Chapter 1

I am a Shadow Weaver from the Elder Wilds, a witch who commands the spirits of the forest. I was the one who saved Alaric Blackwood, the wounded Alpha of the Obsidian Pack, when his enemies left him for dead.

He looked into my eyes and promised me the world. He said he loved me and that I would be his Luna, the queen of his pack.

I was foolish enough to believe him.

My entire clan used our dark magic and spectral wraiths to help him win his war. We tore through his rivals until he became the most powerful Alpha in the North.

When Alaric finally took the throne, I became his Luna, just as he promised. I thought our hardships were over and our happiness was finally beginning.

But three years later, his new mistress, Sienna, claimed she had a vision. She said she saw Alaric's late first love, Seraphina, crying in the afterlife because she had no child.

That cruel woman stole my newborn son, who was only a month old. She buried his tiny body under the ancient Rowan tree in the courtyard!

When Alaric arrived, his words were colder than a winter blizzard.

"Elara, if you hadn't used your dark spirits to scare Seraphina into losing her pup years ago, you would never have been Luna."

"This is the debt you owe her!"

"Sienna is Seraphina's sister. Consider this child a sacrifice for your sins!"

Sienna wasn't finished. She whimpered to Alaric, "Alpha, my sister always hated those creepy spirits. As long as your Luna's clan is alive, Seraphina will never find peace in the Spirit Realm!"

Because of that one sentence, Alaric sent his warriors to slaughter every Shadow Weaver who had once helped him. Their blood stained the roots of the Rowan trees deep crimson.

The sight of that blood reflected in Alaric's cold eyes. It drowned every ounce of love I ever felt for him.

I dug through the dirt with my bare hands to find the seventy-two bodies of my kin.

Now, as the Night of the Howling Moon approaches, I am taking my family home.

1.

My maid, Cora, sobbed as she helped me dig through the frozen earth. "Luna, how could the Alpha be so heartless? Seventy-two lives... gone in a single night."

"And the young prince! He was the Alpha's own flesh and blood. How could he let Sienna commit such a crime without any punishment?!"

My tears had long since dried up. I felt nothing but a hollow numbness as I pulled the dirt away. "It seems seventy-two lives are worth nothing compared to the memory of a dead woman."

Cora's voice was thick with anger. "Luna, you didn't cause Seraphina to lose that baby. She hated the Alpha! She took her own life to join her dead lover. Why didn't you tell him the truth?!"

I didn't have the heart to tell Cora that I had told him.

He simply didn't believe me. He was convinced I was making up lies to protect myself.

He had threatened to kill my entire clan if I ever mentioned it again. I had stayed silent to save them.

I never imagined it would end like this anyway.

Memories of our past flashed through my mind like jagged shards of glass. Cora saw that I didn't want to talk, so she simply dug alongside me in silence.

Suddenly, the forest lit up with torches. A sharp, annoying voice cut through the dark.

"Luna, the Alpha has ordered you to stop. Lady Sienna is pregnant again, and he doesn't want your morbid digging to bring her bad luck."

Silas, the Alpha's Beta, waved his hand. Several warriors stepped forward to seize the bodies of my family.

I threw myself over the mangled remains, shielding them with my own body. I was ready to die right there.

Silas didn't look bothered at all. He just sighed. "The Alpha also said that if you don't cooperate, he will burn this entire forest to ash."

"Luna, I know your people believe in a proper burial. Whether they turn to smoke or return to the earth is entirely up to you."

Cora tried to argue, but I grabbed her arm.

The Alpha's rage was a force no one could survive. I had to play the part of the broken woman and wait for my moment.

I pushed the bodies back into the shallow pits. My voice was eerily calm. "I understand. I won't disobey the Alpha's command."

Cora whispered, "Luna, this is too much..."

"Bury them," I commanded harshly.

I had no choice. The Night of the Howling Moon was my only chance to escape this golden cage.

Until then, I had to swallow my pride and protect my kin's remains. I wouldn't let them be trapped in this cursed pack territory forever.

Silas nodded, looking satisfied. "Oh, and one more thing. The Alpha has announced to the pack that the young prince died of a blood-parasite from your lineage."

"You don't need to worry about the boy's body either."

"The Alpha has arranged for prayers to be said for him every year. He's already moved on."

I thought my heart couldn't break any further, but Silas's words proved me wrong.

My son wasn't Alaric's first child, but he was the only one he had once claimed to love.

During my pregnancy, Alaric had been so attentive. He brewed my tonics himself and worried over every little kick.

I used to tease him, saying he didn't look like a fearsome Alpha at all.

He would press his face against my stomach and whisper to the life inside. "To the world, I am an Alpha. But to you, I am just a father."

"All I want is for my mate and my child to be safe."

Those sweet promises still echoed in my ears. But the man who said them was gone, replaced by a monster.

The stress of the massacre and the labor I had recently endured finally took its toll. Blood began to seep through my skirts, staining the snow beneath me.

Cora panicked and begged Silas to call a healer.

Silas hesitated for a long time. "The Alpha said Lady Sienna is feeling unwell tonight. Every healer in the pack is currently at her bedside."

Cora screamed in frustration. "Is Sienna's mood more important than the Luna's life?!"

Silas looked away, then sighed. "I'll go tell the Alpha. Try to hold on, Luna."