Olivia

Two days before the wedding.

I should have been preparing for my mating ceremony, basking in the final moments of my life as an unbound she-wolf before stepping into my role as Luna. Instead, I found myself staring at the angry red burn on my palm, the skin raw and unhealed, throbbing painfully.

It made no sense. Werewolves healed quickly, even from burns. But this wound refused to mend.

Was it because of my death in the past?

I had burned alive that night. The flames had consumed me, devoured me whole, until all that remained was ash. My last memory had been the searing agony, the suffocating heat, the betrayal in the eyes of my pack as they set the whole land ablaze.

Now, even a simple burn refused to heal.

I clenched my teeth as the nurse applied ointment over the wound, the sting barely a fraction of what I had endured before.

“You’re lucky it’s not deeper,” she murmured, wrapping my hand carefully.

After the treatment, I stepped out into the hospital hallway, flexing my fingers experimentally. The bandages were tight but necessary, concealing the one weakness my body now carried.

Then I saw them.

Sean. Isabelle. Standing in front of the hospital’s OB-GYN department.

Sean’s arm was lightly resting on Isabelle’s back, his body positioned slightly in front of hers, protective—instinctive. The moment they saw me, they stiffened.

Sean’s expression darkened as he stepped forward, blocking Isabelle from view, his eyes flickering with something close to panic.

“What are you doing here?” His voice was sharp, defensive.

I raised my bandaged hand, tilting my head with a smirk. “Got burned.” Then I glanced at the bold silver letters above the door behind him. “What about you, Alpha? Did you burn something too?”

His jaw clenched.

Isabelle shrank back, her fingers curling into the fabric of her dress. Her face was pale, lips pressed together tightly.

Sean forced a chuckle, but it was strained. “Isabelle was feeling unwell after that night in the rain. I brought her here to get checked.”

“Ah,” I said, dragging out the sound as I crossed my arms. “At the OB-GYN?”

They froze.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Sean’s eyes flickered with irritation, while Isabelle’s lips parted slightly, as if struggling to find the right words.

Then Sean recovered. “Just making sure she’s safe all over. It’s no big deal.”

No big deal.

I watched them for a second longer before I let out a small, amused chuckle. “Right. No big deal at all.”

Without another word, I walked past them, ignoring the heat of their stares boring into my back.

That night, dinner at the packhouse was quiet, the tension in the air thick enough to choke on.

I had prepared everything myself—setting the plates, arranging the meals, and most importantly, pouring everyone a glass of freshly squeezed juice. My fingers tingled as I set down Isabelle’s glass in front of her.

“Drink up,” I said with a pleasant smile.

Isabelle hesitated, glancing at me warily, but Sean nodded at her reassuringly.

I took my own glass and sipped. One by one, the others followed. For a few minutes, everything seemed normal. Then suddenly—

Isabelle gasped.

Her body trembled violently, her fingers gripping the table as she let out a choked whimper. A deep flush spread across her cheeks, her breathing becoming uneven.

“Sean…” she whimpered, turning to him desperately.

Sean’s chair scraped against the floor as he immediately stood, catching her before she could collapse. “Isabelle?” His voice was laced with concern.

She clung to him, pressing her burning body against his chest, her fingers fisting the fabric of his shirt. “I—I feel hot… I can’t—”

Sean’s eyes snapped to me, golden fury igniting in his gaze.

“You,” he snarled, his voice thick with accusation. “What did you do?”

I blinked at him. “Whatever do you mean?”

He bared his teeth. “You drugged her drink.”

I scoffed. “Why would I do that?”

“Because you did it before!” Sean roared. “After the Full Moon Festival—you drugged me!”

The accusation hit me harder than expected, but I didn’t let it show.

I remembered that night well. The drunken haze, the way we had woken up in the same bed, our parents storming in. Sean had hated me for it, blamed me for forcing him into this engagement. But I knew the truth. I hadn’t drugged him. He had been drunk on his own poor choices.

I lifted my chin, my voice even. “I didn’t touch her drink, Sean.”

His jaw tightened. He didn’t believe me.

Not that it mattered.

He carried Isabelle away, up the stairs and into his bedroom, leaving the dining hall heavy with tension.

The next morning, Sean approached me, his face stony.

“It was a mistake,” he said flatly.

I arched a brow. “Oh?”

“She’s fine now,” he continued. “It wasn’t anything serious.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” I said dryly.

Beside him, Isabelle stepped forward hesitantly, her expression remorseful. “Olivia, I just… I wanted to apologize.”

I tilted my head, watching her carefully.

“As a token of my sincerity,” she continued, “I fixed your moonstone bracelet.”

The air in the room shifted.

My pulse slowed. She held out the bracelet, the one that had been shattered into pieces, the one that had meant everything to me.

But the moment I looked closer, I saw it.

The moonstone wasn’t the same. The fragments of my mother’s bracelet—the ones I had carefully gathered, the ones I had held onto with aching fingers—were gone. Replaced.

