
As the Luna of the Crescent Family, I used to believe the Mate Bond between Damon and me was the strongest thing in the world.
Five years ago, I took a silver bullet laced with Wolfsbane for him.
My wolf, Selene, slept for an entire year.
I placed the entire Family my father left behind into his hands.
During my recovery, Celeste—the Healer from our allied Marchetti Family—came every week for rehabilitation therapy.
Between sessions, she would blush and brag to me about her mysterious lover.
She said he was the most powerful wolf in all of Ravenport, and that the first time they met, he had pulled her into his arms in front of everyone.
I smiled and told her I understood that feeling.
My Mate was eight years younger than me.
The day we formed our Mate Bond, the way he looked at me was as if he were looking at the Moon Goddess herself.
“Luna, look. This is the man I love.”
Celeste held her phone up in front of me.
On the screen, the man fastening a silver Mate necklace around another she-wolf’s neck—
was Damon.
The man who was supposed to be at a Commission meeting right now.
The man who had just told me through the Mind-link that he missed me.

The lights in the rehabilitation room were soft. I braced a hand against my waist and slowly sat up from the therapy bed. The old scar along my left ribs had started tightening again. Celeste immediately reached out to support me. Her palm was warm, carrying the herbal scent unique to Healers. “Luna Elara, your Mind-link breathing exercises were much steadier today than last week.” She smiled as she gathered my loose silver-white hair behind my shoulder. “Selene must be able to feel you getting better.” I touched the scar along my left ribs, unable to stop the corner of my mouth from lifting. That scar was from five years ago. That year, the Crescent Family went to war with an old East Coast Family. A silver bullet laced with Wolfsbane flew straight toward Damon, and I threw mysel
