Marked for Betrayal, Born for Vengeance

Chapter 2

"Alpha Lycanus, you seem to forget that I am the daughter of the Hearthstone Clan's Alpha. Elder blood runs through my veins..."

Lycanus cut me off with a sharp, dismissive sound. "You were raised in a pampered enclave, Arcelia. Shielded by your parents and your clan's prosperity. You have never felt the weight of a true siege, never faced a battle where the snow ran red. Rhyon despises soft wolves like you. I am sparing you the humiliation of her contempt."

I lifted my chin, the movement deliberate, my voice as steady and cold as the glacier water in the Obsidian peaks. "If she insults me, I will endure it. Keeping the greater peace is the Luna's first duty, is it not? You yourself claimed I was perfectly suited for the role."

He raked a frustrated hand through his rain-damp, dark hair. "Why pursue this futile trouble? The Conclave's orders are final. Even as my Luna, Rhyon will not burden herself with pack management. She disdains everything you concern yourself with."

"Do you truly believe I cling so desperately to the title of Obsidian's Luna?" I countered, my fingers tightening until the jade comb in my grip threatened to splinter.

Lycanus was a formidable warrior, hailed for his ferocity in skirmishes, but the intricate management of a settled Pack? That was not his strength.

The former Luna's life force was waning Elder Shaman Kaelan's rare tinctures were the only thing sustaining her, and they came at a colossal price. Running the Pack demanded constant resource acquisition food stores, medicines, housing repairs, everything.

For the entire past year, it was my Hearthstone assets, the accumulated wealth of the Hearthstone Clan that had kept their coffers from collapse.

And this profound, public humiliation was my reward?

Lycanus’s patience finally snapped. "Enough. I am done discussing this. I only returned to inform you. You can agree or you can rail against it, but it will not change a single thing."

I watched him pivot and leave, his armor clanging against the wet stone, never sparing a backward glance. A wave of bitter clarity flooded my senses.

I walked back to my small dwelling just outside the main Packhouse. The home, which I had furnished with my own funds, now felt profoundly empty. I had often wondered why Lycanus never invited me to reside in the Alpha’s ancestral home. Now, the answer was brutal and clear.

Eira, my trusted sentinel and companion from Hearthstone, was waiting inside.

After stripping off my soaked clothes and taking a moment to wash the mud from my hands, I sat at the carved wood vanity to comb out my pale, silver-blonde hair. I recounted the entire, brutal exchange to Eira.

Eira sniffled, her eyes brimming. "Luna Arcelia, Alpha Lycanus is a dishonorable cur. He is your vowed mate. How could he commit such an offense?"

"Silence that sentiment," I snapped, shooting her a withering glare. "He never completed the mark. That superficial bite on my neck? It was nothing but a temporary gesture. He is not my true mate. Now, fetch the Hearthstone asset ledger. Quickly."

"Why the ledger?" Eira wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, confused.

I tapped her ear lightly. "Are you truly so dense? If the Alpha of the Obsidian Pack treats me like disposable dirt, why would I remain here, funding their decline as a glorified steward?"

Eira rubbed her ringing ear, fear overriding her sorrow. "But the alliance your mother, Luna Aveline, arranged it. Alpha Torr wanted strong, pure-blood pups from you to ensure the continuation of the line."

Hearing my mother's name was like a needle piercing my heart.

My father and mother had bonded for life, siring five sons and one daughter me. My older brothers had all followed our father into service for the Conclave of Alphas. They all perished three years prior in the Sunstone Peak m******e.

Born into the mighty Hearthstone Clan, I was blessed with many brothers, enough that I would never inherit the Alpha title. Yet, my father, Alpha Torr, insisted I receive the full martial training. In the Silent Peaks, I learned hunting, close-quarters fighting, and strategic planning directly from the ancient Shifter Elders. At the age of fifteen, I found my inner wolf and completed my first shift.

But when I returned, the Hearthstone Clan was shattered. Alpha Torr and my brothers were all gone in that same damned battle.

My mother's wolf, unable to bear the loss of her mate, withered rapidly. Clasping me to her breast, she had whispered her final command: "Find a strong Alpha. Birth strong pups under the full moon. You are my last moonbeam." My heart felt carved out of my chest, yet no tears would fall, only a silent, echoing howl was trapped in my throat.

I trained relentlessly, shaping myself to be the ideal Luna: the one who advises the Alpha, the one who cares for every single wolf in the pack. My mother chose Lycanus for me because he swore to honor the vow and make me his undisputed Luna.

But six months ago, the Hearthstone Clan was struck by a vengeful, savage attack. Every wolf, elders with snow-white pelts, pups still dependent on blood-milk, even the border patrols were torn apart. My youngest nephew, barely six moons old, was found nailed to the Moon Weaver's altar.

When the Conclave's Royal Guard and Shifter Enforcers finally arrived, they only managed to capture a handful of the killers: Ironfang wolves, their bodies bearing their pack's barbaric totem. Their brutality was pure, unchecked vengeance.

By the time I rushed back, all I found were the lifeless bodies of my mother and grandmother.

Now, the Hearthstone Clan is reduced to just me, the only unmarked she-wolf remaining. To the ambitious, hyena-like tribal elders, rebuilding the clan's glory is a joke. To them, an unmated female is nothing more than a temporary commodity.

But Rhyon? She was a legend. She had just vanquished a Northern Tribe's leader in single combat, earning her the Blood-Axe Commendation, the first female commander ever to achieve it. With her formidable backing, Lycanus's path would be smoother, his authority unquestionable. No wonder the Obsidian clan elders readily agreed to allow her to join as a second Luna.