"You actually thought he would choose you?" Selene’s voice echoed off the damp stone walls of the basement.

I pressed my back against the cold iron door, glaring at my younger sister. Three of her loyal enforcers flanked her, blocking the only exit.

"Damon is my fated mate," I said. "The ceremony starts in ten minutes. Move."

Selene laughed. The sound bounced around the confined space, sharp and mocking. "A fated mate without a wolf. You can't even shift, Elara. You’re a disgrace to the Whitmore name."

"The Moon Goddess made the match," I countered, keeping my chin up. "Damon honors the goddess."

"The Moon Goddess made a mistake." Selene stepped closer, her amber eyes flashing with genuine malice. "Damon needs a Luna who commands respect. Not a weak, wolfless human who cowers at a simple growl."

"He loves me," I insisted. "We are bound."

"Let’s test that theory." Selene snapped her fingers. "Make sure she misses the vows. Don't kill her. Just make her sleep."

A heavy fist slammed into the side of my head. The world tilted, spinning into darkness before I even hit the floor.

Pain throbbed behind my eyes. I pushed myself up from the freezing stone. The basement was empty.

"No," I whispered.

I threw my weight against the heavy wooden door. It held fast. I backed up, ignoring the sharp ache in my ribs, and rammed my shoulder into the frame. Wood splintered. I shoved again, tearing my skin, until the latch finally gave way.

I stumbled up the stairs, blood dripping from my temple. The packhouse was eerily quiet. Everyone was outside at the Moon Altar.

My chest heaved. Every step sent a jolt of pain up my spine, but I forced my legs to move. I had to stop him. I dragged my injured body down the main hallway, shoving the grand double doors open.

The night air hit my face. Hundreds of pack members stood in a massive circle around the glowing altar.

And there, standing at the center, was Damon Blackthorn.

My heart leaped, but the relief vanished in an instant. He wasn't alone. Selene stood beside him, her hand perfectly intertwined with his.

"Damon!" I shouted.

The crowd parted. Whispers erupted among the pack members as they took in my bruised face and torn dress.

Damon turned. His expression remained completely flat. Not a single trace of concern crossed his features.

"Elara," he said, his voice carrying over the silent courtyard.

"What are you doing?" I staggered forward. "We are supposed to take the vows."

"You didn't show up," Damon replied coolly. "A pack cannot wait for a Luna who fails to honor her own ceremony."

"She locked me in the basement!" I pointed a shaking finger at my sister. "Her enforcers ambushed me."

Selene gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. "Alpha, I have been by your side this entire evening. Why would she lie like this?"

"Because she is desperate," Damon said.

"Damon, look at me," I pleaded, taking another step. "I am bleeding. I fought my way out to get to you."

Damon held up a hand, silencing me. "Enough. The truth is plain to see. Elara, you lack the strength to lead. You have no wolf. Selene is beautiful, intelligent, and possesses a powerful spirit. She is the Luna this pack deserves. I declare her my chosen mate."

"You cannot break the threads of fate!"

An old woman pushed through the front row of the crowd. Morgana, the pack’s seer, leaned heavily on her wooden staff. Her blind eyes fixed unerringly on the Alpha.

"The Moon Goddess's guidance remains unchanged," Morgana declared, her raspy voice echoing with authority. "Damon Blackthorn, your fated mate is Elara Whitmore. Rejecting her will bring ruin."

Damon’s jaw tightened. "I make my own fate, witch."

Selene sneered. "Guards! Drag this crazy old hag out of here. She’s disrupting the sacred rite."

Two massive wolves shifted back to human form, grabbing Morgana by the arms and pulling her into the shadows.

"You will regret this!" Morgana screamed.

Damon ignored her. He pulled a silver dagger from his belt and sliced his palm, then did the same to Selene. They pressed their bleeding hands together.

"I, Alpha Damon Blackthorn, bind my soul to Selene Whitmore. She is my Luna, now and forever."

