The dashboard screen lit up, breaking the quiet hum of the Maybach’s engine. I tapped the answer button on the center console, leaning back into the plush leather seat.

"Did your idiotic family swarm you already, Aurora?"

Lucien Nightshade’s voice filled the cabin. His low baritone carried a dangerous, lethal edge that used to terrify his enemies, but to me, it was simply grounding.

"My guards reported a disturbance," Lucien continued, the sound of rustling paper echoing through the speakers. "Give me the word, and I will come over there right now."

"Stand down, Alpha," I replied, running my thumb over the smooth velvet ring box resting in my lap. "I handled it. They aren't worth your time, and they certainly aren't worth the jet fuel."

Lucien let out a low rumble of disapproval. "They touched you."

"They tried," I corrected him. "Your men stepped in perfectly. I'm fine."

"I should have come with you."

"We agreed on this," I reminded him, watching the city lights blur past the tinted windows. "I will attend Grandmother Evelyn's birthday banquet tonight, drop off her gift, and then I am getting on the first flight back tomorrow morning. After all, we made a promise."

"Luna's opening ceremony," Lucien said, his tone softening instantly at the mention of our daughter.

"Exactly."

A high-pitched, entirely too awake voice piped up in the background, entirely drowning out her father's commanding presence.

"Yes, Mommy!" Luna shouted into the receiver. "You have to come back to be with me. I am your most important person!"

"Correction," Lucien countered. His voice shifted from deadly pack leader to petulant husband in a fraction of a second. "I am Mom's most important person. You are second."

"Dad, you're lying! Mommy loves me more!"

"She married me, little wolf. That makes me first."

A genuine laugh escaped my throat, completely erasing the lingering disgust Adrian and Damian had left behind. I pictured the two of them in Lucien’s massive office, the terrifying Alpha of the Nightshade pack arguing with a four-year-old over who held the top spot in my heart.

"Alright, Luna," I said, keeping the smile in my voice. "It is way past your bedtime over there. You need to go to sleep and let your father coax you into bed. You are both equally important, okay?"

Luna let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine. But I get the first hug when you land. Dad has to wait in the car."

"Deal," I promised.

A soft rustle suggested Lucien had scooped her up. When he spoke again, the playful warmth vanished, replaced by an intense, unwavering devotion that anchored me to my new life.

"If you need anything, use the mind-link," Lucien told me, his voice dropping an octave. "I am always listening, Aurora. Always."

"I know," I said softly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The call disconnected just as the Maybach tires crunched over the gravel driveway of the Blackwood estate. Towering iron gates loomed ahead, heavily guarded and glowing under the harsh amber security lights. I stared at the sprawling mansion I used to call home. It looked exactly the same, yet it felt entirely foreign.

The vehicle rolled to a smooth stop near the grand entrance. The bodyguard in the passenger seat turned around, his expression completely rigid and professional.

"Madam, I will remain out here," he stated, adjusting the earpiece coiled around his neck. "Mr. Nightshade gave strict orders. Call for me the second you require assistance, and we will extract you immediately."

"Thank you," I said, grabbing my small clutch. "Just keep the engine warm. I don't plan on staying long."

I pushed the heavy car door open and stepped into the crisp evening air. The grand double doors of the mansion stood partially open, spilling golden light and the faint sound of a string quartet onto the marble steps.

I didn't even make it across the threshold.

A petite figure stepped out from behind a massive stone pillar, directly blocking my path to the entrance.

Serena Hale.

She wore a pale pink gown, the expensive fabric clinging to her fragile frame. She looked exactly as she had three years ago—small, innocent, and completely harmless. But the ugly jealousy twisting her features ruined the carefully crafted illusion.

"I thought you were going to stay in Europe forever," Serena whispered. Her voice carried a harsh hiss meant only for my ears.

I paused on the step below her, forcing her to look down at me. I kept my face blank, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. "You thought wrong."

Serena’s hands balled into tight fists at her sides. "Since you dragged yourself back here, don't think you can just waltz in and leave. What happened back then must be settled tonight."

