Chapter 1
Watching Logan Blackwood place the sacred Luna crown, the symbol of honor, on that impostor's head, I could only laugh.
Madeline Blackwood had used dark magic to steal away my mate bond, making him believe she was his destined mate.
And me, the one who was truly meant for him, had become nothing more than a worthless servant in his eyes.
"Get on your knees, Aurora." Logan's voice was colder than ice. The silver whip in his hand gleamed under the candlelight.
"Luna doesn't like seeing you stand. You're making her uncomfortable," he said.I dropped to my knees on the cold marble floor, the pain shooting through my legs.
The whip cracked across my back, tearing through my skin. The agony nearly dragged me into darkness.
But I clenched my teeth and refused to make a sound because I knew in three days, Blood Moon Night would arrive.
Without my blood to calm his wolf, his savage beast would lose control completely, turning him into a monster.
I raised my head and stared at him coldly, watching the first signs of his downfall, the unnatural crimson glow slowly spreading across his eyes.
Logan, just wait until the truth was revealed and you finally realized what you had destroyed.
*****
The coronation ceremony was held at midnight.
Every member of the Silvercrest Pack gathered in the great hall.
They made sure I was tucked away in the farthest corner.
"Aurora, fetch Madeline's cloak," the butler ordered, his finger jabbing at me with clear disgust. "Move it. Don't mess up Luna's coronation by being slow."
I turned and headed for the side hall.
As soon as I pushed the door open, I saw Madeline sitting at the vanity.
She was dressed in a pure white gown, her hair styled into an elegant updo.
"Well, if it isn't my dear sister?" Madeline turned around, her smile sickly sweet. "So, do you think this look is worthy of being the Alpha's Luna?"
I didn't say a word. I just picked up the cloak from the back of the chair.
"Don't play dumb." She stood up and walked right up to me. "You know, Logan said this morning that he never in his wildest dreams thought his Fated Partner would be me.
"He said that when he caught my scent, his soul shuddered."
My fingers tightened almost imperceptibly.
That was my scent.
Madeline had bought a forbidden spell from a witch and ripped away the Fated Partner scent that was meant to be mine.
"Jealous, Aurora? Come on, admit it," Madeline leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Honestly, you've been obsessed with Logan since you were a kid, haven't you?
"Too bad you'll always be nothing but a servant."
I turned and walked away.
"Stop!" Her tone cut through the air, icy and commanding. "Did I say you could leave?"
I stopped in my tracks.
"Is there anything else you need, Miss Madeline?" I asked.
"On your knees." She shot me a venomous smile. "Better practice bowing to Luna now, so you don't make a fool of yourself at the ceremony."
I didn't move.
"Are you deaf or something?" Madeline snapped, her voice rising. "Logan! Logan, come here!"
A few seconds later, the door swung open.
Logan strode in, still wearing his midnight-black ceremonial suit.
"What's wrong?" Logan asked, his eyes immediately going to Madeline, concern etched across his face.
"Aurora is bullying me," Madeline whimpered.
Her eyes were red, milking the moment for sympathy.
"All I did was ask her to fetch my cloak, but she wouldn't do it, and then she shoved me," she said.
"That's not true," I retorted. "I didn't do anything."
"You dare talk back?" Logan snapped, turning to me with pure loathing in his eyes. "Madeline is your Luna, and the Luna of the entire pack.
"Who do you think you are, talking to her like you're on her level?"
He walked right up to me.
His towering frame loomed over me, his presence suffocating. "On your knees."
I bit down hard on my lip.
"I said, on your knees!" Logan snapped, his Alpha authority crackling in the air.
That overwhelming Alpha dominance made my legs buckle before I could stop myself.
My knees slammed hard against the floor.
"Good," Logan said.
He looked down at me, his eyes cold with contempt. "Remember your place, Aurora.
"You're nothing but a servant, lower than an Omega, utterly worthless."
With that, he turned and pulled Madeline close, his arm draped possessively around her shoulders. "Let's go. Don't keep them waiting too long."
"Okay," Madeline replied softly.
She nestled into his arms, and as they were leaving, she shot me a glance over her shoulder.
Her eyes sparkled with smug satisfaction and ridicule.
After the door closed, I slowly got to my feet.
A dull ache throbbed in my knees.
But honestly, the icy numbness in my chest stung way worse than anything my body could feel.
I took a deep breath and followed them toward the great hall.
The ceremony had already begun.
Everyone stood on either side, leaving a clear path down the middle.
Logan took Madeline's hand and led her toward the raised platform.
Moonlight streamed down from the dome, bathing them in its glow.
"Tonight, I make it known to all." Logan's voice thundered through the hall. "Madeline, my Fated Partner, will become the Luna of the Silvercrest Pack."
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause.
I stood in the corner, watching as Logan lifted the jeweled crown, its gems glittering under the moonlight.
He set it on Madeline's head with his own hands.
"From this day forward, she is your Luna," Logan declared. "Everyone must obey her every command and honor her status. Anyone who defies her—"
He paused for a moment. "Will be treated as a traitor to the pack."
Just then, Madeline suddenly spoke up. "Logan, I want Aurora to come over."
Every pair of eyes in the room snapped to me.
"What's wrong?" Logan asked.
"I want her to be the first to bow to me," Madeline said, flashing a sweet, innocent smile. "After all, she's my sister. She should be the first to receive this honor."
My fingers slowly tightened.
"Aurora." Logan called out. "Are you coming or not?"
I walked toward the raised platform.
"On your knees," Madeline commanded, looking at me. "Pledge your loyalty to your Luna."
I dropped to one knee. "I, Aurora, swear my loyalty to Luna Madeline—"
Before I could finish, Logan suddenly cut me off.