"Calista, breathe. Just look at me and breathe."

I couldn't. I couldn't pull air into my lungs. My knees hit the damp grass behind the Alpha’s pavilion.

"He called me a pig, Maya."

"He said I was too heavy. That I eat too much. After everything I did... he chose her. She’s pregnant."

Maya dropped to her knees beside me, her hands gripping my shoulders. She was the only true friend I had made in this pack over the last two years, the only one who didn't look at me with pity or disgust.

"I am going to kill him," Maya snarled.

"I swear to the Moon Goddess, I am going to march back in there and rip his throat out in front of the entire territory."

"No," I sobbed, shaking my head violently. "Don't. He's the Alpha now. He'll kill you, Maya. He doesn't care. He doesn't care about anyone but himself."

"Calista, look at me," she demanded, forcing my chin up. "You are not going to sit here in the dirt crying over a weak, pathetic excuse for a man who used you. Do you hear me? You survived that surgery. You are stronger than this. Now get up."

"I can't face them. They're laughing at me. I know they are."

"Then we aren't staying," Maya said firmly, pulling me to my feet. "We are leaving the territory. Right now. We're going to the border."

"The border? Maya, it's late'.

"We are going to The Howling Hound. It's off pack lands, it's dark, and they serve liquor strong enough to sedate a bear," she stated, dragging me toward the gravel parking lot. "You are going to drink, Calista. You are going to forget his face, his voice, and this entire miserable night."

The bass of the border bar vibrated through my chest. The place was packed with rogues, traveling merchants, and humans who didn't know any better. The air was filled with smoke and cheap perfume.

Maya slammed a glass of dark amber liquid onto the sticky counter in front of me. "Drink," she ordered.

"Maya, I've never had whiskey before."

"And you've never had your mate reject you to marry your pregnant step-sister before. Tonight is a night of firsts. Drink it."

I picked up the glass with trembling fingers and tipped it back. The liquid burned like pure fire sliding down my throat, making my eyes water and a heavy cough escape my chest.

"Again," Maya said, signaling the bartender.

"I feel sick," I whispered, the room was already starting to blur at the edges. "My chest physically hurts, Maya. It feels like my heart is actually bleeding. How could he just throw me away?"

"Because he's a coward," she spat, taking a shot herself. "He used your marrow to save his own life because he was too terrified to die. And now that he's healed, he wants the shiny, traditional Luna. He doesn't deserve the ground you walk on."

I stared down at my empty glass, the tears threatening to fall again. "I need to use the restroom. I just... I need a minute to wash my face."

"Do you want me to come with you?" "No. I'll be right back."

I slipped off the barstool, my legs feeling a little unsteady as I pushed my way through the crowded dance floor. The hallway leading to the restrooms was dim, the music muffled by the walls.

I pushed into the bathroom, turned on the cold water, and splashed it over my flushed face. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My dark red silk dress was wrinkled, my makeup was ruined, and my eyes were completely bloodshot. Eric was right. I was just a sad, broken girl.

Taking a shaky breath, I grabbed a paper towel, dried my face, and pushed the bathroom door open to step back out into the hall.

I bumped directly into a wall of muscle.

A pair of large, warm hands immediately gripped my waist to steady me. "Careful."

I looked up, the apology dying instantly on my tongue.

The man standing in front of me stole the very breath from my lungs. He was impossibly tall, dressed in a custom, grey shirt that screamed old money and power. But it was his face that made my heart stop entirely.

He looked like Eric.

The same sharp jawline, the same midnight-black hair. His features were older, sharper, and deeply hardened by time. He radiated an overwhelming, aura of dominance.

"I... I'm sorry," I stammered, trying to step back, but his hands didn't leave my waist.

He didn't move. He just stared down at me, his piercing silver eyes locked onto my face. The intensity in his gaze was so heavy it made my skin prickle with sudden heat.

"You're crying," he noted.

"I'm fine," I lied, my voice shaking. "Please let me go."

"Who did it?" he asked, completely ignoring my request. His thumbs slowly brushed against the silk fabric at my waist. "Who put those tears in your eyes?"

"You're a stranger. It's none of your business."

"I am a stranger," he agreed, stepping closer, backing me slowly against the bathroom door. "But the moment I saw you walk down this hall, I felt something I haven't felt in a very long time. Actually, I've never felt this."

"Felt what?" I whispered, my heart was suddenly beating fast. I couldn't look away from his silver eyes.

"A pull," he murmured, leaning his head down until his lips were inches from my ear. The scent of mint and dark chocolate surrounded me, intoxicating and wild. "I apologize. I know

we just met. I know I should walk away. But my wolf is clawing at my chest. You are like a magnet, little one. I can't keep my hands off you."

