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"Have you fkkkked her?" I asked my husband of 6 years who had just found his mate. "No!" He yelled, as if insulted. "Then reject her," I said with dead coldness. "Ri, it will weaken my wolf...", he started the same song again and I wanted to laugh. "You promised to reject your fated mate once you found her, Bray," I reminded my husband who had begged me to marry him. "That was why I agreed to marry you and brought my pack to merge with yours." His lips twitched slightly. Sighing, he turned to his mate and spoke to her softly, "I am sorry. I'll make sure to take care of you afterwards. I promise." "I, Alpha Brayden Thorn of the Silver River pack, reject...", he started to say in a firm voice, when the omega fell to her knees, bursting into tears. "Please, no!" she whimpered, "I am still too weak! I will die if you reject me now! Please! I'll do anything!" Bray froze. He turned to face me again. I could see pain in his eyes - he couldn't bring himself to reject this little delicate mate of his. "She is staying! We'll find a way around everything!" Bray said, clenching his fists. And this was the moment when I realized that everything was lost. --- Chapter 1. Stunned Riannon stood, shocked, not quite believing her eyes. Her husband of six years had his arm wrapped around a petite girl in the middle of their packhouse. The cute redhead peeked at her discreetly, and Ria could swear she saw a smirk for a quick half second. “Ri, dear,” Brayden, her legal husband, chosen mate, and the Alpha of their pack, addressed her in a way he always did when they were alone. “I need to confess, I have found my true mate. Her name is Roxanne.” The silence in the room was deadly from the moment the two of them walked in, holding hands. Everyone stopped what they were doing, and all eyes were on the three of them, the Alpha, the Luna, and the Alpha’s mate. Ria couldn’t bring herself to say anything, so Brayden took the lead. “Listen, I know we are chosen mates, and you will always be my Luna, I can assure you of that, but ever since my wolf saw Roxy, he has been going nuts. It will be bad for the pack if I reject her now. He won’t be able to deal with it, and it will weaken us.” There it was—the excuse! The two of them were school sweethearts, the perfect couple. Riannon was a daughter and heiress of a powerful Alpha from a very strong pack. Brayden was her father’s best friend’s son and the future Alpha of his own pack. Ever since they had started dating when she was just fifteen, and he was sixteen, everyone couldn’t stop buzzing that they were true mates. They were always acknowledged as the IT couple, and everyone envied their love. Besides, as a daughter of an Alpha, Ria was educated to become Luna one day. And not just any Luna. The perfect one. Being the responsible woman that she was, she spent all her free time studying what she would have to do for the rest of her life. She clearly mastered every single task to perfection so that when she turned eighteen and was ready to marry Bray, she would be prepared. When Bray’s eighteenth birthday arrived, she had trembled to meet him, longing to hear the one and only most significant word of both of their lives—mate. He drove to her pack early that day, and she ran down the stairs to greet him, but as she ran, both their smiles faded. She couldn’t feel anything, but he already knew. “We are not mates, are we?” she asked, tears trickling down her chin. “Not the fated ones,” Brayden confirmed as he sighed heavily and locked her in his arms, his lips in her hair. They stood like that for quite some time, waiting for the initial disappointment to wash away. When they were ready, Bray took her face into his hands and promised, “It doesn’t matter, Ri! I choose you! I will always choose you! No matter what, no one can break the love between us. You will be my mate, my chosen mate! My one and only!” It helped that their families had practically planned the whole wedding at that point. Her father no longer had a son since Riannon’s older brother had passed away at a young age, trying to save their little twin sisters from rogues. All of them had been killed as a result, and Ria was the only one left. There was also the pressing matter of who would inherit the pack. Bray had seemed the obvious choice. The two of them loved each other, and none of their family members were against the merger of the two strong packs. A contract was drawn, but Brayden suggested waiting until Riannon was nineteen. He affirmed that he had made his choice but wanted her to try and find her mate before she made hers. They spent time visiting other packs for the whole year before her next birthday and got married one month later since no mates were found. Their feelings had only got stronger. They became the most influential power couple of the werewolf world and merged both