Chapter 1Ten years after I was cast out of the Blackthorn Hollow, I saw them again.
My former mate, Ronan Valehart.
The Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack.
And my adoptive brother, Maddox Blackthorn.
A powerful member of the Wolf Council.
I ran a small bakery in Moonveil Hollow, far away from the Pack that once called me family.
No one here knew my past.
No one cared about my bloodline.
They only knew me as the woman who made the best desserts in town.
Until they walked through my door.
The moment our eyes met, both of them stopped.
"Aria?"
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Ronan quickly hid the healer's report in his hand.
Maddox quietly put away the Moonstone Charm he had bought for his sister.
I looked down, finished packing the strawberry shortcake, and placed the box on the counter.
"Your order."
My calm voice surprised them more than anger ever could.
Ronan didn't move.
"You said you would never make strawberry shortcake again."
I smiled politely.
"I said a lot of things when I was younger."
I closed the pastry box.
"People change."
The bakery became silent.
Ten years ago, these two men were the ones who destroyed my life.
Now they stood in front of me like they were the ones who had been hurt.
Ronan tightened his grip on the box.
"Isla's pregnancy has been difficult."
His voice lowered.
"She needed a safer place away from the Pack."
"Maddox and Marceline came with her."
He looked at me.
"Would you like to see them?"
I shook my head.
"No."
I wiped the counter.
"Tell Marceline I hope she's doing well."
Then I paused.
"Actually, don't."
Ronan frowned.
"Why?"
I looked up.
"Because I don't want anyone to misunderstand."
Maddox's expression changed.
"Aria, after everything that happened, we have been trying to—"
"Aria!"
The bakery door opened.
Piper Wycliffe rushed inside, her pink hair bouncing as she ran toward me.
"I'm starving."
For the first time that day, I smiled.
I tapped her forehead.
"Strawberry shortcake. The fridge."
Her eyes lit up.
"My favorite?"
"Yes."
She grabbed my arm.
"You're sharing with me."
I laughed.
Behind me, the silence became unbearable.
"Your order is ready."
I turned back toward the counter.
Ronan froze when he heard the name of the dessert.
Strawberry shortcake.
A small thing.
But once, it had meant everything to us.
Maddox stared at Piper.
At how easily she stood beside me.
At how naturally she called me family.
Whatever words he wanted to say disappeared.
I took Piper into the kitchen.
The door closed between us and them.
When I returned, the bakery was empty.
Piper was already eating.
"Aria."
She looked at me suspiciously.
"You know those two wolves?"
I continued sorting receipts.
"No."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"They had Pack guards outside."
She lowered her voice.
"Black SUVs. Council markings. Everyone knows who they are."
I kept working.
"They were customers."
Piper laughed.
"If I knew important wolves like that…"
She looked around the tiny bakery.
"Why would you wake up before sunrise every day just to bake desserts for me?"
I smiled.
"Exactly."
She took another bite.
"The Alpha's mate is the Council elder's sister, right?"
I stopped moving.
"Isla Blackthorn."
"Must be nice."
Piper sighed.
"Being loved that much."
I said nothing.
I threw the old piping bag into the trash.
Because I knew exactly how much they loved Isla.
I knew because ten years ago—
Ronan Valehart abandoned our True Mate bond during our mating ceremony.
He allowed the Pack elders to call me unstable and locked me inside Moonshadow Keep until everyone believed I had lost my mind.
And Maddox Blackthorn?
He stood before the entire Pack.
He removed my name from the Blackthorn family records.
Then he opened the gates himself.
And told me to leave.
They didn't just break my heart.
They took away the only home I had ever known.
And they expected me to forgive them after ten years.
Chapter 2
"What's this?"
Piper pulled a small bracelet from the corner of the counter.
It was made of dark leather cord, worn from years of use, with a small Moonstone charm tied in the middle.
The moment I saw it, my hand froze.
I knew it immediately.
The pack charm I had made for Ronan Valehart years ago.
Back then, he wasn't the Alpha everyone feared.
He was just a young wolf who had lost everything after his father's betrayal scandal destroyed their family name.
The Valehart bloodline had been stripped of its status.
Ronan was forced to leave his old territory with nothing.
I found him during a winter storm, alone near the edge of the forest.
He was injured, starving, and too proud to ask anyone for help.
