Chapter 1

Isla POV

The dim wall lamps of the Luna's Suite cast long, twisted shadows of the ancient oak trees outside, making them look like monstrous beasts clawing at the faded wallpaper. I sat perfectly still in the heavy, carved oak chair, my hands folded in my lap, waiting.

The heavy oak door creaked open. Alpha Justin Hayes stepped into the room, still wearing his scuffed, half-worn tactical armor. He had been gone for a year, fighting Rogues on the border.

I expected the intoxicating rush of his natural scent-cologne and sweat. Instead, a foul stench hit the back of my throat. It was him, yes, but his scent was heavily polluted by the sharp, metallic tang of blood and the suffocating reek of cheap spices.

*Another female's scent.*

A violent, tearing agony ripped through my chest. The mate-bond, fragile as it was, screamed in betrayal. Deep within my soul, my dormant White Wolf let out a visceral growl of disgust, her hackles raising at the sheer disrespect.

"I have a Royal Decree from Alpha King Adrian Reynolds," Justin announced, his voice devoid of any warmth or guilt. He didn't even bother to greet me. "Gamma Brenna Wilson is returning with me. She will be joining the Bloodfang Pack as Co-Luna."

I didn't scream. I didn't cry. I simply looked at the man who was supposed to be my destiny.

"Co-Luna?" I repeated, my voice eerily calm. "You swore an oath to the Moon Goddess a year ago, Justin. A mate is singular. Sacred. There is no such thing as sharing a bond."

He scoffed, pacing the room with an arrogant swagger. "I married you because the elders arranged it. You are *wolfless*, Isla. You can't even Shift. Out there, on the battlefield, I found a true equal. Brenna's soul resonates with my Alpha blood. You need to look at the bigger picture and accept this for the good of the Pack."

A cold, mocking smile touched my lips. "The good of the Pack? I suppose your mother, Luna Bertha Hayes, has already given her blessing? Did Brenna's little war spoils cure her failing heart better than the ten-thousand-dollar Lycanthrope Elixirs I purchased from Healer Fritz Klein every month?"

Justin's jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with irritation. "My mother recognizes strength. Brenna is a hero."

"Then let me meet her," I said, my gaze locking onto his. "Bring this 'hero' to me."

"Absolutely not," Justin snapped, his tone laced with absolute disdain. "Brenna is the kingdom's first female Gamma. She doesn't have time for petty, inner-pack jealousy. She wouldn't even know what to do with a weak, wolfless girl like you."

I slowly stood up. The air around me seemed to drop a few degrees, though Justin was too blind to notice. "I am a daughter of the Silvermoon Pack. My father, Alpha Arthur Crawford, and my brothers bled into the earth defending this kingdom. Do not speak to me as if I am some ignorant child."

Justin rolled his eyes, completely oblivious to the lethal stillness in my posture. "You're a fragile woman who belongs hidden away in a Pack House, living off your dowry. Don't embarrass yourself by trying to stand in the presence of a real warrior. You'd suffocate under her Gamma aura."

He stared down at me, his chest heaving with arrogant indignation, waiting for the tears and submission he believed he was owed.