their packs into one. Year after year, they worked diligently to make it stronger. At twenty-five, Ria was now a renowned Luna, admired by everyone. Riannon traced her gaze around the room and saw the shocked faces of her pack mates. Curiously, she couldn’t help but notice that not everyone seemed startled by these recent events. Her husband’s Beta was watching quietly from the distance, his hands crossed at his chest, absolutely no surprise in his eyes. However, the most stunned among them all was still Riannon herself, although not for the reasons they all assumed. Her fingers were trembling, and her lips twitched slightly as she looked at her husband and his true mate with wide eyes. “No,” she muttered. “It cannot be!” Why would the Moon Goddess return her to the exact moment in time when her life was turned upside down? The moment leading to her demise. Merely seconds prior, Ria was crawling on the ground in the woods, fighting for her life as two creatures followed her closely. The wolf found her first, digging his sharp canines into her flesh and making her wince in pain. She was a strong wolf herself, but unfortunately, someone drugged her with aconite, making her weak and unable to shift, leaving her practically paralysed. The wolf growled as he viciously ripped a piece of her thigh off, and for the first time ever, Riannon screamed loudly. “You can shout all you want,” the girl who stepped forward taunted. “No one is going to hear you here.” Ria recognised that voice at once. Her tormentor was none other than her husband’s true mate, Roxanne. “You?!” Ria panted, struggling to sit up. “Why are you doing this? You’ve already taken everything from me! My husband, my position as Luna, my pack.” The wolf growled at her, and she tried to recognise him, but it was too dark, and she was too weak. The only feature she noticed was that the werewolf was brown, yet there were so many brown wolves in the world that this information did not help. “I have my reasons,” Roxy retorted, rubbing her round belly, “and I don’t have to explain them to you. Not anymore. Your time has passed. You are done, Riannon.” “They will discover the truth,” the ex-Luna warned. “You will not get away with it!” Resounding laughter was Roxy’s response as she kneeled next to Riannon and grabbed a fistful of her hair. “Dear Riannon, don’t you get it? I already have!” Forcefully, she threw Ria towards the ground and, turning, ordered the wolf, “Finish her off. Make sure nothing is left.” Having lost function of her arms and legs, Riannon watched Roxy walk leisurely away, rubbing her round belly, as if she had not just barked an order to murder her. A lone tear trickled down Riannon’s cheek as the wolf had a moment of hesitation. She did not deserve it! It was not fair! If she had another chance, she would do everything differently. “I am waiting!” Roxanne’s sweet voice broke her train of thought as the wolf jumped over her, ending her life in seconds. Riannon gasped! She suddenly found herself in the reception room of her house. Something felt off because all the old furniture she loved so much was in place. That furniture was thrown away by her nemesis. She couldn’t understand what was going on until Bray walked in with Roxy in his arms. Realisation hit her when she recognised this day as the one exactly one year before. The Moon Goddess has some sick sense of humour! Ria thought to herself. Out of all of the moments of my life, she brought me back into this most miserable and unpleasant one. What is up with that?! Luckily, she was always reserved and knew how to hide her feelings pretty well. She lifted her chin and met her husband’s gaze. “I understand that this is very sudden,” Bray explained, trying to sound considerate. She barely managed to hold back a scoff. Sudden? He had no idea! “I know our agreement, but my wolf is going nuts. You are not only my Luna but also my best friend, who has always understood me, and I know that you always want what’s best for the pack. Roxanne is an omega and an orphan. In her pack—Ri, it was horrible how she was treated there! They abused her and treated her like a slave. I couldn’t leave her there. It would be horrible, and my wolf would never forgive me.” He finally let go of Roxanne. Leaving the redhead alone, he walked toward his wife, taking her hands in his. “Let her stay for the sake of the pack. My wolf is stronger next to her; the rejection would kill him. We can give Roxy a peaceful life here. She will—” “No.” The answer sounded calm yet loud enough for everyone to hear. A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Hello, this is my first published book on Dreame and I am very excited to start this journey. I promise you a bumpy ride with loads of twists and turns. Don't be shy and leave me a comment. I also have a group called Marissa Gilbert's Reading Circle, where readers discuss