Chapter 1

The year I hated my mother most, she drugged me, tied me up, and threw me into my brother-in-law Caleb's bed to replace my sister.

One night was all it took for my heart to follow my body. I fell for him. Hard.

For the next five years, I lived like a ghost in the Blood Moon Pack.

Caleb told me I owed it to my sister, Sara Shannon—his fated mate who had died—to repent for the sin of taking her place.

He wanted me to focus on raising Kian, Sara's pup and the pack's heir, so he took my womb out of my belly to make sure I'd never have a pup of my own.

Finally, Caleb's icy heart seemed to thaw. He promised to make it official. Our mating ceremony was set for five days away.

I thought the Moon had finally seen my deepest love for him.

But on the eve before the ceremony, the front gates of the pack house swung open, and Caleb walked in with a she-wolf I thought was long buried.

"Sara was just playing dead to get back at me," Caleb announced, his voice booming with Alpha authority. "Now that she's back, the ceremony is off."

My fingers clutched the ritual gown I had spent six months embroidering with my own blood and sweat.

Without a word, I walked to the fireplace and tossed the silk into the flames.

"Whatever the Alpha commands," I said, my voice eerily calm.

...

"Miss, no! Your gown!" Freya, my only friend and an Omega maid, rushed forward to save it.

Before her hand could touch the silk, Sara moved.

Slap!

The sound echoed through the hall. Sara sneered. "A nameless thing like you, crawling around my pack house like a parasite... you think you deserve to wear a Luna's gown?"

Caleb didn't stop her. He didn't even flinch.

"The maid is out of line," he said, his Alpha aura crushing the room. "Just kill her. No need to get your hands dirty, Sara."

My blood ran cold. I dropped to my knees, baring my neck in total submission. "Freya has been by my side since I was a pup. She acted out of loyalty to me. Please, Alpha. Show mercy."

Sara let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "So, you're admitting you were lusting after things that don't belong to you, Gloria?"

She turned to Caleb, her voice turning into a sweet, poisonous purr. "Caleb, darling, if she wants to save her maid, she should take thirty lashes. To learn the rules of the house. What do you think?"

Caleb looked at me. There was no pity in his gaze, only a desire to erase the last five years.

"You are the Luna of this pack, Sara," Caleb said, his voice flat. "Do as you wish."

I was dragged to the courtyard and forced onto the whipping post.

The silver-tipped lash cracked against my back.

Once. Twice.

Sweat stung my eyes, blurring my vision as the scent of my own blood filled the air.

My heart had already been destroyed three times.

The first was when my mother sold me to Caleb.

The second was when Caleb made me kneel at Sara's grave for three days and nights.

The third was... right now.

"Twenty... twenty-one..." the guard grunted, counting the strokes.

By the thirtieth lash, I collapsed. The cold stone of the courtyard felt like ice against my burning skin.

Sara walked over, her heels clicking near my head. She used the toe of her shoe to tilt my chin up, forcing me to look at her through the grime and blood.

"Remember this, Gloria," she whispered. "Some things aren't yours. If you touch them, you pay. The thirty lashes were just the beginning. I'm burning away the dirt you left in this house."

She kicked my face aside. Caleb's shadow fell over me. "Take her away," he commanded the guards. "Find a healer to patch her up. Sara is being merciful today. This is over."

...

When I woke up, Caleb was sitting by my bed.

He reached out to touch my shoulder, but I flinched, my body acting on instinct.

"Don't move," he said, his voice carrying a fake edge of concern. "The medicine just started working."

I turned my head away, staring at the wall.

Caleb sighed, sounding annoyed. "I know you feel wronged, but you've been living in Sara's position for five years. She's just being a little bit jealous. She needed to make an example to establish her authority now that she's home."

Authority.

That was all my life was to him—a tool for Sara's power.

"In a few days, I'm throwing a banquet to welcome Sara back," Caleb continued. "During the party, I'll officially enter your name into the pack records. It's a great honor for someone of your rank."

I stayed silent, and his patience snapped.

"Don't be ungrateful, Gloria," he growled.

A maid knocked on the door. "Alpha, the Luna is asking for you."

Caleb stood up instantly. The feigned warmth vanished, replaced by the cold, commanding Alpha I knew. He didn't look back as he walked out.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Freya crept in and pressed a crumpled letter into my hand.

I recognized the handwriting. A small, genuine smile touched my lips.

"Pack the bags, Freya," I whispered, my voice raspy but firm. "The night of the banquet, when the house is loud and full of wolves... we're leaving this hell for good."