He Chose My Sister, So I Became A Rogue Queen

Chapter One

Lunara’s POV

A cold numbness spread through me as I stood outside Alpha Kael’s office, the door slightly ajar. I could hear them speaking inside.

“Are you sure no one suspects anything?” Beta Lucas asked, his tone tense.

“No one knows,” Kael replied flatly. “Lunara still believes Ethan died in that rogue attack.”

My heart froze.Ethan. My son. My little wolf.

“What about the healers?” Lucas pressed. “They could talk.”

“I gave them enough moonstones to stay silent for life. They won’t risk angering the Alpha of Bloodfang Pack,” Kael snapped.

My ears rang. My knees weakened. What was going on?

“You… took Ethan’s heart to save Ashira,” Lucas whispered. “Your own son.”

The air left my lungs. No. I couldn’t have heard that right. Ethan died protecting our borders… didn’t he?

“You think I wanted this?” Kael growled. “Ashira was dying. Ethan was a perfect match—same bloodline, same shifter genetics. One life for another. Hers was worth more.”

A sharp pain gripped my chest. I stumbled back, gasping for breath. My Ethan… wasn’t a casualty of war. He was a sacrifice.

“But he was just a pup,” Lucas said, his voice trembling. “He didn’t even shift yet.”

“And Ashira is the future Luna,” Kael snapped. “Ethan was frail. Weak. He wouldn’t have survived the next shift season anyway.”

“There were others,” Lucas argued. “Other matches. You didn’t even wait.”

“I couldn’t risk it!” Kael snapped. “Ashira means everything to me.”

Tears spilled from my eyes. I stared down at the parchment in my hands—the healer’s report. I had come here to tell Kael I was pregnant. That we were getting a second chance after losing Ethan. Now that joy felt cruel.

I gripped the doorframe to steady myself.

“And what did Ashira say? After you told her she lived because her nephew—her sister’s son—was killed for her?” Lucas asked.

“She cried… for a minute. But she accepted it. She knew Ethan was too sick to last long.”

I covered my mouth to silence a scream. My sister… she knew?

“She better never find out,” Lucas muttered. “Lunara would tear this pack apart.”

“She won’t,” Kael said with that same smug certainty I once trusted. “She’s soft. Loyal to a fault. Even if she did find out, she has no one. She’s powerless.”

Powerless?The word lit a fire in my chest.No. Not anymore.They took my son. Lied to my face. Used my love and trust as weapons.

I turned and walked away, heart pounding in my ears, hands trembling as I clutched the pregnancy scroll to my chest. I made it outside the packhouse, shifted into my wolf, and bolted into the forest, not knowing where I was going—just needing to run. Run far from them. From the lies. From the pain.

Night fell as I found myself at the edge of the sacred grove—where the fallen are honored. My paws slowed, shifting back into human form as I approached Ethan’s grave under the moonlit oak.

A single stone marked it:Ethan Thorne

Beloved Pup. Swiftly Taken by Fate.

I dropped to my knees, the earth damp beneath me. My fingers brushed over his name as the truth stabbed deeper than any silver blade.

I remembered the night Kael came home, covered in blood, eyes red.

“Rogues ambushed us,” he had said, voice raw. “Ethan… didn’t make it.”

I had blacked out. When I woke, Kael said he’d already buried our son. Said it was mercy.

Mercy?No. It was a coverup. Guilt buried in haste.

“I’m sorry, baby,” I whispered, my voice broken. “I should’ve seen through him. I should’ve fought harder.”

But I wasn’t the same shewolf I was then. My grief had burned into something else—something sharp and unrelenting.

“I will avenge you,” I swore. “Kael. Ashira. Anyone who stood by and watched. I’ll make them pay.”

I stood, the breeze rustling through my hair as moonlight kissed my skin.

They thought I was powerless.

They were about to learn what a mother wolf is capable of.

Lunara’s POV

When I returned to the packhouse, I didn’t hesitate. I went straight to Kael’s private study—once a forbidden territory. He had always warned me not to enter, claiming it was laden with "confidential Alphabound documents." But I wasn’t the same obedient Luna anymore.

