Chapter 1

“Confinement is over, Luna Alyssa,” the guard announced, ripping open the silence that had become my world for the last three days. He looked almost disappointed when I showed no signs of gratitude or excitement, and instead stood up from my cot. I’d been punished so many times now I stopped being ‘grateful’ to Carl, my husband, who decided to let me out.

It’s not like I wouldn’t be back in this all too familiar cell soon anyway. Lena, his mistress, would always do something horrible to land me back in here. This time she’d slapped a servant girl so hard the poor girl lost a tooth. I’d say Lena loved her spoon placement, but the truth is she looked for any excuse to be cruel.

The natural light blinded me after the dull yellow lighting of my cell, I had to shield my eyes as we left the prison. “Wait, what’s going on?” I demanded when instead of uncuffing my hands the guard led me to an unmarked police car. My breath caught in my throat and my heart raced when he didn’t answer but instead kept taking me towards the car. “I mean it, what’s going on? Where are you taking me?” He still didn’t answer. “Damn it! I am the luna! I demand you answer me!”

The guard glanced over at me for a brief second. Again, my breath caught at the amount of disgust and loathing in his eyes. He took a breath as if he was going to speak but instead opened the door and barked, “Get in!”

My back stiffened and I wanted to refuse. I am the luna! I deserve respect! Yet as the desire to stand my ground filled me, so did the voice of my father.

-Now listen Alyssa, the worst vice an alpha can have is pride. The good of the pack must come first, even if that means bowing your head or sacrificing yourself in some way.-

I closed my eyes as tears started to sting them. Two years and I still missed him and mom like it all happened today. I would make my father proud. I would lay down my pride and get in the car. I would put the pack first. I sat down and the door slammed behind me. The guard got into the driver’s seat and started the car.

I rested my head against the window and my thoughts drifted back. Carl was the beta’s son. We grew up together, we trained together and even came to the same college. He was my best friend and then became my rock during the dark times after the war, keeping me afloat when the darkness of a painful betrayal and the death of my father threatened to consume me. Carl very quickly became everything I needed and of course, we married and started to lead the pack together. It was perfect a girl could ask for.

But nothing good ever lasts, especially for me…

Carl struggled with becoming alpha. He grew cold and harsh, and anytime I tried to help him take a gentler path, Carl would get angry, claiming I was nagging and nitpicking at his every move. Despite all my attempts to explain, Carl chose the honeyed words of Lena over mine, and eventually took her as his mistress.

I tried to do better, and be better for Carl like he had been for me, but nothing seemed to work. The man I shared so many years with, was now growing apart from me. But the pack can’t afford any more instability. Despite the cheating and the hurt, it was still difficult for me to say “divorce” easily, with the hope one day Carl would remember how he used to care for me.

My brow furrowed in confusion as we stopped in the courthouse parking lot. Why was I being brought here? Was Lena going to try and escalate the slap? I know she was cruel but she’d never tried anything like this before.

The guard let me out of the car and walked me inside. My stomach tightened as we walked into the courtroom. It was filled with prominent members of the pack. Carl stood at the front of the room with the elders, and of course, with Lena. A bitter taste filled my mouth at the sight of them. They knew of Carl’s infidelity and punishments against me, yet they acted totally indifferent. After all the years they spent with my father as friends. After all the promises they made to him as he lay dying, swearing they’d take care of me. After all that…Indifference.

They all turned to look at me as the guard led me into the room. Lena crossed her arms under her chest, smirking at me with menacing glee, the elders looked quite serious, while Carl’s expression was hardened but unreadable. He nodded to the Guard to one of the tables and the guard pushed me down into another chair. He took out another set of cuffs to cuff me to the chair.

I suppressed scoff, feeling annoyed. What was all this show for? Everyone here had to know cuffing me to the chair would do nothing. Not only was I alpha blood, but I was one of our best fighters. I swallowed the growing anger and frustration filled me. I would behave, and not do anything to embarrass Carl in front of the elders. 

After the guard left, Carl walked a few steps towards me. “Rogue activity has increased recently, causing the Lycan King to take up his investigation once more,” he said in an even, unemotional tone. 

My breath froze in my throat like a block of ice. Memories of the war two years ago flashed through my eyes. Out of nowhere rogues began attacking several packs, including ours. They were slipping past defences and taking out key strategic spots with such precision it was…suspicious. Like an idiot, I found my boyfriend was a rogue. When he claimed he knew nothing of the attacks, I believed him, let him go, and my father died soon after…my heart shattered into dust. The pain of it so intense my wolf had to go to sleep to survive, snapping our connection.  

