The Alpha Who Tried To Break Me

The night I met my Fated Mate was supposed to be a dream.

Instead, the sacred bond became a one-way ticket into his twisted mind. I heard the truth: Alpha Kade Vargr only wanted my family’s money, and his heart belonged to his manipulative sister, Lila.

He tried to break me, orchestrating an “accident” that left me bleeding in a ravine just to teach me a lesson. Then, at my own party, he humiliated me by broadcasting my most shameful memory for everyone to see.

My soulmate was a monster, and I was his plaything.

But when I confronted him, he swore a sacred oath on his soul that it wasn't him.

Then, to protect his guilty sister, he stood before our people and confessed to the crime anyway.

He made his choice.

And I made my vow: I would destroy them both.

Chapter 1

The soft silver fabric of the gown felt like a second skin, cool against Elara's flesh as she stood before the mirror. It was the color of moonlight, a perfect match for her hair, which cascaded down her back like a waterfall of liquid silver.

Her heart was a frantic drum against her ribs.

Tonight.

Tonight, she would meet him. Kade Vargr. The Alpha of the Vargr pack, her family's most important ally, and—if the whispers of her soul were true—her Fated Mate.

*Mate. Soon. Find him.*

The voice of her inner wolf was a low, eager hum in the back of her mind, a restless energy that made her want to pace. She forced her hands to remain still at her sides.

The door opened with a soft click, and her father, Darian Thorne, stepped in. His presence filled the room, an aura of quiet strength and authority that always made her feel safe. His salt-and-pepper hair was neatly trimmed, and his violet eyes, so like her own but weathered by time and responsibility, softened as they took her in.

"You look like a queen, my starlight," he said, his voice a low rumble.

He came to stand behind her, his large, warm hands resting on her shoulders. In the mirror, their shared silver hair and violet eyes marked them unmistakably as Thorne lineage. He held up a delicate chain, from which hung a single, luminous moonstone.

"A gift," he said, fastening it around her neck. The stone felt cool and smooth against her collarbone. "To remind you of your purity, your strength. The Vargr alliance is crucial for the North. Kade is a powerful Alpha. He will need an equally powerful Luna."

Elara met his gaze in the reflection. "I will make you proud, Father. But it's more than just the alliance. I can… feel him. It's like a pull, a song only I can hear."

A rare, soft smile touched Darian's lips. "Then the Moon Goddess has truly blessed us."

The distant sound of music and voices drifted up from the grand hall below. The guests were arriving. Kade was here.

Her