I tilted my head, inspecting the girl who had single-handedly orchestrated my exile. I searched my chest for the blinding fury that used to burn inside me whenever I saw her face. There was nothing. Just a hollow, echoing pity for the pathetic creature standing before me.

"Settled?" I let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "Are we going to settle how you framed me for attacking you?"

Serena’s eyes narrowed. The corners of her mouth twitched upward into a sickly sweet smile. "Does the truth even matter, Aurora?"

She stepped down, closing the distance between us. The cloying scent of her floral perfume invaded my space, thick and suffocating.

"What matters is that all I have to do is cry," Serena sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "I shed a single tear, and the entire world rushes to stand by my side. Adrian. Damian. Chloe. They all chose me. And you? You will always be the abandoned one. You will always be the outcast they threw away."

I stared into her wide, manic eyes. Once, those words would have cut me to the bone. I would have screamed, defended myself, and begged for someone to listen to the truth.

I adjusted the strap of my clutch, my pulse completely steady.

"People who can be stolen away were never my whole world to begin with," I told her, my voice deadpan.

Serena blinked, her triumphant smirk faltering. She clearly expected me to break down. She wanted a screaming match.

"Move," I commanded, stepping up to her level. "You're blocking my path."

I didn't wait for her to step aside. I pushed past her, my shoulder knocking hard against hers.

Serena stumbled backward, her stiletto catching on the sharp edge of the marble stair, and as her hands flailed to catch her balance, her fingers hooked the silver latch of my coat pocket, yanking the velvet box out and sending it clattering onto the stone floor where it popped wide open.

I snatched the velvet box off the stone floor before Serena could register the silver crest stamped on the lid. Shoving the ring deep into my coat pocket, I ignored her shocked gasp and strode straight into the blinding chandeliers of the grand banquet hall.

Serena scurried after me, her fake tears already welling up. She darted behind the broad shoulders of Damian Ashford, Adrian Blackwood, and Chloe Bennett, using them as a human shield the second we entered the crowded room.

"My sister says I will always be an illegitimate child," Serena sobbed, clutching the lapel of Damian's suit. Her voice carried over the string quartet, drawing the eyes of dozens of elite guests. "I know I will always be a monster without a wolf. She doesn't have to remind me."

Damian stepped forward, his chest puffed out in a pathetic display of Alpha authority.

"Why are you still bullying people?" Damian demanded, his voice echoing across the sudden silence of the hall. "I will immediately sever our Mate Bond if you don't apologize right now and willingly go to prison to atone for what you did to her."

I stopped dead in the center of the room. A genuine laugh tore from my throat, loud and sharp.

"Haven't you realized our bond was severed a long time ago?" I asked, tilting my head to study his clueless expression. "Or were you too busy fucking Serena in her bed at the time to feel the connection snap?"

Gasps erupted from the surrounding crowd.

Damian's face flushed a violent, dark crimson. His hands balled into fists at his sides. "What happened between Serena and me was just an accident," he stammered, his confident facade crumbling. "You are twisting the truth. You bullied her on purpose."

Adrian stepped up right beside Damian, shooting me a look of pure disgust. "You should pretend the affair never happened, Aurora. Keep your mouth shut. After all, Damian is still willing to choose you as his Luna."

Chloe nodded vigorously, stepping out from behind my brother. "Aurora, we have all been so worried about you," she said, crossing her arms. "Serena cries every night over the pain you caused her wolf. And now you come back and insult her? Damian is offering you a second chance. Take it. You are throwing away a perfectly good future over a tiny mistake."

"A tiny mistake?" I repeated, my tone dropping to a dead calm. "No need to salvage anything. Someone who never believed me doesn't deserve to be my Mate. I've already mated with the heir of the Wolf Federation, Lucien Nightshade. And I will never apologize to Serena."

For a fraction of a second, raw, unfiltered jealousy twisted Serena's delicate features. Her eyes darkened with pure malice before she quickly blinked it away, replacing it with a mask of manufactured concern.

"Sister, why say that?" Serena asked, her voice thick with fake sympathy. "The consequences of spreading rumors about the Federation heir are very different from just bullying me. They will kill you for lying about a Nightshade."

"Our father would be ashamed to see you acting like a feral rogue," Adrian added, shaking his head. "Making up insane lies just to save face."

