Chapter One

After my cousin Lyra vanished eleven years ago, abandoning her mate, Alpha Ronan, and their newborn triplets—Calix, Ryker, and Elara—I stepped in.

For eleven years, I became their anchor. I raised them, protected them, and poured every ounce of affection into them.

On their eleventh birthday, I gifted them a rare shadowvine blossom—Lyra’s favorite, but also sacred to the Silverclaw line.

The stew was dumped over my head—hot and scalding. Then they smashed the charm beneath their boots.

"You think you can replace her?" Calix growled, his eyes wild with shifting gold.

"You wear her memories like trophies, but you're just a leech!" Ryker spat.

"A vicious female wolf like you who will do anything to achieve her goal, I wish I could kill you with my own hands!"

"Only by killing you can I avenge my lost mother!"

Elara didn’t speak. She simply opened her palm and blew bone-dust in my face—a silent curse woven in sorrow and rage.

While I crouched, trembling and burned, they pushed me into the moonwell.

"Just die here! This way you can go to heaven and apologize to our mothers!" Ryker said as Elara walked away, the moonlight catching her silver eyes.But they weren't done.

Two nights later, they cornered me in the sacred stone circle. Calix held the ancestral dagger to my chest, his hand steady.

"One cut," he whispered, "and the curse she left behind will finally die with you."

That was the moment I knew.

No matter what I gave—my heart, my years, my soul—I would never be enough. I would never be their mother. Never be loved.So I left.

But just as I bound myself to another Alpha in a sacred ceremony meant to mark my rebirth…

Ronan and the triplets stormed into the ritual hall.

Begging.Pleading.Crying out for forgiveness.

——

“I’ll return in two days to complete the bond with Alpha Thorne of the Bloodpine Pact. Just tell me what’s required,” I mindlinked my father, my voice barely a whisper in the sacred corridor beneath the Temple of Echoes.

The connection throbbed with ancestral energy—my father’s voice weighted and tired.

"You already know. Arrive with your bloodline token and surrender your former ties. You’ll be reborn among the Bloodpine wolves, Selene."

I nodded silently and ended the link.

My chest rose and fell as years of loyalty, sacrifice, and shattered illusions bled out of me in one long exhale.

A sudden crash from the kitchen jarred me back to the present.

"Get out of our territory, you cursed witch!" Calix’s voice rang out, sharp as a blade.

I turned toward the arched entrance of the kitchen. Calix stood there with Ryker beside him, both taller now, shoulders squared with adolescent cruelty. Behind them, Elara lingered in silence, her fingers curled tightly around the charm I’d made from the shadowvine blossom—now cracked and barely holding its shape.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.I had made duskfire stew. Stirred for hours until the spice was just right. I’d even poured it into Lyra’s old ceremonial bowl. The scent filled the room with comfort.

I offered a smile I no longer believed in. “It’s a hard day, I know. But I thought this might bring peace.”

Calix’s eyes narrowed. “Peace? You think cooking her death dish brings peace?”

I blinked, confused. “It was her favorite—”

“She’s dead because of you!” Ryker shouted.

"You wear her memories like trophies, but you're just a leech!" Ryker spat.

"A vicious she-wolf like you who will do anything to achieve her goal, I wish I could kill you with my own hands!"

"Only by killing you can I avenge my lost mother!"

Then, without warning, Calix grabbed the bowl and hurled it at me. The duskfire stew splashed across my face and chest—boiling, blistering. I cried out, stumbling back as the bowl shattered at my feet.

The stew clung to my skin like a curse. Pain exploded down my arms.

Before I could recover, Ryker stuck out his foot. I tripped and crashed into the low counter, my ribs slamming against the edge.

I barely caught myself. My knees buckled.Elara moved last. Silently. Gracefully. She opened her palm and blew the remaining powdered bone-dust into my face—the final act of rejection.