The oak door creaked open. A rush of magic swept over me, brushing against my skin like static. The study was laced with lowlevel wards—nothing I couldn’t break through. I stepped inside, heart pounding. My eyes scanned the bookshelves lining the walls, all smelling faintly of dust and moon herbs.

Then I saw it.Behind the shelf of old treaties and training scrolls, faint glowing runes shimmered—barely visible to the untrained eye. A steel safe, masked with concealment glyphs. My breath hitched.

I moved closer and placed my palm near the lock. It responded with a soft hum.

A bloodactivated seal.I bit my thumb and smeared a line of blood across the sigil. A soft click. Then another. The runes dimmed—and the safe door slowly swung open.

Inside lay dozens of files—medical records, scentcoded transaction parchments, and soulpact agreements with healers from the Crescent Moon Hospital. Each one detailed something more horrific than the last. My fingers trembled as I flipped through the documents.

He hadn’t just arranged Ethan’s death—he had traded his life.

There, in a bloodbound transfer scroll, were their names:

Donor: Ethan Winslow

Recipient: Ashira Thorne

Ashira. My sister. My packmate.Rage flooded me. The room spun as realization sank in—Kael had orchestrated our son's death to save Ashira’s life. Not just through bribes. No. He had bound the healers with blood oaths to silence them. Cloaked Ethan’s death as a rogue attack. And made sure everything disappeared with him.

I clutched the edge of the desk, my claws slipping out against my will. My wolf howled in grief.

He took my son. My heart. My blood.

My phone felt heavy as I took pictures of everything—every document, every signature, every hidden truth. I closed the safe and replaced the spell. For now, he couldn’t know I had found it.

This wasn’t grief anymore.It was war.

Back in our bedroom, my heart twisted with another decision. My hand drifted unconsciously to my stomach.

I had dreamed of this child. Another chance at motherhood. Another soul to love after Ethan. But how could I bring a pup into this den of lies and betrayal? A child fathered by a male who had torn my life apart.

I pulled out my phone, fingers numb, and dialed the underground healer’s number.

“Moonveil Grove Healing Den,” a soft voice answered. “How may we assist you?”

“I… I need to schedule a soulcleansing,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “A termination.”

There was a pause on the other end.

“Tomorrow morning, 10 a.m.?”

“Yes.”

“Name?”

“Lunara Winslow,” I answered.

Not Lunara Thorne. I wouldn’t use the name of the pack that ruined me. Not now. Not ever again.As I ended the call, I turned—and found Kael standing in the doorway.My entire body stiffened.

“Where are you going?” he asked, brow raised.

I slid my phone into my robe pocket and masked my scent. “Just a checkup with the healer,” I said coolly, refusing to meet his eyes.

Kael stepped closer, studying me. “Is something wrong?”

I forced a small, bitter smile. “Everything’s just the way it’s supposed to be.”

He lingered for a second before heading into the bathroom.The door shut. Water began to run.

Then his phone buzzed.I glanced at it. Just one notification—Ashira [️].

The blood drained from my face.Without hesitation, I picked it up. Ashira’s birthday. The same passcode I had used on the safe. The phone unlocked.

I opened their message thread.

Ashira: I miss you already. When can we meet again? I’ll tell Killian I want to visit my sister.

Kael: Tomorrow, my love. I’ll tell Lunara I have urgent Alpha business to attend to.

Ashira: I’m tired of hiding, Richie. I want us to be free.

Kael: Soon. When I take over as Alpha of the Thorne Pack, I’ll make you my Luna. No one will stop us—not even her.

A raw, guttural sob escaped my throat. I clapped my hand over my mouth. My knees buckled.

My mate. My sister.He had been using me for years, waiting for the moment he could finally cast me aside and crown her.

The bathroom door creaked open. Kael stepped out, a towel wrapped around his waist. His eyes met mine.

“You sure you’re okay?”

I turned away before he could see the storm in mine.

“I’m fine, Richie,” I said, with a smile so sharp it could cut through steel.

But my wolf stirred inside me.This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

Lunara’s POV

When I called his nickname—Alpha—his tense shoulders eased immediately, mistaking my calm for surrender.

His golden eyes softened, the wolf in him momentarily soothed. He crossed the room with that confident grace only Alphablooded males carried. He leaned down to kiss me.

I turned my face slightly. His lips brushed my cheek instead of my mouth.

