Chapter 1

I stood in the corner of the courtyard, watching the pack celebrate under the silver moonlight. It should have been a special night, our first anniversary. I should have been proud and happy to be standing by Nathan’s side, but instead, I felt invisible, as I always did. 

Nathan hadn’t looked at me once, not since the night started. His eyes were constantly on Coral, laughing with her, leaning in to hear her every word. The sight twisted something deep inside me, but I bit my tongue and tried to ignore it. Nathan wouldn’t do me like that, right?

For a year, I had lived like this. Ever since we were mated, Nathan had been distant and cold. He didn’t want me, and he didn’t bother to pretend otherwise. But his father, Alpha George, had insisted that we be joined, and Nathan had obeyed out of duty. Not love. Never love. I kept telling myself that things would change, that Nathan would see me one day, see me as more than a burden he had to carry because of his father’s dying wish. See me as his woman.

I tugged nervously at the hem of my dress, the satin smooth beneath my trembling fingers. It was the dress I’d worn the night Nathan and I were mated. I’d chosen it tonight in some desperate hope that it would remind him of the bond we shared, but now it felt foolish. He hadn’t even noticed. 

Suddenly, Coral’s sharp voice pierced through the music and laughter.

   “Rowena!” She called sweetly, her voice full of false kindness. I turned, forcing a smile as she approached, her red dress clinging to her like a second skin. She looked like she belonged on Nathan’s arm, not me.

   “Coral,” I replied, my voice colder than I wanted it to be.

She smiled that cruel, knowing smile that made my stomach churn.

   “You look… lovely tonight.” She said, her tone dripping with insincerity. “Such a shame about Alpha George, though. He really adored you, didn’t he?”

My heart clenched at the mention of Nathan’s father. Alpha George had been the only one in this pack who treated me with kindness. He believed in me and saw something in me that even I struggled to see. His death, just a few weeks ago, had left me more alone than ever.

   “Yes,” I whispered. “He was such a good man.”

Coral’s eyes gleamed as she leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. 

   “It’s funny, isn’t it? The way he died? So suddenly, even though the healers said he was getting better. Almost as if someone... helped him along.”

I froze, my blood turning cold.

   “What are you saying?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Coral’s smile widened, and she raised her voice so that the others nearby could hear. 

   “Oh, I’m just saying it’s strange, that’s all. And you, Rowena, you were the last one to see him before he died, weren’t you? Doesn’t that seem suspicious?”

A murmur rippled through the crowd, and all the eyes turned towards me. I took a step back, my heart hammering in my chest. 

   “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, panic rising in my throat. How could she accuse me of such a thing? “I didn’t—”

   “Oh, come now!” Coral interrupted, her voice growing louder. “We all know you were desperate to secure your place as Luna. With Alpha George gone, no one stands in your way. You had the motive, Rowena.”

I shook my head furiously, my eyes darting to Nathan, who was standing near the edge of the crowd, looking the angriest you had ever seen him.

   “Nathan!” I called out, my voice shaking. “You don’t believe her, do you? I would never—”

Nathan’s eyes were locked on mine, but there was no warmth in them, no trust. 

   “Is it true?” He asked. “Did you have something to do with my father’s death?”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. 

   “No! Why would you even ask that?” I cried, stepping toward him. “Nathan, I loved your father. I would never hurt him. You know that.”

But he didn’t move. He didn’t blink. He just stared at me, and all I could see was the grief and doubt in his eyes. Coral took a step closer to him, placing her hand on his arm, and I saw the way his body relaxed slightly at her touch. Repulsive.

   “Think about it, Nathan,” Coral said softly, her voice low and persuasive. “She had the perfect opportunity. She was with him every day. She could have easily slipped something into his drink and made it look like his illness got worse. She wanted the power that comes with being Luna, and she was willing to do anything to get it.”

   “That’s a lie!” I screamed, my voice cracking under the pressure. “I didn’t kill him! Coral is lying, Nathan, please, you have to believe me!”

But Nathan’s eyes never left mine, and at that moment, I saw the decision he had already made. 

   “Take her!” He said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

Two guards stepped forward, grabbing me roughly by the arms. 

   “No!” I shrieked, struggling against them, but they were too strong. “Nathan, please! You’re making a mistake! I didn’t do this!”

Nathan turned his back on me, his broad shoulders stiff as he walked away, Coral by his side. He didn’t even look back. The pain that I was feeling was unbearable. My mate, my husband, had rejected me in front of everyone. 

The guards dragged me across the courtyard, my legs giving way beneath me as tears streamed down my face. 

   “Please!” I sobbed, but no one listened. No one came to my defense. They believed her, everyone believed her. And why wouldn’t they? I was nothing here. Just a Luna in name, not in heart. I had no power, no allies. 

They dragged me and threw me into the cold, dark cell, the heavy door slamming shut behind me with a deafening clang. I collapsed onto the hard stone floor, curling into myself as sobs wracked my body. The air was thick with dampness, and the smell of mildew clung to the walls. I was utterly alone.

How had it come to this? How had I lost everything in a single moment? I replayed the scene in my mind over and over again, trying to make sense of it. I pressed my hands to my chest, trying to breathe as my heart felt like it was going to explode.

And then I felt it. The mate bond. It was faint and fragile, like a thread about to snap. I had heard stories of what happened when a mate rejected you, but nothing could have prepared me for the reality of it. It was like a piece of my soul was being torn from me, leaving a hollow, gaping wound in its place.

Hours passed, or maybe it was days. Time had lost all meaning in that cell. The only thing I knew was my grief and the cold, walls that surrounded me. And then, finally, the door creaked open. A guard stood there, his face impassive.

   “The council has made their decision.” He said, his voice rough. “You are to be exiled.”

Exiled. 

To be exiled meant to die. I had no family outside the pack, no one to protect me. I would be hunted by rogues, left to fend for myself in a world I wasn’t prepared for.

   “When?” I whispered. 

   “Tomorrow at dawn.”

The guard replied, and then he left me alone once more, closing the giant doors.