Camilla watched as Rafael turned his back on her and their child. When Amber took her last breath, Camilla decided to never forgive him. Now Camilla has only one goal - revenge.
Chapter 1
The Blood Moon Festival was meant to be a night of celebration—until the rogues attacked. Twisted by dark magic, they tore through the pack without mercy, leaving behind blood, fire, and devastation. Camilla’s world shatters when her daughter, Amber, is struck down, poisoned by the rogues’ cursed fangs.
Desperate to save her, she turns to the lone wolf who can help—her mate, Alpha Rafael. But when a long-buried secret is revealed, Rafael is forced to make an impossible choice: save the daughter he’s raised… or the son he never knew existed.
Betrayed and broken, Camilla watches as the man she once trusted turns his back on her and their child. And when Amber takes her final breath, something inside Camilla dies, replaced by one burning truth. She will never forgive him.
Now, as war brews and dark forces threaten to consume them all, Camilla has only one goal—vengeance. Because Rafael may have once been her mate and now he is nothing but an enemy.
--
The scent of fire and blood thickened the air, drowning out the usual crisp pine and fresh earth that defined our territory. Smoke curled against the night sky, staining the moon’s glow with dark shadows. The howls of the pack were no longer those of celebration but of terror.
The rogue attack had come without warning.
One moment, the Blood Moon Festival was in full swing—pups playing near the waterfall, warriors drinking by the bonfire, elders sharing stories beneath the great oak. Then, in a heartbeat, the peace shattered. A deafening roar split the night as monstrous, half-shifted rogues stormed the clearing.
They weren’t ordinary wolves. No. They were something worse. Their eyes glowed red, their bodies twisted with dark magic, their fangs dripping with something unnatural. A poison that could rot a wolf’s soul from the inside out.
I had barely shifted in time when I heard Amber scream.
“Mommy!”
My heart seized. I whirled around just in time to see her small body thrown through the air, crashing against a tree with a sickening crack.
“Amber!” I ran, my wolf howling in agony as I tore through the chaos. Wolves fought, snarls and whimpers filling the night, but nothing mattered except reaching my daughter.
By the time I reached her, she was on the ground, trembling, her silver hair matted with blood. Her skin was deathly pale, her lips slightly parted as if struggling for breath she couldn’t quite reach.
“No, no, no,” I choked out, dropping to my knees, my hands flying to her tiny body. “Amber, baby, open your eyes!”
Before I could gather her in my arms, a shadow loomed over us. A rogue.
Its grotesque form towered above me, reeking of decay and black magic. Its mouth twisted into something resembling a grin, jagged fangs dripping with saliva. I could feel the unnatural power radiating from it, a cold, hollow emptiness that sent a primal fear crawling down my spine.
My wolf snarled, ready to fight—to kill—but before I could shift, the beast was already flying backward.
Rafael moved like a storm, a whirlwind of fury and death. His claws ripped through the rogue’s throat before it could even register his presence. Blackened blood sprayed across the ground as he turned to me, golden eyes blazing.
“Get her to the healer!” His voice was thunderous, his wolf barely restrained.
I didn’t hesitate and I immediately scooped Amber into my arms then I ran.
By the time we reached the healer’s den, the rogues had been driven back, but the damage had been done. Our pack was wounded, our land tainted by dark magic. And Amber was barely breathing.
The infirmary was a whirlwind of movement. Healers rushed around, tending to the injured, their hands glowing with magic-infused salves. Rafael stormed in behind me, his body still vibrating with barely restrained fury.
Elder Corvin was already waiting, his sharp eyes scanning Amber's limp form.
“Lay her down,” he commanded, his voice grave. “Quickly.”
I obeyed, my hands trembling as I placed Amber on the cold stone table.
“What’s happening to my daughter?” Rafael demanded. His voice was lethal, but there was a tremor beneath the rage. A fear he refused to show.
Corvin’s lips pressed into a thin line. “It’s worse than I feared.” His fingers ghosted over Amber's arm, his expression darkening. “The rogue’s magic… it’s poisoning her wolf spirit. If we do not act fast—”
“Then act,” Rafael growled, his patience gone.
