Chapter 1

Celine POV

I stood before the heavy oak doors of the Alpha's Quarters, my fingers trembling against the cold wood. Today was our third Mating Anniversary. I wore a delicate silk nightgown, foolishly hoping my natural scent-moonlight jasmine-might finally pierce the ice around Damian Blackwood's heart and remind him of the Moon Goddess's decree.

I knocked. When the door swung open, the suffocating scent of pine and leather before a storm hit me. Damian stood there, towering and rigid.

"What is it, Celine?" his voice was devoid of any warmth.

Before I could utter a word about our anniversary, a figure stepped out from the shadows behind him. Kacie. An Omega. She was wearing Damian's oversized dress shirt, her own scent entirely masked by the heavy, territorial musk of my Alpha.

"Oh, hi Celine," Kacie purred, leaning against Damian's arm as if she were the true Luna of this Pack.

My breath hitched. "Damian... it's our Mating Anniversary."

For a fraction of a second, Damian's jaw clenched. His eyes flashed a dangerous, glowing gold-his Inner Wolf fighting him, roaring *Mine!* at the sight of me. But he ruthlessly forced the beast down.

"I am aware," Damian said coldly, stepping slightly in front of Kacie to shield her. "I'll have my assistant wire a generous sum to your account tomorrow. Buy yourself some jewelry. And watch your tone around Kacie; she needs a peaceful environment."

He was reducing our sacred mate-bond to a financial transaction. The humiliation tore through my soul like a silver blade. I turned on my heel and walked away, feeling the fragile thread between us fraying to the breaking point.

When I returned to the Luna's Suite, the vast, empty bed felt like a mockery. I barely had a moment to process the ache in my chest before the door burst open. Kacie marched in without knocking.

"You're just a placeholder, you know," she sneered, dropping her innocent act entirely. "I was dying from that rogue attack three years ago. Damian only accepted a pathetic *wolfless* like you to keep the Pack stable while I recovered. I'm healed now. It's time for the substitute to step down."

Anger flared in my veins. "I am his Fated Mate, chosen by the Moon Goddess," I fired back, standing tall despite my lack of a wolf. "You are nothing but a scheming Omega coveting a throne that will never belong to you."

Her eyes narrowed, flashing with pure malice. "We'll see about that. Let's see who the Alpha chooses when his fragile little Omega is in danger."

Before I could react, Kacie lunged forward, grabbing my wrist with surprising strength. She dragged me out into the hallway, right to the edge of the Grand Staircase.

"Damian! Celine is trying to kill me!" she shrieked, her voice echoing through the Pack House with terrifying desperation.

Then, she threw herself backward.

Her grip on my arm was like a vice. The momentum yanked me forward, and the world spun into a blur of dark wood and agonizing pain. We tumbled down the steep steps. My head slammed brutally against the sharp edge of a wooden tread.

We hit the polished floor at the bottom. Pain exploded in my skull, blinding and absolute. Warm blood instantly pooled beneath me, soaking into my midnight-black hair. Because I was wolfless, I didn't have the accelerated healing of a true werewolf. I could feel my life slipping away.

Heavy, frantic footsteps thundered down the stairs. Damian.

Through my half-open, blurring eyes, I saw him. My Fated Mate. He didn't even pause as his heavy boots splashed through the puddle of my blood. He walked right past me, dropping to his knees to scoop up Kacie, who was whimpering flawlessly in his arms.

He didn't look back. He carried her away, leaving me bleeding out on the cold floor. The darkness rushed in to claim me.