Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Chapter One

ELIZA'S POV

After the final financial meeting of the day, I collapsed into the plush chair behind my desk, exhaustion weighing on my bones. As the Luna of the Crescent Moon Pack, my responsibilities stretched far beyond internal management-I had to ensure the pack's economic stability, too.

It wasn't easy. No mentor. No guidance. And as a woman, every decision I made was scrutinized.

But I had to be strong-because my husband, Derek, Alpha of the second-largest werewolf kingdom, was fighting on the front lines for our people.

As his Luna and his strongest supporter, I had to keep the pack safe and stable in his absence.

And so far, I had done well.

Then, a searing pain erupted at my mating mark.

Since my father and brothers had fallen in battle, the scar had ached under stress-but this was different. This felt like claws raking through my flesh.

I winced, pressing a hand to the burning skin-

"Luna!"

An Omega servant burst in, eyes bright with excitement. "Alpha Derek has returned!"

Derek? Back?

My heart lurched. According to the last report, he wasn't due for another two weeks. If he was here early, it could only mean one thing-victory.

Pride swelled in my chest. My Alpha had brought glory to the pack once again.

The thought of him-his powerful frame, those piercing blue eyes-made my thighs tremble as warmth pooled between them.

We weren't fated mates, only chosen ones-but our bond was strong. His touch still set my skin ablaze; his growls still echoed in my dreams. My fingers brushed the mark again, its heat unrelenting.

"Take me to see him," I nodded and said.

With servants flocking around me, straightening my robes and smoothing my hair, I strode toward the pack's entrance. One even giggled, "Perhaps tonight, the Luna and Alpha will finally have an heir!"

I allowed a small smile-but the pain at my neck flared hotter.

"Our mate has betrayed us," my wolf snarled, its voice thick with fury.

I froze.

...Absurd.

Derek? Betray me? Impossible. I shook my head, dismissing the thought. My mother had chosen him herself-she'd called him honorable. And I, with my skills and my family's resources, had helped make the Crescent Moon Pack the second-strongest in the kingdom.

He would never dishonor me.

I was just tired.

But then-his scent hit me.

Familiar. Powerful.

And laced with something sweet.

My gaze snapped forward-

There he stood, as imposing as ever.

But his hand was wrapped around another woman's.

The way he looked at her-soft, adoring-was like a knife to my ribs.

Just as he'd once looked at me.

The mark exploded in agony, fire racing through my veins. I lifted a hand, my voice like ice.

"Everyone-leave."

They didn't need to see their leader in disarray-it would undermine the pack's stability.

The servants hesitated.

"NOW."

They scattered.

I forced a slow breath, clinging to composure. My parents had taught me this-calm was power.

The pain ebbed slightly, and I focused on Derek.

Holding hands meant nothing. There had to be an explanation-

"Derek, what's going on?" I finally managed to ask.

"Eliza, this is Maya," he said, his gaze dropping to the woman beside him with unmistakable tenderness. "My mate."

My brows shot up-both at the words and the audacity in his tone.

"No," I said coolly. "I am your mate, Derek. I am your wife."

His expression didn't waver. "You were my choice. She is my fate."

My brows arched sharply at his words and the sheer audacity with which he spoke them. "No, I am your mate, Derek. I am your wife."

"Not my true mate!" he stated calmly, oblivious to how each word carved deeper into my soul. "Maya is."

I drew another steadying breath. "Derek, have you forgotten the vows you made at our bonding ceremony? We chose each other-we swore to forsake fated bonds."

A flicker of guilt passed through Derek's eyes.

"Eliza, you're too domineering!" The woman at his side suddenly spat, her voice laced with venom. "How dare you force an Alpha to deny his fated bond? You're defying the Moon Goddess' blessing!"

My gaze finally settled on her. Clad in warrior's leathers, her figure was undeniably striking-all fire and sharp edges. But when her challenging glare met mine, my spine straightened instinctively.

If she thought intimidation would work on me, she was sorely mistaken.

I stepped closer, my voice dropping into the commanding tone I reserved for insubordinates. "You will address me as Luna. Until the day you successfully usurp my position, you will show respect."

Even if she was Derek's mistress, rank still mattered. The werewolf kingdom did not tolerate disrespect toward hierarchy.

Her eyes flashed with resentment, but before she could retort, Derek moved protectively in front of her. "That's enough, Eliza! Soon enough, you won't be Luna anymore."

A triumphant smirk curled Maya's lips.

"What exactly are you implying?" I hissed. "Do I look like some discarded rag to you?"

"I'm not casting you out," Derek said with an infuriating shrug. "In fact, I have a proposal. You may remain in the pack-as my concubine."

Something inside me snapped.

The fury that ignited wasn't from heartbreak, but from the sheer disrespect. After everything I'd built for this pack in the last six months, this was their gratitude?

"Tear out their throats," my wolf snarled. "Hang their corpses at the gates."

For one dangerous moment, I felt my claws lengthen. But I forced them back.

I'd promised my mother.

No one could know about my wolf. She hadn't wanted me to become another corpse in this endless war-she'd wanted me safe.

And she'd chosen Derek for me, believing he would be the mate who honored me.

Yet Derek's betrayal now proved-he was never capable of that promise.

How bitterly ironic.

By parading his mistress through the pack, Derek had already ensured my humiliation would spread like wildfire. But he had miscalculated-badly.

The Crescent Moon Pack's prosperity? It ran on my enterprises. My wealth.

If I left, they'd crumble into the poorest pack in the kingdom overnight.

But only if the Werewolf King sanctioned our bond's dissolution.

"Never," I finally said, my voice glacial. "I will never degrade myself as your concubine. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can start making smarter decisions."