It burned as it touched my lips.I gasped and slumped to the floor, shaking, stew dripping from my face, hands trembling. And the triplets? They just stared. Watching.

“This is just the beginning,” Ryker whispered. “Next time, the whole pack will see what you are. What you’ll always be.”

Footsteps thundered in behind them.The omega maid, Myla, skidded to a halt, her eyes going wide at the mess. Her nose wrinkled at the scent of burned skin and bitter bone magic.

“My Lady!” she breathed. “What in the Moon’s name—?”she snapped, glaring at the three figures turning their backs on me. “What is wrong with you three?!”

“She deserves it!” Elara spat, eyes glinting silver. “She’s not our mother. She’s a liar. A pretender. A thief.”

The words stung worse than the stew.

The triplets stormed off. Myla helped me to my feet and led me to the corner bench, grabbing a healing balm from the shelf. Her hands were gentle, but her jaw was set.

“I don’t know why you keep enduring this,” she murmured, dabbing the salve along the welted burn on my arm. “They’re not worth it.”

I didn’t answer.My eyes fell to the crescent-shaped scar already beginning to form just above my wrist—a mark of both magic and memory.

They think Lyra is dead.But I know the truth.

She left them.Left Ronan.Left me.

Eleven years ago, I stepped in because no one else would. I raised them. Fed them. Watched over them while their father buried the truth and drowned in grief. I gave my youth for theirs.

And still, I am nothing but a shadow.A curse in their story.

They love their wolf-nanny, Lily. She tucks them in, makes them laugh. She was never meant to be more than a helper—but they call her “mother” with the affection I’ve never earned.

And I—I’m the villain in their bedtime tales.But no more.I will say my goodbyes.

In two days, I’ll marry Alpha Thorne of the Bloodpine Pact—a union meant to seal an alliance between Silverclaw and their northern warriors.

I will be reborn under their crest.Not for love.Not for glory.But for freedom.

Let Ronan mourn his ghost. Let the triplets worship a lie.

I’m done.I’m done pretending.I’m done waiting to be chosen.

Today I made a decision, I decided to leave. I decided to go and mate with another Alpha.

Chapter Two

Selene’s POV

After I ended the mindlink with Alpha Thorne’s courier, I took a long, shallow breath, grounding myself in the stone-cold quiet of the Temple’s eastern wing. My chest burned—not with longing or heartbreak, but with clarity.

I wasn’t going to weep. Those tears dried up years ago.

Now was the time to rise, reclaim what remained of my dignity, and tell Ronan I was leaving Silverclaw… for good.

The hum of wolf-song echoed from the great hall—an ancient melody reserved for blood vows, farewells, and death rites. I hadn't realized how late it had grown.

Pulling a simple dusk-petal gown from the closet, I slipped it over my shoulders. Pink like the ones Lyra once wore in springtime. I knew showing up would only twist the dagger deeper into my chest, but I had to be seen. Had to say goodbye.

I stepped into the hall—and froze.

Before the hearthfire stood Ronan, his hand resting on Liora’s shoulder. No kneeling, no humility. Just a decree, barked like an order.

“Tonight, I name Liora as the Matron of Silverclaw,” he announced, his voice echoing over the pack. “Let this death anniversary bring rebirth for our people. Let Lyra’s spirit rest, knowing her place is in trusted hands.”

Liora—Elara’s old nursemaid—gave a soft, practiced sob and leaned into Ronan’s side.

The triplets surged forward, beaming.

“She’s finally going to be our real mother!” Calix shouted.

“Better her than that cursed she-wolf,” Ryker added with a glare aimed at me.

I stepped further into the room, and my presence sliced through the celebration like a silver blade.

“Congratulations,” I said coolly. “How poetic—turning a death ritual into a coronation.”

Ronan’s head whipped toward me. “Selene—what—?”

“Relax. I’m only passing through. I came to say I’m leaving the packlands tonight.”

The silence after my announcement was almost reverent.

