Alora’s POV

The music swirled around me like liquid gold.

“They’re all here,” I whispered. “Every pack in the Valkrynd Dominion came to celebrate our first anniversary.”

Crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling, casting warm light across silk gowns and tailored suits.

Silver platters of roasted meat and exotic fruits lined the marble tables. Laughter echoed off the gilded walls.

“To everyone here, I’m the luckiest woman in the werewolf world,” I whispered bitterly.

Luna Alora Aldric, wife of the Alpha King,and ruler beside the most powerful wolf alive.

I smiled at a passing noblewoman who curtsied deeply. "Luna, your dress is absolutely breathtaking."

"Thank you, Lady Seraphine," I replied, my voice steady and warm. "You look lovely yourself."

She beamed and moved on, leaving me alone again in the sea of celebrating wolves.

I took another sip of wine and let my gaze drift across the crowd. Alphas from allied territories clinked glasses and discussed territory disputes.

“Can you believe it’s already been a year?” one Luna whispered behind her silk fan. “The alliance has brought more prosperity than anyone expected.”

“It certainly has,” another agreed. “And have you seen what the Northern delegates are wearing? Those embroidered moon-silk gowns are exquisite.” The Lunas continued chatting happily behind their silk fans.

Young wolves danced happily near the center of the hall, their laughter reminding me of similar times.

“A year ago… this was my wedding night,” I murmured under my breath.

I remembered standing in this very hall, my hand clasped in Caius’s, while the priestess bound us beneath the Moon Goddess's blessing. I had been so nervous, so hopeful, and so certain that I was marrying the man I loved more than anything in this world.

My fingers brushed against the mark on my neck. The mate bond pulsed faintly beneath my skin, but it felt weaker than it once had.

It was duller, like a fire slowly dying.

I pushed the thought away.

"He's probably in another meeting," I murmured to myself. "Council matters, border disputes, and Important Alpha King things."

The words tasted hollow.

I had told myself the same thing every night for the past six months, that Caius was busy.

The Dominion demanded his attention, and the weight of ruling an empire meant sacrifices.

“But when did sacrifice become loneliness?” I whispered.

A group of Alphas approached me, their faces flushed with wine and celebration.

"Luna Alora!" one of them boomed.

He was a huge man with a thick red beard and hands the size of dinner plates. "You must be the proudest wolf in this room tonight! Your husband has become the strongest Alpha alive because of you."

I forced my smile wider. "That's very kind of you to say, Alpha Gregor."

"It's the truth!" another Alpha chimed in.

"The Viremont Pack's resources changed everything, your warriors, your territory, and your strategic position.

Without that alliance, the Dominion would never have become what it is today."

"Without you," Gregor added, his eyes gleaming, "your husband would still be fighting petty border wars instead of ruling us all."

I nodded along, accepting their compliments with practiced grace, but their words stirred something uncomfortable in my chest.

They praised our marriage like a business transaction, like I was an asset Caius had acquired.

You were his greatest advantage.

I shook my head sharply, wondering where that thought had come from.

"Excuse me," I said, stepping away from the group. "I need to find my husband."

They laughed and bowed, probably assuming I wanted a romantic moment with my Alpha but I didn't correct them.

I scanned the crowd one more time.

Caius' dark hair and broad shoulders should have been impossible to miss.

He towered over most wolves, commanding attention wherever he went, but tonight, the space where he usually stood was empty.

My heart clenched.

"Where are you?" I whispered.

I moved through the crowd, nodding and smiling as I greeted the guests.

“Luna Alora, congratulations on your first anniversary,” one of the visiting Lunas said warmly. “You are truly blessed because not everyone gets to marry an Alpha as powerful as Caius.”

“You’re the luckiest she-wolf in the territories,” another added with a smile. “Every pack envies your marriage.”

A third woman laughed softly. “The Moon Goddess couldn’t have matched a more perfect couple. The way Alpha Caius looks at you… it’s enough to make the rest of us jealous.”

