Chapter 3
I clutched the leather folder containing Victoria's contract to my chest as I made my way through the dense forest. Ten million dollars. The number kept echoing in my mind, almost as loudly as Victoria's smug voice when she'd presented her ultimatum. The moonstone necklace at her throat—Ryan's gift—had glinted in the light, a constant reminder of where his heart truly lay.
My feet carried me instinctively to the sacred moon grove, a small clearing where ancient trees formed a perfect circle around a pool of water that reflected the night sky. This was where pack members came to commune with the Moon Goddess when facing life-altering decisions. And what could be more life-altering than renouncing my mate bond?
Emma howled in protest within me, her anguish reverberating through my bones. *We can't leave him*, she whimpered. *He's our mate*.
"He's also a liar," I whispered aloud, my voice breaking the sacred silence of the grove. I knelt beside the reflection pool, staring at my distorted image in the rippling water. "He's betrayed us again and again."
I opened the folder, my fingers tracing over the contract. Blood magic—the most binding kind. Once signed, there would be no going back. I would never be able to return to Silvermoon territory, never be able to reclaim Ryan as my mate.
*We love him*, Emma insisted, though her voice was weaker now.
"Do we?" I asked, tears blurring my vision. "Or do we love who we thought he was?"
Memories flooded through me: Ryan promising he remembered everything, swearing Victoria meant nothing, all while the intimate photos and mind-link messages told a different story. The silver wolf pendant at my throat seemed to grow heavier, a symbol not of love but of my second-place status in my own mate's heart.
"He doesn't deserve our loyalty," I said firmly, strength returning to my voice. "And we deserve better than to be someone's second choice."
Emma went quiet, her resistance fading as she absorbed the truth of my words. We had been living half a life, clinging to scraps of affection while Victoria received the best of him. The money wasn't just an escape—it was freedom. A chance to start over somewhere new, somewhere I could become more than just Ryan's forgotten mate.
I took a deep breath and closed the folder. My decision was made.
---
Three days later, I received an urgent mind-link from Victoria. Her voice, usually dripping with contempt, now trembled with fear.
*Natalie, help! Rogues in the Shadowlands—ambush—*
The message cut off abruptly. I hesitated, suspicion immediately flaring. Victoria had never asked me for help before. Why start now? And why would she be in the abandoned Shadowlands alone?
Still, if she was truly in danger...
I grabbed my jacket and headed out, moving swiftly through the territory until I reached the forbidden boundary. The Shadowlands stretched before me, a desolate wasteland where pack law held no sway. The scent of rogues hung heavy in the air, along with something else—a familiar floral perfume.
A twig snapped behind me. I whirled around to find Victoria standing there, completely unharmed, a cruel smile playing on her perfect lips.
"So predictable," she purred. "Always rushing to help, even those who despise you."
Before I could respond, she closed her eyes, her face contorting with concentration. To my horror, I felt the strange sensation of my own mind-link activating, but I wasn't controlling it. Somehow, Victoria was mimicking my mental signature.
*Ryan, my love*, the false message projected in my voice. *The rogues are ready. Attack the northern border at dawn. No survivors.*
"What have you done?" I gasped, stumbling backward.
Victoria's eyes flew open, gleaming with triumph. "Sealed your fate," she replied simply. "By morning, you'll be branded a traitor to the pack. And I'll be there to comfort our grieving Alpha."
---
Ryan jerked awake in the pre-dawn darkness, his wolf clawing beneath his skin, agitated and restless. The mind-link message from Natalie replayed in his head—a betrayal so profound he could scarcely believe it. Yet he had heard it clearly: her voice, her mental signature, planning an attack on his pack.
He dressed quickly, rage building with each passing moment. By the time he strode into the Great Hall, where the pack's morning council was gathering, his face was a mask of cold fury.
"Alpha?" Marcus questioned, noting the dangerous gleam in Ryan's eyes.
"Summon the warriors," Ryan commanded, his Alpha tone reverberating through the hall. "Luna Natalie has betrayed Silvermoon Pack. She has conspired with rogues to attack our borders."
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the gathered wolves. Victoria stepped forward, her expression a perfect mask of concern.
"It's true," she confirmed, her voice carrying just the right note of reluctant testimony. "I witnessed her meeting with the rogue leader Silas Kane in the Shadowlands last night."
Ryan's hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white with strain. "Find her," he ordered, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "Bring her to me for justice."
As the warriors dispersed, Victoria placed a comforting hand on Ryan's arm, the moonstone necklace catching the morning light.
"I'm so sorry, Alpha," she murmured. "It must be devastating to learn your mate could betray you this way."
Ryan didn't answer, his gaze fixed on the territory beyond the windows, where somewhere, his Luna was about to learn the price of treachery.
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