Chapter 1
In her previous life, Elena Moonshadow stood at the Lunar Altar for the last time.
Lucian Blackwood, the Alpha, drove his dagger into her heart. Blood spurted out, staining the altar beneath her feet. "Lunar bloodline? Hah, you're nothing but a blood pet I kept."
As he snapped Elena's neck, she heard the sharp crack of her own vertebrae.
As her vision dimmed, she saw Lia Greyson standing on the steps, smiling innocently. "Elena, your necklace is so pretty. It's mine now."
Darkness surrounded Elena. Then, a blinding white light woke her up.
"Do you want to live?" an old voice rang out in the emptiness.
"Yes," I replied.
"Then go back. Take back your blood and reclaim your life.
"Remember, don't make the same mistakes again."
My eyes flew open.
I was lying in the lounge at my engagement party, my white gown spread out across the floor.
Outside the door, the sounds of toasting and conversation drifted in.
Lucian's voice came through the door. "Elena? That useless loser can't even shift. How could she ever be the Luna?"
I looked down at my hands—fair, slender, and unscarred.
I smiled. That smile was as cold as ice.
*****
The sound of bone cracking echoed through the room, even louder than the crash of the chandelier.
Lucian's scream exploded half a second later, sharp and wild, like a dog getting its tail stomped.
Every single one of the three hundred nobles instantly shut their mouths.
I crushed Lucian's fingers beneath the sharp heel of my four-inch stiletto, every ounce of pressure landing with cold precision.
Another crack sounded, like breaking open a walnut shell.
"Elena, are you insane?" Lucian dropped to his knees, his right arm twisted into a grotesque Z-shape, blood streaming down his arm.
He looked up at me, terror flooding his eyes, his lips trembling. "How... How dare you hurt me?"
Insane?
I stared down at his terrified face.
All at once, memories from my previous life crashed into me, cold as ice water.
The icy jab of a syringe in my neck.
The reek of decay in that basement.
And the scene of Lucian's boot slamming into my stomach, hot blood trickling down my legs. "Trash breeds trash."
That sickening crack as he broke my neck.
When I took my final breath, drowning in my own blood, my eyes never left the door.
Lia stood there, her smile sharper and deadlier than any snake's.
I snapped back to reality. "Lucian." I crouched down and slapped his face lightly with the flat of my dagger. My voice was low, but it carried the chill of the underworld.
I said, "In my previous life, you broke off our engagement right here in this hall, calling me trash in front of everyone.
"You locked me in the basement and drained thirty-seven vials of my blood.
"And in the end, you snapped my neck, killing me and my unborn child."
Lucian's face went ghostly pale. "What... What are you talking about?"
"Not getting it?" I stood up and crushed his other hand under my heel. "Here's something you can understand.
"You won't die today.
"But your hands? They're destroyed."
Lucian let out a shrill, agonized howl, desperately trying to call for his guards. "Guards, seize this crazy woman!"
But no one moved.
Hundreds of people in the ballroom went dead silent, staring at me in stunned disbelief.
Because just now, I'd proved with my actions that the useless loser the whole pack had laughed at for a decade had changed.
I turned away, not even glancing at that loser collapsing on the floor.
My gaze locked onto the darkest corner of the ballroom, cutting through the crowd.
There was a man standing there.
He wore a black coat, stood tall and sharp as a blade, with a glass of red wine between his fingers.
He watched the chaos unfold like it was nothing but a show, completely unfazed.
That was Derek Lewis, the Alpha of Winterfell.
He was Lucian's greatest rival, the one he dreaded above all others.
I slowly walked toward him with my dagger still dripping blood.
The sharp click of my heels echoed through the dead-silent hall. It took me 123 steps in total.
I stopped in front of Derek, lifted my chin, and met his bottomless gray eyes head-on. "Winterfell is a land of severe cold. It needs a Luna who can command respect."
I extended my hand, palm up. "And I need a blade sharp enough to kill Lucian. Partner up?"
The air turned heavy. Derek's gaze deepened with interest.
Instead of shaking my hand, he suddenly reached out, grabbed my waist, and yanked me right up against him. The space between us vanished in an instant.
The crisp scent of cedar on him, mixed with a faint trace of blood, hit my nose.
"Partnership is fine," he murmured, his lips almost grazing my ear, his voice low and magnetic. "But I'm not your blade."
"Then what will you be?" My heart skipped a beat, but I forced myself to stay calm.
"I'll be your man."
As soon as the words left his lips, he lifted his gaze, eyes flashing as they swept across the crowd. "You guys hear that?"
His voice wasn't loud, but the authority of the Winterfell Alpha made the chandelier tremble. "From now on, Elena is my woman."
He moved his foot, not even glancing at Lucian, and casually stepped down on Lucian's only good arm.
The snap of bone was crisp and clear. Lucian screamed desperately.
Derek acted like he'd just squashed a bug. He wrapped his arm around my waist and left with me.
"As for you," he said to Lucian without looking back, his voice icy cold. "Try looking at her again, and next time, it won't just be your arm I break."