Corvin hesitated, and my stomach twisted.
“She needs a blood link to restore her life force,” he finally said. “But her lineage is rare. There’s only one match.”
I felt it before I even heard it, Corvin turned to Rafael. “You.”
Before we could process his words, the infirmary doors burst open.
A gust of cold air swept in, followed by the scent of something achingly familiar.
Lyra.
The woman who should have been Rafael’s mate.
She stood at the entrance, her cloak tattered, her emerald eyes wild with desperation. But it wasn’t just her scent that made Rafael stiffen beside me.
It was the boy clutching her side. A boy no older than Selene.
His face was bruised, his tiny frame trembling. His arm was wrapped in a crude bandage, blood still seeping through. The scent of sickness clung to him, but there was something else.
The undeniable scent of Rafael. My blood ran cold.
Corvin tensed. “This is… unexpected.”
Rafael’s voice was eerily calm. “Why is she here?”
Lyra’s fingers trembled as she knelt beside the boy. “Because… Corvin is also his healer.” She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. “Elias was attacked by the same rogues. He was wounded by their poison, just like Amber.”
The room fell deathly silent. Corvin’s eyes darkened as he glanced at the child, then back at Rafael.
“Elias has the same affliction as Selene,” he said, his voice heavy. “And Rafael… you are his only match.”
A heartbeat passed. Then another. And then Rafael spoke, his voice deadly quiet. “What?”
Corvin inhaled sharply. “Elias is your son.”
The words were a death sentence. My knees nearly buckled. I had prepared for battle, prepared for war. But I wasn’t prepared for this.
Rafael didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. His entire body was stone, his fists clenched so tightly I thought his bones might snap.
“Is this some kind of sick joke?” His voice was low, lethal.
Lyra’s lips trembled. “I didn’t want you to find out this way.”
“How long?” His voice was pure ice.
Lyra swallowed hard. “Eight years.”
A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. Eight years. The same age as Amber.
Rafael inhaled sharply, nostrils flaring. “And you didn’t think to tell me?”
Tears welled in Lyra’s eyes. “I was protecting him.”
A bitter laugh escaped Rafael. “From me?”
“From my mate,” she whispered. “If he knew Elias wasn’t his… he would have killed us both.”
Corvin broke the silence. “There is no time for this. Rafael, two children need you.”
Two. The word twisted in my chest like a blade.
Rafael’s face was unreadable, but I knew him too well. His hands clenched at his sides, his wolf straining beneath the surface.
Lyra took a shaky breath. “I know I have no right to ask this of you, but… please. Save him.”
My throat burned. I turned to Rafael, my mate, the father of my child.
“Rafael,” my voice cracked, barely above a whisper. “Save our daughter.”
His jaw clenched. His golden eyes flickered between Selene’s still form and Elias’s bruised face.
One choice. Two lives. No way to save them both.
And for the first time in my life, I realized. Even an Alpha could bleed.
Chapter 2
The scent of damp earth clung to the air, thick with the aftermath of the storm. Blood still stained the clearing, soaking into the ground, a stark reminder of the battle that had nearly cost us everything. The rogues had been relentless, their dark magic corrupting the land, their poison lingering in the air.
But none of it mattered. Because my world had already ended. Amber was dying in my arms.
I cradled her small, frail body against my chest, rocking her gently as if that could somehow will life back into her. Her once-glowing golden eyes—so full of mischief and laughter—were dimming, her breathing shallow, her skin cold despite the warmth of my embrace.
“Please, Rafael,” I begged, my voice barely a whisper. “She needs you. Our daughter needs you!”
Rafael stood frozen, his golden eyes flickering between our dying daughter and the boy lying broken beside Lyra. Elias. His other child. The son I never knew existed.
The war in his gaze was unbearable. The hesitation. The agony of the choice he had to make.
And then he spoke. “I’m sorry, Camilla.”