"Our father is dead," I reminded him. "And he would be ashamed to see his son defending a liar."

Whispers broke out among the pack elders standing near the buffet tables. I caught fragments of their gossip, calling me crazy, delusional, and broken.

I didn't waste another breath on them. I turned on my heel and walked out of the banquet hall, heading straight for the quiet corridor leading to the rear exit.

Heavy footsteps pounded against the carpet behind me.

"Stop right there, Aurora!" Damian shouted.

I ignored him, keeping my pace steady.

A hand clamped down on my shoulder, spinning me around. Damian shoved me hard against the heavy oak door of a vacant guest room. He twisted the brass knob, dragged me inside, and slammed the door shut, locking the deadbolt with a sharp click.

"Is it true?" Damian yelled, pinning me against the wood. "You really formed a bond with someone else? How could you betray me?"

I shoved my hands against his chest, trying to push him away, but his Alpha strength held me trapped.

"You betrayed me first," I spat, glaring up into his furious eyes. "While you were busy framing me and fucking my stepsister, didn't you consider my wolf would feel the agonizing pain of your infidelity?"

Damian ignored my words entirely. His gaze dropped to my throat, his pupils dilating with a sick, possessive rage.

"You belong to me," he growled, his voice thick with lust and anger. "Let's see if your new Alpha still wants you after your body truly belongs to me. Let's see if he wants my sloppy seconds."

He lunged forward, his mouth crashing roughly against my neck. His teeth scraped against my skin, trying to force a claiming bite.

"Get off me!" I shouted, bringing my knee up hard.

He dodged the strike, throwing his weight against my hips to pin my legs. His large hands grabbed the neckline of my silk dress and yanked downward. The fabric tore with a loud, sickening rip, exposing my bare chest and the lace edge of my bra.

"I am going to fuck you right here," Damian panted, his fingers digging bruising marks into my thighs as he hiked my ruined dress up around my waist. "I am going to shove my cock so deep inside your cunt you forget his fucking name. You are my mate, Aurora. Only mine."

He shoved his hand roughly between my legs, his rough fingers pressing hard against my underwear.

Revulsion churned in my stomach. I thrashed wildly, my nails clawing at his face, leaving deep, bloody scratches across his cheek.

"You fucking bitch," Damian hissed, wiping the blood from his face. He grabbed both of my wrists in one hand, pinning them above my head against the door. His other hand fumbled aggressively with his belt buckle, the metal jingling in the quiet room. "I'll make you beg for my knot."

"He treats me like a queen," I spat, kicking at his shins. "You treat me like trash."

"I'll treat you like a whore," Damian growled. He squeezed my exposed breast roughly, his grip painful. "I'm going to squeeze these until you scream my name. I'm going to fuck your wet cunt until you forget all about your precious Federation heir."

He forced his knee between my legs, spreading them wider.

"I am going to breed you, Aurora," he threatened, his voice dropping into a guttural snarl. "I'll put my pup in your belly, and then we will see if Lucien Nightshade still wants to claim you."

I closed my eyes, forcing my mind to focus through the panic. I pushed my consciousness outward, tapping into the secure frequency of the Nightshade pack network.

Get in here now.

Damian shoved his jeans down his hips, his erection pressing hot and heavy against my bare thigh. He leaned in, his foul breath washing over my face as he prepared to force himself inside me.

The solid oak door behind my back shuddered violently.

A massive force struck the wood from the outside. The deadbolt shattered. The door flew open, the impact sending Damian stumbling forward and completely off balance.

I scrambled away, pulling the torn pieces of my dress up to cover my chest.

Lucien Nightshade stood in the shattered doorway, the hallway lights casting long, terrifying shadows across his massive frame. His midnight-black suit was perfectly tailored, but the lethal, murderous rage radiating from his golden eyes belonged entirely to a wild beast. He stepped over the splintered wood, his gaze locking onto Damian's half-naked, pathetic form.

"Dare to touch Aurora Blackwood," Lucien said, pulling a sleek, silver handgun from his shoulder holster and pressing the barrel directly against Damian's forehead, "and you die."