"You shouldn't," I breathed out, though I didn't push him away. The hollow, agonizing ache in my chest from Eric's rejection was suddenly... quiet. Overpowered by the sheer heat radiating from the man in front of me.

"Tell me to stop, and I will walk out of this bar," he whispered, his gaze dropping to my lips. "Tell me you don't feel this."

"I feel it," I admitted, a reckless surge of adrenaline washing over me. I had played by the rules my whole life. I gave my body, my health, and my heart to a boy who tossed me into the dirt. I wanted to forget. I wanted to feel something other than pain.

"Good," he growled.

He didn't hesitate anymore. His hand slid up into my hair, tilting my head back, and his lips met mine.

It was a complete, consuming takeover. His mouth moved against mine with a desperate, hungry heat that sent a jolt of pure electricity straight down my spine. I gasped into his mouth, my hands flying up to grip the lapels of his shirt.

Mate.

The word exploded in my mind, echoing through my blood. The bond snapped into place with the force of a hurricane. Second chance. The Moon Goddess had given me a second chance on the exact same night I lost my first.

He groaned deeply into the kiss, wrapping both arms around me and lifting me completely off the floor. I wrapped my legs around his waist on pure instinct.

"Mine," he snarled against my lips, his fangs grazing my lower lip. "You are mine." "Yes," I whimpered, burying my fingers in his dark hair.

He carried me out the back exit of the bar, the cold night air hitting my heated skin. I didn't care where we were going. I didn't care about anything except the burning connection binding my soul to his. He pushed me into the back of a tinted car, following me in and slamming the door shut.

The transition was a blur of heated skin, frantic breaths, and soft, desperate words. We ended up in a huge, opulent hotel penthouse miles away.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice rough with restraint as he laid me back against the luxurious silk sheets of the bed, his silver eyes blazing with adoration. "I will wait. If you need time, I will wait a thousand years for you."

"Don't wait," I pleaded, pulling him down to me. "Make me forget tonight. Claim me."

The gentleness vanished, replaced by the possessive, primal need of an Alpha claiming what was his. Every touch was electric, every kiss a fiery promise. When he finally sank his fangs into the crook of my neck, marking me as his own, a brilliant, blinding light erupted behind my eyelids. I belonged to him, and he belonged to me. Complete surrender.

I woke up slowly, my body aching in the most satisfying way possible. The curtains of the penthouse were drawn, letting in a sliver of bright morning sunlight.

I stretched my legs under the sheets, a soft smile playing on my lips. The agonizing heartbreak of yesterday felt like a distant nightmare. I reached across the bed, but the other side was empty. The sheets were still warm.

"Hello?" I called out softly, wrapping the duvet around my chest as I sat up.

"I'm out here, beautiful Luna," his deep voice called from the adjoining private terrace.

My heart fluttered at the title. I pushed myself out of bed, grabbing one of his large dress shirts from the floor and slipping it on. It smelled exactly like him—mint and power.

I walked barefoot across the plush carpet, stepping out onto the sun-drenched balcony.

He was standing by the railing, holding a cup of coffee, completely dressed in a fresh dark suit, looking even more intimidating and gorgeous in the daylight.

"Good morning," I smiled, stepping up beside him.

"Good morning," he replied, turning to kiss my forehead softly. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'm dreaming," I admitted, looking down at the intricate mate mark on my collarbone. "I don't even know your name."

A sleek black phone resting on the patio table began to buzz loudly interrupting me. I glanced down. The caller ID flashed across the screen.

Alpha Eric - Crimson Shadow Pack.

My blood ran completely cold. The breath froze in my throat. I stared at the flashing screen. He calmly picked up the phone, his eyes completely unreadable.

"Why is he calling you?" I whispered, as the resemblance finally clicked into place. The same jaw. The same hair.

"Because he is my nephew."

"And I am Lord Valerius. The true King of the Northern Coast." I stumbled backward, hitting the door.

Valerius. The exiled, ruthless uncle. The billionaire Lycan king that Eric and his father were really terrified of. The man who had vowed to return one day and tear the Crimson Shadow pack to the ground.

And I had just let him mark me.

The blood drained entirely from Calista’s face. She stumbled backward, her bare shoulders hitting the glass of the sliding patio. Her wide, terrified eyes darted from the flashing screen of the phone in my hand up to my face.

"You're his uncle," she breathed, the words barely making it past her lips. "You're Lord Valerius."