Even now, I could feel the echoes of heart break “I pray he finds those responsible,” I said, but had to ask. “But why did you bring me here to tell me this?” 

“The Lycan King has found proof of a traitor in our pack,” Carl stated and shock hit me like a punch to the gut. 

My eyes widened. A traitor? Here? Who would ever think to betray the pack or my father. Everyone loved him. Before I could ask who, he looked at me dead in the eye. “Are you our traitor, Alyssa?” 

I stared at him. Did he just ask…no, he couldn’t have… Carl should know I would never…  

“Are you serious? Me betray the pack? Me? Carl, you’re seriously asking me that?” There had to be some mistake. He couldn’t really think that I would ever betray our pack.  

“Well out of all of us, you were the only one” Carl paused and continued with a blunt, matter of fact tone, “in a relationship with a known rogue at the time, Kalen, Rogue King’s son” 

“What?” An elder exclaimed. 

“A rogue? Is this true,” another demanded. 

Suddenly all seven elders erupted into a shower of demands and questions. It wasn’t acceptable to associate with a rogue, let alone have a relationship with one. 

I stared at Carl in shock with a slight sting of betrayal. Why would he bring that up? He knew the truth. “You were there, Carl. You know that I didn’t know Kalen’s real identity at that time. Since the war started, I haven’t ever spoken to him again.” 

“I know nothing of the sort,” Carl replied, coolly, then shook his head at me disapprovingly. “And please don’t lie, Alyssa. We both know you never stopped pining after your rogue lover.” There was a hint of bitterness and jealousy in his voice. 

It wasn’t true. I wasn’t pinning after Kalen and if I’d ever see him again… anger filled me as I vowed that if I did see Kalen again I would discover everything he knew, one way or another. My anger chilled, realising that Carl thought I was still in love with Kalen. Was that the real reason he chose Lena over me? Did he think I didn’t care enough? 

I shook my head and met Carl’s eyes. “Carl, it’s not like that. I swear.” 

“I wish I could believe you,” he replied with a sigh. “But there is no other in this pack with such questionable motives than you. You betrayed this pack all those years for that bastard, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re the reason that the rogues are rising up again.” 

“No,” I shouted. “I have nothing to do with the rogues!” 

I looked at the elders. Each one of them wore a varying expression of disapproval and anger. “You can’t be serious,” I pleaded. How could Carl get everything so wrong? What did I do to make him think this was even a possibility? 

“Look at her,” Lena said, finally speaking up. “She has no remorse for what she’s done. She’s brought shame to this pack and its alpha.” 

Shame? She was the one who should be ashamed! She was the mistress! I looked at the elders and they actually seemed to be listening to her! Had everyone gone mad? 

“She doesn’t deserve to be Luna after all Carl has had to put up with over these years,” Lena continued. “Hell, he helped her hide the fact she lost her wolf!” 

The elders gasped horrified and I froze. How did Lena know about that? Did Carl tell her that? Why would he tell her that? Bitter betrayal filled me. How could he tell her about my wolf?  

“I’ve heard enough,” one of the elders, Derek Smyth, demanded. He shook his head as he took a few steps forward. “We all know here that losing one’s wolf only happens when one is punished by the very moon goddess herself.”  

I flinched and lowered my gaze to the floor. The weight of shame becoming to much. That couldn’t be true, could it? Had the goddess punished me? Was it because I had loved Kalen… Again tears stung at my eyes and I squeezed them closed so I wouldn’t cry.  

“I think I speak for all of us,” the elder continued. “When I say there is no other greater proof of your guilt, Alyssa, than that.” All the elders voiced their agreement. I could feel their gaze on me, heated with their anger. 

“Show a shred of decency and confess your crimes, Alyssa,” Carl said, his tone soft and pleading. 

“Maybe the moon goddess will have mercy on you.” 

“But I didn’t betray the pack,” I said and repeated what Carl had told me two years ago. “I lost my wolf due to the pain of losing Father.” 

“Yet she still lies,” Lena said and held up a paper that had been folded three times. “I found this in her room. Proof she still talks to that rogue…” Lena handed the paper to Carl. 

He looked over it and scowled. “What can you say to explain this?” 

I took the paper as he practically shoved it into my face. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. I recognized Kalen’s handwriting instantly. It was a letter to me…