Chapter 1The night Roryn Blackthorn claimed the Shadowcrown, someone asked who he wanted to dedicate it to.
He smiled. "To someone who's waited all these years—and who I've let down just as long."
I stood in the shadows. For one second, my heart lifted.
We'd been secret mates for eight years.
When he had nothing, I sold my mother's pendant for his trial fees.
When the Packs wanted him exiled, I begged elders on my knees.
Then he won.
And I became his past—something he dodged when other Alphas asked.
He used to say, "Once I take the crown, I'll claim you in front of everyone."
I thought tonight was the night.
But after the ceremony, I heard his Beta.
"Delphine's crying. You promised her the mate bond."
Long silence. "I owe her. Ayla won't make a scene. She never does."
By three a.m., the whole network exploded—he'd put my pendant on Delphine.
Caption: "Long overdue."
I didn't call. Just bought a one-way ticket north.
---
He came back around dawn.
I was sitting on the floor uploading the last of my files.
He walked in smelling like alcohol and smoke. Stopped when he saw me. "You're still up?"
"Yeah. Just wrapping something up."
He looked pleased with himself. Grabbed water, voice all relaxed.
"What a night. Finally got it. Things'll be smoother now. Less drama with the other Packs."
I just said, "Mm."
He paused mid-drink, side-eyeing me. "Ayla—you mad or something?"
Before last night, anytime he brought home good news, I'd have cried before he did. Hugged him, told him I knew he could do it, held his hands and traced every scar.
Tonight I just stared at my phone.
"No."
Roryn's always known how to work people. He came closer, crouched down, tucked my hair back. "I just won the Shadowcrown and you're not even going to say congrats?"
If this was yesterday, that one move would've broken me.
Now I just said, "Congrats."
He stared at me, then suddenly grabbed my phone.
I locked it before he could see the screen.
His eyes went cold instantly. "You hiding something from me?"
"No."
"Then unlock it."
I looked up. "I told you. It's work."
He laughed, but it wasn't friendly. "Ayla. Eight years. Since when do you keep things from me?"
He held the phone up between us. "Passcode."
I didn't say anything for a second. "My birthday."
The room went dead silent. His fingers hovered over the screen.
He tried a number.
Wrong.
Tried again.
Still wrong.
Third time—he stopped.
I remembered the first year we were bonded. He broke two ribs in a challenge.
When he woke up from the healer's den, the first thing he said was, "Ayla, what's the date? Your birthday's coming up—did I forget the cake again?"
Back then he was half-conscious and in pain, but he still remembered I liked honey-ember cake.
Then he got busy. So busy my birthday turned into automated alerts from the registry.
He handed my phone back, quieter now. "When'd you change it?"
"While ago."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
I met his eyes. "Did you ask?"
His expression went dark.
Before he could answer, his phone buzzed.
Delphine.
Just her name on the screen. But it cut through me like I'd been struck.
He glanced at me, then turned toward the door.
But she was crying loud enough I could hear it through the line. "Roryn, it hurts—the pendant's stuck, I can't breathe—"
He was already moving. "Stop crying. I'm coming."
I hit send on my last email.
He looked back like he wanted to explain. Or maybe like he didn't think he needed to. "She needs help."
I nodded. "Yeah."
That seemed to make it worse. "Ayla, why do you have to be like this? You know I hate when you get all distant."
I looked at him calmly. "Did I stopped you?"
He opened his mouth. Nothing came out.
Before he left, he picked up the Shadowcrown. Hesitated. Set it back down.
The second the door shut, my phone lit up.
[Your passage to Aurora's Cradle has been confirmed.]
I turned it off.
The crown sat there on the mantle, black and gleaming.
Like the ending of a bad story that should've been over years ago.
Chapter 2
Right before sunrise, Roryn came back.
He wasn't alone.
Delphine was wearing his cloak. Her hand was wrapped in his like she might shatter if he let go. Eyes all red and swollen.
I was standing by the table, sliding the last of my documents into an envelope.
Roryn stopped when he saw me. "You didn't sleep?"
Delphine practically hid behind him. Her voice came out small and shaky. "Ayla, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you'd be here."
Around her neck was my Moonmark Pendant.
That pendant. Roryn had worked himself half to death eight years ago to get the materials for it. Back when he was nobody. When he had nothing. He'd carved Only A into the back himself, crooked and uneven because his hands were still healing from a fight.
He used to promise me he'd get me something better once he made it.
Then he made it. And he forgot.
I just stared at the pendant. Didn't say anything.
Roryn followed my eyes. Like he only just remembered. "The clasp got stuck. Healer said forcing it could hurt her. She'll wear it for a bit. That's all."
I nodded. "Suits her."
Delphine's face crumpled. Tears started falling. "Ayla, please. It's not what you think. Roryn and I aren't—he just feels bad, okay? He's trying to fix things."
She tugged his sleeve. All hesitant and wounded. "Maybe I should go. I don't want Ayla to be upset."
Roryn's jaw locked. "Your wrist's still swollen. You can't go anywhere."
Then he looked at me. "Ayla. Clear out the spare room. She's staying a few days."
My hands stopped moving. "That room's full of my stuff."
"Then move it."
He said it like it was easy. Like every other time he'd asked me to step back. Make space. Disappear so someone else could take my place.
I let out a dry laugh. "Do you even know what's in there?"
He went still.
I answered for him. "Your trial recordings. Three hundred sixty-seven appeals I wrote when the Packs wanted you gone. Every contract I fought for when you were blacklisted."
