Chapter 3

I sat alone in my corporate apartment, staring at the text message that had appeared on my phone. The mate bond you cherish is built on lies. Northern clearing, midnight. Come alone if you want the truth. My fingers trembled as I set the phone down on the glass coffee table.

'What do you think, Lyra?' I whispered to my wolf, who had been unusually quiet since our rejection from the pack house.

She stirred within me, her silver presence cautious but curious. *Trap? Or truth?*

Before I could respond, a gentle pressure built behind my eyes—the unmistakable sensation of an incoming mind-link. I stiffened, expecting Jonathan's commanding presence, but instead, a whisper-soft voice touched my consciousness.

*Moonstone Ridge. Sunset tomorrow. If you want to know how deep the deception goes.*

The link dissolved before I could respond, but not before I caught a familiar scent-memory—sandalwood and cedar with a hint of mountain air. A scent I hadn't encountered in years.

'Michael?' I breathed, though there was no one to hear me.

Lyra paced restlessly. *Beta Chen. Moonstone. Trust?*

I tapped my silver pen against my arm, a habit from my corporate negotiations when weighing particularly difficult decisions. 'What choice do we have? Our mate, our children, our home—all taken from us in a single night.'

Sleep eluded me as questions swirled through my mind. By morning, I had made my decision. I spent the day methodically reviewing the Silver Ridge Pack's financial documents, transferring what was rightfully mine to secure accounts. If I was walking into a trap, I wouldn't leave Jonathan with the empire I had built.

As the sun began its descent toward the horizon, I changed into dark jeans and a fitted black sweater—practical clothes for the forest terrain. I pulled my hair back into a tight ponytail and removed all Sterling Pack insignia from my person. For the first time in years, I left my Luna pendant in its velvet box.

The drive to the edge of our territory was tense, my knuckles white against the steering wheel. I parked at an unmarked trailhead and continued on foot, letting Lyra guide me through the dense forest that separated Silver Ridge from Moonstone territory.

*Close now,* Lyra alerted me as we approached the neutral clearing at Moonstone Ridge. The setting sun painted the sky in fiery oranges and deep purples, casting long shadows through the trees.

I paused at the edge of the clearing, scanning for any sign of danger. My Luna senses detected only one presence—a familiar one.

'Show yourself,' I called, my voice stronger than I felt.

A tall figure emerged from the opposite tree line, his silhouette immediately recognizable even after all these years. Beta Michael Chen of the Moonstone Pack moved with the same fluid grace I remembered from our college days, before fate and duty had pulled us in different directions.

'The moon rises, but truth never sets,' he said quietly, using our old code phrase from late-night study sessions.

Despite everything, a small smile tugged at my lips. 'And knowledge is the light that guides us home.'

He approached slowly, respectfully keeping distance between us. Up close, I could see how the years had matured him—his features sharper, his shoulders broader, but his eyes still held that same warmth and intelligence.

'It's been a long time, Elena,' he said, his voice carrying no judgment, only concern.

'Not long enough for you to risk contacting a mated Luna from another pack,' I replied. 'Why the secrecy? Why now?'

Michael gestured to a fallen log. 'Sit. Please. This will take some time.'

He produced a small thermos from his backpack and poured steaming herbal tea into two cups. The familiar ritual calmed my nerves slightly as I accepted the offering.

'I've been watching the Sterling Pack for years,' he began, his voice low and measured. 'At first, out of personal interest—I won't deny that. But then out of concern, and finally, out of moral obligation.'

'What are you talking about?'

Michael's eyes met mine, filled with a sadness that made my stomach clench. 'Your mate bond with Jonathan Sterling is a fabrication, Elena. The Sterling elders manipulated the ritual using a rare herb called moonshade to create a false bond sensation—just strong enough to convince you it was real.'

The cup slipped from my fingers, hot tea spilling across the forest floor as Lyra howled in disbelief within me.