Sophia's POV

I watched, heartbroken, as my mate kissed his ex-lover, Tiffany.

My mate, Albert, King of the Eastern Kingdom's werewolves. Everyone knew the Lycans ruled over the werewolf clans. He had the power to appoint or strip any Alpha of their rank. I bore his mark, he had claimed me the very first night we met.

That was the only reason I stood within the royal palace of the Eastern Kingdom. Despite being a lowly half-blood, Albert had marked me because of the mate bond between us.

But from the very first day I arrived at the palace, he shoved me away with cold indifference.

He told me, "I only need your power. This bond means nothing to me. I could never accept a filthy half-blood."

I was a hybrid… half witch, half wolf. In our history, witches had always been seen as evil, unwanted creatures. Even omegas without wolves held more status than witches did.

Despite many witches now serving as healers for wolf packs, discrimination against my kind had never truly disappeared.

During his heat cycles, Albert would summon me to his bedroom. Our nights together were passionate, and foolishly, I clung to the hope that things between us would eventually change.

But he had never forgotten Tiffany.

Pain gave way to rage. Albert would never respect me. I needed to let go of this stupid fantasy. No matter what, I had to leave this place.

I stormed toward them and shoved Albert aside.

"Reject me!" I shouted.

"If you want a new Luna, then do it properly—reject me first, you bastard!"

"Don't be insane," Albert growled, ice clouding his hardened features. "You have no idea how badly I want to. But every time I even think of rejecting you, it's as if a thousand knives stab my insides. I don't know what curse you damn half-blood put on our bond, but if you dare bring it up again!"

He towered towards me, a powerful Lycan, his massive frame making my knees buckle.

But that wasn’t true.

I didn’t cast any spells. Maybe because of my hybrid blood, our bond was unnaturally strong, so strong that if either of us broke it, we would both die.

But Albert always believed it was some trick of mine.

He couldn't see the pain I endured too.

Why was I still trapped in this hell?

"Stop pretending to be pitiful, Sophia," Albert sneered. "Now get out of my sight before I strangle you to death before morning."

He turned to leave, but Tiffany grabbed his arm.

She walked over to him, putting on a mask of false innocence.

"You misunderstood, Sophia," Tiffany said sweetly. "There was just something wrong and you shouldn't be harsh to him, Albert was only helping you.” She explained.

"Enough, Tiffany," Albert cut her off coldly. "She's not worth our time."

He turned back to me, his voice a blade.

"Let me make it perfectly clear to you, until you find a way to break our bond without killing us both, you are nothing but my sex slave. Nothing more. And trust me, I will never stop looking for a way to reject you."

With that, he grabbed Tiffany’s hand and left without a second glance.

I had just turned around when two palace guards blocked my path.

Albert and Tiffany stopped as well.

"Alpha Albert," one of the guards said, "Luna Sophia is accused of stealing the Moonstone, the artifact that safeguards the Eastern Kingdom's stability. We must take her in for questioning."

Perfect.

Betrayed by Albert, and now accused of theft.

Albert’s cold, pitiless gaze pierced through me like arrows.

"No, I didn’t!" I cried, looking at him in disbelief. "Albert, you have to believe me—I didn’t!"

His jaw tightened.

"Take her away," he ordered.

*****

The werewolf officers glared at me in disgust.

"Are you ready to confess, Sophia? Or should we continue where we left off?"

I struggled to sit up, meeting their hatred with my own glare.

"Call me Luna Queen," I snapped. "I haven’t been stripped of my title yet."

The guards laughed cruelly.

"Wake up, half-blood. No Luna Queen gets thrown into a cell without proof. Your precious Alpha Albert has already abandoned you. The entire royal court knows it, you're a stain on his bloodline."

I sank back to the floor, trembling.

"No! I demand to see Albert! I didn’t conspire with any witch to steal the Moonstone! I had no reason to!"

"You have, you are a witch's hybrid, and you and your kind have always wanted to do one thing, which is to destroy all werewolves." one guard barked, pulling out a flask.

I swallowed hard, tears streaming down my face. I recognized the scent immediately, silver water.

It was meant to prevent me from shifting.

He grabbed my jaw, forcing my mouth open with brutal fingers.

"This is your last chance. Confess!" he snarled.

"I told you the truth," I rasped. "I didn’t steal it!"

"Very well."

He poured the entire bottle of silver water down my throat.

I choked violently, agony searing through my chest.

Curling into myself, I clutched my burning stomach.

"Albert... help me," I whimpered.

The bond between us wasn’t broken yet, he should still feel me, still want to protect me.

"Please, let me see Albert!" I cried out.

The guard sneered.

"Sure. I'd love to see you crushed a little more."

Silence fell over the prison.

The burning inside me grew worse.

I couldn’t hear my wolf anymore.

I fixed my gaze desperately on the cell door.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the guard returned, smirking.

Albert wasn’t with him.

I forced myself up, blinking back tears.

"Where is he?"

"He found your request disgusting," the guard taunted. "He issued a final order."

Panic clawed at my chest.

"What order?"

"Take the criminal Sophia to the execution cross."

No. No, it couldn't be real.

He wouldn’t let me die for a crime I didn’t commit.

Two guards dragged me away.

I kicked and screamed, sobbing.

"I don’t believe you! Albert would never do this! Let me see him!"

One guard slapped me across the face, stunning me into silence.

They bound me to the execution cross.

No!

Had Albert really found a way to break the mate bond without dying?

Suddenly, my mark burned searing hot pain at the base of my neck.

The bond was breaking.

He had done it.

But why?

Why would he kill me?

Tears blurred my vision as Tiffany sauntered up to me, a cruel smile on her lips.

"Want to hear the truth?" she whispered. "I stole the Moonstone. But you’re the one paying for it. You stole Albert’s heart for three years. Now you’ll pay."

She whispered something to the guard, then turned and walked away.

"Light the fire!" the guard bellowed.

"Albert! No! Please! I didn’t do it!"

I screamed into the crowd, but all I saw were faces twisted in hatred.

"Kill the witch!"

"She stole our Moonstone! The Moon Goddess will curse us!"

"She must pay!"

The shouts grew distant as the fire grew hotter.

The flames hissed against my skin.

The agony was unbearable.

Through the haze of pain, I spotted a young werewolf, someone I had once healed during a battle.

I cried out to him.

"Please! Kill me! I can’t take it anymore!"

The young wolf’s eyes filled with pity.

He picked up a bow and arrow.

"Goodbye, Luna Sophia."

The arrow pierced my chest.

The pain ended.

I don't know how much time passed before I gasped awake.

Air filled my lungs, my senses sharper than ever.

I looked around—and realized I was in Albert’s bedroom.

He was on top of me.

I glanced at the calendar by the bed and froze.

It was the night of the first full moon after I arrived at the palace the night of the mating heat.

I had been reborn.

And I shoved him off me in pure rage.