A blinding flash of silver light erupted from their joined hands.

The Luna contract was sealed.

An agonizing force ripped through my chest. It felt like invisible claws were tearing my heart directly out of my ribcage. I collapsed to my knees, clutching my shirt.

"Ah!" A scream tore from my throat.

Deep inside my mind, something massive slammed against a heavy, invisible wall. A violent, terrifying energy surged, trying to break free. The seal in my head cracked. The pressure was unbearable, a blinding white heat expanding in my skull.

The last thing I saw was Damon placing the Luna crown on Selene’s head before the darkness swallowed me again.

I woke to the smell of dust and old wood.

The room was dim, illuminated only by a sliver of moonlight slipping through a barred window. I pushed myself up on the lumpy mattress, my muscles screaming in protest.

"Look who’s awake," a gruff voice called from the hallway.

I dragged myself to the iron-reinforced door. A guard stood on the other side, leaning casually against the wall.

"Let me out," I demanded, my throat raw.

He chuckled, tapping his keys against the metal bars. "Why don't you just break the door down, sweetheart? Oh, right. You're not a real wolf. Just a weak little human playing dress-up."

I gripped the bars, my knuckles turning white. "Where is Damon?"

"Busy with his real mate." The guard smirked. "The whole pack is celebrating. No one is thinking about you."

Footsteps echoed down the corridor. The guard immediately stood at attention, bowing his head.

Damon stepped into the faint light. He waved a hand, dismissing the guard, who hurried away without a word.

Keys turned in the lock. The heavy door swung open.

Damon walked in, shutting the door behind him. He looked immaculate in his ceremonial suit, the faint scent of pine and Selene's sickeningly sweet perfume clinging to him.

"You look terrible," he said.

"You bound yourself to her." My voice shook with raw devastation.

He closed the distance between us, reaching out. I tried to pull back, but he caught my chin, his fingers trailing down my bruised cheek.

"If you hadn't disappeared before the ceremony, I wouldn't have chosen Selene," he murmured softly.

I slapped his hand away. "She locked me up! She planned this, and you know it."

"Does it matter?" Damon shrugged, his tone shifting to ice. "A true wolf would have fought her way out in time. You failed."

"We are fated," I whispered, the betrayal burning my eyes.

"Fate is a suggestion," Damon replied, stepping back. "The contract is finalized, Elara. The pack recognizes Selene. You are going to have to accept your new reality."

"I will never accept her as my Luna," I spat.

A cruel smile played on his lips. "Tomorrow, you will serve your sister. Or you will be banished as a rogue. Sleep well, Elara."

He turned and walked out, the lock clicking shut behind him.

I stood alone in the dark, the pain in my chest throbbing in time with my heartbeat. But beneath the sorrow, that strange, violent energy in my mind slammed against the cracked seal once more.

I wasn't just a weak human. Something was waking up inside me.

And it was furious.

"You knew," I stated. "When I didn't show up at the altar, you already knew exactly where I was."

Damon adjusted the silver cuffs on his jacket. He didn't deny it. His silence was a confession.

"Answer me!" I demanded, pushing myself off the wall. "Did you plan this with her?"

"Keep your voice down," he commanded. "You need to view this logically. A pack cannot survive with a weak Luna. I need a mate who inspires fear and respect. Not someone who cowers at a simple threat."

"So you let my sister lock me in a basement while you stole my crown."

"I secured the future of the Blackthorn pack." He closed the distance between us, his boots echoing on the stone. "But that doesn't mean I want to lose you entirely."

I narrowed my eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"You still love me. I can feel the bond pulling at you." He gestured toward the lumpy mattress in the corner. "You can stay here. I will ensure this room is furnished. Selene will never come down to this wing. You can remain mine, in secret."

I stared at him, searching for any trace of a joke on his face. There was none. He was completely serious.

Bile rose in my throat. "You want me to be your hidden whore."

