I stood at Scarlett’s border, my jaw tight and my patience slipping fast. For an hour, I had been trying to teach her. The link through our minds was cold and empty Jason had tried too, his tone apologetic when his efforts failed.
“She’s completely blocked us out, Alpha.” His voice echoed past my frustration. Tve even tried her personal number.”
I knew that already Jason had repeated it five times like it would change something. My hands fisted at my sides as I resisted the urge to lash out. Mason, my woll, bristled beneath my skin. He hated being ignored. And so did
“She’s probably already on her way to the mansion without you, Jason offered tentatively, like he didn’t believe it himself but wanted to calm my spiraling frustration.
I growled, not interested in guessing games. Part of me wanted to storm across Scarlett’s borders, break her damn shields, and force her to listen.
She didn’t block me before, not like this.
Jason shifted on his feet, uneasy at my lack of response. “Maybe you should contact Luna Victoria?”
A sharp breath left me. I hated feeling cornered, hated knowing Jason was right even more. My mother would know where Scarlett was. She always
did. With reluctance curling in my stomach, I reached out through the pack link.
“Mother.” My voice was
was harder than I meant, Anger bled into my
my tone immediately.
Victoria responded quickly, her presence sharp, commanding, and impatient. “Yes, Alexander?”
I didn’t waste time. Has Searlett left for the mansion?”
“She has, Victoria answered smoothly, as if my question annoyed her. “You should be here already, waiting for her. Not throwing tantrums outside
her borders.”
I bit back an angry retort. “Scarlett’s been uncooperative lately-”
“Uncooperative?” Victoria interrupted, her tone chilling. “You call her independence uncooperative? Perhaps you’ve forgotten she has no reason to answer to you anymore, not after your antics with Grace.”
“Grace isn’t part of this!” i snapped before I could stop myself.
Victoria was quick, precise, and sharp as always. “Do not lie to me, Alexander. You’ve spent every night beside your precious Grace, leaving Scarlett to be humilated in front of the Council. You didn’t even deny the rumors at the pack courts last week, did you?”
“This alliance is more complicated-
“It’s complicated because you made it complicated, Victoria hissed. Her voice carried the weight of years of experience as Luna, “Fix it. Apologize to Scarlett properly. Sever your ties with Grace formally, for good.”
Mason growled in protest, but Victoria pressed harder, refusing to let me speak.
“The Northern Territory Council is watching closely she continued, her tone dripping with authority. “Your position as heir is slipping, Alexander
There was no bluff in her words. She had always been blunt with me, especially when it came to decisions about the pack.
Victoria didn’t stop there. “Scarlett is the Council’s favored candidate for Luna, and you know why. That emerald–eyed wolf of hers is rare, powerful and a symbol of unity. You are being judged, and you’re failing”
Her words hit like a blow straight to the gut. My fists clenched until my nails bit into my skin. My wolf Mason paced wildly inside me.
“Do not make me interfere more directly” she added with a finality I couldn’t argue with. She severed the link without waiting for my response
I let out a rough breath and headed for my car. Anger burned under my skin as I drove toward the Amber Mansion, the weight of my mother’s words heavy on my shoulders.
By the time I arrived, the tension in me had festered into something nearly unbearable. The ancestral mansion loomed ahead, grand and unyielding as always. Its tall pillars and sprawling walls stood as a reminder of the Amber Pack’s long history. For generations, this place had witnessed the rise of
Chapter 1 She Looked Like a Luna
leaders, but today, it felt more like a trap…
The moment I stepped inside, I heard the sound of voices–my mother’s warm yet commanding tone, followed by Scarlett’s quieter response.
I walked toward the main hall, and the sight stopped me cold.
At the top of the grand staircase stood Victoria, practically glowing with satisfaction. Beside her was Scarlett, her emerald eyes striking even from a distance, her posture firm and unbothered.
But what caught my attention was the choker around her neck.
Silver–infused diamonds gleamed in the light, and the moonstone centerpiece seemed alive against Scarlett’s skin. It was an ancient symbol a
ceremonial piece meant only for the future Luns of the Amber Pack
“It suits you perfectly, Victoria said, straightening the choker around Scarlett’s neck with the care of a mother doting on her daughter. “As if it were
always meant for you.”