“What’s wrong with you?” Ronan growled.

“Oh Goddess, Selene, don’t leave because of me,” Liora wailed, clutching her belly like she might shatter.

Ronan grabbed my wrist, trying to pull me from the room. I yanked away.

“Don’t touch me, you lying cur,” I spat.

Calix snarled and lunged, shoving me. “You betrayed our family! You should have stayed exiled.”

“She poisoned everything!” Ryker hissed.

“Elara,” Liora called sweetly. “Come here, darling. Don’t let that she-wolf hurt your father again.”

But Elara had already slipped away. When she returned, she held something small and fragile.

My breath caught.It was the locket. My mother’s locket. The one Lyra had hidden and whispered was “all that’s left” of our bloodline. How did Elara—

“No!” I lunged forward.She smiled—and dropped it.

The chain snapped. The stone cracked. And with it, every last thread tying me to Lyra’s memory.

“What have you done?” I whispered, falling to my knees.

“If you ever try to hurt our true mother again,” Calix said coldly, “we’ll destroy everything you love.”

Gasps rippled across the room.

“Who even is she?”

“She’s the cousin—Lyra’s cousin. The one who seduced the Alpha before Lyra died.”

“Didn’t she try to take Lyra’s place?”

“She’s mad. Lyra was nothing like her—Lyra was gentle. Beloved.”

I straightened. My spine a blade.

“Say what you like,” I said through gritted teeth. “But these brats—”

“That’s enough!” Ronan thundered.

I saw the slap coming. But I was faster.I caught his wrist mid-air.And slapped him. Once. Twice.

“Rot in the hell, Ronan.”

I turned and stormed from the hall, the tears hot behind my eyes—but I wouldn’t let them fall. Not yet.

Back in my quarters, I moved like a ghost, throwing essentials into my travel satchel. Every heartbeat echoed with hollowness.

Then—CRASH. The door slammed open.

Ronan stormed in, eyes glowing. “What madness has taken you?”I ignored him, folding my cloak.

He kicked the satchel across the room.“Do I have your attention now?”

“No,” I said simply. “Take the satchel. Take the cloak. Take it all.”

“You liked me better when I was silent, didn’t you?” I snapped. “When I let you treat me like a shadow.”

“Let me explain!” he barked.I folded my arms.

“I spared you,” he said, voice lowered. “I saved you from being mated to that brute your father chose. You think caring for my children is beneath you?”

I flinched. “So now I’m your housemaid?”

He smirked. “You’ll do more good here than you would chained to a monster Alpha. Be grateful. I'm giving you a purpose.”

“You think this is mercy?” I whispered. “You think I’m too broken to choose my own fate?”

He stepped closer, tone shifting. “You forget… we made a deal. I promised you. Once the triplets turned twelve, I’d go with you to your father’s pack. I meant it. I still do.”

I froze. My breath stilled.He softened. “I just need a little more time, Selene. One more year. The triplets… they begged for this—one last stable year. And Liora… she’s carrying my child. I owe it to them to give them that much.”

“And after that?” I asked, heart sinking.

He nodded. “I’ll go with you. I swear it.”

He leaned in and kissed my cheek—like he hadn’t just gutted me.

Then he turned and left.I wiped the kiss away. Then the other.

“You must think I’m such a fool, Ronan,” I whispered.

A soft rustle.

“I always did think you were,” Liora said, stepping in with a smirk, one hand on her swollen belly.

“I’ve had him longer than you ever did. And I’ll keep him… even if I have to kill the memory of Lyra to do it.”

Chapter Three

Selene’s POV

Liora stood at the doorway of my quarters, a smug curl on her lips like she’d rehearsed this moment.

“What do you want?” I asked coldly.

She placed a delicate hand over her swollen belly—an overacted performance if I ever saw one.

“I came to make peace,” she said sweetly. “But I wonder what the pack would believe if I told them you threatened to push me down the stairs?”