The words struck like a dagger to my heart.
I drew in a sharp breath. “No… you don’t mean that.” My voice wavered, but deep down, I already knew. He did.
Rafael turned to Elder Corvin. “Do it. Save Elias.”
A strangled sob tore from my throat. “Rafael—”
But he didn’t even look at me.
The healers rushed forward, preparing for the blood ritual, their hands glowing with ancient runes as they surrounded Elias. Rafael moved to his son’s side, placing a hand on the boy’s pale forehead in a gesture that shattered the last of my heart.
I pressed my forehead against Amber’s, tears soaking into her silver hair. “I’m here, baby,” I whispered, my voice raw. “Mommy’s here.”
She didn’t answer. Didn’t even move.
Her tiny fingers slipped from mine. And then—nothing.
A scream ripped from my throat, so full of pain and fury that the walls of the healer’s den trembled. Hands pried Amber from my arms, but I fought them, thrashing, sobbing, unwilling to let go.
“NO! DON’T TAKE HER FROM ME!” My wolf howled in my mind, clawing at my soul, desperate to stop what was happening.
Rafael didn’t stop them. He just stood there, silent, his hand still on his son’s shoulder while my world collapsed around me.
And in that moment, I knew. I would never forgive him. Not in this life. Not in the next.
The funeral was small. Silent.
Rain fell in a steady drizzle, soaking through my black robes, chilling me to the bone. But I barely felt it. I stood at the edge of the burial ground, my gaze locked on the small grave as the healers lowered Amber’s body into the earth.
My tears had long since dried. There was nothing left inside me. Nothing but hate.
Rafael stood a few feet away, his warriors forming a protective wall around him. Not once had he spoken to me since that night. He hadn’t even tried.
Not that it mattered. He had made his choice.
And now, my daughter—our daughter—was gone.
The priest murmured words about the Moon Goddess, about peace, about fate. But there was no peace. No plan. No divine path. Only a gaping hole where Amber used to be.
Then, movement. Rafael stepped back, phone pressed to his ear, his expression cold. And then he turned to walk away. Didn’t even stay until the burial was finished.
I already knew why. It was Lyra. She had called him and like a fool, he ran to her.
A bitter laugh bubbled in my throat, but I swallowed it, forcing the rage to simmer beneath my skin. My fingers curled into fists, my nails digging into my palms until they drew blood.
Rafael had abandoned his daughter’s burial because Lyra called.
I should have screamed. Should have begged him to stay. Should have demanded he grieve with me. But I was too broken. So I let him go.
And as the last of the dirt covered Amber’s grave, I swore—I would never forgive him.
Because the truth was, Lyra had taken everything from me.
She had left Rafael once. Chosen another wolf. Another life. Then, when her mate had been slaughtered, she had come crawling back.
Not just for Rafael. But for everything he had.
For my daughter’s place. For my life.
And Rafael—blind, stupid, heartless Rafael—had let her.
I stood there until midnight. The burial grounds were empty now, the only sounds the rustling of leaves and the distant cries of owls. My legs ached, my body frozen from the rain, but I couldn’t move.
I was numb. Yet my mind wouldn’t stop.
Memories crashed over me like waves, drowning me in everything I once had—everything I lost.
Rafael used to be a good mate. A loving father. Even with the blood of an Alpha staining his hands, I had once believed in him.
I remembered the night I was taken. The ropes biting into my wrists. The laughter of the rogues who thought they could use me as leverage against him.
Then there were loud blasts, followed by screams. And Rafael had come alone, tearing through them like a beast unleashed. Blood splattered across the stone walls, bodies fell, but he didn’t stop until I was safe. Until I was in his arms.
His hands had trembled as he cupped my face.
“Did they hurt you?” His voice was raw, shaking.
I had only been able to shake my head before he crushed me against him.
“I would burn this world for you, Camilla.”
A broken sob escaped me as I clutched my coat tighter. He used to mean it.
Then another memory surfaced. The day Amber was born.