I smiled politely, thanked them, and continued through the crowd.

I wanted to scream.

Instead, I kept walking, my heels clicking against the marble floor. The music grew louder as I approached the orchestra, and I spotted Caius' personal guard near the eastern exit.

"Beta Orion," I called out.

The wolf turned immediately.

He was tall and lean, with silver-streaked hair and watchful gray eyes. He had served Caius for over a decade, and I had completely trusted him.

"Luna," he said, dipping his head respectfully.

"Is something wrong?"

"Have you seen Caius?"

Orion hesitated, and it was barely a fraction of a second, but I caught it.

"He stepped away for a private matter, Luna.

I'm certain he'll return shortly."

"A private matter," I repeated.

"What kind of private matter?"

"I'm not at liberty to say."

Something cold ran down my spine.

I have heard those exact words too many times lately. Caius had secrets and meetings I wasn't invited to, and discussions that happened behind closed doors.

I had always trusted him, always believed he would tell me when the time was right.

But the time had never come.

"Where did he go?" I demanded, my voice sharper than intended.

Orion's expression remained impassive.

"The west wing, but I’m not really sure.

I was already walking away.

The west wing of the palace was strangely quiet. The music from the ballroom faded as I passed through a set of heavy oak doors, replaced by the sound of my own footsteps echoing against stone walls. The torches along the corridor had burned low, casting long shadows that danced with every flicker of flame.

“Where were the guards?” I asked.

I counted three empty alcoves where guards should have been stationed. Windows stood open, letting in cold night air that carried the scent of damp earth and distant pine trees.

The celebration continued somewhere behind me, muffled and far away, like a dream I was slowly waking from.

My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin.

“Something's wrong,” she whispered.

“Turn back,” but I ignored her.

I had spent too many nights lying awake while Caius worked late.

Too many mornings waking up alone.

Too many excuses and explanations, and promises that never quite materialized.

If he was keeping secrets, I needed to know.

The corridor opened into a small courtyard. Moonlight spilled across the stone floor, illuminating a marble fountain shaped like a howling wolf. Water trickled peacefully from its open mouth, the only sound in the sudden silence.

Immediately I stopped.

A woman stood beside the fountain, her back to me. Long silver hair cascaded down her shoulders, glowing softly in the moonlight.

She wore a gown of deep crimson that hugged her slender figure, and her bare feet glowed pale against the dark stone.

I knew that hair, I knew that figure.

I had seen her only once before, on the day she was banished from the kingdom.

"Nysera," I called.

She turned slowly, a smile curving her lips. Her eyes were the color of purple gemstones, sharp and knowing.

Beautiful and cruel in equal measure.

"Alora," she said softly, "I was wondering when you'd find me."

My heart slammed against my ribs.

"What are you doing here? You're exiled.

The Alpha King banned you from ever setting foot in the Dominion."

"Did he?" Nysera laughed, a musical sound that made my skin crawl. "Well, I suppose bans only matter if someone enforces them. Your husband has been far too busy to worry about little old me."

I took a step forward, fury burning through my shock. "You need to leave now before I call the guards."

"Call them," Nysera spread her arms wide.

"I'm sure they'll come running, after all the celebration is still going strong.

Everyone is so happy tonight, so proud of their perfect Alpha King and his perfect Luna."

Her voice dripped with mockery.

"What do you want?" I demanded.

Nysera tilted her head, studying me like I was an interesting insect. "I wanted to see you, and after all this time, I wanted to look at the woman who took everything from me."

"I didn't take anything from you.

Caius chose me, and he rejected you because…"

"Because he loved you?" Nysera interrupted. "Is that what you believe?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but the words were stuck in my throat.

Because the truth was, I had never asked.

When Caius rejected his fated mate and chose me instead, I had been too overjoyed to question his reasoning. Too blinded by love to wonder why an Alpha would reject the Moon Goddess's blessing.

