IVY

"I didn’t poison her, but the way Caleb looked at me made me feel like I had already been sentenced to death."

The room felt suffocating, packed with pack members who seemed to relish my downfall. Their gazes burned into my skin—pity, contempt—all directed at me as Caleb stood at the center, his golden eyes blazing with fury.

Right now, he didn’t look like the man who had promised me forever moments before he marked me. He looked every bit the Alpha he was trained to be—the kind who crushed threats with ruthless precision—and right now, all of that venom was aimed squarely at me.

"Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?" His voice snarled, low and cutting, but carrying across the room like a lash.

I blinked, my heart pounding in my chest. "Caleb, I don’t even understand what’s happening. How can you accuse me of poisoning my own sister? And why are you making this a public spectacle? I don’t—"

"Stop speaking!" His hand shot up, silencing me with one brutal gesture. "And don’t lie to me, Ivy."

Lie?

What was he talking about?

My thoughts raced, scrambling to make sense of the nightmare unfolding before me. It had started like any other day, me perfuming my duties as the Luna of the Silver Moon pack until two warriors had practically dragged me to the pack hall only to be accused of poisoning my sister.

My sister, Lila, who had made it clear from the start when we were little that she despised me for no reason, and who now lay across the room draped on a chaise, pale and trembling. Her dark hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, the picture of a damsel in distress. Her hand rested protectively on her stomach, and that’s when it hit me. Like my wolf suddenly picked up the change in her scent.

Pregnant.

She was pregnant.

The weight of the realization crashed over me like a tidal wave, and when she met my gaze, a smug smile flickered across her face. For a brief moment, I saw it—the malice behind the act. Then she quickly masked it, slipping back into whatever role she had decided to play today, to make me look like the villain in front of everyone else.

I found my voice again, refusing to believe the crushing truth unfolding before me. "I don’t know what’s going on, but I didn’t do anything. And if you won’t speak to me in private about this, then I’m leaving."

Without another word, I turned on my heel, ready to walk away, but then his growl echoed off the walls, freezing me in my tracks.

"Take another step, and it will be the last thing you ever do."

My eyes snapped back to him. "What?"

His eyes narrowed, his gaze cutting through me like a blade. "Don’t act like you didn’t know. Don’t pretend you weren’t aware of what I have with her."

I froze. His words stuck in my throat. No. The crushing truth began to settle in. This is why he was so furious. But it couldn’t be possible. He couldn't be…

"You—"

"She’s carrying my child!" Caleb shouted, his voice vibrating with fury, and it felt like someone had just ripped my heart out. "And you—my own mate—you tried to take that from me. From her. You think I don’t see through you? You knew about us all along, didn’t you? You knew about me and Lila, and you stayed silent along just to kill her. To take away my heir."

"No," I whispered, my voice trembling as tears streamed down my face.

I glanced back at Lila. No. She couldn’t hate me this much. Could she?

How had I not noticed this had been happening?

How was this happening?

"You’re barren, Ivy," Caleb spat, his words cutting deeper than any blade. "You couldn’t give me what I needed, but I was willing to keep you when we eventually told you. I was even willing to make it work, despite everything. But this—this is unforgivable."

The pack murmured around us, their voices a cruel soundtrack to my humiliation.

"You’ve been sleeping with my sister? And she’s pregnant?" I looked back at her, “You’re pregnant? With my mate’s child?"

Caleb scoffed, his eyes filled with disgust like he wasn’t the one sleeping with my sister behind my back, "Don’t act innocent with your fake tears. I know you tried to kill her. The omega you sent confessed, Ivy. Luckily, Lila caught the wolfsbane in time before she ingested it, and now you’re exposed. I never thought you could be this heartless."

I was the heartless one?

"I didn’t poison her. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t know! I didn’t—" My voice faltered, so weak I could barely hear it myself. Tears blurred my vision, and I couldn’t think straight. My mind screamed the same question, over and over: Why? Why had he done this to me when he swore he would love me till the end of time? Why was he humiliating me in front of everyone? Why did my sister hate me so much?

Just… why?

His voice broke through my fog of questions. "I was going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe if you had confessed, I would’ve reconsidered, but no. Your lies have sealed your fate."

He looked me in the eyes, and I somehow knew what was coming before the words left his lips.

