Chapter 1

When wolfsbane pierced my abdomen, my Alpha mate, Jason Cole, was rushing back to camp with Emily Vale in his arms, her body trembling with fear.

Ten minutes earlier, a group of rogues had broken into our territory, and Jason'd left me to hold the most dangerous part of the front line without hesitation.

"You're the Lead Warrior. A wound like this won't kill you, but Emily's just an Omega," he snapped.

I could hear him through the faint mind-link, blowing up in the infirmary over a tiny scratch on Emily's arm.

Meanwhile, I lay in a pool of blood, my wolf growing weaker as our mate bond turned cold and empty.

I used every last bit of strength I had left to sever the bond.

Three years later, he held a huge Luna Ascension Ceremony to secure his power, and Emily was meant to be his Luna.

When he reached out with a smile on his face to set the crown on her head, the hall doors slammed open, and fully armed royal guards marched in.

"By order of the Lycan Queen, we are here to settle accounts for Redwind Pack's betrayal," one guard shouted.

Jason's face went pale the second he recognized me, the woman sitting on the throne. He was so shocked that he couldn't even keep his wolf form stable.

He believed I'd died in that rogue attack three years ago, but he had no idea I'd survived and come back stronger.

*****

"The eastern front is down. Thirty-seven rogues are rushing our lines. Jason, I need backup now," I said.

The sharp smell of blood washed over me, clouding my senses.

Jason answered through our mind-link right away, his tone sharp and impatient, "Lena, stop acting like you're the only one who can fix this."

"Someone changed the patrol schedule. They know exactly when our guard shifts are thin," I told him.

"Then hold your ground."

"I only have six injured warriors with me right now."

"You're the Lead Warrior. Don't act like a helpless Omega begging for care."

Emily's soft sobs trickled through the mind-link, quiet and intentional, like she was whispering straight into his ear. "Jason, my arm hurts so bad. Is this going to leave a scar?"

Jason's breath hitched. All the protective instincts tied to our mate bond instantly flipped to her instead of me.

"All inner camp warriors fall back to the pack house. Get Emily to the healer at once," he commanded.

I tightened my grip on my sword hilt. "You're pulling back the last squad too?"

"Emily is hurt."

"She can still walk on her own, but my men are dying out here."

"Don't use your warriors to pressure me." His voice dropped low and commanding, the heavy force of his Alpha order pressing down on me. "Lena, hold the eastern front until every last pack member is safely back."

Beside me, Carl Lynn, an older seasoned warrior, clutched his broken shoulder and looked over at me. "Lead Warrior, we can still hold the line," he said.

I pushed him toward the side path. "Take the others and go," I ordered.

"You're staying out here alone?"

"I'm not alone. My wolf is still with me."

A young warrior beside me stared ahead with red, anxious eyes. "Is the Alpha coming to help us?"

I didn't answer.

The mate bond in my chest burned hot, like a chain wrapped tight around my heart.

The stench of rogues closed in, the reek of rotting wolf fur laced with wolfsbane.

I tugged the original patrol map halfway out of my arm guard before tucking it deep inside its hidden compartment.

"Carl, make sure everyone knows the final patrol map I distributed was never altered," I said.

Carl nodded tightly, his jaw locked with tension.

"If I don't make it back, tell the elders someone messed with the inner camp's patrol layout," I added.

"You'll be back safe and sound," Carl said firmly.

I lifted my gaze to the dark figures rushing straight toward our position. "Get that evidence back to safety first."

The first rogue lunged at me, and I slipped halfway into my shift. My bones stretched and cracked under the moonlight as my wolf form fought to surface.

A sharp, stinging pain pierced my abdomen.

I glanced down and saw a wolfsbane coated spike jammed through a gap in my protective armor.

The toxin shut down my accelerated healing instantly, and fresh blood poured steadily from the wound.

Emily's quiet sobs continued echoing through the open mind-link.

"Jason, will Lena blame me? She looked so harshly at me earlier," she whimpered.

Jason spoke in a soft, soothing tone to calm her down, "She's always been like this, trying to shift blame onto other people."

I drove my sword straight into the charging rogue's throat as I managed to say, "Jason, the rogues are using wolfsbane. We have a traitor working on the eastern front."

"Lena, enough of this," Jason snapped.

"I saw one of the rogues wearing an official Redwind Pack Pass."

"Your only job right now is to hold the line, not make up baseless claims."

Emily cut into the mind-link again, still sniffling. "I saw Lena let one rogue slip through when I was falling back. I thought I was mistaken at first."

My breath caught in my chest at her lie.

"Emily, what did you say?" Jason's voice rang out.

Emily's voice turned smaller and more timid. "I shouldn't say anything. I'm scared Lena will be mad at me," she whispered.

Jason's raw, burning fury crashed straight into my head through the mind-link. "Lena, you will come back alive and explain every last word of this."

"Send backup here first," I said.

"The inner camp is on full lockdown."

"Jason!"

"The Lead Warrior doesn't abandon her post over a minor injury."

The wolfsbane burned through my body, weakening my wolf spirit.

I slammed my shoulder into a second incoming rogue and swiped my fingers across the metal pinned to its chest mid-fight.

It was the Moonlit Brooch, engraved with a tiny crescent moon.

Jason had personally gifted this exact piece to Emily.

A sweet cherry scent still lingered on its clasp, her signature fragrance.

The rogue leader stepped out from the shadowed trees, an identical Moonlit Brooch fastened to his chest.

He bared his sharp wolf fangs in a mocking grin. "Redwind Pack's Lead Warrior, huh? This payout buys nothing but your life."

I curled my fingers tight around the brooch, letting my blood drip over its surface. "Tell Emily her little trinket is far too recognizable."

The rogue leader raised his deadly sharp claw toward me. "I don't carry messages for the dead."

*****

"Open the gate. I'm back with wounded warriors," I called out.

No response came from the guards stationed at the East Gate.

I could hear heavy breathing from inside the camp through the border barrier.

Carl stumbled under the weight of the unconscious young warrior he carried, his throat too raw to speak above a hoarse whisper. "Open up. It's the Lead Warrior," he croaked.

Jason's voice cut through the mind-link, cold and unwavering. "Don't open the East Gate."

I stared at the narrow gap in the gate. "The wounded need the healer's help."

"Rogues could be right on your tail."

"I've already cleared all pursuing enemies."

"I don't believe a single word you say right now."

His words hit me hard.

The mate bond's scent still clung to him, yet it felt cold and far away, like a wall had gone up between us.

"Jason, you choose to believe Emily's crying accusations over the wolfsbane poisoning my body?" I shot back.

"Leave Emily out of this," he snapped.

"The rogue leader had Emily's Moonlit Brooch on him."