Chapter 1

"My father's car accident was not an accident - the organ donation agreement he signed stated that the beneficiary was his illegitimate son whom he never called 'son'." When I woke up on the operating table of Moonhealer, with catheters all over my body, I finally understood the truth of this "father's love" But now, I am back with the blessing of Moon Goddess. Kaelen looked at my scars with his blue eyes that could freeze his prey, but his fingertips were unspeakably gentle: "Does it hurt?" I smiled and put the dagger against his Adam's apple: "Not even one ten-thousandth of his betrayal."

My hackles rose as the truth sank in - my sire hadn't just betrayed our pack, he'd sabotaged our hunting vehicle. The brakes had failed during the full moon run. My dam and I had barely survived the crash.

While we lay bleeding in the Moonhealer's den, my sire had signed the life-debt waiver - agreeing to harvest our organs for his bastard whelp with the failing kidneys. His moon-blessed son by that she-wolf he'd been rutting with behind my dam's back.

Then the Moon Goddess granted me a second chance. I woke with the scent of pine and blood in my nostrils - the day before the accident. My claws dug into my palms as I watched my sire's false smile, saw my dam's exhausted muzzle graying too soon from years of submission.

'This time,' I vowed to the moon, 'that traitor and his whore will pay in blood.'

I'd always known my sire despised me for being born female. He was obsessed with continuing the Blackfang bloodline, as if we were some royal pack instead of just territory holders. After my birth, my dam had quickened with three more pups - each time he'd forced her to reject the litter when the seers predicted females.

The last forced rejection left her barren. My sire would sneer, "Useless bitch can't even whelp proper heirs."

I'd begged my dam to flee with me to the Rogue Lands, but she clung to the fantasy that his wolf still recognized her as mate.

The abuse lessened when I reached my first shift age. Not out of remorse - that was when his mistress birthed his precious golden-furred son.

A traitorous Alpha, a broken Luna, and a conniving she-wolf waiting to steal our den. Even with this moon-blessed second chance, the injustice made my fangs ache.

"Hunt safely. Howl when you reach the gathering," my sire called after us, his voice dripping with false concern.

What kind of Alpha sacrifices his true mate and firstborn for a sickly bastard whelp? Even lowland coyotes protect their pups better.

As we left pack territory, I kept growling warnings: "Slow pace, dam. Scent the wind carefully."

Before reaching the Thunderpath, I demanded we stop at the Greasepaw mechanic's outpost.

She bared her teeth in irritation. "Your sire just had the vehicle blessed by pack mechanics! What could be wrong?"

I flattened my ears. "My pelt won't lie still. The moon whispers warnings. Please, just let them check the brake talismans."

Before she could refuse, I turned to the grizzled delta mechanic and dropped to a submissive crouch. "Honored one, please examine the stopping-magic. I offer two moonstones for your time."

The old wolf's nostrils flared as he caught the scent of tampered enchantments. His growl shook the ground when he found the blood-tainted brake runes. "This was no accident. Someone wanted you dead on the Thunderpath."

My dam's golden eyes finally cleared of denial as the truth sank in - her mate had tried to murder us for his bastard son. A low, grieving howl built in her throat as the mechanic showed her the evidence. The sound made my own wolf rise in answering fury.

Tonight, we would howl a different tune. Tonight, the traitors would learn why even a female Blackfang was not to be crossed.