Chapter 1"Ms. Stormrune, I just need to confirm one last time."
The man looked down at the file in his hand.
"The death will be arranged seven days from now.”
"The cause will be a fire accident at your residence."
He paused.
"The deceased…"
His eyes lifted to mine.
"Will be you. Correct?"
I nodded.
No hesitation.
Then I opened my phone and transferred the $500,000 deposit to Nightveil Covenant.
On the way back, the massive screens in the Grimfang Plaza were plastered with headlines about my upcoming Luna ceremony to Garrick Fangmire, Alpha of the Grimhowl Pack.
The dress alone was fifteen million. The whole event was supposed to be the biggest thing this territory had ever seen.
Every wolf I passed whispered about how obsessed Garrick was with me. How I was the luckiest she-wolf alive.
But even an Alpha could break his mate-bond.
All those late nights he said he was patrolling the border?
My wolf had known something was off. I just didn't want to listen.
I'd been there when he was nothing—just some lone wolf with a chip on his shoulder. I stood by him while he clawed his way to the top. Watched him become the strongest Alpha in the region.
The bond between us felt real. But so did the cracks forming underneath.
I glanced at my phone and walked into the bridal boutique right on time.
The moment I gave my name, the clerk's face lit up like I was pack royalty.
"Ms. Stormrune, your gown is ready. Want to try it on now?"
Before I could answer, Garrick burst through the door, holding a big iced latte—the exact one he knew I couldn't resist.
"Babe, why didn't you let the driver bring you? I specifically told him to wait for you. Did he ditch? I'll deal with him later, I swear."
"No, I needed air," I said, keeping it light.
He ruffled my hair the way he always did, that easy grin spreading across his face, then signaled for the clerk to bring out the dress.
But I felt it before I saw it. The way his whole body locked up. His scent shifted—just for a second.
I followed his gaze and turned.
My wolf went completely still.
The clerk holding my dress was her.
The female from the photos I'd stared at for hours. The ones I'd memorized down to the smallest detail.
No doubt about it.
I didn't know how she'd gotten hired here, but from the panic flashing in Garrick's eyes, he didn't either.
He grabbed my arm and practically shoved me into the fitting room.
I kept my face blank, like nothing was wrong. But the second I bent down to step into that gown, tears hit the floor.
And then I heard it.
Muffled sounds from the other side of the wall. Two voices. Panting.
"Are you insane? What are you doing here—"
A soft laugh cut him off.
"Relax, Garrick. These walls are soundproof. Nobody's hearing us."
Her voice dropped lower.
"Unless… you've never wanted to do this with me while I'm wearing her dress?"
"Wanna see what I brought for you today?"
Silk tore.
Then the rhythm started. Thud after thud against the wall.
Not just bodies colliding.
My entire world caving in.
My wolf howled inside my chest. The mate-bond—the thing I thought was unbreakable—felt like it was being ripped apart by claws.
I don't remember how I managed to get that dress on.
By the time I stepped out, my eyes were red and swollen.
Garrick was standing there like nothing happened. Composed. Waiting.
When he saw me, something shifted in his gaze. The raw need I'd caught earlier was gone. Replaced by that same awe he always wore around me.
"You're the most beautiful bride this pack has ever seen," he said, voice dripping with honey.
So different from the animal I knew he'd just been on the other side of that wall.
The sales clerk, eager and bright, chimed in with congratulations. Eternal happiness. Love that would never die.
Garrick grinned and tipped everyone in the room a thousand bucks each.
Watching him, a cold thought surfaced.
How would he react when he showed up to our Luna ceremony and found out I was gone?
I scanned the boutique one last time.
Thalia Nightveil had vanished.
After he paid, his phone lit up. I caught the look in his eyes before he could hide it. Hunger.
He silenced it fast, then turned to me with a practiced smile.
"Hey, babe. Last-minute pack council meeting tonight. I really have to go…"
"Fine," I said.
"You're the best. You know that?"
He kissed my forehead and walked out. Didn't look back.
I changed back into my own clothes. Didn't feel like going home.
I walked the streets instead. No destination. Just moving.
Then my phone buzzed.
Thalia.
The photo showed a hotel room floor covered in shredded white silk. One leg, wrapped in lace, stretched provocatively into the shot.
I thought I'd be ready for it.
My wolf let out a low, broken whine.
I stared at that image for an hour, letting the pain burn through me until there was nothing left.
When the moon came up, I finally went home.
Garrick didn't come back. Same as every other night.
At 3 a.m., my phone buzzed again.
Thalia:
"Oops! Sorry, Valka. Garrick told me he's always wanted to see me in a wedding dress. I couldn't say no. You understand, right?"
"Oh, and last night? He was completely feral. I can barely walk today. Wish I could apologize in person, but… you know how it is."
My stomach turned.
I shut my eyes and let the nausea roll through me.
Chapter 2
I barely made it to the bathroom before emptying my stomach.
After splashing cold water on my face, I collapsed onto the couch and stayed there. Didn't move. Didn't sleep. Just let the hours crawl by.
Garrick showed up around sunrise. He had a bag of pastries—my old favorites.
The second he saw me, his face dropped. He rushed over and pulled me into his arms.
"Babe, why are you up? Were you waiting for me? I'm so sorry—the council meeting ran late and I crashed at the lodge. I swear, next time I'll text you."
"Let me make it up to you today. We'll go to the pack's private viewing den. Just the two of us. I've got a surprise."
I didn't say anything.
He started feeding me breakfast like I was some helpless pup, rambling on about his fake meeting. All the details he thought would sell the lie.
A year ago, I'd have bought every word.
Now I could practically smell the bullshit.
But he'd been feeding me lies for eight years. And I'd swallowed every one.