“I’m exhausted,” I murmured, wrapping the furlined blanket tighter around my frame. “It’s been a long day.”

Kael’s expression tensed. The Alpha in him didn’t like rejection, not even this subtle. But he forced a smile, masking his annoyance. “Of course. You should rest, Luna.”

But then came the buzz. His enchanted wrist comm glowed faintly, and when he looked at it, the tension in his shoulders vanished. His entire being lit up as he typed a response.

As soon as he finished, he rose from the bed and began pulling on his leather armor and cloak in haste.

“An urgent matter at the Council Hall,” he said without meeting my eyes, fastening the wolfetched clasp at his neck.

“Of course,” I said coolly, my voice devoid of emotion. “Take your time.”

Kael paused. He turned, confused. Once upon a time, I would’ve pressed for answers, clung to his arm, begged him to stay. I would’ve cried, demanded to know why he always had emergencies at nightfall.

But now, I invited him to go.His comm buzzed again, and his moment of hesitation melted into movement. He slipped out of the room without further explanation.

“I love you,” he muttered as he left.

“And I hate you,” I whispered, the ache in my chest turning sharp.

~

By dawn, the sun filtered through the enchanted windows, warming the cold side of the bed he never returned to.He hadn’t come back.

I didn’t need to guess where he was. His scent was already fading, overwritten by Ashira’s overly sweet perfume that clung to his clothes these days.

Still, it didn’t bother me.I dressed in silence, donning a long, hooded cloak to conceal my identity, and made my way through the back tunnels of the packhouse to avoid notice. The Moonveil Grove Healing Den was a place of secrecy, protected by mists and oaths. It catered to shewolves who needed help, but not judgment.

I sat on a healer’s stone bed, cold beneath my palms, while the incense of memory moss burned nearby.

“Are you certain?” the healer asked softly. Her wolf spirit flickered behind her eyes—ancient, wise, and patient.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words clung to my throat. My hand drifted to my lower stomach. My unborn pup stirred faintly, just a whisper of life.

I remembered Ethan—his laughter echoing through the den, his tiny claws gripping my fingers, his first shift under the full moon. I remembered the way he’d whispered “Mommy” into my fur as we cuddled during stormy nights.

Tears burned behind my eyes. No. I couldn’t do this.

“I… I changed my mind,” I breathed, voice cracking. “I can’t go through with it.”

The healer nodded. “Then you won’t. Take your time. The forest waits for no one, but your heart deserves patience.”

This pup—this second chance—was mine. A bond of blood and spirit. Not even betrayal could steal that from me again.

I left the den through the garden path, heart heavy yet whole. But as I rounded the stone corridor leading past the Moon Blessing Wing, I heard laughter. Familiar. Too familiar.

My body tensed.Then I saw them.Kael and Ashira.They strolled out of the maternity hall, entwined like vines under the moon. His hand was firmly on the small of her back, his mouth at her ear. She giggled like a shy omega.

Her hand rested on her belly.I froze.

She was pregnant.Before I could shift into mist and vanish, their eyes caught mine. Ashira’s face was drained of color.

“Lunara!” she hurried toward me, her aura fraying with false concern. “I—I was here for a checkup. Kael just—”

“Don't apologize, Ashira,” Kael cut her off gently, sliding his arm protectively around her. His eyes sparkled—not with guilt, but pride. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

I smiled coldly. “He’s right. You’ve done nothing wrong, Ashira.”

They blinked, startled. I used to weep, rage, accuse. I used to beg Kael to stop seeing her. And every time, he gaslit me, made me doubt myself.

“She’s your sister,” he would say. “She’s mated, and I’m yours. You're being paranoid, Luna.”

Now, I gave them nothing but silence and a smile sharp as claws.

Kael shifted awkwardly. “We’ll talk at home. Let me escort Ashira back to her den.”

I didn’t even hesitate. “Please. Take your time.”

I brushed past them, my wolf holding her head high.

“Oh, and congratulations on your pregnancy, Ashira,” I called over my shoulder, voice like frost on a blade.

Their expressions crumbled behind me.

~

Kael returned home unusually early.

“You’re early,” I said, lounging on the furstrewn chaise, my face buried in an old lunar history scroll.

