Chapter 1

A soft, golden light pulsed from my palms, knitting the torn flesh of the young scout’s shoulder back together. I bit my lip, focusing my energy, feeling the familiar, comforting hum of Seraphina, my wolf, vibrating against my ribs. She was restless today, pacing in the back of my mind with a fervor that usually meant something big was coming.

"All done, Leo," I whispered, wiping a bead of sweat from my forehead. The scout flexed his arm, looking at the smooth skin in awe.

"You're a miracle, Elyse," he grinned, hopping off the infirmary table. "Alpha Jasper is a lucky man. Tonight’s the night, right?"

My cheeks flushed hot. "Maybe. Go on, don't be late for the ceremony."

Tonight was the Moonstone Pack’s annual Lunar Ceremony, but it was also my birthday. More importantly, Jasper—my Alpha, the man I had loved since we were children, the man Seraphina insisted was our mate—had hinted at a "special surprise." I hurried to my quarters, my heart fluttering like a trapped bird. I chose a dress of pale blue silk, the color of the moon at twilight. As I brushed my hair, I stared into the mirror. My eyes were bright, full of a naive hope that would soon be extinguished forever.

*He is going to mark us,* Seraphina chirped, wagging her tail in my mind. *I can feel it. The Alpha has finally stopped playing games.*

The pack house was alive with music and the scent of roasted meat and expensive wine. I navigated through the crowd, accepting birthday wishes, but my eyes were scanning for only one person. I found him near the dais. Jasper looked devastatingly handsome in his black suit, his Alpha aura commanding the room. But standing next to him, looking as miserable as a wet cat, was Kenzie Flores.

Kenzie, the girl who lost her wolf. My heart twinged with sympathy, as it always did, despite the way she clung to Jasper. She looked sullen, her eyes downcast, picking at the hem of her dress.

"Elyse!" Jasper’s voice boomed, silencing the chatter. He stood on the raised platform, a wide, charismatic grin plastered on his face. "Come up here. It’s time for your surprise."

A cheer went up from the pack. My breath hitched. This was it. I walked up the steps, my legs trembling. As I reached him, Jasper didn't take my hand. Instead, he gestured to a cart being wheeled out by two Omegas. On it sat a magnificent, towering cake, frosted in white and dusted heavily with a shimmering, metallic powder that caught the light like diamond dust.

"Make a wish, Elyse," Jasper said, his voice dropping an octave. There was a strange glint in his eyes—not love, but something colder. Amusement?

I leaned forward to blow out the single candle. "I wish..."

Before I could finish, Jasper’s hand clamped onto the back of my neck. His grip was iron-hard, shocking me into silence.

"Actually," Jasper announced to the room, his voice booming with cruel delight, "Kenzie’s been looking a little down. I think she needs a laugh."

I didn't have time to process his words. With a violent shove, he slammed my face down into the cake.

The impact was hard, bruising my nose, but the pain that followed was instantaneous and blinding. I gasped, inhaling sharply, and the shimmering dust flooded my nose and coated my open eyes. It wasn't sugar.

It was silver.

Blessed, concentrated silver dust.

For a normal werewolf, silver was an irritant. For a Healer, whose senses were heightened by the Moon Goddess to detect the slightest ailment, it was acid.

I screamed. The sound tore from my throat, raw and terrified, as fire erupted in my eyes. I clawed at the table, trying to pull back, but Jasper held me down, grinding my face into the toxic glitter.

"Happy Birthday!" he laughed, the sound distorted by the ringing in my ears.

"Jasper, stop! It burns!" I shrieked, finally wrenching myself free and falling backward onto the hard floor. I clawed at my eyes, but my hands came away wet with frosting and blood. The world was dissolving into a haze of agonizing white static.

*Seraphina!* I screamed internally, reaching for the healing warmth of my wolf. *Help me! Heal it!*

But there was no answer. The silver was acting like a mystical severing agent, corroding the spiritual pathways. I felt Seraphina howl in agony, her voice growing distant, as if she were being dragged miles away. Then, with a sickening snap that echoed in my very soul, the connection broke. The warm presence in my mind vanished, replaced by a hollow, freezing void.

"My wolf..." I sobbed, curling into a ball, the pain in my eyes eclipsed by the emptiness in my soul. "I can't feel her. Jasper, please, I need a doctor!"

The room was silent, save for my whimpers. Then, I heard Kenzie let out a sharp, theatrical gasp.

"Oh god, Jasper, she's screaming so loud," Kenzie whined, her voice trembling. "My chest... I can't breathe. It's too much drama."

"Shh, baby, I've got you," Jasper’s voice was instantly tender, sickeningly sweet. He was ignoring me. He was ignoring the woman writhing on the floor to comfort the one standing perfectly still.

"Jasper!" I screamed again, the darkness closing in. My vision was tunneling, gray spots turning to pitch black. "My eyes! I can't see!"

"Stop being so dramatic, Elyse," Jasper snapped, his tone dripping with annoyance. "It’s just a prank. Get up and stop ruining the party. You're upsetting Kenzie."

"I... I can't see you," I whispered, terror gripping my chest. The last thing I saw was a blur of light before the heavy curtain of permanent darkness slammed down.

"Get her out of here," Jasper commanded the guards, his voice cold and devoid of any remorse. "Take her to the infirmary before she gives Kenzie a panic attack."

Rough hands grabbed my arms, dragging me across the floor. I was the Pack Healer, the one who saved them, yet they dragged me like a sack of refuse. I reached out blindly into the dark, my fingers grasping at nothing, as the sound of Jasper soothing Kenzie faded into the distance.