"I want to protect you!" Damon snapped, his patience fraying. "Out there, you are a target. Here, you are safe. And I still get the woman the Moon Goddess chose."

"You rejected the Goddess's choice the second you bled on that dagger with Selene." I pointed a shaking finger at the heavy door. "Open it. I am leaving this territory tonight."

"You aren't going anywhere."

He lunged, grabbing my wrists. His grip crushed my skin, dragging me forcefully toward the mattress.

"Get your hands off me!" I thrashed, kicking wildly at his shins.

"Stop fighting me!" he growled. He pinned my shoulders against the damp wall, his weight pressing heavily against mine. His lips crashed against my neck, harsh and demanding.

Disgust churned in my gut. "No!"

I shoved my hands flat against his chest. Deep inside my mind, the cracked seal shattered. A violent, scorching shockwave blasted out of my palms.

Damon flew backward. His spine slammed into the opposite wall, cracking the solid stone. He slumped to the floor, coughing violently.

I stared at my trembling hands. A faint, silver mist evaporated from my fingertips.

Damon pushed himself up, wiping dust from his jaw. His eyes widened, tracking the lingering energy in the room. "You don't have a wolf. What kind of power is that?"

"Stay away from me," I warned, raising my hands again.

Before he could step forward to inspect me, heavy boots pounded down the corridor.

"Alpha!" A guard skidded into the doorway, chest heaving. "Rogues at the eastern border. They breached the perimeter."

Damon shifted his gaze between me and the guard. "Lock her in. I will deal with this later."

He marched out. The deadbolt slid into place with a heavy thud.

Silence stretched for exactly two minutes. Then, the lock clicked again.

Selene strolled inside, smoothing down her silk dress. She waved a hand, dismissing the guard behind her.

"Rogues?" I asked, pushing myself away from the wall.

"A few gold coins buy a very convincing false alarm," Selene smirked. "Damon is currently chasing shadows in the woods."

"Get out of my room."

"Your room?" She laughed, the sound sharp and grating. "This is a dungeon, Elara. Exactly where you belong."

She closed the distance in a blur of motion, her hand cracking across my cheek.

The force threw me to the ground. I tried to push myself up, but my arms buckled. A heavy, unnatural lethargy weighed down my limbs. My vision swam.

"What did you do?" I slurred.

"Me? I did nothing." Selene crouched beside me, her amber eyes gleaming with triumph. "Damon slipped a mild paralytic into your water before he came down here. He wanted you weak and compliant for his little proposal."

My stomach twisted. Damon drugged me. He planned to force me all along.

Selene grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back. "You actually thought you could seduce my Alpha right under my nose? You think I don't know he wants to keep you as his dirty little secret?"

"I rejected him," I spat, blood coating my teeth. "He disgusts me. And so do you."

"You shouldn't even exist." She slammed my head against the floor.

Pain exploded behind my eyes. I kicked out, my boot connecting weakly with her knee. Selene laughed, driving her shoe into my ribs. I curled into a ball, coughing, unable to summon that strange energy from before. The drug suppressed it completely.

"You will never touch him again," Selene hissed, delivering another kick to my stomach. "You will rot down here until you beg for death."

She raised her hand for another strike, but stopped.

Footsteps echoed in the distance. Fast. Heavy.

"He realized it was a trick," Selene whispered, her smile vanishing into a mask of pure panic.

She reached into the bodice of her dress and pulled out a small glass vial. Uncorking it with her teeth, she poured thick, dark blood over her thighs and the front of her pristine gown.

"What are you doing?" I choked out, clutching my ribs.

Selene threw the empty vial into the shadows. She dropped to her knees, smearing the blood on the stone floor, and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"Help! Somebody help me!"

The door flew open. Damon stood in the frame, his chest heaving, claws fully extended.

"Selene!" He dropped to his knees beside her.

