Chapter 1

When I woke after giving my wolf's strength to save a newborn, I found my husband beside his former lover—and the baby I had saved was their son.

"The Blackwood line is safe now," my mother-in-law, Maris, said beyond the curtain.

My eyes opened fully.

Lyra?

I reached for my wolf again.

Nothing answered.

There had always been something inside me before—a second heartbeat, a warm presence beneath my skin, the quiet strength that reminded me I was never truly alone.

Now there was only silence.

I turned my heavy head. Through the thin fabric, I saw them.

My husband, Caelan, was standing next to a baby crib. Beside him was Talia. She was the woman he promised was completely in his past before we mated.

"He has Caelan’s eyes," she said.

Talia smiled through her tears.

My stomach turned cold.

I lifted my hand and saw a thin silver line forming beneath the other six already circling my skin.

This wasn't my first time saving someone.

For the past six years, Caelan always told me the same thing: You are the Luna, Rhea. You must sacrifice for the pack.

Every time I used my wolf's power to heal, it left me weak and bedridden. And every time, Caelan would sit by my bed. He would hold my hand and praise me.

This time was no different. He had brought me a dying newborn. He looked me in the eyes and said it was the orphan of a fallen warrior. He said the baby needed my power to survive.

So, I agreed.

But the truth was right in front of me.

That wasn't a warrior's orphan. That was Caelan and Talia's son.

The curtain moved.

The moment Caelan saw my eyes open, relief softened his face. He rushed to my side. He took my hand, gripping it warmly, exactly like he always did.

"You're awake," he said softly. "You did so well, Rhea. You saved him. You are the perfect Luna."

For one terrible second, he looked exactly like my husband.

The man who checked whether I had eaten after long pack meetings.

The man who slept with one hand around my waist.

The man who had sat beside this same hospital bed after every healing and told me he hated seeing me weak.

The pack healer stepped in behind him. The old man looked at me with deep pity.

"Luna... the child will live," the healer said. "But you gave too much this time. Your wolf is in a deep sleep. It might be months before she wakes up again."

I didn't look at the healer. I looked at my husband.

I stared into Caelan's eyes. I waited for a reaction.

I wanted to see shock. I wanted to see guilt. I wanted his smile to drop. I wanted him to grip my hand tighter and apologize for hurting me.

But his face was completely calm.

He knew.

He already knew this would happen. He knew this healing would silence my wolf. But he still brought that baby to me. He still lied to my face.

I looked at our joined hands.

Six years ago, I had left Silverpine and given up the Alpha position that should have been mine because I believed becoming Caelan’s Luna meant we were building something together.

Seven silver marks now circled my wrist.

For the first time, I understood what they really measured.

Not how many lives I had saved.

How many times Caelan had learned that I would sacrifice myself if he asked.

And this time, he had stopped asking honestly.

The warmth of his hand suddenly made me feel sick.

All my love and trust drained away, just like my wolf's power. The man sitting beside me was a stranger.

I didn't pull my hand away.

I simply closed my eyes. I waited until his footsteps moved away from the bed.

Then I reached past the damaged mate bond and searched for another connection—one I had barely touched in six years.

The old Silverpine family link opened beneath my mind.

Mother.

Selene answered almost immediately.

Rhea?

I stared at the seventh silver mark on my wrist.

Send someone for me.

There was a beat of silence.

Then my mother asked, When?

I looked toward the curtain, where my husband was standing beside the son he had used my wolf to save.

Now.

I’m coming home.