Chapter 1

Zara's pov

I froze at the top of the stairs, watching in horror as Mia tumbled down. She hit the floor with a sickening thud, a deep claw mark across her chest bleeding uncontrollably.

My hands trembled, clutching the pregnancy test results I had fought so hard to hide. Panic consumed me, and before I could stop it, my wolf had surfaced. My claws had struck her. My sister.

Ryker, my mate the one I had loved since childhood, the one I had always dreamed of standing beside—was by Mia’s side in an instant. His face was a storm of fury, his jaw clenched as his piercing eyes locked onto mine. In that moment, he wasn’t just my Alpha, the leader of our pack; he was the man I had spent my whole life longing for, trusting, and cherishing.

But the words he spoke shattered me.

“What have you done, Zara?” he roared, his voice echoing with raw anger. “How could you be so cruel?”

I flinched as though he had struck me. His accusation, his disbelief in me, cut deeper than any wound ever could. This was Ryker—the man I had given my heart to, the man whose approval I craved more than anything. And now, he looked at me as though I were nothing more than a monster.

His words weren’t just angry; they were condemning. They weren’t directed at my actions—they were directed at me. And that hurt more than anything, because no one else's opinion mattered as much as his

Luna Diana stepped forward, her presence commanding. “Zara, heal her. Now,” she ordered, her voice calm but firm. “You’re the only one who can.”

I froze, the weight of her demand crushing me. My eyes darted to Mia, limp in Ryker’s arms, her breaths shallow as blood soaked her clothes.

“She’s dying!” someone shouted. “Do it, Zara! Stop wasting time!”

“She’s your sister! How can you hesitate?” someone shouted.

Their words cut deep, my heart pounding as guilt and panic consumed me. Mia and I shared the same gift—we could heal others but never ourselves. And now, she was dying because of me.

**********

Five minutes before the accident:

Mia leaned against my bed, a sly smile playing on her lips as she waved the pregnancy test results I hadn’t even opened.

“Well, well,” she drawled, her eyes gleaming. “Zara’s little secret?”

I froze in the doorway, panic rising as my wolf stirred restlessly. “Mia,” I said, stepping forward, forcing calm into my voice. “Give it to me. Now.”

"Who would have thought? Zara, the perfect angel, carrying someone’s pup. Does Ryker know? Or is this someone else’s dirty little secret?” Mia sneered, waving the paper tauntingly.

“Stop it,” I snapped, my voice sharp. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Her smirk deepened. “I hope it’s Ryker’s. If it’s not... well, imagine the scandal. The blessed healer, disgraced. Oh, how the pack would talk.”

“Give it to me, Mia,” I growled, my claws itching to emerge.

She leaned in, her tone venomous. “Do you even want it? Or is this your desperate attempt to make Ryker love you?”

My wolf stirred, but I forced her down, my fists clenching. “Say one more word about my child, and I swear—”

Mia laughed bitterly. “Your child? Look at you, Zara. You can barely hold yourself together.”

“Together, let alone raise a pup. Maybe it’s better if—”

“Enough,” I hissed, clutching the paper. My breath was ragged, my wolf pacing restlessly in my mind. I wouldn’t let Mia’s words break me.

“You wouldn’t hurt me, would you? What would Ryker think?” she taunted before darting out of the room, her laughter echoing through the hallway.

“Mia, stop!” I shouted, chasing after her as she sprinted toward the stairs.

She glanced back, smirking. “Afraid I’ll tell everyone? Maybe Ryker should know your little secret first!”

Her words ignited a surge of fury. My claws extended as my wolf pushed forward, demanding I protect what was mine. “Mia, I’m warning you!” I yelled, desperation in my voice.

When the gash finally sealed, darkness swirled at the edges of my vision. I slumped back, barely able to keep myself upright. But before I could catch my breath.

I didn’t let her finish. With a sharp motion, I grabbed the paper from her hand, my claws brushing her wrist. She recoiled and tried to yank it back, the force throwing her off balance.

In the chaos, my claws grazed her chest, leaving a shallow but jagged mark. Her eyes widened in shock as she stumbled backward.

“Mia!” I screamed, reaching for her, but it was too late. Her footing slipped, and she tumbled down the stairs, her body hitting each step with sickening thuds.

Time froze as I bolted after her, my heart hammering. She lay crumpled at the bottom, blood soaking her clothes and pooling beneath her.

Dropping to my knees, I pressed my hands over her wound, trembling. The pregnancy had already drained me, but I had no choice. Ignoring the searing pain, I summoned every ounce of energy I had left to heal her.

"My wolf told me Zara didn’t want to heal me,” Mia said, her trembling voice laced with false innocence. “She hesitated—she wanted me to suffer.”

Murmurs rippled through the pack, their accusing eyes burning into me. I tried to defend myself, but my strength was gone. My vision blurred, and I collapsed to the ground, powerless to stop the growing distrust.

Ryker’s cold voice cut through the noise. “Zara,” he said, his gaze piercing, “why would your own sister’s wolf say that about you?”

The pack's accusations rang in my ears, sharp and merciless.

“She didn’t want to heal her own sister. What kind of monster is she?”

“Her healing powers are fake! She’s been lying all along.”

“She doesn’t deserve to be our Luna.”

Each word felt like a dagger to my heart. My legs trembled as my wolf whimpered, crushed beneath the betrayal of those we once called family.

Then, the final blow came: “Why did we even come to this Luna ceremony? She’s evil!”

This was supposed to be my moment—standing proudly beside Ryker as his Luna. Instead, it was my public humiliation.

Ryker’s voice cut through the noise, cold and biting. “I should’ve known. You never cared about me or the pack. You just wanted the title.”

“No, Ryker,” I croaked, tears filling my eyes. “That’s not true—”

“Enough!” he barked, silencing me. His eyes burned with anger as he stepped closer, towering over me.

“I, Alpha Ryker Blackmore, reject Zara Walka as my mate and Luna of my pack.”

His words shattered me. Pain ripped through my chest as the mate bond snapped, leaving me hollow and broken. My wolf howled in agony, but no one came to my defense. No one believed me.

As I collapsed, clutching my chest, Ryker turned his back on me and walked away without a second glance. My world crumbled, and amid the suffocating darkness, one name burned in my mind: **Mia.**

She had orchestrated all of this. The pack believed her lies, but I knew the truth. As they carried her away, Ryker’s cold voice lingered.

“She hurt her sister so badly. Tell me, who’s really trying to kill whom?”

Tears streamed down my face as the weight of everything crushed me. My vision blurred, my strength faded, and the darkness swallowed me whole.