"She attacked me!" Selene wailed, clutching her stomach. Tears streamed down her flawless face. "I came down here to check on her, and she went crazy. Damon, it hurts! Our baby!"

"Baby?" I whispered, the word tasting like ash. "You're pregnant?"

Damon's face contorted with rage. He stood up, crossing the small space in a single stride, and backhanded me.

My head snapped to the side. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

"You vicious, jealous bitch," Damon snarled, standing over me. "You couldn't handle losing, so you tried to murder my heir?"

"She's lying," I gasped. "Look at her! She brought the blood in a vial!"

Damon didn't even glance around the room. He scooped Selene into his arms. She buried her face in his neck, sobbing loudly.

"I offered you mercy," Damon said, his voice cold and hollow. "I offered you a place in my life. Instead, you attacked your Luna."

"Damon, please—"

"Save your lies." He turned his back on me. "Tomorrow at dawn, you will face the Council of Elders. They will judge your crimes."

"They will execute me!" I shouted.

"Then you should have thought of that before you touched my family."

He carried Selene out into the corridor. The heavy iron door slammed shut, plunging me back into darkness.

I lay on the cold stone, my body bruised and broken. The Elders showed no mercy to rogues or traitors. By sunrise, I would be dead.

A low hum vibrated in the back of my skull. The drug was wearing off, and that strange power was clawing its way back to the surface.

If they wanted a monster to judge tomorrow, I was going to give them one.

"She murdered our unborn child." Damon’s voice rang through the cavernous Council Hall, sharp and unforgiving.

Selene leaned against him, dabbing her dry eyes with a silk handkerchief. "My baby. My sweet, innocent baby."

"Let a healer examine her!" I shouted, rattling the heavy iron chains binding my wrists. "She faked the blood! Look at her!"

Damon slammed his fist onto the oak table, rattling the ceremonial goblets. "You dare question your Luna’s grief?"

"I demand a healer!" I turned toward the five Elders seated on the raised dais. "Call Dr. Thorne. If she miscarried, there will be physical proof."

Elder Silas adjusted his velvet robes, refusing to meet my gaze. The Blackthorn family lined his pockets with gold. Everyone in this room knew it.

"The Alpha's word is law," Silas muttered, staring at the floorboards.

Selene stepped forward, clutching Damon’s arm. "Elders, please. Do not kill my sister. I could not bear the guilt." She paused, letting a ragged, theatrical sob tear from her throat. "Cast her into the Forbidden Zone. Let the spirits of the wasteland judge her. It is the only way my child’s soul will find peace."

A death sentence wrapped in a ribbon of mercy. The Forbidden Zone crawled with feral beasts and toxic spores. No one survived a night there.

"It is decided," Silas announced, striking his wooden gavel. "Elara Whitmore, you are banished to the Forbidden Zone."

"You cowards!" I spat, pulling against the chains.

Damon waved a dismissive hand. "Take her to the lower cells. We execute the banishment at moonrise."

Two enforcers dragged me out of the hall, tossing me down the spiraling stone steps into the dark belly of the packhouse. They threw me onto the dirt floor of a damp cell. The iron gate clanged shut.

"Forbidden Zone," the scarred guard sneered, unbuckling his heavy leather belt. "Seems like a waste of a pretty face."

The taller guard locked the gate, tossing the keys onto a nearby barrel. "Alpha said she's dead anyway. Who cares what happens before moonrise?"

They closed in.

Instead of screaming, a dry, hollow laugh escaped my lips. I couldn't stop it. The sheer absurdity of the betrayal broke something fundamental inside my chest.

"She's crazy," the tall one muttered, halting his advance.

"Hold her down," the scarred guard ordered, lunging for my torn dress.

Before his fingers grazed my skin, an explosive blast shook the stone floor. Blistering heat rolled down the corridor. Flames licked the ceiling outside the cell, casting wild shadows against the walls.

