The Obsidian Claw Pack lives by one cruel, unspoken rule. If an Alpha wants to take a chosen mate, the original Mate must publicly surrender her title. She has to take the Luna’s moonstone necklace off her own neck and place it upon the new woman. The day Julian brought Vanessa to our territory, the whole Pack was waiting for me to lose my mind from the agony of his betrayal. I was his Fated Mate. We’d been in love for seven years. I survived bloody trials to earn this necklace. I took a lethal strike from a rival Alpha meant for his heart. Everyone was sure I’d rather die from the agony of a damaged bond than give up my title. But when Vanessa showed off the temporary Mate mark on her neck, I just calmly took off the necklace. And put it on her myself. Julian swirled the wine in his glass. His predatory eyes were filled with arrogance and satisfaction. “Valerie,” he said. “You’re finally learning your place.” I looked down, my hand on my now-bare collarbone. I chose to obey. But arrogant Julian was a fool. He had no idea. A month ago, a fever brought all my memories back. I wasn’t a Rogue. I’m the lost daughter of the Northern Alpha King. Missing for seven years. In three days, my brother’s Royal Guard is coming to the territory border. They’re coming to take me home. …… It was the Obsidian Claw Pack’s full moon feast. Vanessa tilted her long neck, showing off the ceremonial moonstone necklace to the high-ranking she-wolves around her. Gasps went through the crowd. Then their mocking eyes landed on me in the corner. Julian sat in the Alpha’s seat, his dark eyes flicking my way now and then. After basking in their admiration, Vanessa sauntered over to me, a glass of blood-moon wine in hand. Her eyes fell to my wrist. To the lapis lazuli bracelet he had made for me three years ago. The Moon Goddess runes carved inside were the only thing keeping my wolf’s agonized whimpers over her Mate’s rejection from ripping out of my throat. The only thing keeping me from breaking down in front of them all. Vanessa chuckled, leaning close to my ear. “Valerie, you gave up the necklace. Don’t you think you should give up the rest of the Luna’s jewelry, too?” She reached out, trying to snatch the bracelet. I flinched away. In a flash, she sloshed the deep red wine from her glass all over my dress. A glaring crimson stain bloomed on the white silk. The room gasped. Vanessa stumbled, dropping her glass. It shattered on the floor. She let out a sharp cry, dragging her palm across a shard of glass. A thin red line welled up instantly. “Valerie… why did you push me?” She clutched the nearly invisible cut, her eyes welling with tears as if on cue. “I just wanted to talk to you…” The hall went dead silent. Every wolf’s eyes were on us. For the past seven years, I’d thrown out any she-wolf who tried to get near Julian or challenge me. No mercy. I once threw an Omega who tried to seduce him into the pool in front of the whole pack. This time, before I could even speak, the Alpha’s power slammed into me. It forced my wolf to her knees. A sharp pain shot through our mate bond as it was violently tugged. I bit my tongue to keep from collapsing. “Valerie.” Julian’s voice came from behind me, cold as ice. He strode over, pulling Vanessa into his arms. He examined her hand, which was already healing, his brow furrowed. Then he looked up at me. The eyes I once loved more than anything were filled with disgust. “What the hell is wrong with you now? I just brought Vanessa here. Why are you going after her?” His Alpha command intensified. His tone was laced with accusation, his concern entirely for her. I met his disgusted gaze, fighting the dull ache of our bond being rejected. I didn’t say a word. I just slowly unclasped the bracelet from my wrist. I heard my wolf let out a hopeless whimper. As the pack watched in shock, I held the bracelet out to Vanessa. “You like it? It’s yours. I’m sorry, I lost my balance.” Julian’s brow twitched. A flash of shock in his eyes. Vanessa froze too, forgetting to cry. I took out a handkerchief, wiped the wine from my hands, and knelt down. Every eye in the hall was glued to my back. I picked up the scattered shards of glass. The sharp edges cut my fingers. Drops of blood seeped out, mixing with the red wine on my dress. I couldn’t tell where the wine ended and my blood began. When I was done, I stood up and looked at Julian. “My dress is ruined. I’m going upstairs to change.” I turned and walked to the second floor, my back straight. Julian’s eyes never left my back. Back in my room, I shut the door. I leaned against it and closed my eyes. Julian Thorne. For seven years, my loyalty was yours. Today, that devotion dies.