At the pack's private den, Garrick had cleared out the whole space. Just us.
The screen lit up and my chest tightened.
It was a reel of our eight years together. Every win. Every hunt. Every moment he'd claimed was sacred.
I watched myself fall in love with him all over again. The girl on that screen had no idea what was coming.
Tears slid down my face.
Garrick panicked. He grabbed a cloth and started dabbing at my cheeks like I was breakable.
"Babe, don't cry! I was gonna save this for the Luna ceremony, but I couldn't wait. I wanted to see your face. Please stop—you're killing me."
Before I could respond, the door swung open. Someone slipped into the seat beside him.
I knew that scent before my eyes even adjusted.
Thalia Nightveil.
Her smug little smile made my wolf bare her teeth.
Garrick, thinking I hadn't clocked her at the boutique, scrambled for an excuse.
"She's just here to check the projection system—works for the pack's media team."
His hand shook as he kept wiping my tears.
So he could still feel fear. Interesting.
I said nothing. Just kept my eyes locked on the screen, saying goodbye to every memory as it played.
My phone slipped from my hand.
I bent down to grab it—and caught Garrick's hand resting between Thalia's legs. Out in the open. Like I wasn't even there.
My wolf howled. My claws dug into my palms so hard I nearly drew blood.
The reel wasn't even halfway through when Garrick's breathing started getting heavy.
He muttered something about needing air and rushed out.
Thalia followed thirty seconds later.
My phone buzzed almost immediately.
From her.
"Wow. You and Garrick have such a beautiful story—almost made me cry! Too bad he couldn't wait. Dragged me out before it even finished."
"Oh, he promised to send me the full video later. Guess I should thank you, Valka!"
The reel kept playing. Near the end, Garrick's voice came through the speakers. A recording from the night he claimed me.
"I'll never betray you, Valka. You're my one and only. Not even death could tear us apart."
A laugh ripped out of me. Bitter. Sharp.
What a joke.
Garrick Fangmire, let's see if death really can't separate us.
The screen went dark. Silence filled the den.
And from the corridor outside, the unmistakable sounds of two wolves colliding echoed through the walls.
Every thud. Every muffled moan.
My mate—my supposed mate—with another female.
My wolf wanted to tear through that wall and rip her throat out.
But I stayed frozen. Let the sound carve deeper into the pieces of my heart that were already shattered.
I'd spent eight years loving a ghost.
Tomorrow, I'd finally let him die.
Chapter 3
When Garrick finally came back, he was carrying a small pouch of dried meat—the kind I used to love sharing with him after hunts.
Back then, just brushing fingers over the same piece of food would send my wolf into a happy little frenzy.
Now the smell of it turned my stomach.
The awkward young wolf who used to blush when I touched him was gone. In his place was a stranger wearing my mate's face.
He was still distracted, probably replaying whatever he'd just done with Thalia, because in his rush to leave the viewing den, he forgot the memory-crystal that had been playing our reel.
I slipped it into my pocket before following him out.
In the transport, he kept glancing at his phone. His throat worked like he was swallowing something bitter.
"Babe, there's another pack council thing tonight…"
I knew it was a lie. Didn't even care enough to call him on it.
"Go," I said flat.
"You're the best," he said, forcing a smile. "I'll make it up to you when I get back."
He leaned over and pressed his lips to my cheek.
The scent hit me—floral, sweet, nothing like mine.
My wolf snarled.
I waited until he turned away, then wiped the spot clean.
Back at the den, another message from Thalia was waiting.
This time it was a screenshot of their conversation.
Garrick had been grilling her, asking why she kept showing up around me.
Her reply was a photo—her in something thin and tight, all curves and taunt, that smug little look on her face.
That was all it took. His anger evaporated.
"Wait for me. I'm coming over to deal with you."
"And tonight, no holding back. Don't whine about the pain."
My hands shook as I read it. My wolf thrashed inside my chest, howling to be let out.
The male I'd loved for eight years. The one who held me after nightmares and carried me through every fight. Talking to another female like that.
I was done.
I closed the messages and started gathering everything he'd ever given me. Ceremonial jewelry. Hunting trophies. Things from our early days that used to mean something.
All of it went into the burn pile.
Millions of moonstones worth of memories. Reduced to trash.
That night, Garrick actually came home.
The first thing he noticed was the empty display stand where his gifts used to sit.
He froze. Then rushed over to me, panic written all over his face.
"Valka, where's everything? What happened to the gifts?"
"And the crystal—the one from today's reel—did you see it? I checked my storage and it's gone. I spent a month putting that together. It's more important to me than anything!"
His voice cracked.
I looked at him calmly, took a sip of water.
"I put them away. They're too valuable—didn't want anyone else getting their paws on them."
"The crystal? I didn't see it. Losing it so close to the Luna ceremony… doesn't that feel like a sign? You haven't done anything to betray me, have you?"
I kept my tone light. Almost teasing.
Garrick went pale. He dropped to his knees in front of me, grabbing my hands.
"Valka, I swear on the moon, I would never betray you. You're everything to me. If I ever cheated, I'd deserve to be banished."
I laughed softly.
"Relax. I was joking. You're so dramatic."
"You make it sound like I'm going to end up a widow before I'm even Luna."
My casual tone did the trick. His shoulders dropped, and he let out this shaky little laugh.
He excused himself to wash up. Through the door, I heard him chuckling to himself.
When he came out, he said he had to go look for the crystal. Said he wouldn't sleep until he found it.
I knew exactly where he was going. Back to Thalia. To finish what he'd started.
I didn't stop him.
"Be careful," I said, like I meant it.
He left so fast he didn't even look back.
The second the door closed, my phone buzzed.
The team.
"New identity ready. Border ambush plan is locked in. Just say the word."
