Chapter 2

Dusk spilled molten gold across the Silver Claw Pack’s land. The infirmary reeked of bitter herbs, the sharp tang of freshly gathered wolfsbane still clinging to my fingers.

Just as my hand brushed a thorned leaf, my comm buzzed. A message from Ethan: “Calix’s patrol car is almost at the gates. Mordred’s with him.”

My grip faltered. A thorn pierced my palm, crimson blooming across pale skin. I didn’t stop to staunch the blood. I grabbed my coat and ran.

That black off-roader—Calix had ordered it custom for me, the back seat still draped with my silver-white shawl. Now another woman’s scent stained it.

The wheels screeched over gravel. The door opened. Calix stepped out, black uniform dusted with border soil. From the passenger side, a pale-gray hem fluttered—Mordred’s delicate hand gripping the frame, her smile sweet as she offered him a pink thermos.

“Thank you for today, Alpha Calix. I would’ve missed supper without you.”

Step by step, I closed the distance, my gaze locked on that seat—my seat.

“Mordred.” My voice cut like ice. “Who gave you permission to sit there?”

Her smile snapped. She clutched the cup so hard her knuckles whitened, shrinking behind Calix.

“Luna… I was afraid of Rogues after dark. Alpha Calix said it was on the way—”

“On the way?” My voice shook as I swung to Calix. “Her den is three kilometers off the patrol route. You call that ‘on the way’? You finished patrol and didn’t return to headquarters—you detoured to escort her. What if the border broke in those hours?”

He reached for me, frown etched deep. I tore free.

“She’s an Omega. It’s dangerous for her to walk at night.” His tone sagged with fatigue. “It was just a ride. Don’t do this.”

“Don’t do this?” A laugh ripped from me, jagged. I stabbed a finger toward the pink thermos.

“Then why is the cup I lost last week in her hand?”

Mordred’s face went chalk-white. She stammered, tucking the cup behind her.

“T-this one’s mine…”

“My cup has an ‘F’ etched inside the rim.” I stepped closer, voice low and sharp. “Dare to prove it?”

Her eyes glossed with tears. Calix suddenly shoved between us, Alpha dominance crashing outward. Around us, pack members lowered their heads under the weight of it.

“Freya!” he roared. “It’s a cup. A seat. Must you make war over trifles?”

“It’s not trifles; I care about!” My voice shredded my throat. Blood dripped from my palm onto the dirt. “It’s the law—you made the law! You swore the private car was for your mate alone. Today it’s her seat. Tomorrow, what—Omega wandering through our villa? Touching my things?”

Ethan strode forward, eyes cutting to Mordred. His voice was hard iron.

“Calix, Freya’s right. Last time an Omega begged to ride with the guards, you sent her away. Break the law once, the Pack rots.”

Mordred whimpered, dabbing her cheeks. She turned half away, feet dragging like she waited to be stopped.

“I’m sorry… it’s all my fault. I’ll go now…”

And of course, Calix called after her.

“It’s dark. I’ll have guards escort you.”

My heart plunged into ice.

I caught his sleeve, voice trembling.

“You bend for her today. Who bends tomorrow? Who follows any law then?”

His eyes met mine, heavy with disappointment.

“Freya, you weren’t like this before. Mordred is new to the Pack. Can’t you show a little patience?”

“Patience?” I spat the word. “I was patient when she logged the route wrong. Patient when she wore my brooch. And now I should be patient when she takes my seat, drinks from my cup? Calix, I’m your Luna—not her nanny.”

I turned, but sound fractured around me—the whispers of the Pack, the wind, even my own heartbeat splintered into a piercing drone. My vision swam. The wolf inside me thrashed, skull splitting with each pulse.

Moon-Sickness.

Betrayal this sharp, this public, tore it open at last.

I staggered back toward the infirmary. Ethan caught me, pressing a vial of salve into my hand.

“Treat the wound first.” He hesitated, then added quietly, “Calix was blind tonight. But his heart… it’s still with you.”

I forced a smile, nails biting deep into my palm.

“His heart doesn’t matter. What matters is the law. The Silver Claw Pack doesn’t stand because of Alpha’s mercy. It stands because of rules.”

Ethan only laid a hand on my shoulder.

The last streaks of sunset drowned beneath the horizon. Night spilled black across the land.

Watching Calix’s silhouette fade in the dark, I finally understood—

From the day Mordred “misfiled” that patrol route, something vital had shattered.

He was no longer the Alpha who put me—and the law—first.

And I… I could never return to the Luna who trusted him without doubt.