•Chapter 3•

Ashley

The joy of Jace's earlier proposal felt like nothing but a cruel joke.

"What about my arm?" My voice trembled, but I refused to back down. "This happened because I was trying to stop her from getting hurt.”

Jace’s gaze flickered to the blood pooling at my feet. For a moment, he hesitated. Then, releasing Carina, he rushed to my side. His hands cradled my injured arm with a gentleness that made my chest tighten.

"I’m . . . sorry, my dear." His voice softened, full of regret. "I’m just so used to worrying about Carina. I didn't mean to lash out at you."

Carina shot me a glare of pure resentment before storming out. But Jace didn’t chase after her—he was waiting for my response.

Once, his apology would have reassured me. But now, I was just tired. Tired of being an afterthought. Tired of always being overlooked and neglected.

"I know you and Carina have nothing going on, but you needed to hear the things she said to me before you got here." I met his gaze, searching for any sign of emotion. “You do understand that she's in love with you, right?”

For a moment, he was silent. Then, he exhaled, his expression shifting.

"The reason I'm doing this—all of this, is to make up for my sin," he admitted. "Her weakness? Her lack of a wolf? I did that to her."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"When I was seven, before my mother found you, Carina and I were playing in the forest. I fell into an old hunter’s trap—it was deep. She was terrified, but she used the vines around us to make a rope so I could climb out. She didn’t know they were poisonous. The toxins . . . were more powerful than anyone could have imagined. They affected her shifting abilities, and her wolf could never fully awaken as a result."

His voice was steady, but the weight of his guilt was palpable. I hated that inside of me I felt sorry for her. Even after everything she had done.

I reached for him, wrapping my arms around his slim waist. “Her sacrifice is something I'll always be grateful for, if she hadn't saved you . . .” I lifted my hand to his face, gently bringing his eyes to mine.

“Her sacrifice won't be forgotten, and I'll make sure she understands that. But Jace . . .” I pulled back, meeting his eyes. "She has to understand that saving your life doesn't mean that she can lay claim to you. You have to be firm. You're getting married to me, but as far as everyone else is concerned, I'm the other woman. I don't think that's fair."

His long lashes fluttered against his cheek as he blinked. He completed our embrace, holding me. “I never meant to make you feel that way, sweetheart. I'll fix everything, I promise.”

I placed my head on his shoulder, trying to force myself to stop doubting his words.

—

Before the mate bonding ceremony could be allowed to proceed, we needed the elders’ blessing.

“Ashley? The girl without a wolf?" Elder Joseph said coldly as he stroked his cherished beard. "Of what use is a Luna without a wolf? ”

He's a pureblood supremacist. I often wonder how he could be related to the Luna who saved me.

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. But before I could respond, Jace took my hand, his grip firm and unwavering.

"It was purely my mistake. Even before then she has proven time and time again that she's more than capable of leading this pack by my side. Or do you consider yourself wiser than my mother who trusted her and openly admitted that Ashley is the best healer she's ever trained?”

All the things they said didn't really matter anymore, because Jace had taken my side, firmly standing on his decision. His unwavering faith made me feel hope that I hadn't felt in a while.

The elders eventually told me to leave first, but asked Jace to remain behind as they had other matters to discuss.

I had almost reached my quarters when I realized I had forgotten to tell him something. Instinctively, I tried to mind-link him—only to be met with dead silence.

Right.

Amy was gone. Without my wolf, I had lost the ability to mind-link.

I turned back, deciding to tell him in person. As I approached the council room, voices carried through the heavy doors. I paid them little mind and was about to knock when something made me pause.

"Stop lying. I know you’re all aware about the wolfless girl prophecy. "

My breath hitched. What prophecy?

"Don’t pretend to be noble. I just can’t stand how you’re all dragging things out."

There was a rustling of papers, then a scoff. "I’m just pissed I went after the wrong target. But I have to commend your brilliant idea. Using a decoy to keep the real Luna protected . . . That's something I wouldn't have thought about."

The blood in my veins ran cold. There was a slight gap in the door, which gave me a little peek into what was going on in the room. The elders were still seated, with Jace seated before them and . . .

The Rogue we had taken prisoner when he infiltrated our pack.

One of the elders spoke up, casually conversing with the rogue. "If we didn’t do this, wouldn’t you have stolen our wolf-less Luna instead?"

Jace remained quiet, simply watching the conversation unfold. There was no expression on his face.

The Rogue was quickly killed by them, not making a sound.

Elder Joseph filled up the silence. "Looks like our plan was right. Putting a fake Luna in the open is the best way to protect Carina. It's a shame she isn't here to see the fruits of her labour, but Luna Elena was so insightful back then."

Luna Elena. Jace's mother. The woman who saved my life and trained me.My stomach twisted painfully. I wanted to be sick.

He continued. "Jace, do your best to hold on to the decoy. We need her for what is to come.”

After a moment of silence, he lifted his head proudly. With the same confidence that I had grown to admire. "I will, Elder. We’ll go ahead with the ceremony as planned."

I swayed on my feet, the world tilting beneath me. My vision blurred, my breath caught in my throat. Against the wooden doorframe, my fingers shook.

A decoy. A shield. It all made sense now. I had been nothing but a pawn.

In my brief moment of weakness, I put my weight against the door, too weak to hold myself up. A sound so small, but enough to give away my presence.

Enough for the room to fall silent. Enough for the tension to shift.

The sound of my own heartbeat filled my ears as I waited for the inevitable.

"Who’s there?"