"I, Caleb Vaughn, Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, reject you, Ivy Hayes, as my mate," he said coldly, his voice devoid of warmth.

The pain hit again, worse than before and my knees gave out, my world shattering, and just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, he spoke again, delivering the final blow.

"You are hereby banished from the Silver Moon Pack. You have three days to leave, and if you are found within the borders after that, you will be executed."

IVY

Rejected. Banished. Executed.

The words carved themselves into my soul, a cruel mantra that wouldn’t stop echoing. They consumed me, growing louder and sharper until I couldn’t bear it anymore.

So, I jumped. I hurled myself off the cliff because I wanted to end it all, letting the wind whip against my skin, and for a fleeting moment, there was silence. Peace.

And then, nothing.

I thought it was over. I thought I was free.

But I was wrong.

My wolf’s agonized howl ripped through me as light pierced my eyelids. Pain seared through every inch of my body as I tried to move, only to realize that I couldn’t. Chains bit into my wrists and ankles, their cold, unyielding grip a harsh reminder that I was still alive.

Or something close to it.

I blinked, forcing my vision to focus, and as the room around me swam into view, I heard it—a voice, smooth and mocking, cutting through the haze.

“Well, well, look who decided to rejoin the living.”

My head snapped up, and my stomach churned as my eyes landed on him. Marcus Stone. Alpha of the Black Fang Pack—and Caleb’s biggest rival.

“You,” I rasped, my throat raw from screaming or sobbing—I couldn’t remember which. “What is this? Why am I in chains? Why am I here?”

He smirked, the kind of smug, slimy expression that always made my skin crawl. “You’re not really in a position to ask questions, now, are you?” His tone dripped with disdain, his eyes scanning me like I was something unpleasant stuck to his boot. “You still reek of him so don’t worry—I’ll keep this brief.”

“Let me go,” I growled, my voice steadier than I expected, even though the pain clawed at me. “Whatever sick game you’re playing, Marcus, I don’t have time for it. Caleb will—”

Marcus’s laugh rang out, sharp and cruel, echoing off the walls. “Caleb?” He mocked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Save your threats, Ivy. Everyone knows you’re nothing now. Rejected. Banished. Disgraced. That’s why you threw yourself off that cliff, isn’t it? Poor little Luna couldn’t handle her fall from grace.”

I bit down on the lump rising in my throat, forcing myself not to flinch. “What do you want, Marcus?”

“Oh, it’s not about what I want,” he sneered. “It’s about what the entire realm needs and I don’t need to ask you if you are aware of the tradition. You see, this year, it’s our turn to send a maiden to Hybrid Alpha King and you just fell right into our hands.”

My heart stopped.

“No,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

His grin widened, cruel and predatory. “Oh, yes.”

The blood drained from my face as the horrifying reality crashed over me. For years, every pack had been forced to send a maiden to the Hybrid Alpha King, Knox Thorne—a monstrous creature cursed with a wolf so feral, so bloodthirsty, that no one could control.

The maidens sent to him never returned. And so far none has managed to do that and the cycle is never ending.

It was whispered that to appease his wolf, he tortured them, feasted on their hearts, leaving no trace of their existence. A barbaric sacrifice to keep his wrath from destroying the packs. It was a tradition I hated and had tried so hard to stop when I became Luna and had to watch one of our own sent away but there was so little I could do in four years for a tradition that has been for decades.

Being sent to Knox Thorne was said to be a fate worse than death itself.

But no one could stop it. And now I was to be the next victim.

“Marcus,” I croaked, panic tightening my chest. “You can’t do this. You can’t.”

He leaned in closer, his breath hot against my face. “Why not? You wanted to die, didn’t you? Think of this as your chance to do something useful before you go. And the best part?” His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “No one will care.

Your life is worthless now, Ivy. And I’ll relish the thought of sending Caleb’s former Luna to her death.”

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head, my voice cracking as I begged. “Marcus, don’t do this. Please. I beg of you.”

But he was already turning away, his expression hard with finality.

I thrashed against the chains, my wolf weak and silent in my mind, the betrayal and exhaustion weighing me down.

“Marcus!” I screamed, my voice raw. “You’ll regret this! You hear me? You’ll regret this!”

