Chapter 1 

Chapter 1 

When I lost our pup in a brutal rogue ambush, my mate–Alpha Joshua of the Moonriver Pack–made a choice that shattered me. 

In the midst of the chaos, with my life hanging in the balance, he looked at me–his Luna–and still ran to save her, another she–wolf, as if her life was the only one that mattered. He left me to fend for myself, abandoned and broken. 

That same night, I lost everything–our baby, my trust, and the love I once had for him. Now, with my heart hardened and my bond to Joshua fraying, I must find the strength to move on, even if it means embracing the darkness that follows. 

I glanced at Joshua, my mate, riding just ahead of me. His focus was fixed, his posture rigid–ready for anything that came our way. He had always been that way, a powerful Alpha, dedicated to protecting the pack. But lately, that protection had seemed… misplaced. 

Behind him, Monique rode with her usual grace, her red hair catching the moonlight. She had been a member of our pack for less than a year, and yet she seemed to hold more of Joshua‘ s attention than I ever did. My wolf stirred uneasily at the thought, her instincts sharp and restless. I could feel her frustration, her need for recognition. We were Luna, after all. I was Luna. 

But ever since Monique‘ s arrival, I felt like a ghost in my own pack. The way Joshua looked at her, the way he rushed to her side in every moment of need–it was enough to make me sick. And now, sitting here, just behind him, I could feel the growing distance between us more than ever. 

I hadn’t told him yet. About the pregnancy. My hand rested lightly on my stomach, where our pup was growing inside me. I had wanted to tell him at the right moment, but when would that be? When his attention was constantly elsewhere? 

My thoughts were interrupted by a howl cutting through the night, sharp and full of warning. A second later, rogues burst from the trees, teeth bared and eyes glowing with feral hunger. My wolf reacted instantly, surging to the surface as I shifted in one smooth motion. My clothes shredded as my body transformed, fur bristling and claws extending. 

Ambush!” Alpha Joshua‘ s voice rang out as he shifted, his powerful black wolf leaping into 

action. 

The rogues attacked from all sides, their foul scent filling the air. I dodged one, snapping my jaws at another, my movements fueled by the primal instinct to protect my pack–my unborn pup. I needed to be strong, I needed to survive this. 

From the corner of my eye, I saw Monique struggling, fear flashing in her eyes as a rogue closed in on her. Let her fight, I thought. She wasn’t weak–she was a warrior like the rest of us 

But Joshua… he saw her, too. 

In the middle of the chaos, in the midst of battle, my mate turned away from the rogues attacking him and ran to her. 

Alpha!” I snarled through the mind–link, fury boiling inside me. But he didn’t hear me–or didn’t 

care. 

He lunged in front of Monique, blocking the rogue‘ s attack, taking the hit meant for her. She clung to his fur, trembling, as he fought off the rogue with a savage growl. 

And that was the moment. 

The moment I realized I had lost him. Not just now, but long ago. He had chosen her, again and again, without even noticing it. My wolf howled inside me, the pain of that realization a knife to the heart. But I couldn’t afford to dwell on it now. There were still rogues to fight. 

I launched myself at the nearest rogue, ripping into its throat with a vicious bite. Blood spattered the ground as I moved to the next, my movements swift and deadly. But the ache in my chest–the betrayal–was impossible to ignore. Each attack felt like a distraction from the real pain, the one I couldn’t fight with claws and teeth. 

A rogue came at me from the side, faster than I expected. Its claws raked across my abdomen, and I stumbled, a sharp, tearing pain shooting through me. I yelped, the sound raw and animalistic, as I collapsed onto the ground. 

No. 

The pain wasn’t just from the wound. It was deeper—inside. I could feel it. The life inside me, fragile and precious, slipping away. My breath hitched as I pressed a shaking hand to my stomach, my vision blurring. 

“No… I whispered, barely able to form the word. 

The world around me was still chaos–growls, howls, the clash of bodies—but all I could focus on was the loss. The life I had barely known, the secret I had kept. Gone.