I couldn't step toward her. I forced my Lycan to sit down, forced the aura of my dominance to pull back so she could breathe. I hated the fear in her eyes. I despised it, especially because it was directed at me.

"I am," I answered.

"You knew," she choked out, her hands gripping the edges of my dress shirt.

"You knew who I was this whole time. This is a game. A sick, twisted game. Eric put you up to this, didn't he? To humiliate me?"

A growl tore its way out of my chest before I could stop it.

"Do not ever," I warned, taking one slow, step toward her, "associate my mark with that boy's pathetic games. I don't play games with what belongs to me, Calista. And Eric doesn't possess the spine to even look me in the eye, let alone ask me for a favor."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" she cried, a fresh tear spilling over her lashes.

"Because I didn't know you were the girl he rejected until you whispered your name in my ear in the dark," I told her honestly, stopping just inches from her trembling body. I raised a hand, gently brushing the tear from her cheek with my thumb. She flinched, but she didn't pull away. "By the time I pieced it together, my fangs were already sinking into your skin. And even if I had known before I kissed you... it wouldn't have changed a damn thing. You were always going to be mine."

She let out a broken sob, shaking her head. "I don't understand. Men like you... you don't look at girls like me."

"Men like me?" I scoffed quietly, tilting her chin up so she had to look into my silver eyes. "I have spent my entire life controlling every single aspect of my world. I don't make mistakes. I avoid anything that could even slightly tarnish my reputation. But the second I saw you

walking down that hallway, smelling like vanilla and sorrow, my self-control completely vanished."

It was the truth. It was almost embarrassing how fast I lost my mind over her.

My Lycan had been restless, pacing and snarling in the back of my mind ever since we arrived in this miserable territory. I had been with numerous women over the centuries. Beautiful, flawless, high-society women. But none of them had ever sparked even a fraction of the connection I felt when Calista crashed into my chest.

When I kissed her, my entire world tilted on its axis. The bond snapped so violently I felt it in my bones. Pure, unadulterated bliss.

"I'm not supposed to be here," I murmured, tracing the mate mark I had left on her collarbone. "I didn't even want to come to this territory."

"Then why did you?" she whispered.

"Because my Beta, Zelda, wouldn't stop nagging me," I muttered, recalling the irritating morning two days ago. Zelda had practically kicked my office door down, reminding me of the PR nightmare I would cause if I skipped my stepbrother's son's Binding Ceremony.

Eric's father had begged me to attend. The Crimson Shadow pack was merging some of their western borders, and the media was crawling all over the territory. As the CEO of the largest Lycan enterprise on the continent, my presence was required to legitimize the event. It was good for my business image, and more importantly, it was a chance to remind the northern packs exactly who held their leashes.

When my motorcade had rolled into the pack square yesterday, it was pathetic. The entire pack had dropped to their knees, exposing their necks in total submission. The she-wolves had practically thrown themselves under the tires of my car.

I became a rogue intentionally. I left this weak pack decades ago because I refused to bow to their idiotic politics. I built my wealth in the human world, operating in the shadows, until I was feared enough to become the undisputed King of the Northern Coast.

And out of all the desperate, power-hungry women in that crowd yesterday, my mate turned out to be the one girl who had been pushed into the dirt.

"Calista," I said softly, pulling her out of her spiraling thoughts. "Look at me." She blinked, her wet eyes meeting mine.

"I know you're hurting. I know that boy shattered your heart last night," I told her, my voice turning incredibly serious.

"But you are not a victim anymore. You are the Luna of the Northern Coast. You are my mate. And no one, especially not my pathetic excuse for a nephew, will ever disrespect you again."

"I can't go back there," she whispered, shaking her head frantically. "All my things are at the packhouse, but I don't care. I'll leave them. Please, Valerius, don't make me go back. They laughed at me. They all laughed at me."

The raw pain in her voice made my blood boil. My Lycan wanted to shift right here on the balcony and tear the entire Crimson Shadow pack to shreds.

"We are going back," I commanded gently, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her against my chest. "You are not going to run away. You are going to walk into that packhouse, and you are going to pack your bags while they watch. You are going to leave with your head held high."

"They'll mock me."

"They wouldn't dare" I growled, a dark smirk pulling at the corner of my mouth. "I want to see who is brave enough to speak to you that way."

The black Veldec Car idled smoothly down the dirt road leading to the Crimson Shadow packhouse.

Zelda was driving, his eyes occasionally flicking to the rearview mirror. He hadn't said a word when I walked out of the hotel with Calista holding my hand, but the slight smirk on my Beta's face told me he already knew exactly what was going on.