Rafael had paced outside the healer’s den like a caged beast, snapping at anyone who dared approach him. And when the midwife finally placed our daughter in his arms, his entire world shifted.
“She’s perfect,” he whispered. “My little moon.”
I had never seen him cry before, but that night, his eyes shimmered.
“I’ll protect her,” he had vowed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Lies.
My fingers curled into the cold, wet earth. And still, the memories wouldn’t stop.
The time he took Amber to the highest peak of the mountain, showing her how to track the stars. The time he carried her on his shoulders, letting her pretend to be the fiercest Alpha in the world.
The time he told me—this was what he fought for.
“This is my world, Camilla. You. Her. Us.”
A bitter laugh ripped from my throat. Lies.
He fought for us once. But when it mattered most—when Amber needed him—he didn’t choose her.
Didn’t choose me. He walked away. And now, I was standing over my daughter’s grave while he was probably in Lyra’s arms.
The betrayal burned through me like fire, but I didn’t cry. I couldn’t. Because something inside me had already died. And it would never come back. But one thing remained. Hatred.
It is pure. All-consuming. And I swore on the Moon Goddess herself, Rafael would pay.
Chapter 3
The moon hung heavy in the sky, bathing the Shadowfang Pack’s great hall in an eerie silver glow. Flames flickered in the massive iron sconces, their light casting long shadows across the stone walls. The air was thick with the scent of roasted venison, aged wine, and the unmistakable musk of wolves gathered in celebration.
But this wasn’t just any gathering. A massive black banner stretched across the hall, golden letters gleaming in the firelight—
WELCOME HOME, LYRA & ELIAS.
My nails dug into my palms, the sharp sting grounding me as I stood at the entrance.
Fourteen days. That was all it took for Rafael to forget. To erase our daughter as if she had never existed.
The scent of his presence overwhelmed me. Dominant. Familiar. A force I had once found comfort in. Now, it made my stomach churn.
He stood in the center of the great hall, his black tunic and battle leathers making him look every inch the Alpha he was. Strong. Powerful. Untouchable. And beside him, wrapped in a crimson silk gown, was her. Lyra.
She had one hand delicately resting on his arm, her emerald eyes glowing with satisfaction, her lips curled into a soft, victorious smile.
I pushed past the guards at the entrance, ignoring their hesitant glances. My heeled boots struck against the polished stone floor, each step sending a sharp echo through the now-silent hall.
The music faltered. The chatter died. Then the crack of my palm against Lyra’s cheek shattered the silence.
A collective burst rippled through the gathered wolves. Warriors tensed, elders exchanged glances, and the scent of unease spread through the room.
Lyra’s head snapped to the side, a red mark blooming across her pale skin. For a moment, she looked stunned. Then, her lips parted, and like the manipulative viper she was, her breath hitched in a perfectly rehearsed sob.
“Camilla—” Rafael’s voice was sharp, a growl rumbling beneath it. I ignored him.
“How dare you?” My voice shook with fury, my wolf rising beneath my skin, clawing to be unleashed. “You stand here celebrating while my daughter—our daughter—is in the ground?”
My breath hitched, but I forced myself to keep going. “You didn’t even give me a moon cycle, Rafael. Not even one month to grieve before you parade her around—” My voice cracked, raw and broken. “As if Amber never existed.”
Lyra let out a strangled whimper before—she collapsed dramatically to the ground.
A whimper. A tremble. A delicate hand pressed to her cheek.
“Oh, Goddess!” she sobbed, her shoulders shaking violently. “She attacked me! Right here! In front of the entire pack!”
And then a blur of movement. Small fists slammed into my stomach. “You monster!” Elias.
His small frame trembled with rage as he hit me again, his tiny fists pounding against my ribs. “You hurt my mama! You’re a bad person! My papa doesn’t love you anymore!”
Pain shot through my side, but I barely reacted.
I didn’t fight back. I wouldn’t. Even if he was hers. Even if he was his.
The guards hesitated, uncertain if they should intervene. But Rafael? He did nothing. Just watched.