But when I turned to leave, his hand grabbed the edge of my coat.
He didn't say anything.
He just held on.
I brought him back to Blackthorn Hollow.
Even when Marceline and Maddox disagreed, I refused to leave him behind.
I used my savings to find a healer.
I stayed beside him through the fever.
Day after day, I watched him recover.
When I was sixteen, Ronan followed me everywhere.
He covered for me when I sneaked out of the Pack grounds.
He waited outside the Elder Hall whenever I got punished.
When other young wolves mocked me for being a foundling, he was the first one to fight back.
He took every hit meant for me.
Back then, I thought nothing could ever separate us.
Later, when we finally admitted our feelings, we would sneak away to the wildflower garden behind the Alpha House.
We laughed like two reckless young wolves who had discovered their own secret world.
Until Ronan turned nineteen.
He made a decision that changed everything.
"I'm joining the northern border patrol."
I still remembered the way he held my hands.
"Wait for me, Aria."
"When I earn my place and restore my family's honor, I'll come back."
He pressed his forehead against mine.
"And I'll make you my Luna."
"Only you."
"Forever."
That night, I stayed awake until sunrise.
I baked his favorite strawberry shortcake.
Then I tied the Moonstone charm into his travel pack.
Marceline and Maddox never truly accepted him.
But they couldn't stand seeing me cry.
In the end, they used their influence in Blackthorn Pack to help Ronan rebuild his reputation.
And Ronan proved everyone wrong.
A successful hunt.
A victory at the border.
One achievement after another.
His name became known across the territories.
The day he returned from the northern grounds, my hands shook while I held the communication stone.
I thought everything was finally going to be perfect.
Then the truth about my birth was revealed.
I wasn't born a Blackthorn.
The old records were wrong.
The Moonkeeper discovered that I had been brought to the Pack by mistake.
My real parents were ordinary wolves living outside the territories.
And the true Blackthorn heir…
Isla Blackthorn…
came home.
At first, Marceline held my hand.
"You are still my daughter."
"Nothing changes."
Maddox smiled and messed up my hair.
"You have always been my sister."
I believed them.
I really did.
When Ronan returned, he didn't even go to the Alpha Hall first.
He came straight to me.
He pulled me into his arms.
"I don't care what the Pack says."
"I choose you."
My heart finally settled.
Because I thought I still had him.
Because I thought I still had a home.
So when Isla came back, I tried everything to make her feel welcome.
I showed her around the territory.
I taught her Pack traditions.
I let her choose first whenever we prepared for ceremonies.
I was afraid she would feel like she had lost years of her life.
Isla always held my arm and smiled.
"Aria."
Her voice was sweet.
Her eyes always looked innocent.
I truly wanted to love her like a sister.
At that time, I believed I had the best Pack in the world.
The best family.
And the best mate.
Later, Ronan and I started including Isla when we spent time together.
At first, Ronan hated it.
"She doesn't need to be involved in everything we do."
He thought she was taking away our time.
But whenever he said something, Isla would look hurt.
"You think I'm trying to ruin your bond?"
"You think I don't know my place?"
I always ended up being the one who comforted her.
I told Ronan to be kinder.
I told Isla not to overthink.
I thought I was protecting everyone.
I didn't realize I was slowly pushing myself out.
Little by little, Ronan started remembering things about Isla.
Her favorite foods.
The clothes she liked.
The small habits she had.
And Isla became more curious about Ronan's past.
She asked me about his childhood.
His old wounds.
The years when I was the only one beside him.
I answered every question.
Because I trusted her.
Until the night of the Winter Moon Festival.
The carriage lost control on the mountain road.
The moment danger came, Ronan moved.
But not toward me.
He wrapped himself around Isla.
Protecting her first.
I sat frozen against the side of the carriage.
The impact cut my forehead.
Warm blood ran down my face.
But I barely felt it.
Because I had seen everything.
At the healer's cabin, Ronan held my hand.
"Aria…"
His voice was broken.
"I thought she was you."
I looked at him.
I said nothing.
Because I finally understood.
Something had already changed.
Something I couldn't fix.
The day the healer removed my stitches, I left early.
I walked alone to the wildflower garden behind the Alpha House.
The same place where Ronan and I once promised forever.
And there, I saw them.
Two figures standing beneath the trees.
