Chapter 1

ARIA'S POV

I ran through the foggy forest, feeling my heart pound in my chest. The damp leaves crunched under my feet as I pushed forward, desperate to put as much distance as possible between myself and the life I was leaving behind.

Behind me, I could hear bone-chilling howls that made my blood run cold. Two gray wolves were on my tail, their large forms barely visible in the fog. I could hear their heavy breathing and the sound of their footsteps as they got closed in on me.

"Stop running, bitch!" one of the werewolves yelled, his voice harsh and threatening.

I felt sick to my stomach, but I had to keep going. “Leave me alone!" I shouted back, my voice hoarse and breathless.

The other let out a cruel laugh. "Leave you alone?? Dante, the man you claim to be your husband, he killed our parents, our family. And because of him, we were forced to become rogues. Now, we will make him pay by killing you!”

My mind reeled. Alpha Dante, the Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack and my husband of three years. I loved him...

"You had better stop running,‘’ the first wolf broke into my thoughts. "Killing you is the only way we can hurt Dante. He needs to suffer like we did!"

I suddenly felt angry. "You're wrong!" I shouted, surprising myself with the strength in my voice. "Your family was sentenced to death for theft, and Dante… he did nothing wrong! He was only doing his duty as the Alpha."

"Shut up, bitch. You will die today!!" the other one growled.

His words sent a chill down my spine, so I pushed myself even harder, ignoring the burning in my lungs and the pain in my legs.

The nausea was getting worse, and I could feel my pace slowing. I needed to find a way out of this, and fast.

Just when I thought my legs would give out, I saw a small opening hidden behind a thick wall of vines. Without a second thought, I ran inside, scraping my knees and elbows as I scrambled deeper into the hidden tunnel.

I was safe for now, but for how long?

I leaned against the cold, damp wall, trying to catch my breath and calm my racing thoughts.

Who could I call?

With shaking hands, I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through my contacts. Mom, Dad and my brothers? No, they had made it clear they wanted nothing to do with me after I chose Dante.

Name after name, and there was not a single person I could count on. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I was alone. Truly, and completely alone.

Tears clouded my eyes as desperation clawed at my chest. There had to be someone, anyone who could help me.

Dante.

"No," I whispered, shaking my head. "I can't. I won't put Dante in danger too."

But what choice did I have? Those wolves were still out there, searching for me. As much as I hated the idea, Dante was my only hope of getting out of this alive. And I was convinced that if I really did die, Dante would be devastated.

With trembling fingers, I dialed his number. The phone rang once, twice, three times. No answer.

"Come on, Dante," I muttered, hitting redial.

This time, someone picked up. But it wasn't Dante's deep, comforting voice I heard.

"Hello?" The sugary sweet tone made my stomach turn.

"Linda?" I couldn't keep the surprise and annoyance out of my voice.

“Aria?" Linda's tone dripped with false concern. "What do you want?”

Goodness! I felt like I was going to be sick.

Linda, the woman Dante and I rescued three months ago.

"I... I need to speak to Dante," I managed to say, fighting to keep my voice steady.

I could practically hear her smirk through the phone. "Oh, I'm sorry, Aria," she said, not sounding sorry at all. "Dante's in the shower, and it's not really convenient for him to come to the phone, you understand."

Of course. Of course he was in the shower. Probably with her.

"Please," I whispered, hating how weak I sounded. "I need his help."

Linda's laugh was like nails on a chalkboard. "Oh honey, I think you've bothered him enough, don't you? Why don't you just-"

Her voice cut off suddenly, and I heard muffled sounds in the background. Then, Dante's deep voice: "Who is it?"

"Oh, just Aria," Linda replied, her voice sticky-sweet. "She says she needs help, but I told her you're busy."

My heart shattered. 'Just Aria.' After everything we had been through, I was nothing more than an inconvenience to him now.

I opened my mouth, ready to scream, to beg, to do whatever it took to make him listen. But before I could say a word, I heard a click. The line went dead.

For a long moment, I just stood there, staring at my phone in disbelief. He had hung up on me. He knew I was in trouble, knew I needed help, and he had hung up on me.

The hurt hit me like a physical blow, leaving me breathless. How could he? How had we gone from the man I loved to this? How could he betray me like this, and for Linda of all people?

A sob ripped from my throat, echoing in the small cave. I closed my eyes, memories washing over me.