“Yes,” he replied. “I finished at the Council early. I rushed home to see my beautiful mate.”

He bent to kiss me. Again, I turned my head, letting his lips graze my cheek.

He paused. Watched me. Sensed the shift.

“I think we need time together,” he said softly. “I’ll take leave from my Alpha duties. Just us. Some time to reconnect.”

I kept my voice neutral. “You’ve been busy. I understand.”

His brow furrowed, clearly rattled. This wasn’t me. I would’ve pounced on that offer. I would’ve wept with joy at his attention.

But now, my heart was stone, and my wolf was silent.

“What’s going on, Lunara?” he asked, stepping closer. “Why are you acting this way?”

I didn’t answer.Not yet.Not until I was ready to tear the entire pack down around him.

Chapter 4

Lunara’s POV

My eyes were still on the ancient tome as I muttered, “Nothing.”

“Is this about what you saw at the Healing Den?” Kael’s tone sharpened. “You saw Ashira and I together, didn’t you?”

He folded his arms, voice thick with frustration. “I’ve explained this, Lunara. Ashira and I—”

I cut him off before he could continue weaving lies. “I said I’m fine.” I didn’t look up. “You and Ashira are so close now, practically sharing a den. Good for you. Now can I please read in peace? This text on ancient Luna lineages is getting very interesting.”

His jaw ticked with irritation, and I could feel the Alpha in him bristling. Without another word, he stormed into the bathing chamber, the door slamming shut behind him.

I tossed the book aside and stood up, my limbs trembling from the tension. I padded barefoot to the kitchen hollow, needing water—anything to cool the storm rising inside me.

Leaning against the carved stone counter, I tried to breathe evenly, tried not to feel.

Then I heard his boots.Heavy. Deliberate. Each step echoing through the quiet of our den like a warning.

“You’ve been off all day,” Kael growled, entering behind me. “If something’s wrong, just spit it out.”

I turned to face him, arms folded, cloak swaying slightly. “I already told you—I’m fine. No need to fuss over me. Why don’t you go back to the maternity wing? Ashira could probably use some extra care… and attention.”

His golden eyes gleamed with anger. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I shrugged, pushing past him. “It means you seem more invested in her wellbeing than your mate’s.”

“You’re being ridiculous, Lunara!” he snapped. “Ashira is your older sister, and you’re acting like some petty omega in heat. You need to stop this jealousy—”

“I’m not jealous.” My voice was ice. “You two deserve each other.”

Something in him snapped.He growled—deep, low, not quite human—and shoved me. Hard.

I staggered, my back slamming into the corner of the stone counter with a sickening thud. Pain exploded through my spine and lower stomach. I gasped sharply as my knees buckled and I collapsed to the floor, instinctively curling around my belly.

“No…” I whispered. My wolf whimpered deep inside me, terrified.

Kael stood over me, breathing heavily. “I have Council duties. Don’t wait up.”

His voice was flat. Emotionless. He didn’t even look back as he yanked open the door and vanished into the night.

The moment it slammed shut, a pain unlike anything I’d felt before tore through my body.I lay on the floor, the cold stone biting into my skin, and a warm wetness pooled beneath me. My heart dropped.

Blood.“No… no, please no…” My voice cracked as my trembling hand reached down and came away stained crimson.

The air shifted violently with panic and grief.I fumbled for my comm crystal, hands shaking. I barely had enough strength to whisper the activation word before Kael’s name lit up in the glyph runes.

It rang once. Twice.Then he answered.

“Kael—” I choked, tears already falling.

“Don’t call me again until you’re done acting like a child,” he snapped, and the light went dead.

I stared at the glowing shard in disbelief. My fingers tightened. “No…”

I tried again. Nothing. His line was dead.

Gritting my teeth, I activated the emergency runes instead. “Moonveil Guard… emergency,” I rasped.

The pain became unbearable. My vision dimmed. My body went limp.I can’t lose this pup. Not again. Not like this.

As the shadows closed in, one thought burned in my mind:If I survive this… Kael will pay in blood.

And then—darkness.

~

When I woke, the scent of wolfsbane and healing salves filled my senses. I was lying on a bed of moonthread linens. My limbs were heavy, my soul even heavier.

A female healer stood beside me, her aura calm but sorrowful.