Scarlett didn’t respond right away, though I could tell by the slight tension in her shoulders that she wasn’t completely comfortable.
“Luna Victoria,” she said after a moment, her voice respectful but cold, “this is unnecessary. Truly.”
“Nonsense,” Victoria replied smoothly, dismissing Scarlett’s resistance entirely. “You are to be the next Luna. This is your rightful place.”
I swallowed hard, my jaw locking as I watched them descend the staircase. Victoria had threaded her arm through Scarlett’s, a calculated move to
present unity and grace.
Mason stirred violently within me at the sight of Scarlett like that. There was something primal about the way the choker rested against her throat-
possessive instinct that I couldn’t shake.
But then Grace’s face flashed in my mind. Weak, her body racked with silver poisoning. The guilt hit me as hard as the instinct to claim Scarlett had.
As they reached the main hall both women turned toward me.
Scarlett’s gaze locked onto mine in seconds, sharp and unyielding. Her emerald eyes glinted dangerously, and for a fleeting moment, I saw her wolf
Cora rise beneath her skin, meeting Mason’s energy head–on.
The room crackled with tension.
Victoria’s sharp voice broke through before either of us could speak. “Alexander, how wonderful of you to finally join us.”
Her tone was polite, but the dig was deliberate. Everything was deliberate with Victoria.
- a. Her grip on Scarlett’s arm tightened, her smile widening as if
to taunt me
“Do you approve of the choker?” she asked, tilting her head toward the ceremonial necklace. “It’s the perfect symbol for our future Luna, don’t you
think?”
Despite myself, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the choker. The moonstone faintly
ly reflected the light, and Scarlett’s skin was framed perfectly by
the ancient design.
Mason growled low in my mind. It felt right seeing Scarlett like this–like a Luna.
But Grace’s faint cries filled my ears again. Guilt twisted in my stomach like a knife.
Scarlett’s lip curled into the faintest smirk, her eyes sparking with something dangerously close to mockery. She could feel my conflict, I was sure of
Victoria, of course, noticed it too. Her eyes glinted sharply as she tightened her grip on Scarlett’s arm. She had orchestrated this moment. Everything about it was a calculated move designed to force my hand.
But I couldn’t react. Not when the weight of guilt and responsibility chained me so tightly.
“The Council will be pleased, Victoria said with a pointed smile. They’ve been asking about the marking ceremony preparations. Isn’t that right, Alexander?
Scarlett’s smirk vanished at the mention of the ceremony. Her expression hardened into one of cold defiance, though she remained silent.
I clenched my fists until my nails bit into my palms. The intensity in Scarlett’s gaze, the heavy weight of Victoria’s manipulations, and the shadow of Grace’s lingering pain crashed over me like a tidal wave.
I was drowning, trapped between the weight of tradition, guilt, and the undeniable pull Scarlett seemed to have on me.
2/3
Chapter 16 5. Looked Like a Luna –
In the room. My mother’s calculated maneuvering hadn’t escaped me, but for once, I felt
Mason growled, restless and unsettled by the quiet tension in
powerless to undo the mess surrounding me
“Mother,” I said finally, my voice lower than I intended. “A word?”
Victoria’s smile only widened. “Of course,” she said smoothly. Tight after Scarlett and I finish discussing the traditional Luna ceremonies.”
Her meaning was clear–Scarlett was her priority now. I was only the means to an end
I watched them walk toward the private dining area, Scarlett’s steps measured and her aura unreadable even as the ceremonial choker glinted
around her neck.
My breath felt heavier, and my y steps faltered for a moment. Tradition, Expectations. Grace Scarlett. They all swirled relentlessly in my mind. threatening to consume me whole.
As jealousy clawed at me, guilt gnawed deeper, and frustration mounted, all I could do was watch. Watch as Scarlett grew farther and farther away from my reach–even while standing in the same room.
Despite my loyalty to Grace, despite my tangled loyalties and feelings, I couldn’t deny one thing.
Scarlett wore the choker like she was born for it. Cora pulsed beneath her calm surface, radiating strength in a way the Council would recognize
instantly
She looked powerful. She looked untouchable. She looked like a Luna.
And for just a moment, I hated how right it felt seeing her like that.
