Chapter 1

Amaya POV

“I want a divorce,” I said, but there was no response.

“I said I want a divorce,” I repeated louder this time, clenching my fists at my sides.

Alpha Dante finally looked up from his desk, staring at me like I had come to throw another tantrum.

“You are tired. Go and have a nap or something,” he said dismissively. I bit down on my lips and, in annoyance, slammed the divorce papers I had secretly gathered on his desk.

“What is this?” he muttered in irritation, flipping through the papers.

“These are the divorce papers. I have my signature already on them. All that’s left is your signature.” His brow furrowed, and his jaw clenched. Then suddenly, he tore the papers into shreds, causing me to gasp.

“What… what do you think you are doing? I spent months gathering that… why would you…”

“I will not divorce!” His voice thundered, causing me to flinch. He tossed the shredded papers across the room. “You are my wife. The Luna of the Moonshade Pack. How dare you ask for a divorce?”

“What more do you want? You’ve caused me nothing but pain for the past three years,” I found myself yelling in anger. “You’ve had your revenge. You killed my parents and took over our pack. What more do you want? Why won’t you let me go? Why…”

“It’s not enough!” he cut me off. “Your pain is not enough! You cannot be happy while I am unhappy! You will remain unhappy by my side forever,” he said, now standing, his voice filled with nothing but disdain.

I let out a shaky breath. Who was he? This wasn’t the man I had fallen in love with. This wasn’t the man who held me close on cold nights, who whispered sweet nothings in my ear, who promised to protect me from all harm. No, this was a stranger—a monster wrapped in the same familiar body. I shook my head in disbelief, my heart pounding in my chest. How had we come to this?

“I, Amaya Blackwood…”

“Don’t you dare, Amaya!” he said, taking steps forward while I took more back.

“…of the Moonshade pack reject you…”

“Amaya!” he yelled, closing the distance as I slammed my back against a wall. His hand gripped my jaw, his red eyes glowing as he stared at me while I glared back at him.

“Divorce me, Dante,” I muttered, breathing heavily, but his grip only tightened around my jaw, so tight that it felt like he could actually crush it any moment. “Please… let me go.”

“Never!” he growled. “I will never let you go, Amaya. Even if you hate me. Even if it kills you”

We continued staring at each other, panting heavily, until I looked away. Only then did his grip loosen, and he took a step back.

“Now return to your room, and don’t you ever think about something as absurd as divorce again, because it’s never going to happen.”

I paused by the door, my grip tightening around the doorknob, but I said nothing.

As I was returning to my room, I was so lost in thought that I bumped into someone by the stairs.

“Oh, sorry,” I muttered, and when I looked up, I saw that the man I bumped into was Cyrus, the son of my father’s Beta, Vaughn. His father was part of the revolution that had overthrown my father. Unfortunately, before my father was caught, Vaughn was shot in the heart by my father with a silver bullet. He did not survive.

“Watch where you are going,” he sneered. I lowered my head and continued walking, but then he added, “The Alpha received a marriage proposal.”

I froze, gripping the hem of my dress.

He continued, “She’s an amazing woman. One of our best warriors. The people love her and approve of them as a couple. Do you know what this means?” He turned to me with a smug look, expecting a disapproving response.

Instead, I smiled warmly. “Ah yes, they do seem like a perfect match. I already asked Dante for a divorce, but he refused. You are his close friend. I am sure you would be able to convince him to take the proposal seriously.”

His smug look faltered, and he looked at me confused. “You are giving up so easily?” he said, and now I was the one who was confused.

“What else can I do? He’s made it clear that I have no say in my own life. If this marriage proposal is what’s best for the pack, who am I to stand in the way?”

He frowned, and when he didn’t say anything else, I turned away.

When I got to my room, I closed the door behind me and let out a shaky breath as I recalled Cyrus’s words.

The pack adored their new Alpha. After all, he had saved them from misfortune. Kara was also everything I wasn’t—strong, beloved, and loyal to the pack. She had fought alongside Dante for the freedom of the pack. It was only natural for them to be together. They were a perfect match, and I was sure the people would pressure Dante to accept.

But what did that mean for me? Would I be finally free? No, that wasn’t possible. I was the last remaining royal bloodline of the Moonshade pack. The people hated me. They wanted me gone, and Dante would never let me go. Even if he moved on, he would keep me as a prisoner.

I sighed and walked over to the window. My eyes widened for a brief moment when I saw Dante and Kara walking side by side. They were talking about something, and he was smiling. But then it all vanished as he shifted his gaze and his eyes met mine.

A shiver ran down my spine, but I couldn’t look away. So we just stared at each other until Kara tugged at his sleeve, urging him to focus on her. He glanced back at her with the same warm smile, and they both walked away.

“Should I jump?” was the first thought that came to my head as soon as they were out of sight. I could run as far as my legs could carry me. But where would I go? Who was I kidding? Dante had allies everywhere while I had no one. My parents were gone, their loyal followers were either scattered or dead. I was alone.