My phone lit up. A message from my brother. “Val, the Royal Guard is moving. East border. Three days. Dawn.” “What Julian owes you… I’ll make him repay it. A hundred times over.” I stared at the words, my eyes suddenly hot. I traced the word “brother” on the screen. Just as I was about to reply, the door was thrown open. Julian stormed in, snatched the phone from my hand, and threw it on the rug. I looked up. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. His eyes were a storm of warring emotions—scrutiny, suspicion, and a flicker of something I couldn’t name. Anxiety. “Valerie.” His thumb dug into my jaw. “What was that tonight?” “What was what?” I asked. “You gave her the necklace. You gave her the bracelet.” His eyes darkened. “You’re not going to fight?” I stared at him. “Isn’t this what you wanted?” My voice was flat, empty. “A graceful, obedient former Luna.” Julian’s pupils contracted. He stared at me for a long moment, then suddenly let go, pulling me into his arms. The scent of pine and forest surrounded me. A smell I once thought I could breathe in forever. But now, it was tainted by the cloying, sickly sweet perfume of Vanessa. The mix made my stomach turn. Julian lowered his head, his lips brushing my ear. “Valerie, I know you were wronged today. But her wolf was nearly shattered saving me. I owe her this. As long as you behave, there will always be a room for you in the Pack House.” It was a promise. An insult disguised as charity. He thought I should be grateful. A frantic knock came at the door. Vanessa’s weak voice drifted through the wood. “Julian, my wolf feels sick… Where are you… Can you come be with me?” Julian’s body went rigid. He let me go. Without hesitation. Without another word. He walked to the door, then paused. “Oh,” he said, his back still to me. “That moon-silk gown in your closet. I want Vanessa to wear it to the alliance banquet tomorrow.” My breath caught. The moon-silk gown. My precious from our mating ceremony five years ago. He had spent a fortune on the world’s last remaining moon-silk. Every stitch was infused with moonlight and the blood of our vows. It was his promise that I would be his one and only mate for life. Last year, I banished a new Omega from the territory just for getting a smudge on that dress. Julian had praised me then, saying what was mine, no one else could touch. Now, he was telling me to give it to Vanessa. My nails dug into my palms, reopening the cuts from the broken glass. Blood welled up again. I looked at his expectant face and slowly nodded. “Fine. I’ll have it sent over tomorrow.” Julian’s shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. Then he opened the door and hurried to a crying Vanessa. I heard his soft voice comforting her down the hall, followed by the click of the room next door closing. I walked to my desk, pulled out a calendar, and picked up a red marker. I drew a heavy X over today’s date. Two days until my brother comes for me. I slipped out of the wine-stained dress and stepped into the bathroom. Hot water streamed over my body. I stared at my pale face in the mirror. Below my right breast, a vicious old scar crossed my ribs. Five years ago, a rival Alpha swiped for Julian’s heart. I jumped in front of him. The pack healer said another inch and I would have been dead. Behind my left shoulder blade, there’s a dark spot that will never fade. Two years ago, during the moonstone mine border dispute, a silver wolfsbane bullet went through me. It won him a mine worth millions a year. … There were other scars. Too many. Seven years ago, he found me injured, with no memory, and took me in. I repaid him with seven years of loyalty and love. Julian. My debts to you are paid. We are even.
The next morning, I had a maid take the dress box to Vanessa’s room. Ten minutes later, the sharp sound of scissors echoed from the end of the hall. I was walking by with a cup of tea when I saw her. Vanessa was sitting in front of a mirror, a pair of scissors in her hand. The moon-silk gown was spread across her lap. She was cutting it, blade by blade, slicing off the intricate moon-flower pattern on the hem. “This style is ancient,” she sneered to her maids. “How could Julian let me, the future Luna, wear this? I’d be a laughingstock at the banquet.” She looked up and saw me. A flicker of defiance in her eyes. “Don’t you think so, Valerie?” I didn’t answer. I carried my tea and walked toward the medical wing. Five years ago, Julian survived an assassination attempt by a Rogue on the border. The Pack Healer removed the silver wolfsbane bullet, but the toxins had seeped into his blood. When it flared up, his wolf would tear himself apart in agony. For seven years, every single morning, I came here to brew a wolfsbane suppressant. Three hours later, the deep green potion bubbled in its vial, smelling of cool moon-petal herbs. I wrapped the bottle in a cloth and walked toward his study. I was still thirty feet away when I heard voices. It was his Beta, Cedric. “Julian, moving Vanessa into the master suite… isn’t it too soon? The pack sees everything the Luna has done for you these seven years. If you keep this up, she’s really going to leave.” A short silence. Then Julian laughed, a cold, soft sound. “Leave? Where would she go? She was a stray I found half-frozen in a blizzard. I’m going to break that pride of hers. Make her understand who the real Alpha is. Once she accepts reality and learns her place, I’ll give her a spot in the pack. Make sure she’s taken care of.” The Beta sighed. “If you keep humiliating her, don’t you worry she’ll finally give up on you?” Julian scoffed. “Give up? The only thing Valerie knows is how to cling to me. She’s like a vine that can’t survive without its tree. She would never leave me.” The tray in my hands tilted. The scalding potion spilled over the back of my hand. An angry red mark bloomed on my skin. I felt nothing. I calmly placed the tray outside his door, walked to the sink at the end of the hall, and poured three hours of painstaking work down the drain. Just then, Vanessa appeared, wearing the butchered moon-silk gown. The hem was ragged, like a dog had chewed it. She saw me and a smirk spread across her face. “Oh, Valerie, I forgot to tell you. Julian wants me to move into the top-floor master suite tonight. He says it will help my wolf heal. You’ll need to get your things out by today.” The master suite of the Pack House. I had lived there for five years. It was filled with every trace of my life with Julian. I looked at Vanessa’s gloating face and nodded. “Okay.” I walked into the master suite. I didn’t take any jewelry. I didn’t take the diamonds, emeralds, or rare gems Julian had bought for me. I only took the tattered clothes I was wearing when I first arrived. As I was about to leave, my phone buzzed in my pocket. My brother. “Val, your commoner file in the Werewolf Council archives has been wiped clean. Your royal status will be restored. Soon, no one will ever be able to bother you again.” I changed into my old, worn-out clothes and walked out of the master suite. Then, I moved into the darkest, dustiest corner of the Pack House: the basement storage room. It was a forgotten junk room. Not even the lowest-ranking Omega would willingly spend a minute here. I sat there, watching the northern stars through the grimy window. Twelve hours left until I leave the Obsidian Claw territory.
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