The tall guard spun around. "What the—"

A massive figure filled the doorway. Steel flashed in the firelight. The tall guard’s head hit the dirt before his torso collapsed.

The scarred guard scrambled backward, drawing his blade.

The stranger moved with terrifying speed. He grabbed the guard's throat, hoisting him off the ground, and snapped his neck with a single, brutal twist.

The man dropped the corpse and stepped into the dim light. He was tall, his broad shoulders blocking the flames. Silver hair framed a face carved from granite, his eyes glowing like frozen steel. Fresh blood dripped from a deep gash on his forearm.

"Who are you?" I asked, pushing myself up from the dirt.

"Your way out." He extended a hand. "Can you run?"

"Watch me."

I reached up. As our hands clasped, his bleeding forearm pressed directly against the raw, open wound on my wrist where the iron cuffs had bitten into my flesh.

Our blood mixed.

A jolt of pure electricity shot up my arm, traveling straight to my heart. The cracked, invisible wall in my mind shattered completely.

"Ah!" I dropped to my knees.

My bones cracked. The pain was blinding, tearing through my muscles, but it wasn't agonizing—it was liberating. Decades of suppression burned away in a single second.

"Let her out, Elara," the man ordered, his voice vibrating with an unnatural, commanding resonance.

Silver fur erupted from my skin. My jaw extended, teeth sharpening into lethal fangs. The cramped cell vanished, replaced by a rush of heightened senses—the smell of burning oak, the metallic tang of fresh blood, the terrified shouts of approaching Blackthorn enforcers.

I didn't just shift. I exploded into a massive Silver Moon Wolf.

Three enforcers rounded the corner, their eyes widening in horror at the sight of me.

I didn't hesitate. I lunged. My jaws clamped around the first enforcer's shoulder, tossing his heavy body into the stone wall like a ragdoll. The stranger handled the other two, his blade a blur of lethal precision.

"Keep moving!" he shouted over the roar of the fire.

We tore through the packhouse tunnels, smashing through the wooden exit doors, and burst into the forest. The night air fueled the raging fire inside me, but the sudden transformation drained my human stamina. After a mile of sprinting through the dense underbrush, my legs buckled.

I shifted back, collapsing naked onto the damp forest floor.

The man stripped off his dark cloak and draped it over my shivering shoulders.

"You're a Nightshade," I said, pulling the heavy fabric tight. I recognized the silver crest etched into the hilt of his sword.

"Kael," he replied, kneeling beside me. "Kael Nightshade."

"The Nightshades were wiped out in the mudslides ten years ago."

Kael scoffed. "Mudslides don't slit throats in the middle of the night. Alpha Garrick did."

I stared at him, my mind spinning. "Garrick? Damon's father?"

"Damon is a bastard," Kael stated flatly. "Garrick fathered him with a rogue. But Garrick wanted his bloodline on the throne. The Moon Goddess prophesied a Nightshade would lead this pack to glory. Garrick slaughtered my family, faked the disaster, and paid off the seer to forge a new prophecy for Damon."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Kael stepped closer. The scent of rain and crushed pine washed over me, instantly soothing the ache in my tired muscles.

"Because yesterday, when Damon pinned you to a wall and triggered your hidden power, a bond snapped into place halfway across the continent." Kael reached out, his thumb brushing a smudge of dirt from my cheek. "You are my fated mate, Elara."

My chest tightened. "Damon was my fated mate."

"Damon was a placeholder," Kael corrected, his silver eyes locking onto mine. "A false Alpha for a false Luna. I came back to burn his stolen empire to the ground."

He stood up, offering his hand once more.

"Are you going to help me destroy him, or are you going to sit in the dirt?"

I looked at his outstretched hand, the blood still smeared across his skin. I placed my palm against his, letting him pull me to my feet.

"We burn it down," I said.

Before Kael could reply, a bone-chilling howl ripped through the trees.

It wasn't a Blackthorn wolf.

It was something much, much worse.