Chapter 1 The Unmarked Bride

The ascent to the Sunstone Peaks fortress was a calculated performance, and Lyra played her part flawlessly.

Perched in the gilded carriage, wrapped in silks that were three shades too bright and jewelry that was undoubtedly paste, she was the epitome of the Prophecy Bride the one destined to save the pack from the slow, spiritual rot that had afflicted their mountain for two generations.

In reality, she was a professional problem solver, a rogue wolf with a knack for lock-picking and a deep, abiding cynicism for anything labeled "destiny." Lyra wasn't meant to save the Sunstone Pack; she was hired by Alpha Kaelen's treacherous uncle, Lord Veridian, to destabilize them.

She was the decoy, the expensive, sacrificial lie.

The Peak itself was breathtaking: a massive structure of white granite, built around the single, colossal Sunstone Crystal that pulsed with faint, dying light at its summit. This was the source of the pack's energy, and it was failing.

When the carriage stopped, the silence of the reception was crushing. This was not a celebration; it was a desperate ritual.

Alpha Kaelen stood at the base of the grand temple staircase. He was younger than the rumors suggested, perhaps twenty-five, lean and deceptively graceful.

Unlike the grizzled pack elders behind him, his presence didn't radiate raw power; it radiated tension the coiled energy of a man holding back a storm.

His eyes, the startling, rare color of molten gold, fixed on Lyra the moment she stepped onto the polished stone.Act the part. Be fragile. Be holy. Lyra took a trembling breath, allowing her lips to part slightly, projecting the required awe.

The elders, draped in ancient robes, began the invocation. "The Prophet's Scroll foretells the arrival of the Unmarked One, who carries the lost light in her heart and whose touch will restore the Sunstone's brilliance."

Lyra knew the prophecy line by line. She was "unmarked" because she had no pack tattoo; she was a rogue. She carried "lost light" because she had a small, unique reservoir of energy that made her a decent illusionist a skill she sold for coin.

The critical moment came as she reached the top step. Alpha Kaelen extended his hand, not in greeting, but in ceremonial claim. This touch was supposed to confirm the prophecy, sealing the bond and reigniting the crystal.

As her fingers brushed his, the air did not fill with light. Instead, the failing Sunstone Crystal above them-which usually pulsed a slow, amber color flickered violently, dying to a flat, dead gray.

A collective gasp went through the crowd. Panic rippled through the elders. The prophecy had failed.Kaelen's expression never faltered. He squeezed her hand, maintaining the public facade while his golden eyes drilled into hers.

"Welcome, Luna Lyra," he announced, his voice smooth and utterly convincing. "The Peak accepts your presence."He pulled her closer, his head dipping as if to whisper a private assurance.

His mouth moved right next to her ear, but what he said was a terrifying, chilling truth meant only for her."The Sunstone didn't fail because you're a fraud. It failed because I know you are, and I deliberately shut down the power. You are not the Prophecy Bride, Rogue Lyra. You are my crisis. Now, smile for the elders, or I will hand you to my uncle to be judged a false prophet-and he will be very interested in the methods of your deceit."Lyra felt the blood freeze in her veins. Her brilliant plan had been seen through instantly. Her escape artist mind raced: He knew her name. He knew she was a rogue. He hadn't exposed her, but he'd just issued the most dangerous threat of her life.She met his gaze, the golden heat of his eyes challenging her quick witted cynicism.

In that moment of shared, lethal conspiracy, Kaelen wasn't just an Alpha he was a collaborator in a high stakes lie.

Lyra managed a perfect, radiant smile, the one that had cost her half a pack of gold to perfect. She squeezed his hand back, making a silent pact of mutual destruction."

My Alpha," she whispered back, her voice honeyed and low, "I live to serve the Peak's destiny."

The game had changed. Lyra wasn't just impersonating a Luna; she was trapped in a mutual deception with the only person who could execute her.