Chapter 2
I didn’t stop running until my body gave out. By the time I stumbled back into my cabin, my legs shook with exhaustion, but my mind was unbearably sharp. Memories came flooding in like a rising tide, each one cutting deeper than the last.
I thought of last year’s Moon Prayer Festival.
The most sacred celebration of the Silver Moon Pack—honoring bloodlines and the Moon Goddess’s blessing.
By tradition, the Alpha and his future Luna must light the holy flame together on the stone altar.
Ethan had promised me he would stand by my side for the ritual.
That night, the entire pack gathered below the altar.
I held the sacred flame in my hands, waiting, alone, beneath the moonlight. My palms burned, blisters threatening to form, but I dared not loosen my grip. I forced myself to stand tall, to appear unbothered—though my knuckles had long since gone white.
Time dragged on. He never came.
Whispers began to ripple through the crowd.
“Why isn’t he here yet?”
“Did he change his mind?”
“Look at her, standing there all alone. Pitiful.”
A few she-wolves giggled behind their hands, eyes glinting with malice. Others muttered, “If Alpha Ethan really prefers Olivia, how long can she cling to that Luna’s seat?”
Only when the ritual was nearly over did Ethan appear—
And he wasn’t alone. Olivia walked beside him; her arm looped sweetly through his.
“Forgive me. Rogues breached the northern border. I had to handle it with Olivia. Next time, I swear, I’ll light the flame with you.”
Olivia clung to him, her voice syrupy and trembling.
“I was terrified when I heard! They said this Rogue had ruled several underground clans already. Luckily Alpha Ethan drove him off, or I’d never sleep again.”
Then she turned her bright smile on me.
“Summer, you’re so lucky to have such a powerful fated mate. Too bad my bloodline isn’t noble enough to deserve him…”
“Olivia, stop,” Ethan cut in sharply. “You deserve the best.”
Her lips curved higher, eyes sparkling with victory. “If you say so, Alpha.” She tugged her cloak just enough for me to notice, flashing a smile meant only for me—mocking, triumphant.
My thoughts shifted to my birthday that same year.
He had promised to take me to the forest on the border to watch the fireflies.
But that night, the skies opened. Rain poured in endless sheets, drenching me as I waited alone beneath the trees. Cold seeped into my bones, yet I clung to hope, certain he would come.
He never did.
Instead, the patrol’s howl carried a different truth through the storm: Alpha Ethan was in the great hall, handling affairs with his Beta.
By the time a guard wolf found me collapsed in the mud, I was half-conscious, carried to the healer like a broken thing.
The next morning, Ethan finally came. His gaze held a flicker of guilt.
“I’m sorry, Summer. There was an urgent matter. Next time, I promise, I’ll be there to watch the fireflies with you.”
Before I could respond, Olivia’s laughter lilted between us.
“Summer’s so understanding—she won’t be upset. Alpha Ethan works so hard for the pack he forgets to eat! Good thing I was with him last night, or he’d have fainted from hunger.”
Her words were light, sweet as honey. Yet to me, they struck like a slap, stinging with humiliation.
And it wasn’t just once.
There were countless moments like these—missed promises, broken vows, each one dragging me deeper into the pit of disappointment and hate.
By dawn, I could no longer deny the truth. I forced my weary body up and sought out my mother.
“I’ll accept the alliance with the Frost Moon Pack,” I told her.