He paused at the door, throwing a glance over his shoulder like my words meant nothing. His next words sent a cold wave of terror crashing through me.

“His men will come for you tonight. And Ivy?” His lips curled into a sneer. “What happens next will be worse than anything you can imagine. He’ll make you beg for death—and when you do, it’ll be a mercy.”

IVY

The scent of blood hit me first. Metallic. Overpowering.

It was everywhere—so thick it clawed its way down my throat with each shallow breath. My wrists screamed in protest as I yanked against the chains, desperation overriding the ache in my muscles.

“He’s worse this time,” one of the men who brought me here from Marcus’ territory had snarled before tossing me into this cell. His voice still echoed in my mind, feeding the terror coiling in my chest. “It’s been months since he’s had an offering. His wolf… it’s completely out of control.”

The other man’s laughter had been sharp, cold, and devoid of mercy. “None of them tame him. She won’t either. Just another carcass for him to feast on.”

I couldn’t stop shaking. My wolf was silent, drugged into unconsciousness the moment I’d fought back. Without her, I was utterly alone.

“Please!” I shouted, forcing my trembling voice to cut through the suffocating darkness. “Let me go! Someone—please!”

The metallic jingle of keys answered me. My heart leaped with hope, but it crashed just as fast when the heavy door creaked open. A hunched older man entered, flanked by one of my captors. His gray eyes swept over me with indifference.

“Bring her,” he said flatly.

“What?” Panic shot through me, and I thrashed against the chains again. The man’s gaze darkened as he frowned.

“I told you to weaken her with silver,” he snapped at the guard. “And clean her up.”

“We did,” the guard growled in irritation. “I don’t know why she still has strength. Should I dose her again?”

“No,” the older man said sharply. “It will dull her wolf too much. Just bring her—we’re out of time.”

“Where are you taking me?” I screamed, my voice raw as I fought harder. “What are you going to do?”

Ignoring my cries, the guard unlocked my chains and yanked me to my feet. His hand clamped around my arm like a vice.

“You’d better behave yourself,” he hissed, his face inches from mine.

Adrenaline surged through me. I acted on instinct. Twisting sharply, I stomped on his foot and slammed my elbow into his stomach. His grip loosened just enough for me to wrench free.

“You little—” he snarled, doubling over. Before he could recover, I spun and bolted down the dark corridor, his furious curses echoing behind me.

“Get her!” the older man barked.

I didn’t stop. My bare feet slapped against the cold stone as the shadows seemed to claw at me. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out everything but the sound of my ragged breathing.

Then I saw it—a door.

My salvation.

I barreled through it, gasping for air as I stumbled into an open space. The cold hit me first, sharp and biting against my skin. My steps faltered as I looked around.

It wasn’t a room. It was something else. Something primal. An arena, though patches of wild grass sprouted from the earth. There was no exit in sight. Just the oppressive weight of silence pressing in on me.

I turned, ready to double back, but before I could even process what was happening, I heard it.

A low growl. Deadly. Savage.

I froze.

I knew I had to look. I knew I couldn’t escape without knowing what was waiting for me. And when I turned—

I forgot to breathe.

The wolf before me was the largest, most terrifying creature I had ever seen. It wasn’t even just a wolf. No, this thing was a monster, capable of standing on its hind legs, muscles rippling beneath thick fur.

But it was the eyes that paralyzed me—amber, glowing with a feral, bloodthirsty rage. The kind of hunger that made every instinct in my body scream to run, to hide, to do anything but stand there.

But I couldn’t move. The air had thickened, frozen me in place as its gaze locked onto mine.

I took one step back, then another, but it was too late.

The wolf snarled, charging forward with a speed that defied reason.

I stumbled. My feet slipped beneath me, and I fell backward, bracing for the inevitable strike. My heart slammed in my chest, the fear surging through me.

I raised my hands in a futile attempt to protect myself. “Please… stop!” I screamed, my voice breaking.

But the blow never came.

I opened my eyes, half-expecting to feel the sharp pain tear through me, but instead, I found the wolf stilled, its monstrous body frozen mid-step. It stared at me, its gaze intense, filled with an emotion I couldn’t name.

I could feel my own wolf stir, weak but present, her presence a whisper against the terror flooding me.

And then—one word. One shocking word even more frightening than the crippling fear.

Mate.