Chapter 1
Moonlight spilled brightly across the territory, and I met Lucan's gaze, steady and unyielding.
His eyes locked on mine, and he spoke every word clearly. "I, Lucan, leader of the Mooncrest Clan, reject you as my intended mate."
Lucan and I had been meant for one another, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself.
When foreign clans surrounded us, it was Lucan who fought through to save me. I'd fallen, bleeding and broken on the battlefield, and he'd carried me back to safety among our kind. He'd once told me he admired me because I was different from everyone else. He'd chosen me, and sworn to stand at my side to fight beside me through every battle.
And then, at the sacred bonding ritual, he turned his back on me and chose my sister without a moment's hesitation.
The searing pain of his rejection stole nearly every breath from my chest.
Lucan frowned, his tone sharp and impatient. "My heart belongs to your sister. Nothing you say or do will ever change that." He turned away slightly as if to distance himself. "Let us both be free of this. Don't cling to what is gone."
Those words hurt worse than any blow or insult ever could. I bit down hard on my teeth, nails digging deep into the palms of my hands until I felt the sting.
"I, Vera, deputy leader of the Frostbourne Clan, accept your rejection, Lucan." The words had barely left my lips before agony tore through me. My knees buckled, and I sank half-kneeling to the earth.
To reject the bond hurt us both; the pain crashed through our connection so fiercely I could barely breathe.
I collapsed, trembling, sweat clinging to every inch of me. Before my vision blurred completely, I saw my mother, Lenora, and father, Evander, rush forward to help Lucan to his feet. Their voices calling out to him grated harsh and sharp against my ears.
When I woke at last, I was entirely alone.
My cuts and scrapes had crusted over and healed on their own; no one had come or tended to me, not once while I lay unconscious.
I dragged myself up, weak and unsteady, and made my way home.
Inside the house, Lucan was laughing at something he'd said. My sister, Freya, laughed too, leaning close to him, light and happy.
I pushed the door open. The warm, easy atmosphere turned cold and tense in an instant. Freya stopped laughing at once. She peeked out from behind Lucan and hid herself, clutching his sleeve.
Mother and Father stepped between us, standing guard over both of them, their voices sharp and wary.
"What do you think you are doing?" Mother demanded.
"The bond is made between two people. Lucan does not want you..." Father Evander added.
I didn't stay to listen. I kept my head down and walked straight past them toward my room.
Freya peeked out around Lucan's shoulder, her voice soft and careful. "Is my sister angry?"
Lucan stroked her hair right there in front of everyone, his touch gentle and indulgent. "Nothing will ever harm you. I will always protect you. You're the only one I ever wanted."
The moment my door clicked shut and they were certain I wouldn't cause trouble, they laughed again as if nothing had happened.
My body still ached terribly from the broken bond, and no one had so much as offered me water or rest. I fell onto my bed, and every memory of Lucan played over and over behind my eyes.
I closed my mind and reached out to the wolf that lived within me. "What am I supposed to do now?"
There was no answer.
Ever since I'd accepted Lucan's bond, my wolf had grown quieter and quieter until now she was silent entirely. I had no idea why she had fallen so completely still.
Once the bond was broken, Mother and Father announced that they'd grant each of us our own hunting grounds.
At the ceremony, Father stood as leader of the Frostbourne Clan and spoke before everyone, "Vera, our deputy leader, is brave and strong. Today I grant her the Northern Hunting Grounds as her own," he declared. "The Southern Hunting Grounds lie near fresh water and warm springs. They are gentle and kind to the body. Those shall belong to Freya," he continued, saying too only of how the South suited Freya's frail health.
He said nothing at all about the North. He didn't mention that the land up there was hard, cold, and barren. That game was scarce. That in winter, the snow rose high enough to swallow a person whole. Meanwhile, the South held rich, thick woods and warm, healing springs. Winter never touched that land.
I opened my mouth to ask why, but before I could, Father glanced at me once and spoke as if he was tired of me already. "Freya is delicate. You have always been the stronger one. Let her have what she needs."
I had heard those words a thousand times before. But standing there at that moment, I finally understood.
Freya's poor health had never been the real reason. They simply didn't love me.
