Chapter 2

Something inside me broke along with the medallion.

A low growl built in my chest as my wolf rose to the surface, clawing for control. My vision sharpened, the world taking on the red tinge of rage.

Olivia's smug expression faltered.

A burst of flames—my aura—erupted around me, dancing across my skin in waves of crimson and gold. The power surged through my veins, hot and demanding. My hand flew to my chest where the medallion had rested for two years, where Rex's remains had been kept safe.

Until now.

"Stop," I commanded, my voice barely human. "Just stop."

Olivia took a step back, momentarily startled by the display of power, but her retreat was brief. The flash of fear in her eyes quickly hardened back into contempt.

"What's wrong, warrior?" she sneered, emphasizing the title like it was an insult. "Upset about your little trinket? It's just rubbish now—like your pathetic bond with Ethan."

She kicked at the scattered ashes with her designer heel, grinding what remained of Rex into the dirt.

I closed my eyes, fighting for control. Then I reached for the mate bond—that thin, fragile thread that connected me to Ethan Blackclaw.

*Ethan,* I mind-linked, my mental voice sharp enough to cut glass. *Your presence is required. Now.*

I didn't bother with pleasantries or explanations. He would feel my rage through the bond, weak as it was.

Barely thirty seconds passed before the sound of an engine broke through the tension. A sleek black sports car appeared around the bend, tires screeching as it came to an abrupt halt behind Olivia's wrecked Jeep.

Ethan emerged, his designer boots clicking against the asphalt as he approached. His eyes darted between us, taking in the scene—the wrecked vehicles, Olivia's defiant stance, my barely contained fury, and the scattered ashes at our feet.

"What's going on here?" he demanded, but I noted he directed the question to Olivia, not me.

"Your warrior bitch wrecked my Jeep," Olivia whined, immediately sliding to his side. "And now she's threatening me over some stupid necklace."

I stared at him, waiting. Waiting for him to notice the medallion fragments. Waiting for him to remember what it contained. Waiting for him to be the mate he was supposed to be.

"Ethan," I said, my voice deadly calm. "She destroyed Rex's medallion. The one with his ashes."

He glanced down at the scattered silver pieces, then shrugged—actually shrugged—as if I'd mentioned a broken coffee mug.

"It's just a trinket, Tori," he said dismissively. "I'll buy you another one. Come on, Liv, let's get you home. You look upset."

He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close in a gesture that was unmistakably intimate. The blatant display of affection in front of me—his mate—was the final insult.

"Just a trinket?" I repeated, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Rex died saving my life. He was a warrior of this pack. He deserved respect."

"Oh please," Ethan rolled his eyes. "It was just a wolf. You warriors are so dramatic about these things. It's not like you can't get another one."

Olivia smirked at his words, leaning into his embrace. "See? Even Ethan thinks you're overreacting. Maybe if you spent more time being an actual Luna instead of playing soldier, he wouldn't have to come to me."

Ethan didn't contradict her. Instead, he looked at me with something between pity and contempt.

"Look, I know you take this warrior stuff seriously, but it's time you accepted your place. You're my mate on paper, but this"—he gestured between himself and Olivia—"this is real. Always has been."

The flames of my aura intensified, dancing higher as my control slipped further. In that moment, I saw them clearly for what they were—not just unfaithful, but cruel. Disrespectful not only to me but to everything I stood for, everything I had sacrificed.

And I was done sacrificing for someone who saw me as nothing more than a political convenience.