“Luna Winslow,” she said softly. “You’re awake.”

I blinked slowly, heart pounding in my chest as memories returned like a flood. The kitchen. The fall. The blood.

“My pup…” I croaked. My hands moved to my stomach. It felt empty. Too empty.

The healer’s eyes glistened. She took my hand. “I’m so sorry… the injury was too severe. You lost the pup.”

A scream tore from my throat before I could stop it. The walls trembled with my anguish. I wailed, sobbing so hard it felt like my soul was breaking apart.

My son—gone. My unborn pup—gone. All because of the male who once vowed to protect me.

I cried until I could cry no more.Then I lay silent.Wishing I hadn’t survived.Wishing the spirits of the forest had claimed me too.

The door creaked open.Footsteps. Slow. Deliberate.I didn’t even glance up.

“Lunara,” a voice called, deep and cool like ice.

My eyes fluttered open. A tall figure stood beside me, his silver armor still dusted with battle ash. His eyes—cold gray—stared down at me with something unreadable.

Killian Romano.Ashira’s mate.The male she had been betraying me—and him—with.

I didn’t have the strength to speak.He sat beside me without invitation.

“I heard,” he said simply. “I’m sorry.”

His words rang hollow in my ears. Seeing him only reminded me more of her. Of everything I’d lost.

“Ashira’s not here,” I rasped, my voice dry and cracked. “You don’t need to keep pretending.”

His jaw tensed. A snarl ghosted over his lips.

“I’m not here for that cheating whore,” he said darkly.

I blinked, surprised. “You know?”

He nodded once. “Since last moon. You?”

“This week.”

A pause passed between us. An eerie silence, filled only by the hum of protective runes.

“That’s why I’m here,” Killian finally said, his gaze meeting mine with quiet intensity.

I furrowed my brow. “Why?”

“I have a proposition,” he said, voice steady. “How would you like to have revenge?”

My heart stuttered.And for the first time since the pain began, I felt something flicker to life again inside me.Hope.

Chapter 5

Lunara’s POV

“Revenge?” I asked, my voice hoarse, throat dry as ash. My heart pounded—not from fear, but from something darker, colder.

Killian’s silver eyes gleamed beneath the torchlight of the Healing Den’s side chamber, where he’d requested to speak with me alone. He took a slow seat beside me on the bench carved into the stone wall, his aura crackling with restrained power.

“Yes. Revenge.” His voice was smooth, but dangerous—like a wolf hiding blood on its muzzle. “You’ve been betrayed, Lunara. Not just by a mate, but by your own blood. The two people who should’ve protected you most... they need to bleed for what they’ve done.”

A chill danced down my spine—and yet, that whisper of vengeance stirred something alive in me. Something primal. My wolf shifted restlessly beneath my skin, not in fear… but in agreement.

I pushed myself upright, wincing from the bruised muscles still recovering from the fall. “So… you want revenge on Ashira?”

Killian’s lips twisted into a smile, but his eyes remained dead and unreadable. “I gave her everything. Status. Loyalty. A future. And she spat in my face, crawling into bed with Kael like a snake in heat. So yes—I want revenge. She may be your sister, but—”

“I don’t care,” I said, cutting him off.

Killian blinked, surprised.I meant it. Whatever bond of blood existed between Ashira and me… it had been severed the moment she touched my mate. The ache in my chest pulsed, but I forced it down.

“Why did you reach out to me?” I asked, voice low.

His smile grew—cruel, calculating. “Because I don’t want all the fun to myself. You, Lunara, will be the key piece of my plan. My wild card.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

He leaned in, his voice a whisper that slithered into my ear. “Marry me.”

I stared at him like he’d grown a second head. “You want me to what?”

~

Two days later, I stepped out of the Moonveil Healing Grove, wrapped in a charcoal cloak. The moons were high, casting silver light over the sacred forest. A lowranking scout escorted me back to the village gates, and from there I shifted halfway to the outer dens before shifting back and calling a carriage wolf.

I hadn’t heard from Kael. Not a message via rune crystal, not a whisper of his scent at my bedside. He hadn’t even asked if I’d survived.

I stared out the open window as the wind swept through my hair. My fingers tightened around the piece of parchment Killian had given me—the runes of his personal communication glyph scrawled neatly.

