Chapter 2

ELARA VANCE POV:

"Elara, stop." Elder Valerius's voice was calm but firm, a rock in the swirling chaos of my emotions. He placed a gentle hand on my arm.

"Don't go," he said, his gaze piercing. "The ceremony is a trap. He has planned this."

"I don't care," I spat, yanking my arm away. The rage was a wild animal inside me, clawing to get out. "He owes me an answer. He will face me."

Valerius sighed, a deep, weary sound. "I gave your father this same advice once. He didn't listen either. Your heart is brave, little one, but your anger makes you blind. If things go as I fear they will... if there is no turning back... go to the Northern Wastes. There is a hidden cabin by the twin rocks. I will find you there."

The Northern Wastes. A dangerous, untamed land roamed by Rogues-packless wolves who had lost their minds to their feral instincts. His words were a chilling premonition, but I pushed them away.

I didn't listen. I ran.

I burst through the ring of ancient stones where the ceremony was being held. The whole pack was gathered, their faces illuminated by roaring bonfires. And there, on the central dais, stood Lucian.

He was magnificent, as always. Tall and powerful, his black hair catching the firelight. But he wasn't alone. Standing beside him, her hand possessively on his arm, was Lady Seraphina Vex. She was beautiful in a cold, sharp way, draped in silks the color of blood. Pinned to her gown was a tarnished silver brooch, the crest of a wolf snarling over a broken crown-the emblem of a fallen house.

Lucian's voice, amplified by his Alpha power, boomed across the clearing. "I present to you my chosen Luna, the future of our pack... Seraphina!"

"Chosen Luna." The words echoed in my head, mocking me. I remembered his excuses, whispered in the dark. "We must keep our bond a secret for now, Elara. An Omega mate could be seen as a weakness. It could challenge my authority."

It was all a lie. A carefully constructed cage to keep me quiet while he arranged his political marriage.

Seraphina's eyes found mine across the crowd. A slow, triumphant smile spread across her perfect lips. It was a smile of pure malice, of a predator who had won.

Something inside me snapped.

A howl, raw and full of agony, ripped from my throat. It was my inner wolf, my very soul, crying out in betrayal. The pack fell silent, all eyes turning to me as I broke through the crowd and stormed towards the dais.

"Who is she?" I screamed, my voice shaking with fury as I pointed at Seraphina.

I looked directly at Lucian, at the man who held my heart in his hands. "I am his mate! The one chosen for him by the Moon Goddess herself!"

A wave of shocked murmurs rippled through the pack. This was unheard of. An Omega, publicly challenging her Alpha.

Seraphina immediately crumpled against Lucian, her body trembling delicately. She let out a soft sob, the picture of a wronged victim. "Lucian, darling... who is this hysterical girl?"

I saw a flicker of something-pain? guilt?-in Lucian's dark eyes before it was replaced by a sheet of ice.

"Enough," he growled. His voice was laced with the Alpha's Command.

The power in that single word slammed into me. It was a physical force, a crushing pressure that buckled my knees and made my head swim. It was the voice every lower-ranking wolf was magically compelled to obey.

He glared down at me, his face a mask of fury. "You dare challenge my authority in front of the entire pack?"

Seraphina made a show of stepping forward, as if to calm the situation. "Please, darling, don't be harsh with her," she cooed, her voice dripping with false sympathy.

She moved closer to me, her eyes glittering. As she passed, her hand brushed against her own arm. I saw the flash of her long, sharp nails as they dug into her own flesh, drawing a thin line of blood.

Then, with a dramatic gasp, she collapsed to the ground.

"She attacked me!" Seraphina shrieked, clutching her bleeding arm. "The Omega attacked your future Luna!"