Chapter One: The Betrayal
The moon hung low, full and bright, casting a silver sheen over the Dark Moon Pack's sacred grounds. Luna Aria stood tall beside her mate, Alpha Kade Thorne, her heart pounding with pride and purpose. Tonight marked the anniversary of her coronation as Luna, and the pack had gathered beneath the ancient oaks to celebrate.But something was wrong.
The air had shifted heavier, colder. The usual warmth in Kade's gaze had disappeared, replaced by a glint of something unreadable. Aria's instincts screamed, but she held her ground, trusting her mate would never lead her to harm.Until he did.
"I summon Luna Aria Nightwind for judgment," Kade's voice echoed across the clearing.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Aria turned to him slowly, confusion etched into every line of her face. "What are you talking about?"Kade's jaw was tight, his golden eyes hard. "You stand accused of consorting with rogues. Of feeding them secrets from inside our territory."The words struck her like claws to the chest."What?" she whispered, her voice cracking. "That's not true."
Elder Garron stepped forward from the circle of wolves, holding a torn scroll marked with Aria's seal. "We found this on a rogue captured near the border. It details patrol times, weaknesses in our walls, secrets only our Luna would have access to."Aria's eyes widened. "That's not mine! That seal could have been stolen".Do not lie to us! Kade barked, voice full of fury. "You betrayed our trust, Aria. You betrayed me."Her heart shattered. He believed them. He truly believed she would turn against her pack,against him.The gathered wolves watched in stunned silence, most too afraid to speak against the Alpha. But not all."She would never do this," said Mira, one of Aria's closest confidantes. "This doesn't make sense!"
"Silence!" Kade growled. "The Alpha has spoken."
Aria turned to him fully now, hurt surging into anger. You never even gave me a chance to explain. You know me, Kade. We share a bond."That bond is broken," he said coldly. "From this moment forward, I sever our mating tie. You are no longer my Luna."The sound of the rejection hit her like thunder. Her knees buckled, and an invisible force tore through her soul. her heart ached with the weight of the mating bond,her wolf, her everything snapped like a brittle branch.She gasped, the pain unbearable. Her wolf whimpered deep inside, mourning the loss.And as punishment,Kade continued, "you are hereby exiled from the Dark Moon Pack. If you return, you will be executed on sight."
"No…" Aria whispered, clutching her chest. "Kade… please…"
But he turned away.
The guards moved toward her, their expressions grim. She saw hesitation in their eyes, but none defied the Alpha's order.Mira tried to run to her, but warriors held her back.Aria was dragged through the woods, past wolves who once bowed at her feet, now turning away in silence.The gates opened with a screech. Cold wind rushed through the trees as she was shoved out into the darkness beyond the borders."May the Moon have mercy on you," one of the warriors muttered before slamming the gate behind her.Aria lay in the dirt, broken and bleeding. Her skin was scratched, her dress torn, her soul fractured.The forest around her was eerily silent. No rogues came. No monsters.Only the whisper of the wind and the thundering in her chest.
How could he do this?
How could her mate,her fated, destined mate betray her so quickly?And then it hit her.He'd never really trusted her. He loved her beauty, her status, her gentleness but not her strength,not her voice. The moment things got hard, he cast her out like she was nothing.Tears streamed down her face as she crawled toward the nearest tree. She collapsed at its base, clutching the soil with shaking hands.Her wolf howled within her, a sound full of grief, pain, and something else.
Rage.
"I will not die here," she whispered.
As the moon reached its highest point in the sky, her body shimmered with faint silver light. Her blood glowed faintly where it met the earth.Somewhere in the forest, a presence stirred.A woman cloaked in black appeared between the trees,her eyes ageless and her aura ancient.a
"You survived," the woman said, stepping closer. "Good. The Moon has plans for you."Aria blinked at her through the haze of pain. "Who… who are you?"
"I am Yelena," she said, kneeling beside her. "And you, Luna Aria, are not done yet."
Aria's consciousness faded, but her wolf stirred. The betrayal still burned but so did something new.
Vengeance.