I want revenge… but not another prison, I’d told him.

He had simply smirked. “Then make it your kind of war, Luna.”

When I arrived home, Kael’s scent hit me first.But it wasn’t alone.Ashira’s saccharine perfume laced with heat told me all I needed to know. My stomach clenched. My claws itched beneath my skin.

Her sleek black carriage sat outside. So this was how it was.I moved silently through the corridor of our den, every step deliberate, guided by the sounds I’d once known intimately. Breathy moans. Growls. Pleasured gasps.

I stopped just before the entrance to our shared bedchamber—my sanctuary, my womb of memories—and the door was ajar.

They were there.Kael had Ashira pinned to the furs, her neck bared in submission as his mouth devoured hers. His hands explored her body with a hunger he hadn’t shown me in moons. Their robes and cloaks lay strewn like the aftermath of a wild rut.

I had known. But seeing it… feeling their betrayal in flesh and scent…It broke something in me.

“Oh, gods, I missed this,” Kael groaned.

Ashira giggled, stroking his back. “I hope my little sister isn’t keeping you too pentup.”

“She’s never satisfied me—not like you do,” he murmured. “When I take High Council control, we’ll rule together, love.”

My chest caved.My hands trembled as I pulled out my crystal. I pressed the surface and activated its silent recording runes. The glowing glyphs flickered as I captured their rutting betrayal in high clarity.

Once done, I turned, numb and silent, and stalked toward the outer chambers. I grabbed Kael’s sigiletched saddlebag and keys from the wall peg and strode outside into the wind.

I climbed into his personal carriage wolf, whispered the command, and let it sprint into the darkness.

My fingers hovered over the crystal. I attached the images, burned into runelight, and sent them to the only wolf who’d looked me in the eye and told me the truth.

To: Killian RomanoI accept your offer.The reply came almost instantly:Killian: Good. I’ll be in touch soon. You and I… we’re going to have so much fun, Luna.

A bitter smile curved my lips. It felt like I’d signed a soul pact with the dark spirits of the forest—but I didn’t care.

Let the shadows come. Let them devour what was left of me.I would rise, not as the broken mate… but as the storm.

~

By twilight, I was walking into the heart of Ironfang—Killian’s territory, neutral and feared. The lawhouse was built from obsidian stone, standing bold amidst the rest of the trading den.

A young faeborn wolf looked up from the front desk. “Good evening. How may we assist?”

“I’m here to see Jonathan Hayes. Tell him… Killian Romano sent me.”

The receptionist’s eyes widened, and she quickly nodded. “Of course. One moment.”

Moments later, I was led through a thick stone corridor into a runeguarded chamber, where a sharply dressed male stood waiting.

“Luna Winslow,” he greeted with a respectful nod. “It’s an honor. Please, sit. How can I serve?”

My voice was cold steel. “I want a formal severing from my mate. His name is Kael Thorne.”

Lunara’s POV

The moment my paws hit the edge of the territory, I shifted back into my human form, clothes materializing around me thanks to the enchantment woven into Killian’s cloak. I tossed the hood back as our den came into view.

Before I even reached the front steps, the heavy oak door burst open and Kael stormed out, eyes wide, scent sharp with panic. He froze when he spotted me and then glanced at the sleek obsidian mooncarriage I’d taken from the Healing Grove, parked at the side.

His face quickly rearranged into something that looked like relief—fake and rushed.

“Lunara!” he called, jogging toward me. “Where have you been? I was… I was worried.”

Worried. I nearly scoffed aloud. This from the mate who hadn’t checked on me once since I nearly died? Who was rutting my sister while my blood still soaked the den floor?

I pasted on a calm smile. “I was out gathering a surprise for our anniversary festival next week.”

Kael blinked, his expression going momentarily blank. “Anniversary... festival?”

I tilted my head, letting my golden eyes pin him in place. “Yes. The fullmoon celebration. For our anniversary. Did you forget, Alpha?”

His throat bobbed. “No! Of course not. I’ve just been… overwhelmed with patrol changes and, uh, rogue sightings.”

Liar.I nodded slowly. “Well, I wanted to surprise you, so I won’t spoil it. You’ll see soon enough.”