Ronan's hand was tangled in Isla's hair.
His lips were against hers.
And the way he held her…
was the same way he once held me.
The same Alpha who promised he would only choose me…
was now choosing someone else.
Chapter 3
I froze.
For a moment, I thought I was trapped inside some horrible dream.
But the pain in my chest was real.
Too real.
I rushed forward and pulled them apart.
The wildflowers around us scattered as I grabbed Ronan's arm.
Then I slapped him.
Hard.
The sound echoed through the garden.
Ronan didn't move.
He just stared at me.
But when I turned toward Isla, his expression changed.
He grabbed my wrist and pushed me back.
I lost my balance and fell onto the ground.
The sharp stones cut into my palms.
Ronan stepped in front of Isla.
Protecting her.
"Isla is your sister."
His voice was cold.
"How dare you hurt her?"
I looked at him.
The wolf who once stood in front of me against the whole Pack…
was now standing against me.
"Look at yourself, Aria."
"You're acting like you've lost control."
Isla buried her face against his chest.
Tears ran down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Aria…"
Her voice trembled.
"But Ronan and I love each other."
"If our bloodlines had never been mixed up, maybe I would have met him first."
She touched her lips.
The place where his mark had been moments ago.
"I can apologize for everything else."
"But I can't give Ronan back to you."
Something inside me broke.
I grabbed the stone planter beside the path and threw it.
I screamed.
I don't even remember what I said.
All the anger.
All the pain.
Everything I had swallowed for years came out at once.
Ronan only looked at me.
Not with love.
Not with concern.
With disappointment.
"You're proving everyone right."
His voice was quiet.
"You really are unstable."
That was when Marceline and Maddox arrived.
They stopped when they saw me.
My torn clothes.
My bleeding hands.
My broken expression.
Their faces changed.
Not with worry.
With disgust.
"Aria."
Marceline's voice was tired.
"Stop this."
"Isla is your sister."
"Why are you making things worse?"
Maddox looked at me like I was a stranger.
"You need to calm down."
They stood beside Ronan and Isla.
Four wolves.
One side.
Me alone.
In their eyes, I was no longer the girl they raised.
I was the problem.
The dangerous wolf who couldn't accept losing.
And that was the moment I finally understood.
I was never going to win.
Not against them.
But I wasn't ready to give up.
Not yet.
I went to the Alpha territory.
To the Blackthorn training grounds.
I stood outside Ronan's private hall and called his name until my voice became rough.
Finally, the door opened.
Ronan looked at me without any emotion.
"If you approach Isla again…"
His voice was flat.
"I will ask the Council to issue a protection order."
I stared at him.
I couldn't believe those words came from him.
The wolf who once promised he would protect me…
was now protecting me from himself.
I went to the Wolf Council messengers.
I told them everything.
Ronan's betrayal.
Isla taking my place.
How they destroyed the life I had built inside Blackthorn Pack.
I stood outside the Pack gates and demanded answers.
I wanted everyone to know what they had done.
I wanted them to see the truth.
But no one listened.
The Blackthorn guards dragged me away.
They called me unstable.
They called me dangerous.
They said I was attacking the Alpha's future Luna.
When I fought back, Maddox came himself.
I broke everything within reach.
I couldn't think.
I couldn't breathe.
I just wanted someone to believe me.
Maddox grabbed my arm.
"Enough, Aria."
His voice was cold.
"You were given a life that belonged to Isla."
"You lived as a Blackthorn for twenty years."
"You owe her."
I looked at him.
My own brother.
The one who used to carry me home when I fell asleep during Pack lessons.
And now he was the one throwing me away.
They locked me inside the old underground storage beneath Blackthorn Manor.
A place where unwanted things were kept.
Food was left outside the door once a day.
No one came to see me.
No one asked if I was alive.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
The Pack that once called me family slowly forgot my name
Until one night.
The door opened.
Light spilled into the darkness.
Ronan stood there.
The Alpha I once loved.
He looked at me for a long moment.
Then he spoke.
"The Council approved it."
I didn't understand.
Approved what?
Then he said:
"Aria."
"I'm marrying you."
I stared at him.
After everything.
After choosing Isla.
After letting the entire Pack destroy me.
He came back with those words.
"I'm marrying you."
And somehow…
that hurt more than if he had never returned.