Dante and I laughing as we had our lunch. Dante holding me as I cried after my first breakup. Dante promising that we would always be there for each other, no matter what. What the hell had happened to that Dante?

A low growl snapped me back to the present. My eyes flew open, and I found myself staring into two pairs of glowing eyes.

They had found me.

They stood at the entrance of the tunnel, their huge forms blocking out what little light there was. Their lips were pulled back in what looked like sinister grins, revealing rows of sharp teeth.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" one of them growled.

I tried to back away, but my legs trembled so badly I could barely stand. "Please," I whimpered, "I don't want any trouble.”

The other wolf let out a harsh laugh. "Too late for that."

This was it. This was how I was going to die. My mind raced, trying to find a way out, but coming up blank.

As the wolves took a step closer, a hysterical laugh bubbled up in my throat.

"What's so funny?" one of the wolves asked, his voice sending shivers down my spine.

I shook my head, unable to explain the ridiculousness of it all. Here I was, face to face with vengeful wolves, and all I could think about was Dante and Linda.

"Nothing," I managed to croak out. "Just... life, I guess. It's funny how things turn out."

At that moment, my phone beeped. Hope flared in my chest. Maybe it was Dante, realizing his mistake. Maybe he was coming to save me after all.

Before I could even reach for it, one of the wolves lunged forward and knocked the phone out of my hand. It clattered across the ground, and the screen went dark.

"You won't be needing that," he growled, his hot breath washing over my face.

I pressed myself harder against the wall, wishing I could melt into it. I began to find it difficult to breathe. I wanted to scream, but fear had frozen my voice.

In an instant, they were on me. Rough paws gripped my arms, claws digging into my skin through my thin shirt. I cried out in pain and fear as they shook me, hurling insults that made my cheeks burn with shame.

"Pathetic," one spat, dragging his claws down my sleeve.

I squeezed my eyes shut, tears streaming down my cheeks. I was going to die alone in the woods.

Just as I felt the fabric of my shirt begin to tear, a thunderous roar echoed through the cave. The wolves holding me froze.

"Get. Your. Hands. Off. My. Sister."

My eyes flew open at the familiar voice. There, standing at the edge of the cave, was the biggest wolf I had ever seen. His fur was as white as snow, and his eyes blazed with anger. Behind him stood at least a dozen other wolves, all ready to attack.

Before I could even process what was happening, the white wolf moved. He was impossibly fast. One moment he was yards away, the next he was right in front of us. With a single swipe of his huge claw, he sent both of my attackers flying. They hit the wall with sickening thuds before crumpling to the ground.

The other wolves rushed forward, pinning down my attackers before they could even think about getting up.

I slumped to the ground, my legs no longer able to hold me up.

The white wolf turned to face me, and I gasped. Those eyes... I knew those eyes.

"A-Adam?" I whispered, hardly daring to believe it.

His face was a mask of rage and concern as he reached for me. "Aria," he growled, pulling me into his arms. "What the hell were you thinking?"

I couldn't speak. I just held onto Adam's shirt, sobbing uncontrollably.

His arms tightened around me, one hand coming up to cradle the back of my head. "Shh," he murmured, his voice softening just a bit. "I've got you.”

For a long moment, we just stayed there, my tears soaking his shirt. Finally, when I had cried myself out, Adam pulled back to look at me. His eyes were hard, his jaw clenched tight.

"Why didn't you call me?" he demanded.

I flinched at his tone. "I... I didn't think you would come," I whispered. "After everything that happened with Dante..."

Adam's eyes flashed dangerously. "You're my sister," he growled. "No matter what, I will always come for you. Always."

He shook his head, looking both furious and heartbroken. "Did you really think we'd abandoned you? That we'd leave you to suffer at the hands of that... that weak excuse for a wolf?"

I lowered my eyes, shame burning in my chest. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

Adam's finger hooked under my chin, forcing me to look at him. "Was it worth it, Aria?" he asked, his voice low and intense. "Giving up everything for Dante's pack? Turning your back on your family, on your duty as the princess of the Blood Moon Kingdom? Do you regret it now?"

His words hit me like a physical blow. Did I regret it?

I was meant to be the esteemed princess of the Blood Moon Kingdom. Dante's pack was just a territory within the Kingdom, so for him I chose to hide my true identity and married him to become his Luna, secretly helping his pack to grow. But now, he actually disregarded my life for another woman.

The question hung in the air between us. I opened my mouth to answer but I didn't know what to say.

Adam sighed and shook his head. "Let's get you out of here.”