I blinked. “That’s your big plan?”

She smiled wider. “Ronan still loves me. That’s all I need.”

I turned away, ignoring her. I resumed folding my cloak and placing it in my satchel. The Temple courier would return at dawn—I needed to be long gone.

But then she moved.With one sudden motion, she hurled herself backward—straight into the edge of the armoire. The crash echoed like thunder. She cried out, sliding to the floor with her hand clutching her belly.

My heart thudded. “Liora!”

She wailed at the top of her lungs, “Selene, please—don’t hurt me again!”

Footsteps thundered toward us.

The door burst open—and Ronan stood in the frame, the triplets behind him.

Liora sobbed harder. “She was furious. Said I was stealing her family. I begged her to calm down—”

“What did you do?” Ronan snarled, eyes blazing crimson. “She’s carrying a child, Selene!”

“I didn’t lay a hand on her!” I barked.

“Liar,” Ryker muttered.

“Still the same bitter witch,” Calix added.

“Back for a second chance and already ruining it,” Ryker sneered. “Go crawl back to the shadows you came from.”

I zipped my satchel calmly. “Fine. I’m leaving.”

But Ronan didn’t let me walk away.

With one swift movement, he seized me by the throat—not tight enough to choke, but enough to pin me against the wall with chilling force.

“You always bring chaos,” he hissed. “Always.”

Then, without warning, he spun me toward the Temple’s inner sanctum, where sacred relics were sealed in silver-laced vaults. He shoved me inside the warded chamber—so cold it burned—and slammed the iron gate shut.

The silver in the walls sang against my skin.

“You’ll rot in here until you remember what loyalty means,” he growled from the other side.

I gasped. “Ronan, no! Please—”

Silence.Only the hum of silver, burning into my bones, and the reek of old wolfsbane in the air vents.

My wolf curled inside me, whimpering. The room stifled her senses, weakened her. I collapsed against the icy wall, trembling. Trapped. Isolated. Forgotten.

Later, near dusk, I heard slow, measured footsteps.

“Hello, sweet Selene,” Liora crooned from outside the bars. “The Temple vault. Such an upgrade from the dungeons.”

I didn’t respond.

She sighed. “I came to thank you. Ronan and I… we’re stronger than ever now. And you? You’re a ghost. A bitter stain on history.”

“Enjoy it while it lasts,” I whispered.

She laughed like windchimes on a stormy night. “I plan to.”Then her footsteps faded.

I sat there for what felt like hours, my head pounding from the silver, my body damp with sweat.

Then—Whispers. Snickers.The vault’s ceiling vent hissed open.

“Elara, tip it slowly—don’t waste it!” That was Calix.

“Oh, it’ll work,” Ryker said with glee. “Wolfsbane and silver shavings. Just like Dad’s old war trick.”

A faint hiss descended.I coughed, gagging, as the smoke drifted downward—sharp, metallic, suffocating. My skin flared with heat where the silver dust touched.

“No! Please, stop—!”

The boys laughed.

“Next time, stay dead,” Calix jeered.

I forced myself to crawl, wheezing. My fingers fumbled against the lock.

Click.Twist,Pain.Again.Again.Until—snap.The vault creaked open.

I stumbled into the courtyard, heaving, eyes burning red. My face was slick with sweat, skin blotched with angry welts from the silver.

They were waiting.Calix stepped forward. “You look like hell.”

“You deserve worse,” Ryker added, eyes glowing.

“Maybe we should finish it.”

From behind Ryker’s back, he pulled something long and glinting.

A ceremonial blade.It was ancient. I recognized the hilt—Ronan’s father had it blessed for blood oaths.

My breath caught. “Where did you get that?”

“It doesn’t matter, what matters is that you will die here today!” Calix, Ryker, and Elara spoke in unison. “Only in this way can you apologize to our mother!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ryker suddenly raised the sword in his hand and stabbed me in the center of the head!