Delphine's voice was barely audible, but it cut. "Ayla. Don't make it sound like he owes you everything."
I finally looked at her. "Does he owe it to you?"
Dead silence.
Roryn's expression went stone cold. "Enough!"
He pulled Delphine behind him.
That hurt worse than anything he could've said.
"Her health isn't good, Ayla. She can't handle you snapping at her."
I went back to sealing the envelope. "So the Alpha doesn't let people tell the truth?"
He breathed out hard through his nose. Trying to stay calm. "She's fragile. Don't push her."
"Right. So because she's fragile, she gets to wear my pendant, sleep in my space, and take my bond-mate?"
I wasn't yelling. But something ugly flashed across his face.
Delphine suddenly gasped. Grabbed her chest like she couldn't breathe. "Roryn—I can't—"
He moved instantly. Scooped her up.
When he passed me, he stopped.
His voice was ice. "If anything happens to her, Ayla, I won't forgive you."
The door slammed hard enough to rattle the walls.
I stood there. Didn't move for a long time.
Then I bent down and picked up the slip of paper Delphine had dropped.
Healer's note.
[Mild stress response. No physical cause.]
Before I could even process it, the door opened again.
I thought maybe he'd come back for the note.
But Roryn walked straight past me. Into the back room.
He came out carrying my mother's old chest.
Everything in me went cold.
Chapter 3
"What are you doing with that!"
My mother's old chest. The one she used to keep her ritual items in.
Inside was the Starweave Cloak she wore for her last moon ceremony. And her earrings.
The only things I couldn't bring myself to sell even when I sold everything else.
Roryn pulled it out of reach.
"Delphine needs to record something tonight. For the Pack network. She's a mess right now—she needs something meaningful in the background to calm people down."
I stared at him. "That belonged to my mother."
"I'm borrowing it."
"Roryn." My voice shook. "You already gave her my pendant. Now you're taking my mother's things to make her look sympathetic?"
His expression hardened. "Do you have to twist everything into something ugly?"
"Am I twisting it? Or did you actually do something ugly?"
He went quiet. Then he smiled.
"I just claimed the Shadowcrown tonight. Every Pack in the Covenant is watching. If Delphine falls apart now, they'll say I abandoned the wolf who saved my life. You've been with me eight years. You know we can't afford chaos right now."
I looked at him. He looked at me.
Then he said it. "Ayla. Help me. One last time."
So he still knew how to ask.
He just only ever asked when it meant I had to give up something for someone else.
I let go of the chest.
Before he walked out, he glanced back. "Once this settles, I'll make up your birthday. I promise."
I smiled.
"My birthday was three months ago."
He stopped. But he didn't turn around.
---
That morning, Gareth called me to the main hall.
The second I walked in, I saw her.
Delphine was sitting in front of a mirror. My mother's Starweave Cloak draped across her shoulders.
Her face was barely painted, but her eyes were red on purpose. Like she'd been crying for hours.
She saw me and ran her fingers over the fabric. "Ayla, this is gorgeous. Roryn said it was just some old thing. I didn't think it'd be this nice."
I didn't look at her. I looked at Roryn.
He was skimming through notes for the broadcast.
To everyone else, Roryn Blackthorn was calm. Controlled. Even when he hurt people, he made it look clean.
"Give it back."
He glanced up. "After the recording."
"Now."
He set the notes down. Walked over. Lowered his voice. "Ayla. Don't do this."
I almost laughed. "Asking for my mother's things back is 'doing something'?"
He stared at me. Then he reached out and fixed the collar of my shirt.
For half a second, I saw the version of him from eight years ago. The one who used to wrap his cloak around me when I was cold.
"You used to know when to let things go."
I turned my face away.
His hand dropped. Something cold flickered in his eyes. "I know you're upset. The pendant. Delphine. Last night. All of it. I get it."
He paused. Softened his tone.
"But this broadcast can't go wrong. After it's over, I'll take you home. We'll talk. I'll fix this."
If I hadn't heard him in that room.
If I hadn't watched him put my pendant on her.
Maybe I would've believed him.
I smiled. "Fix it how?"
He smiled back. "However you want."
I met his eyes. "I want you to tell the Covenant right now that I'm your Luna."
Delphine coughed softly behind him.
Roryn didn't move. His voice stayed even. "Ayla. Don't test me."
"Test you?"
"You just want me to say I need you. That's what this is."
He looked down at me. "I do. No one's mattered to me like you have. But claiming you publicly isn't small. It affects the whole Covenant. You're not a kid. Don't act like you need some title to prove I care."
Eight years. Every time he said wait a little longer, I stayed quiet. Stayed hidden.
I never asked for anything.
Now asking to be acknowledged made me childish?
The door opened. Someone stuck their head in. "Alpha—ten minutes."
Roryn nodded. Looked at me. "Stay in the back. Keep an eye on things. Make sure nothing goes wrong."
I didn't move.
He frowned. "Ayla."
I said it quietly. "I'm done."
The whole room went silent.
Roryn looked at me like I'd just told a joke. "What?"
"I'm not doing this anymore. I'm not your shadow. I'm not your cover. I'm done."
Delphine teared up again. "Roryn, it's okay. I'll handle it. Ayla's hurt. I understand."
He wasn't looking at her. He was staring at me.
After a long pause, he laughed softly. "Right. So this is you throwing a fit now?"
He turned away. Handed my mother's chest to someone nearby. "Get ready for the broadcast."
Then he looked at Gareth.
"Revoke her clearance. She's unstable. Don't let her near the hall."