Elias’s hands clenched, his voice cracking. “I hate you! You deserve to be alone forever!”
My breath shuddered as I looked up—just in time to catch her smirk.
Lyra’s lips curled in triumph for the briefest second before she whimpered and clung to Rafael’s side like a fragile flower.
“Rafael,” she whispered, “make her stop.”
His body stiffened. His golden eyes darkened.
And then the slap came. Fast. Brutal.
Pain exploded across my cheek, my head snapping to the side. My vision blurred, my skin burning where his hand had struck. The entire hall fell into a suffocating silence.
I lifted my gaze slowly, my heart pounding against my ribs. But Rafael didn’t look regretful. Didn’t look anything. His expression was cold. Distant. Like I was nothing to him. Like I hadn’t been his mate. Like I hadn’t carried his child.
His next words sliced through me like a blade “This ends tonight.”
A ripple of unease spread through the crowd. Whispers. Murmurs. Then Rafael stepped forward, his eyes glowing with dominance.
His power rolled off him in waves, suffocating, demanding. The moment I saw his posture shift, the truth slammed into me like a death blow.
He wasn’t going to banish me. He was going to reject me.
I drew in a sharp breath, my hands curling into fists. My wolf whimpered in protest, clawing at my mind, desperate to fight it.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “You wouldn’t—”
His golden eyes met mine, and for the first time since Amber’s death, I saw nothing behind them. Nothing but resolve.
“I, Rafael Thornfield, Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack, reject you, Camilla Wolfhart, as my mate and Luna.”
The words came out like thunder, shaking the air itself. A collective burst echoed through the room.
Pain ripped through me like claws dragging through my soul. My wolf howled in agony, the bond between us shredding apart, severed by his command. My legs nearly buckled, my vision swaying from the sheer force of it.
I clenched my jaw, swallowing the scream that threatened to tear from my throat. I wouldn’t break. Not here. Not in front of her.
Rafael took another step forward, his gaze impassive. “Leave, Camilla,” he said, voice devoid of emotion. “You are no longer part of this pack.”
The words were final. Cold. Like a death sentence. The wolves around us shifted uncomfortably, some avoiding my gaze, others looking at Rafael as if he had just signed away something sacred. And maybe he had.
I forced myself to straighten, lifting my chin. My hands trembled, my breathing uneven, but I met his eyes head-on.
“You’ll regret this,” I whispered, my voice shaking with barely contained fury.
He said nothing. Did nothing. He simply turned his back on me. Just like he had with Amber.
And as I stood there, surrounded by whispers and judgment, I realized something.
Rafael, the mate I once loved, was dead to me. And if he thought I would walk away quietly…
He had no idea what I was capable of.
Chapter 4
The wind howled through the trees, carrying the distant scent of the pack I once called home. The moon was beginning its descent, casting silver light over the forest path ahead, but the road behind me was already gone. I had nothing left to return to.
I had lost everything. Amber. My rank. My purpose. Rafael had discarded me as if I had never meant anything to him.
I pressed my hand against the side of my face, where his slap had left a sting beneath my skin. The physical pain was nothing compared to what he had done to my heart. He had looked at me with disgust, chosen them over me, as if I were nothing more than a forgotten memory.
No longer his mate. No longer his Luna. No longer his.
I gritted my teeth and tightened my grip on the satchel slung over my shoulder. Inside, I carried the only things that mattered anymore—the last remnants of Amber’s life. Her tiny cloak, the wooden wolf figurine she had carved, the pieces of her childhood that I refused to let be swallowed by time. Rafael could take everything else—his title, his pack, his kingdom of lies.
But he would never take her from me.
And this? This wasn’t over. My legs ached from walking, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. My mind was a whirlwind of the past, each moment twisting into something more unbearable than the last. I had spent years at Rafael’s side, believing in him, loving him. And what had it meant? Nothing.
I reached into my cloak and pulled out a rune stone, the edges smooth against my fingers. Closing my eyes, I pressed my thumb against its surface. A familiar pulse of magic burned through my veins before a voice echoed in my mind.