Calista sat rigidly beside me in the backseat. I had made a few phone calls while she showered. A private boutique had opened its doors early specifically for me, and I had a dress delivered directly to the penthouse.

She looked breathtaking.

The deep red fabric hugged every curve of her body perfectly. I had practically growled when she walked out of the bedroom wearing it.

"Pull up to the front," I ordered Zelda as the packhouse came into view. "Yes, Alpha," Zelda replied, steering the vehicle toward the main courtyard.

The post-ceremony brunch was in full swing. Dozens of high-ranking pack members, reporters, and elite guards were scattered across the lawn, holding champagne flutes and laughing under the morning sun.

"Calista," I said, turning to her. Her hands were shaking in her lap. I reached over, taking her soft hands in my large ones, forcing her to look at me. "I want you to get out first."

Her eyes widened in sheer panic. "What? No! Valerius, please—"

"Listen to me," I interrupted gently. "I am going to be right behind you. I will not let a single hair on your head be harmed. But I need you to walk onto that lawn alone for exactly thirty seconds."

"Why?" she breathed, terrified.

"Because I want to see their true faces," I told her. "I want to see exactly how they treat you when they think you have no protection. I need to know exactly whose lives I am going to ruin today."

She swallowed hard, searching my eyes. She was scared, but I could see the tiny spark of courage trying to ignite in her chest. She nodded slowly.

"Okay."

Zelda parked the car just outside the wrought gates. He stepped out and opened Calista's door.

I stayed in the tinted backseat, rolling down the window just an inch so I could hear everything.

Calista stepped out.

The moment her heels clicked onto the driveway, the chatter on the lawn began to die down. Heads turned. Drinks were lowered.

I watched the moment the pack recognized her. The shock rippled through the crowd, quickly followed by the disgusting, arrogant sneers I had fully expected.

"Well, well, well," a venomous voice rang out across the courtyard.

The crowd parted as Marie strutted forward, wearing a tight white dress that intentionally highlighted her small, pregnant stomach. Eric walked right beside her, his arm draped casually over her shoulder. He looked incredibly smug until his eyes landed on Calista's new dress. He frowned, clearly confused by the sheer wealth dripping off her.

"Look who decided to show her face," Marie mocked, stopping a few feet away from Calista. "I thought you ran off into the woods to cry like a little wounded pup."

"I just came to pack my things, Marie," Calista said, her voice shaking slightly. "Let me pass."

"Pack your things?" Eric scoffed, taking a step forward. He looked Calista up and down, a nasty smirk forming on his lips. "And go where? No pack is going to take in a heavy, pathetic, rejected wolf. Who bought you that dress, Calista? Did you steal from the pack funds before you left last night?"

My Lycan was roaring, clawing violently against my chest.

Patience, I told my wolf. Let them dig their own graves.

"I didn't steal anything," Calista said, holding her ground.

"You're a liar and a joke," Marie laughed, taking a glass of red wine from a passing waiter's tray. "You really think dressing up changes what you are? You're still the same fat pig who thought my mate would actually want her."

Without a second of hesitation, Marie threw her arm forward, splashing the entire glass of dark red wine directly onto Calista's dress.

Calista gasped, stumbling back a step as the red liquid dripped down the silk. The crowd erupted into laughter.

Eric chuckled, shaking his head. "Clean that up, Calista. Maybe if you get on your knees and scrub the courtyard, I'll let you stay in the servant's quarters."

That was it. The limit had been crossed. I kicked the door open.

The laughter in the courtyard died instantly.

Wolves gasped. Several of the weaker members immediately collapsed to their knees, clutching their throats as the air was sucked from their lungs.

Eric froze, the smug smile completely vanishing from his face as the color drained from his cheeks. Marie stumbled backward.

I reached out, wrapping an arm around Calista’s waist.

Eric's eyes widened his gaze dropping to the fresh mate mark resting prominently on Calista's collarbone.

I looked into my nephew's terrified eyes. "How dare you treat my mate that way"

The sheer dominance rolling off him forced the breath from my lungs. Every single pair of eyes on the lawn was fixed entirely on me.

I couldn't handle it. The shock, the paralyzing stares, the sudden shift in power. Panic flared in my veins, and my first instinct was to run. I scrambled, trying to pull away from his possessive grip.

"Valerius, let me go," I whispered frantically pushing at his solid chest. "Everyone is looking. Please."

His arm only tightened around my waist, anchoring me to his side.

"They have to," Valerius murmured, loud enough for the courtyard to hear. "Let them see exactly who their future Luna is."

Gasps erupted across the lawn.

Marie’s face twisted into an ugly, furious sneer. The glass she had dropped lay in pieces around her heels.

