My Mate Sent Me to Die for His Mistress

The wind screamed across the jagged cliffs like a wounded animal, tearing at my hair and clothes with icy fingers. Below, the ocean churned black and furious, waves smashing against the rocks with a violence that made my stomach clench. I couldn't breathe. My lungs felt too small, my chest too tight.

"Luna Claire." Morgan's voice cut through the storm, sweet as poisoned honey. "We've been working on your resilience training for weeks now. Today, you dive."

I took a shaky step back from the edge, my wolf whimpering deep inside me. The drop had to be at least sixty feet, maybe more. The water below looked like churning ink, littered with sharp rocks that broke the surface like teeth.

"I... I can't." The words came out barely above a whisper. "Morgan, please. The storm—"

"That's exactly why today is perfect." She moved closer, her expression the picture of patient concern. Anyone watching would think she was a dedicated mentor pushing her Luna to greatness. Only I could see the cold satisfaction in her eyes. "A Luna must be strong, Claire. The pack needs to see you overcome your fears."

My hands were shaking. I pressed them against my thighs, trying to steady myself. "This isn't training. This is—"

"What's going on here?"

Kane's voice boomed across the cliff top, and I felt my mate bond pulse with his approach. For one desperate second, relief flooded through me. He would see how insane this was. He would stop it.

But when I turned to face my mate, the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack, I saw only irritation creasing his handsome features.

"Kane, thank the Goddess." I moved toward him instinctively. "Morgan wants me to jump in this storm, and I—"

"Have been resisting basic Luna training for three weeks." His words were ice water down my spine. "Morgan has been more than patient with you, Claire."

"Patient?" My voice cracked. "Kane, look at the water. Look at those rocks. I could die—"

"You're being dramatic." He crossed his arms, his jaw tight with disappointment. "Your wolf will heal any injuries. This is about mental strength, which you clearly lack."

Morgan made a soft sound of distress. "Alpha Kane, perhaps we should postpone. I don't want Claire to feel... forced."

The false sympathy in her voice made my wolf snarl weakly. But Kane's expression softened immediately as he looked at his childhood friend.

"You've already given up your afternoon for this, Morgan. I won't let my mate's cowardice waste more of your time." He turned back to me, and his eyes flashed with Alpha authority. "Claire. Jump. Now."

"No." I shook my head frantically. "Kane, please, I'm begging you—"

"I said NOW." His Alpha Command slammed into me like a physical blow.

My body moved without my permission. One foot in front of the other. My wolf was screaming inside my head, terror making her voice shrill and broken. I tried to stop, tried to dig my heels in, but