“Didn’t expect to hear from you again.”
“Raoul,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady. “I need your help. I need to disappear,” I murmured. “Completely.”
A slow exhale. “So you finally see it, huh?”
“Just tell me you can do it.”
“Leave it to me.”
The rune stone cracked, the magic severing as I tossed it to the ground. There was no turning back now. By sunrise, the world would believe I was gone. But I wasn’t running. I was preparing for war.
Raoul was waiting for me at the edge of a forgotten road, his cloak drawn tight against the chill of the early morning. His silver eyes studied me as I approached, taking in my ragged state without a word.
“You look like death,” he muttered, tossing a waterskin in my direction.
“Fitting,” I replied, catching it.
He smirked, but there was something sharper behind his amusement. “Everything’s ready.”
I followed his gaze to the wagon behind him. My stomach clenched as I pulled back the cloth covering its cargo. A body.
A young woman, similar in size, close enough in appearance that no one would question it once the flames did their work. She had been dead before I arrived, her fate sealed long before I decided to take advantage of it.
The weight in my chest threatened to crush me, but guilt had no place here. This was survival.
Raoul watched me carefully. “Last chance to back out.”
“There’s no going back,” I said, voice flat.
He studied me for a long moment before nodding. “Then let’s make you a ghost.”
The cliffs were silent except for the river raging below, its currents merciless against the jagged rocks. A fitting place to stage a tragedy.
Raoul worked swiftly, dousing the wagon and the corpse in oil laced with wolfsbane. It would burn fast and hot, leaving no room for doubt. By the time anyone found what remained, there would be only one conclusion—Camilla Wolfhart had died here.
But before the fire consumed the last of my old life, I had one final thing to do.
One last message. I pressed my fingers against the blood rune on my wrist, summoning the remnants of the bond that still tied me to him.
For a moment, nothing. “Rafael isn’t available,” a voice purred, dripping with venom.
My stomach twisted. “Lyra.”
Her soft laugh curled around me like smoke. “Still clinging to the past?”
“Put him on,” I said, forcing the command into my voice.
“Why?” she taunted. “So he can remind you what you are? So he can tell you how easily you were replaced?”
I gritted my teeth. “You think this is over?”
Lyra sighed dramatically. “Oh, Camilla. It already is.”
I stayed silent, waiting. And then she delivered the killing blow. “Strange, isn’t it? The way your daughter died?” Her voice was coated in amusement. “Considering Elias was never sick.”
The world slowed. My breath hitched. “What did you say?”
She giggled, delighted. “We made it up. And Rafael? He never even questioned it.”
Something deep inside me snapped. Amber had died for nothing.
Rafael had given her blood away for a child who hadn’t even needed it. They had murdered my daughter with lies.
The bond severed. Silence rang in my ears. My vision blurred, the night tilting as white-hot rage overtook everything.
I didn’t scream. I didn’t weep. I only burned.
Raoul’s gaze sharpened as he took in my expression. “Still sure about this?”
I met his eyes, my voice deadly calm. “Light it.”
He didn’t hesitate. The spark flew, and the flames erupted instantly, consuming the wagon in seconds. Heat roared against my skin, but I didn’t move, watching as the fire devoured the past.
By the time anyone found what was left, there would be no doubt.
Camilla Wolfhart was gone. And Rafael would feel nothing because this wasn’t about him.
This was about me. About Amber.
About every single moment I had wasted loving a man who had never deserved me.
By the time dawn crested over the horizon, I was gone. Raoul moved fast, slipping me through the rogue networks where no Shadowfang scout would find me.
A new name. A new purpose. A new beginning.
I stood before the mirror of a nameless inn, running my fingers through my now raven-black hair. My once-golden strands, the ones Rafael had always twined around his fingers, whispering empty promises, were gone. That woman was gone.
I leaned in closer, my lips curling at the sight of the stranger before me.
The world thought Camilla Wolfhart had perished in the fire. But the woman who rose from the ashes was just getting started.
