Chapter 1

I saved a man who'd lost his memory, little did I know he was actually the Alpha of the pack.

We fell in love in a cabin in the woods, becoming fated mates.

Three years later, he got his memory back.

His once-gentle eyes turned cold and distant, and he started making eyes at some noble woman.

At a pack gathering, I was framed for desecrating a sacred relic.

Everyone was pointing fingers at me, him included: "In front of the whole pack, apologize to our ancestors, then personally cleanse the sacred relic."

His voice brooked no argument. "Otherwise, you can choose to leave."

I turned and walked away, but he roared behind me: "Once you leave, you're never setting foot here again!"

The words had barely left his lips when he suddenly shifted into his wolf form, the immense pressure slamming me to the ground.

"I, Kaelen, Alpha of the Blackwood Pack, hereby sever all mate bonds with you!"

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1

"Get out of Blackwood territory." Seraphina's voice, like shards of ice, pierced my ears. "You have three days."

I looked up at the regal Luna, her silver-grey fur shimmering in the moonlight, her eyes filled with nothing but undeniable authority and disgust.

"Why?" My voice was calmer than I'd expected. "Kaelen is my fated mate."

Seraphina scoffed. "Yours? A homeless lone wolf, daring to claim a soul bond with the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack?"

She pulled a pouch of stones glinting with an eerie blue light from her ornate leather bag and tossed it at my feet.

"This is an offering from three allied packs—enough for you to start a new life anywhere. You're not good enough for my son, and you sure as hell can't bring any glory to this pack!"

Moonstones scattered on the ground, worth a fortune. I calmly knelt, picking them up one by one, even as the searing pain from our mate bond nearly tore my heart apart.

"Does Kaelen know?" I asked.

"He'll soon marry a Luna who's actually worthy of his station." Seraphina turned to leave, tossing back a cold warning: "Don't let me see your face again."

I watched her elegant retreating figure, clutched the moonstones in my hand, and let my thoughts drift back to that snowy night three years ago.Out on patrol at the edge of the territory, I caught the scent of blood.

Following the scent, I found him—drenched in blood, half-man, half-wolf, powerful but fading fast.

His black fur was matted with blood, but even like this, his Alpha presence was impossible to ignore.

"Hang on," I whispered, carefully getting closer and wrapping my cloak around his mangled body.

I carried him back to my hidden cabin deep in the woods, cleaned his wounds with herbs, and gently washed the blood from his fur with warm water.

For three days and three nights, I didn't leave his side for a second.

When he finally opened his eyes, those amber pools were clouded with confusion.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice raspy.

"Who... who am I?"

I told him my name was Aria, a she-wolf who lived alone.

As for who he was, all I could tell him was that I’d found him out in the snow.

"Kaelen," he said suddenly, like it was the only thing he could recall.

"I... I think I'm Kaelen."

And just like that, my little cabin had a new occupant.

With his memory gone, Kaelen was like a wide-eyed kid, curious about everything.

There was none of an Alpha’s usual arrogance, no pack burdens weighing him down—just his raw, innocent nature and a growing reliance on me.

We shared our meals, and snuggled close for warmth beneath the starry sky.

He’d hunt for us, and I’d gather herbs.At night, we’d shift into our wolf forms, running and playing beneath the moonlight.

That one night, when his wolf's kiss gently touched my forehead, we both felt a tremor deep in our souls—the mate bond, a sacred and unbreakable werewolf destiny.

His eyes were shining with joy: "You're mine. I'm yours. Forever."

We sealed our bond in the first spring rain. No pack watching, no formal ceremony, but the moon and the forest were our most sacred witnesses.

It’s been twenty-nine full days now since Kaelen regained his memories.

He remembered he was the revered Alpha of the Blackwood Pack, remembered his duties, his glory, yet it was like he’d forgotten every precious little thing from our time in the forest cabin.

Back with the pack, Kaelen was different. He threw himself into pack business, consolidating his power, and whenever I tried to get close, he'd just fob me off with a "Later." Our intimacy felt like a dream, while reality was his cold, distant gaze and a curt, dismissive greeting.

To make matters worse, Lyla from the Silvermoon Pack started appearing by his side constantly. She was beautiful, powerful, carried herself with an air of nobility, and her every move possessed an elegance I could never hope to match.

"It's for the alliance between our packs." That was Kaelen's explanation for their constant closeness.Today, I watched from a distance as Lyla adjusted Kaelen’s rich ceremonial furs. Her fingers lingered at the nape of his neck, and he—my mate—didn’t even pull away.

I turned to leave, slipping the moonstone Seraphina had given me into my worn pack.

Maybe she was right. How could a lone wolf like me ever be good enough for the Blackwood Pack’s esteemed Alpha?

But just as I steeled myself to walk away, the door was thrown open.

Kaelen stood there, his brow furrowed, his eyes dark with an unreadable emotion.

"Aria," his voice was low, dangerously unfamiliar. "The pack’s full moon assembly is tomorrow night. I need you there."

It wasn't a request; it was a command.

He paused, his gaze dropping to my half-packed bag. "Where are you going?"