He gave a strained smile, his aura dim with unease. “You didn’t have to do that. I wish you’d told me—I could’ve come with you.”

“It’s fine,” I murmured. “You’ve been very… busy.”

His guilt spiked. He leaned forward to nuzzle my cheek, a mock display of affection. His touch felt colder than winter frost. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“So am I,” I whispered, stepping past him and walking into the den we once shared—now nothing but a hollow structure filled with betrayal.

As I ascended the spiral stairs to the Alpha’s quarters, bile rose in my throat. The same bed. The same room. My once sacred space—defiled by his treachery.

The door creaked behind me.I turned, expecting Kael.But it was Ashira.

She leaned against the carved doorway in a silk wrap that barely covered her. Her lips twisted into that insufferable smirk. Her scent slithered through the room like poison.

“You saw us, didn’t you?” she purred, stepping inside.

I kept my face blank. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She laughed, low and malicious. “Oh, don’t lie. I saw you. Standing there, watching. I hope you enjoyed the show.”

I stared at her. Unmoving. Unflinching.

“You should’ve stayed longer,” she added with a wink. “Kael likes it when I howl his name.”

“Cute,” I said with a shrug. “You should head downstairs. He’s probably wondering where his little toy wandered off to. I need rest.”

Her smirk faltered, just a fraction. She hadn’t expected indifference. But she masked it quickly.

“Fine,” she said, flipping her hair. “But when you’re ready to admit defeat, feel free to knock. Or watch again.”

She slinked out like the snake she was.I locked the door with a flick of my fingers and pulled out my rune crystal.

Phase one is done. Get ready.Killian’s response was instant. A burningred heart rune pulsed across the screen.

~

Over the next two days, Kael was glued to me. He shadowed my every step, his wolf pacing near mine with unnatural closeness. He thought I hadn’t seen him and Ashira that night—but some part of him sensed the shift in me.

I kept my face sweet. My voice soft. The perfect Luna. Meanwhile, I seethed beneath the surface and prepared.

When I finally needed a push, I sent Ashira a rune message.

(Looks like Kael’s done with you. He hasn’t left my side since I got back. Keep dreaming, Ashira. He was always mine.)

Her reaction was immediate. Soon, Kael’s rune crystal began to pulse with calls and messages. At first, he ignored them. But after a dozen flickers of her scent curling near the den’s edge, he cracked.

“I have to leave,” he told me that evening, voice wrapped in faux remorse. “A High Council summit has been called. Urgent territory matter. I’ll be gone three days.”

“Our anniversary’s in four,” I murmured, faking disappointment.

“I’ll be back in time, I swear it.” He kissed my forehead like I was still his, then grabbed his cloak and vanished into the night.

Perfect.

~

The next three days were a blur of movement. I finalized the details Killian and I had planned. Ashira made things easier with her arrogance—sending me runepictures of her and Kael locked in intimate poses, thinking she was breaking me.

She didn’t realize every image only fueled me.I saved each one.Then… the full moon rose. The night of our socalled anniversary.

I stood in the den’s great hall, heart calm, mind sharp.I opened my rune crystal and sent one final message to Kael.

Happy Anniversary. I left your gift on the table.

Then I placed my gift—signed rejection scrolls, inked in my own blood to sever our bond. Alongside them were all the runeimages and photos Ashira had sent.

I blocked their crystals immediately.I took one last breath of the den’s air and walked out with my suitcase.

Killian stood waiting, dressed in ceremonial black, a wicked grin tugging at his lips.

“Ready?” he asked, holding out his hand.

I didn’t hesitate. I took it.A moonglider was ready on the cliff—a rare, enchanted vessel that flew faster than any winged beast. Its silver hull gleamed under the stars.

I glanced at Killian. “How did you afford a moonglider?”

He only smirked.I was too tired to care. I settled in.Just as we lifted into the air, I nodded once.

Killian pressed the rune on his communicator. A thousand messages burst into the night—sent to every Alpha court, every council, every pack.

Let the fun begin.

Chapter 7

Kael’s POV

Guilt clawed at Kael’s insides as he stared at the glowing rune stone in his palm. The swirling message from Lunara glowed softly in her golden script: Don’t forget our LunaUnion Festival today.

