Chapter 5

Two Years Later

FREYA

I lifted my head to the mirror. To say I was shocked was an understatement—I couldn't recognize the woman staring back at me.

My once long, black hair was now short and blonde. My curvy physique had transformed into a slim, youthful figure, making me look even more beautiful. My once pale skin was now rich, glossy, and well-tanned. There was no way the Shadow-Moons would recognize me, not with the change in my eye color.

I used to have brown eyes, but with the help of contacts, they were now ocean blue.

My lips curled into a smirk as I admired my perfection. Last year, I began this transformation, and now it is finally complete.

I started by going on a strict diet and working out regularly to lose weight. To eliminate any trace of my past identity, I even added a small dark scar near my left ear. It was subtle but added to my new, more confident persona.

Just as I finished packing my suitcase and was about to leave, my phone rang. It was Aster Shadow-Moon—the man who had saved my life two years ago.

After I had broken his head with a lampstand and escaped, Aster found me and took me to the hospital. That was when I met Rico, a movie costumier and Aster's best friend. He took me in, trained me, and turned me into someone capable of transforming into anyone I wanted. I had risen above the wretched standard I had been left in after the Shadow-Moons destroyed my pack.

I picked up my phone, wondering why Aster was calling.

"Aster," I said as I answered.

"Freya," he replied. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Rico told me you're coming back today?"

"Yeah, I was just about to head to the airport before you called."

"Let me know when you arrive—I’ll pick you up."

I paused. Aster was one of the reasons I had come back. He would be a tool in my hands to bring down the Shadow-Moons. A part of me felt guilty—he was innocent, unaware of his family's crimes. But I didn't care. He was a Shadow-Moon—my only way in.

I wouldn't rest until they paid for what they did to me. To my pack. To my people.

Aster had always despised his family's manipulative ways and had distanced himself from them, only getting involved when absolutely necessary.

However, I had recently heard a rumor that he was to be crowned the next Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack—something he was actually eager about. He wanted to change the corrupt system that the pack had operated under for so long.

Despite my initial refusal to get close to him, Aster had never stopped trying.

"Freya, are you there?"

"Yes... um, I'll let you know when I arrive."

"See you then." He ended the call.

I grabbed my suitcase and walked out the door.

The flight home was smooth, and Aster was already waiting for me at the airport when I arrived. A wide smile spread across his face when he saw me. For a moment, he was taken aback.

"What happened to you? What has Rico been feeding you all this time with? Did he overwork you?"

I laughed. "Not at all. Don't I look good?"

"You look... fabulous. I was just so shocked that I started babbling nonsense. Honestly, no one from two years ago would ever recognize you."

"Well, that was the goal. I don’t want anything to remind me of the past." My expression darkened, and Aster immediately pulled me into a hug.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories."

I pulled away and forced a smile. "It’s not your fault, Aster. Now, let’s go."

"Of course."

Aster drove me to the four-bedroom apartment Rico had helped me rent. The ground floor was my studio, while I lived upstairs.

My life had become a success, and I owed Aster for introducing me to Rico, my former boss.

"Here we are," Aster said, placing my last suitcase on the floor.

"Thank you, Aster. For everything."

He nodded, then hesitated before speaking again.

"Freya, there's something I’ve been meaning to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Can we talk about it over dinner tomorrow night?"

I thought for a moment before responding. "Okay. Tomorrow night it is."

Aster's face lit up. "Thank you, Freya. I'll pick you up at 8 PM."

"That sounds great."

He leaned in and kissed my forehead.

"See you tomorrow, then." With that, he left.

I collapsed onto the couch, exhausted—not from the trip, but from Aster, my plans, and the storm brewing inside me.

I quickly stood up and left the house, driving straight to my former pack—The Crescent Moon.

As I entered, my eyes welled with tears. Everything has changed. The land was ruined.

Miners drilled into the soil. I had heard the Shadow-Moons had discovered oil here, along with gold and precious stones in the northern hills. That was why my people had been destroyed.

Tears burned my eyes as I clenched my fists, turned around, and ran back to my car.

ASTER

I knotted my tie and looked at my reflection in the mirror.

Tonight, I would finally tell Freya my intentions.

I had waited for so long. I needed to gain her trust first and allow  her to heal. After what happened to her and her pack—by unknown individuals—I knew she needed time to heal.

My father had been too busy with his new project to accept the Alpha position, so he had pushed it onto me. He knew I refused to involve myself in his shady business, so he had no choice.

My little brother, Darren, and my sister, Linnet, had taken over the family’s activities. I had no idea what they even traded.

I had always preferred my quiet, simple life, but I couldn’t turn down the offer to lead my people. They needed someone to protect them from the corrupt packs surrounding us.

But I couldn’t be an Alpha without a Luna.

Since I hadn’t found my fated mate, Freya was the only woman I wanted by my side.

I took one last look at myself and headed out the door.

At 7:56 PM, I was at her apartment.

When Freya opened the door, I forgot my manners for a moment.

"Holy shit, you look gorgeous."

She smirked. "And you’re not looking bad yourself."

She took my hand, and I kissed her cheek before leading her out.

Freya

Aster had great taste, just like his family.

The five-star hotel he chose for dinner belonged to his family—though he didn’t know it.

Darren had once taken me here when we were dating, boasting about his family’s wealth. It was then I learned that he had an older brother who had left home as a teenager to study abroad.

Few people even knew about Aster.

He had only returned six months before my supposed wedding to Darren. He had lived in isolation in a private cabin, far from his pack.

It had been a miracle that he found me that night. Otherwise, I would have been dead.

Darren and his family thought I had perished with my people.

They had no idea.

I had come back to reclaim what was mine.

And tonight, my plan would truly begin.