"Luna?" Marie shrieked, her voice shrill and desperate. She pointed a shaking finger at me. "Her? You have got to be kidding me! She’s playing you, Lord Valerius! Look at her! Did you really stoop so low just to entice him, Calista? Spreading your legs for a billionaire just because you couldn't handle getting dumped?"

A growl tore from Valerius's chest.

"Speak to my mate again, and I will rip your tongue from your mouth." Marie shrank back instantly, hiding behind Eric’s shoulder.

Eric stood frozen, his eyes darting frantically between the fresh mate mark on my collarbone and Valerius's murderous expression. The doors of the packhouse suddenly flew open.

Eric's father, the current Alpha, rushed down the steps, his pale face with sheer terror. "Lord Valerius! Please, there must be a misunderstanding. My son meant no disrespect—"

"Save it," Valerius snapped coldly. He finally looked down at me, the ice in his eyes softening.

"Go inside, Calista. Go to your room and pack your belongings. I have some pack business to discuss with the Alpha."

"But"

"Go," he urged gently, kissing the top of my head in front of everyone. "I will be right behind you."

I didn't need to be told twice. I pulled out of his grip and practically ran past Marie and Eric, keeping my eyes glued to the ground as I hurried up the stone steps and into the pack house.

My chest heaved as I hit the cool, empty corridors. The noise from the courtyard was muffled behind the walls. I just needed to get to my old room in the omega quarters and leave.

I turned the corner toward the back staircase. Suddenly, a hand clamped down on my wrist.

Before I could even scream, I was yanked backward. The rough movement sent me stumbling into the dark, narrow parlor room just off the hallway.

I spun around, my back hitting the wall.

Eric stood over me, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His eyes were completely black, his wolf fighting for control. He slammed both hands against the wall on either side of my head, completely caging me in.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I yelled, trying to shove his chest. He didn't even budge.

"Do you love me that much?" Eric demanded, his voice trembling with an unhinged, furious edge. "Is that what this is? You just couldn't accept my rejection, so you run to be with my uncle? The one man you know I detest so much?"

I stared at him, obviously disgusted. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Are you trying to test my patience, Calista?" he growled, leaning in so close I could smell the champagne on his breath. "Is this your sick way of getting back at me for choosing Marie? What did he offer you? Money? A title? Because there is no way in hell a man like him actually wants a pathetic, weak wolf like you!"

Rage, hot and blinding, exploded in my chest.

"Why do you care?" I screamed, shoving him back with everything I had. It was enough to knock him off balance for a second. "I’m plus-sized, remember? I’m an embarrassment! Last time I checked, you never wanted anything to do with me!"

"That doesn't give you the right to humiliate me in front of my entire pack!" he fired back, his face twisting with arrogant fury.

"You humiliated me on that stage last night!" I yelled back, my voice suddenly breaking. "You threw me away like dirt!"

Eric took a step forward. He looked at the mate mark on my neck, his eyes darkening with a toxic, terrifying possessiveness.

"I never said you could be with anyone else."

I gasped, genuinely unable to comprehend the sheer audacity of his words.

"What?" I breathed out, shaking my head. "You rejected me! You claimed another woman!"

"Because I needed a Luna who fit the part!" he yelled, pacing a tight circle before cornering me against the wall again. "But you are still mine, Calista! You were meant for me!"

"You are just an egoistic bastard!" I spat, tears of pure frustration stinging my eyes.

Eric’s furious expression suddenly cracked. His shoulders dropped, and the dark dominance in his eyes shifted into something completely desperate. He reached out, his fingers trembling as he tried to grab my hand.

"Please, Calista."

"Please. I’m sorry. I lost my mind out there. Just... tell him it’s a mistake. Tell him you reject the bond. We can figure this out. I'll set you up in a private house off the territory. I’ll visit you every night. Just don't leave with him."

I looked down at his outstretched hand, feeling nothing but revulsion.

"It's too late, Eric," I said coldly, swatting his hand away. "I am leaving. And I am never coming back."

I tried to step around him, but Eric’s hand shot out, grabbing my throat and slamming me back against the wallpaper.

"Oh no," Eric snarled, his face suddenly twisting into something completely ruthless and unhinged. The begging was gone, He stepped flush against me, trapping my legs. "You really think I’m going to let you walk out of here and parade around with him? You think I'm going to let him parade my leftovers in front of my face?"

"Let me go!" I choked out, clawing at his wrist. "You aren't going anywhere”.

"I'm the future Alpha of this territory. And if you think I won't lock you in the underground cells until you submit to me, you severely underestimate how far I am willing to go to keep what is mine."