“You what?” My voice was calm, too calm.

Isabelle’s smile faltered. “I—I discarded the broken ones and found a new moonstone to replace them.”

My mind went blank.

She threw them away. The last thing I had of my mother. The last connection.

Gone.

Before I even realized it, my palm connected with her cheek. The slap echoed through the room.

Isabelle gasped, stumbling back, her hand flying to her face, eyes wide with shock.

“How dare you,” I breathed, my chest rising and falling with barely contained fury. “You had no right.”

Sean immediately stepped between us, his eyes blazing. “Olivia!”

Olivia

Sean had been seething with anger ever since I slapped Isabelle. He barely spoke to me, his presence cold and distant. But I didn’t care. Let him hate me. Let him burn with rage. None of it mattered anymore.

Tomorrow, I was supposed to become his Luna. The entire pack was preparing for the grand mating ceremony, the moment when Alpha Sean would officially mark me, binding us together for eternity.

But tonight, I had other plans.

I slipped away from the packhouse unnoticed, my heart pounding as I made my way through the streets. My hood was pulled low over my face, my body tense as I moved through the darkness, avoiding the eyes of any curious pack members. I had no intention of being stopped.

By the time I arrived at the hotel, Alpha Theron was already waiting.

He was seated in the corner of the lobby, his dark gaze locked onto me the moment I stepped inside. He didn’t smile, didn’t greet me warmly. Instead, he rose from his seat, his movements smooth and controlled, and gestured for me to follow.

My throat felt dry as I trailed behind him.

There was no turning back now. We entered a private suite, the door clicking shut behind us. The air between us was thick with unspoken tension.

“Are you ready?” Alpha Theron’s voice was steady, his eyes locked onto mine.

I nodded. This was the only way.

I refused to make the same mistakes as before.

He stepped closer, towering over me, his scent strong—earthy, like pine and musk. A true Alpha.

I barely had time to process what was happening before he leaned in, his lips grazing the side of my neck, right over my scent gland.

The moment his fangs pierced my skin, a sharp, burning sensation shot through me, followed by an overwhelming rush of something deeper—something ancient.

The bond snapped into place like a taut string finally being pulled into alignment.

His bite was firm, claiming, and I felt my body react on instinct, my own fangs elongating as the mating bond pulsed between us.

His eyes met mine, the glow intensifying as the bond strengthened.

This was real. I was now bonded to a man I barely knew.

And yet, as the pull between us deepened, as the sensation of belonging settled into my bones, I knew—I had made the right choice.

My turn.

I pressed my lips against his neck, inhaling deeply before sinking my fangs into his scent gland.

Alpha Theron inhaled sharply, his fingers tightening around my waist as his body shuddered. I felt the instant surge of connection, the bond fusing us together in ways words couldn’t describe.

The heat, the undeniable pull—it was real.

It was done. There was no undoing it now.

---

The next day, my entire body was on edge.

The tingling in my neck hadn’t faded. I could still feel the mark, could still sense the presence of the bond thrumming inside me. Every nerve in my body was heightened, every instinct screaming that I wasn’t supposed to be here, standing in front of the pack as they prepared for a ceremony that could no longer happen.

And yet, no one knew.

I kept my face blank as I stood before Sean, his expression still dark with anger. He didn’t offer me a reassuring smile. There was no warmth in his eyes, no affection. If I had ever hoped that he would change, that he would finally accept me as his Luna, his true mate, those hopes had long since died.

But I wasn’t standing here to be loved. I was standing here to end this charade once and for all.

The ceremony progressed step by step, leading to the moment of exchanging rings.

Alpha Sean was the first to pick up a ring, sliding it onto my finger with swift precision.

As the officiant recited the vows behind me, I felt weightless—adrift in a haze of emotions. The events of the previous night still played vividly in my mind, making it difficult to focus.

“I do.” His voice, cold yet impatient, snapped me back to reality. The clipped tone, devoid of warmth, sent murmurs rippling through the gathered guests.

A slight frown tugged at my lips.

I reached for the other ring as the officiant turned to me, continuing with the next vow.

“Olivia, do you take Alpha Sean as your husband and mate? Will you love him and remain faithful to him, in wealth and hardship, in youth and old age, standing by his side for the rest of your life?”

Silence.

The words I was meant to say never left my lips. Instead of lifting my hand, I withdrew it, hesitating.

The sudden stillness was suffocating. Confusion spread through the crowd as all eyes turned to me. Even Sean, always composed, seemed caught off guard—his gaze darkening as if my hesitation unsettled him.

But my attention was fixed elsewhere.

The entrance.

I could feel his gaze following mine, both of us staring at the closed doors. Only an eerie darkness lay beyond them.

Where is he?

What’s taking him so long?

Sensing the tension thickening, the officiant cleared his throat and began again.

“Will you love him and remain faithful, for richer or—”

The heavy doors burst open, slamming against the walls with a resounding crash!