Chapter 1

I woke to fire burning through my veins. My body trembled violently beneath the thin blanket, sweat soaking through the cotton sheets. The room—my room at the edge of the pack house—felt like it was spinning, the walls closing in as my wolf, Emma, whimpered in distress.

*Something's wrong with us, Sarah. We're burning up.*

My wolf's voice sounded distant, fading in and out like a weak radio signal. That terrified me more than the fever itself. If Emma was struggling to maintain our connection, this wasn't just illness—it was threatening our bond.

"I know, girl. Hold on," I whispered, my voice barely audible even to my own ears.

I reached for the small silver locket around my neck—my mother's last gift—twisting it between my fingers as I always did when afraid. The cool metal offered no comfort against my burning skin.

With shaking hands, I reached for the mind-link, searching for the one person who should feel my distress through our mate bond.

*Jonathan... Alpha... please. I need help.*

The response came quickly, but cold and distant, like speaking to a stranger through a wall of ice.

*I'm in the middle of something important, Sarah. Can this wait?*

I could sense it through our weakened bond—the irritation, the dismissal. And beneath it all, the scent of vanilla and roses. Madison. He was with her again.

*My wolf... she's unstable. The fever...* I pushed the words through our link, letting him feel the scorching heat consuming me.

There was a pause, then: *I'll send Beta Liam to check on you. I'm overseeing Madison's healer training session right now.*

The link severed before I could respond, leaving me alone with the pain and Emma's increasingly faint presence. I curled into myself, tears mixing with sweat on my pillow. My mate—my Alpha—had chosen his favorite over his Luna. Again.

Hours later, Beta Liam arrived with Maeve, our elderly head healer. Her weathered hands moved efficiently as she examined me, her eyes filled with a sadness she couldn't quite hide.

"Your wolf is retreating, Luna," she said quietly. "This rejection... it's weakening your bond."

I knew what she meant without her having to say more. A mate bond required nurturing, acceptance from both sides. Jonathan had never truly accepted ours, and my wolf was paying the price.

"I'll prepare a stabilizing tonic," Maeve continued, her voice gentle. "But Luna... medicine can only do so much. The Alpha—"

"Thank you, Maeve," I cut her off, unable to bear her pity. "I'll be fine."

Liam stood awkwardly by the door, his loyalty to his Alpha visibly warring with his concern for me.

"Should I inform Alpha Jonathan that your condition is serious?" he asked.

I shook my head, swallowing the bitter taste of rejection. "No need to disturb his important training session."

The words came out sharper than I intended, and Liam winced. We both knew what I wasn't saying—that my mate was across the compound, tenderly instructing Madison Clarke on healing techniques that should have been my domain as the pack's rightful Luna and healer.

As they left, I turned to face the wall, allowing the tears to flow freely. Emma's voice had gone completely silent now, retreating deep within to protect herself from the pain of our mate's rejection.

*Hold on, Emma,* I thought desperately. *We'll get through this. We always do.*

But as the fever raged on and the mate bond remained cold and empty, I wondered how many more rejections we could survive before something broke permanently inside us both.

Outside my window, the moon hung heavy in the night sky. I reached toward it weakly, a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess who had supposedly blessed our union.

*Why give me a mate who doesn't want me?* I asked the silent deity. *What lesson am I meant to learn from this pain?*

No answer came. Only the distant sound of laughter from the main pack house—Jonathan's deep rumble and Madison's tinkling response—carried on the night breeze, a cruel reminder that while I fought for my wolf's survival, my mate celebrated with the woman he wished wore his mark instead of me.