absolute certainty, "we stop letting the past trap us."

Alexander reached into his tunic pocket and pulled out a heavy velvet box.

He snapped the lid open, revealing a massive black diamond ring stamped with the royal seal—the exact ring my mother wore before she died.