His heart sank.He had forgotten.Their LunaUnion anniversary celebration—one that the entire Moonveil Pack would attend—was today. He hadn’t prepared anything. No offering. No gift. Not even a damn flower for his mate.

A warm tongue licked his jaw, dragging him out of his spiraling thoughts.

Ashira, curled beside him in the mossladen nest of the private grove they’d claimed for their secret retreat, nuzzled against his throat.

“What are you thinking so hard about?” she murmured, voice still husky from their tangled night.

“Nothing important,” he replied, dropping the rune stone into his satchel and pulling her close again.

The ancient grove was hidden by thick warding spells and shielded from pack patrols. He and Ashira still had a few hours before they’d need to head back. He could swing by the merchant stalls in Hollowfang Valley and grab something glittery for Lunara. It would be fine. He’d smooth it over—he always did.

There was no reason to panic. He was the Alpha. He was in control.Kael exhaled deeply, threading his fingers through Ashira’s hair.

But an hour later, a flurry of sharp rune alerts buzzed against his thigh.

First one.Then another.Then a flood.

And then the howls began—urgent, echoing through the territory like a storm.

He sat up, tension coiling in his chest. His rune stone vibrated violently. A name blinked across the screen: Lucas.

Kael answered with a growl. “What is it?”

“Turn on the damn scrying mirror,” Lucas barked. “Now. It’s bad, Kael. Really bad.”

Kael frowned and leapt from the grove nest. He threw on his cloak and rushed to the crystalfed scrying orb mounted inside the alcove nearby. His claws trembled as he activated the rune.

The image flickered, then solidified.And his entire world shattered.A still frame filled the mirror.Him.Ashira.Locked in a heated kiss beneath the moonlight, her robes tangled around her waist, his hand pressed to her bare thigh.And above the image, in fiery red glyphs:

“MOONVEIL BETRAYED: Alpha Kael Thorne in Forbidden Bond with Luna’s Sister.”

Kael stumbled back, nearly tripping over a root. His breath left him in a harsh exhale.

“No… no, no, no!” he muttered, clutching his head.

Ashira emerged behind him, now fully dressed, brushing leaves from her sleeves. “What is it?”

He pointed. She followed his gaze—and paled.

Her lips parted. “Oh spirits. My husband… Killian will see this.”

Kael’s pulse roared. “Lucas,” he growled into the rune stone. “Scrub it. Every channel, every tether. Bury it.”

“I already tried,” Lucas replied grimly. “The entire Council's scrying grid picked it up. It’s viral, Rich. There's no stopping it.”

“No!”

His hands shook as he tried to call Lunara. The link rang once—then cut off. He tried again. Blocked.He tried through their mate bond—emptiness.

“She blocked me,” he whispered.

Ashira was panicking now, too. “Killian’s blocked my mindlink. He knows! Kael, we have to do something!”

But Kael was already backing away. Already running.He didn’t speak. Didn’t look at her.

He shifted midstep, fur tearing through skin as his wolf burst forth in a blaze of black and silver. He bolted from the grove, howling past trees and darting through packlands, leaving Ashira’s cries behind.

He had to get home.Had to explain.Had to fix this.Wind tore through his fur. His paws barely touched the forest floor. He pushed harder, faster, driven by desperation.

He’d always taken Lunara for granted. Thought she’d never leave. She had no one else. No escape.

But now—now that he’d felt that terrifying hollowness of her absence, he realized something he never wanted to admit.

He needed her.More than he’d ever needed anything.Please, Moon Goddess… let her forgive me.

He reached the edge of their den and shifted back into his human form, not even waiting for the cloak enchantment to settle.

“Lunara!” he shouted as he burst through the door.

Silence.The den was cold. Lifeless.

On the central stone table sat a single envelope. Elegant. Clean. With his name in Lunara’s perfect script.

He picked it up with trembling hands.

Inside: Mate Severance scrolls. Signed. Sealed. Official.And beneath them, a short handwritten note:

Beside it, a stack of crystalprinted images—more damning than the one on the scrying mirror.

Pictures of him and Ashira in the grove. The private moments he thought no one saw.

A strangled noise escaped his throat. His knees buckled.

“Lunara…”

His voice cracked, echoing through the empty den.But she was already gone.