The full moon hung low over the Blackthorn Pack grounds like a silver witness to my downfall. Torches flickered along the stone path leading to the ceremonial platform, casting long shadows on the faces of hundreds of pack members gathered below.
Tonight was supposed to be my ascension — my Luna ceremony. The moment I, Elara Voss, would stand beside my fated mate, Alpha Damian Blackthorn, and claim my place as the heart of the pack.
Instead, it felt like my execution.
My white gown, silk embroidered with moon phases, clung to my skin from nervous sweat. I walked forward with my head high, chin lifted, refusing to let them see me tremble.
Damian stood at the center of the platform, tall and commanding in his black ceremonial robes, his dark hair catching the moonlight. His eyes met mine, but there was no warmth. No pride. Only cold calculation.
The Elder raised his arms.
"Tonight, we witness the union of Alpha Damian Blackthorn and his fated mate, Elara Voss. The Moon Goddess has spoken"
Damian cut him off with a sharp hand. "No."
Gasps rippled through the crowd like wind through leaves. My heart stuttered.
The Elder blinked. "Alpha?"
Damian stepped forward, his voice booming across the clearing.
"I, Damian Blackthorn, reject Elara Voss as my mate and future Luna."
The words hit like a physical blow. Pain exploded in my chest — sharp, burning — as if the mate bond itself was ripping apart thread by thread.
My wolf, Luna, whimpered inside me, clawing at the edges of my mind in agony. I staggered back a step, hand pressing to my sternum.
"Why?" My voice cracked, but I forced it steady. "We've waited years for this. The bond—"
"The bond is weak," he sneered. "You're weak, Elara. No wolf strength, no alpha bloodline worth mentioning. You think I want a Luna who can't even shift properly during the full moon? The pack needs power, not pity."
Murmurs turned to whispers.
I saw my half-sister, Lila, standing near the front — smirking, her arm linked with one of Damian's betas. She'd always hated me, the "illegitimate" daughter of the former Beta. Now she looked triumphant.
Damian continued, louder for the crowd.
"I have chosen a stronger mate. Lila Voss will stand at my side. She has proven her loyalty... and her strength."
The betrayal sank deeper.
Lila?
My own blood?
The one who'd spread rumors about my "weak wolf" for years?
I looked at Damian, really looked.
The man I'd loved since we were teens. The one who'd whispered promises under the stars.
Gone.
Replaced by an arrogant alpha who cared more for power than the Moon Goddess's will.
Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of them.
"You reject me... for her?" My voice rose, trembling with rage. "After everything? After I stood by you through every battle, every loss?"
He laughed cold, cruel.
"You stood by me because you had no choice. But I do. I reject you, Elara Voss. Accept it, or leave this pack as a rogue."
The bond snapped fully then.
A scream tore from my throat as pain flooded every nerve. Luna howled inside me, broken and furious.
The crowd parted as if I carried a disease. Some looked pitying; most looked relieved.
I turned and ran down the path, past the torches, into the dark forest edge. Branches whipped my face, tearing the gown.
I collapsed against a tree, gasping, sobbing.
"Why, Moon Goddess?" I whispered. "Why give me a mate only to let him destroy me?"
But there was no answer.
Only silence.
... and a spark of something new.
Anger.
Pure, burning anger.
They thought I was weak. They thought I'd crawl away and die.
They were wrong.
I wiped my tears, staring at the moon.
"I will make them pay," I vowed. "Damian. Lila. The entire pack that watched and did nothing. I will rise... and when I do, they will beg for mercy."
A distant howl echoed perhaps my imagination, perhaps a promise.
As I pushed to my feet, a sleek black car pulled up at the forest road's edge.
The door opened.
A tall figure stepped out broad shoulders, cold eyes, radiating danger.
Lucian Blackthorn.
Damian's older brother.
The ruthless billionaire CEO the packs whispered about. The one who never attended ceremonies... until now.
He looked at me, gaze piercing.
"You look like someone who needs a deal."
My heart pounded.
Revenge had just found its first ally.