Chapter 1
After studying at the Moonlight Academy for two long years, I couldn’t wait to return to my pack. I was ready to become Luna, and my heart was filled with excitement at the thought of finally decorating our new den with my mate, Darius Bloodmoon.
My wolf was even more happy than I was.
I was daydreaming about our future together, picturing how beautiful our home would be, when I stumbled upon a hidden box in a corner of my room. Inside were flight tickets, neatly stacked and labeled with dates and destinations.
As I stared at the tickets, confusion washed over me. Darius had been traveling to the neighboring pack, Shadowclaw, every month without telling me. He always said he was busy with pack business, but how could he be too busy to see me? Even though I was only a short run away from Shadowclaw, he chose not to visit or include me in any of his plans. That realization hurt more than I expected. I arrived at the spot where I thought he would propose, my heart racing with anticipation and joy. The sun began to set, casting a golden hue over the meadow, and I imagined all the beautiful words he would say to me. But my world shattered in an instant as I saw him kneeling before another she–wolf. “Alina Nightshade, will you be my mate? Just say yes, and I’ll abandon everything else!” Darius‘ s voice echoed with excitement, and 1 froze, unable to comprehend what I was witnessing. His gaze was filled with love and admiration for her, not for me. I couldn’t bear to interrupt their
I
heart moment. If he wanted a life with her, who was I to stand in their way? But as I ran away, my pounding in my chest, I heard that he had searched every corner of the world for me, frying to bring me back to his side.
The proposal site was beautiful, adorned with vibrant wildflowers and lit by the gentle glow of lanterns that swayed lightly in the breeze. Darius, down on one knee, looked just like the prince of my dreams. But the she–wolf standing in front of him was not me!
“Alina, will you accept my bond?” he asked, his voice a melody of hope and joy.
Alina clutched her chest, overwhelmed with emotion as Darius slid a sparkling ring onto her finger. They embraced tightly, their laughter mixing with whispers of love that pierced through me like an arrow, leaving me breathless and heartbroken.
I found myself absentmindedly twisting the silver bracelet Darius had given me during my first moon phase ceremony. I never told him it was too loose. I had tied a bit of thread around it to keep it from slipping off my wrist. But as I tugged on the thread in disbelief, it finally unraveled, and the bracelet slipped from my wrist, rolling away and disappearing into the grass. Just like Darius, who, after two years apart, had chosen to break our bond. An ill–fitting bracelet didn’t need to be retrieved, just as a mate who no longer loved me didn’t need to be held onto.
My wolf howled in pain.
“Darius, I hope your mating ceremony goes smoothly,
“Why? The only one I wish to mate with is you!”
Because… I plan to crash your ceremony! It will show how deep our bond truly is!”
My steps faltered. I wanted to see just how far Darius would go to hurt me for Alina’s sake.
“You are truly one of a kind! Only you would dream up such madness!” he laughed, the sound sharp and mocking.
“Then I better get some new running shoes so I can escape fast if we decide to elope!”
“Are you really ready to do this, Alina?” he asked, his voice dripping with insincerity.
“Marrying her is the least I can do to honor my promise. If she can t keep her mafe from running away at the altar, that’s her fault, right?” he responded, laughter still in his voice, but it was cruel and twisted.
Their laughter stabbed at my heart. I turned away, leaning against a nearby tree, feeling my strength wane. My legs felt weak, and I couldn’t hold back my sobs any longer. I covered my mouth tightly, desperate not to let them hear me..
But halfway home, my legs finally gave out, and I collapsed onto the cold, unforgiving ground. The moon goddess had dealt me a cruel hand like she always did.
Once back in my den, broken and bruised, I reached for my phone and called my mentor, desperate for a sense of guidance in this overwhelming moment.
“Elder Roman, I want to join the sojourn you mentioned.”
My mentor sounded thrilled but confused, clearly sensing my distress through the phone.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to settle down with Darius in our territory? Isn‘ a long–distance bond hard to maintain? Are you sure you want to make this choice?”
I winced as I wiped the dirt from my scraped knees, each touch sending pain through me. I could hardly bear to think of the life I had imagined with Darius.
“The bond is over. From now on, I’ll devote myself to research!” I declared, my voice strong despite the tears still streaming down my cheeks.
My mentor, who treated me like family, sensed something was off.
“The deadline is approaching. I’ll put your name on the list. Keeping busy will help distract you from.
this.”
“I don’t mean to pry, but over the last two years, you’ve always been here in Silverlake, while he has never bothered to come see you. That’s a clear sign he doesn t love you like you thought.” “If you’ve decided to move on, don‘ t cling to the past!”
If it weren’t for that stack of flight tickets, I could have easily brushed aside my mentor’s words
about his lack of love.
No wonder Darius never called at the end of each month. He was busy running off to Shadowclaw! For two whole years, I felt like a fool, pouring my heart into my studies, thinking we would be together. Those brief moments together after long runs to see him were once my happiest times. Yet, my cross–pack love story had turned into a cruel joke, and I had been the butt of it all.
As I made my way to the proposal site, I tried to convince myself he had gone to Shadowclaw for pack business. But seeing him propose to Alina–the very wolf who had bullied me during my childhood–made it clear why he hadn‘ t visited me.
Alina must have kept him away, spinning tales of longing to justify his absence. He knew exactly how
much I despised her.
After my father died, Alina and her mother became the ghosts of my past, haunting me with their presence. I had imagined countless scenarios over these two years, but I never thought Darius would fall for her. I never anticipated he would go so far as to allow me to be humiliated at the ceremony just to satisfy her.
I sank into the tub, the heat gradually calming my trembling body, allowing the water to embrace me and wash away some of my pain.
Then, Darius” s call came in, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Rina, where are you? I‘ m at the meadow!”
