Chapter 3
The night of the full moon arrived with a silver glow that bathed the forest in ethereal light. My skin prickled with awareness as I stood at the edge of the gathering, watching pack members shed their human forms for the freedom of the run. Three days had passed since my meeting with Alpha Alexander, three days of pretending nothing had changed while William continued his charade of illness and devotion.
Tonight, I knew, was when the trap would spring.
I kept to the fringes of the pack, my senses heightened. Alexander's warning echoed in my mind: *Stay visible enough to be found, but never alone. When Carter approaches, you'll know.*
My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin, eager for the change yet wary of the danger. Around me, packmates howled in joy as they transformed, their human concerns temporarily forgotten in the primal pleasure of the run.
William approached, his smile tight and formal. "Feeling well enough to join the run tonight, my Luna?" His concern was perfectly pitched for our audience—the caring mate, worried for his fragile partner.
"I'll try," I said softly, playing my part. "Don't wait for me if I fall behind."
"Never," he promised, the lie smooth on his tongue. His eyes flickered toward the tree line, a momentary tell that confirmed what I already knew. Carter was waiting.
As William transformed and led the main pack deeper into the forest, I deliberately lagged behind, allowing the distance between us to grow. The cool night air carried the scent of pine and earth, but beneath it lurked something foreign—a wolf I didn't recognize.
I veered toward a small clearing, making myself the perfect target. My heart hammered against my ribs, but I kept my pace steady. This was the moment everything would change.
A shadow detached itself from the trees—a large wolf with a distinctive scar across his muzzle. Carter. He circled closer, his intent clear in the predatory set of his shoulders. In human form, he would claim I'd invited his advances. In wolf form, the staged scene would be even more damning.
Just as he lunged toward me, Alexander's voice cut through my mind with startling clarity: *Now.*
I collapsed to the ground as if struck, my body convulsing in a convincing imitation of distress. The unexpected move threw Carter off balance. He hesitated, confusion evident in his posture.
*Howl,* Alexander commanded. *Make it sound like pain.*
I threw my head back and released a howl that echoed through the trees—a sound of such raw anguish that even Carter took a step back. In seconds, the clearing filled with concerned pack members responding to my call.
Carter melted back into the shadows, his mission failed.
Beta Richards was the first to reach me. "Luna Olivia! What happened?"
I shifted back to human form, wrapping the emergency cloth around my shoulders. "I—I don't know," I stammered, letting tears fill my eyes. "Something's wrong with my wolf. I need the healer."
Word spread quickly. By the time William returned to the pack house, his face a mask of concern that didn't reach his eyes, the story was established: Luna Olivia had suffered a wolf-sickness during the run. No compromising position. No witnesses to any betrayal.
His first trap had failed.
---
The rejection ceremony was set for noon the following day. William had moved quickly, citing concern for my health and the pack's stability. "A clean break," he'd announced to the pack elders, "is the kindest solution for everyone."
I sat before the ceremonial table in the Great Hall, dressed in simple white as tradition demanded. The pack elders formed a solemn half-circle behind us, witnesses to the dissolution of our mate bond.
William's voice was steady as he recited the ancient words: "I, Alpha William Hayes, release you, Olivia Bennett, from our mate bond..."
I let tears stream down my face—real tears, though not for the reasons everyone assumed. I cried for the love I'd believed in, for the future I'd planned, for the betrayal that still burned like acid in my chest.
When it was my turn to sign the rejection papers, I hesitated, my hand trembling visibly. The pack elders murmured sympathetically, believing they were watching a heartbroken Luna accepting her fate.
None of them noticed when I pricked my finger with the ceremonial pen's hidden point, allowing a drop of blood to mix with the ink—an ancient binding more powerful than any modern signature. Nor did they see me subtly alter the lunar glyph on my copy of the document, changing it from the waning moon of rejection to the waxing moon of justice.
As I handed the papers back, William's smile was triumphant, believing he'd won. He had no idea that the document in my hands wasn't a surrender—it was a weapon.
And soon, very soon, I would use it to destroy him.
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