"It wasn't about love," Nysera said softly, "It was never about love."

"Your bloodline, Alora, the viremont pack, your warriors, your resources, and your strategic territory. That's what he wanted, that’s what he always wanted."

"You're lying." I said, my voice shaking. "Caius loves me."

"Does he?" Nysera stepped closer, her bare feet silent against the stone. "When was the last time he held you? When was the last time he looked at you like you mattered? Not as a Luna, not as a political asset, but as you?"

I couldn't answer.

Because I had forgotten, I had forgotten what it felt like to be truly seen by my husband.

"Once the alliance was sealed," Nysera continued, "once your pack was bound to his Dominion and no one could challenge his rule, your purpose had ended. You will become an afterthought and a pretty decoration in his palace."

"You're wrong." I forced the words out.

"You're bitter because he chose me over you. You're jealous."

Nysera laughed again, but there was no humor in it. "Jealous? Of you? Poor, foolish Alora.

I never wanted Caius, I only wanted what he represented; power, Influence, and a throne beside the most dangerous wolf alive.

But even then, I knew he would never love me because he was incapable of loving anyone."

"Get out of here!" I pointed toward the palace. "Leave, now!"

"Or what?" Nysera's eyes glittered.

"You'll kill me?"

The threat hung between us, dark and heavy.

I turned to leave because I couldn't listen to her poisonous words anymore. I needed to find Caius, I needed to look into his eyes and see the truth for myself.

"You don't believe me," Nysera called after me. "But you should, and you should ask yourself why he always works late, why he's always gone, and why you feel so alone in a palace full of people."

I kept walking.

"You should ask yourself why he never told you about the prophecy."

I stopped.

"What prophecy?" I whispered.

I heard her footsteps approaching, soft and deliberate.

"The prophecy that says your death will bring him everything he ever wanted," Nysera murmured, her lips close to my ear. "That's why he married you, Alora.

Not for love, but for sacrifice."

I turned around, rage and fear warring in my chest.

"You're insane."

"Am I?" Nysera smiled. "Then why does it hurt so much to hear?"

Something snapped inside me.

I lunged at her, my wolf surging forward, claws extending from my fingers.

But Nysera was ready.

She moved with impossible speed, her hand shooting out to catch my wrist.

Her grip was as firm as iron, and I felt something cold press against my ribs.

I looked down and saw the blade, it was small, elegant and deadly.

"Did you think I came here unarmed?" Nysera whispered. "I've been planning this moment for years."

I tried to pull away, but she was stronger than she should have been, stronger than any wolf I had ever faced.

You're not... you're not just..."

"A fated mate?" Nysera laughed.

"Oh, I'm so much more than that, dear Alora.

But you'll never learn the truth, and you'll die believing your husband betrayed you."

She drove the blade into my side.

The pain was immediate and devastating as silver tore through my flesh and muscle, burning like liquid fire. I screamed, but the sound was swallowed by the distant music.

I collapsed to my knees, blood pouring between my fingers.

Nysera crouched beside me, her beautiful face was the last thing I saw before darkness clouded my vision.

"You were never his greatest love," she whispered. "You were his greatest advantage and now, your purpose is complete."

She rose and walked away, her footsteps fading into silence.

I lay on the cold stone, my blood pooling beneath me. The silver burned through my veins, killing me slowly.

I could feel my wolf retreating, her howl fading into silence.

"Caius," I breathed. "Caius, please..."

I waited for him to come, I waited for him to find me, to save me, and to prove that Nysera was wrong.

But no one came.

The music played on, and the celebration continued.

And I died alone, surrounded by moonlight and lies.

With the echo of Nysera's words burning in my mind.

You were his greatest advantage.

Tears slid down my cheeks as my vision faded to black.

I had loved him with everything I had.

I had given him my heart, my soul, my future. And in the end, it hadn't been enough.

It had never been enough.

"Child of the Moon," a voice whispered in the darkness. "Your story does not end here."

And immediately the world went black.