chapters, characters and share visuals. Right now, the book is taking part in the Dreame Contest. Please, consider giving it your vote :) Chapter 2. Rejection Shocked, they all stared at her. Bray’s eyes went wide. “Ri, my wolf—” He started the same ole song again, and she wanted to laugh. She had heard it all back in her previous life. He would refer to his wolf each time he wanted to spend time with Roxy. He had never rejected her like they agreed, and very soon, she became his mistress. Riannon tried to close her eyes even though it was extremely painful for her. She was the one who truly cared about the pack and had tried to drown herself in work. This was her other mistake. However, she had a second chance now. And she was not going to make the same mistake twice. She was going to get rid of Roxy here and now before it was too late. Back then, Bray told her that it was her choice, and she chose wrong. Letting Roxanne stay for the sake of the pack was a big mistake. People died over this! She wasn’t the only one. Ria’s eyes met with her best friend Maya’s, and tears stung, threatening to escape. Maya was one of those killed in Roxy’s schemes. She had her doubts before, but now she knew for sure. She was going to get rid of this evil once and for all. “I said no,” she repeated coldly and looked back at her husband. “We talked about this before and came to an agreement. We’ll find a good pack who will take care of her. But she will not stay here. You need to reject her just as we agreed.” One question that was bothering her was why Bray chose to have this conversation in public. Although now wasn’t the time to think about it. She had more pressing matters. “Riannon.” Bray suddenly got serious, stepping in front of Roxanne, who was hiding behind him and shaking like a leaf in the wind. “Think about this. I wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t important. I am the Alpha of our pack, and my wolf is going crazy for his mate. We can’t risk—” “Brayden,” she addressed him calmly. “Our pack is one of the strongest in the country. We are not at war with anyone, and you are a strong Alpha. I believe in you. I always have. You know that. I am sure that rejecting your true mate would not be easy, but we will get through it as the family that we are.” “I just want what’s best for the pack,” Bray muttered, not sounding so sure anymore, and Ria felt a prick of hope. “If you want what’s best for the pack, do it now,” she pressed. “The longer you put it off, the harder it will get. If anything, she is your weakness. You have already gone back on your word, this being day one.” His lips twitched slightly, and Ria knew what it meant. Her victory was close. She was almost rid of this redheaded monster. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Bray turned to Roxanne and spoke to her softly. “I am sorry. I’ll make sure to take care of you afterwards. I promise.” Ria did not notice how hard she was clenching the fabric of her dress. Would it always be this easy? Could she stop all the disasters that happened to her if she could simply say no at once? “I, Alpha Brayden Thorn of the Silver River pack, reject—” her husband had started to say in a firm voice when the omega in front of him fell to her knees, bursting into tears. “Please, no!” she whimpered. “I am still too weak! I will die if you reject me now! Please! I’ll do anything!” Bray froze. He couldn’t bring himself to reject this little delicate mate of his. This was the moment when Riannon realised everything was lost. He turned to face her again, and she held his gaze with pride. “Please, Alpha!” Roxy started to sob. Ria had to give it to her. If she hadn’t known who was before her, she would have bought it too. “I will be your slave! I can clean, and I can cook! I can do anything! Just, please, spare me! Don’t do this! I will serve your Luna!” A wave of electric shock went through Ria at the mention of her. She looked at her rival and met a gaze full of well-hidden hatred. “Please, my Luna!” the girl, still kneeling, kept begging. “My fate is in your hands! Please, don’t kill me! Please, spare me! I will be your slave forever. Don’t kill me!” No one spoke a word, and the only sounds in the room were Roxanne’s pitiful sobs and sniffs. “Sweet girl,” Riannon decided to try one last time. “There is no need for all that. You will be well taken care of, just not here.” “Please, my Luna!” Roxy crawled to her faster than Ria could dodge and grabbed her dress. “The rejection will kill me! Please spare me!” “I—” Ria started to say, but a loud growl made her stop. “Enough!” Brayden roared, looking at her with his eyes glowing red, meaning his wolf was at the surface. “Calm down,” the Luna said firmly, but yet another growl emerged from him as he was furious. “I said enough!” Brayden appeared next to Roxanne in no time and scooped her up in his arms. “She is staying! We’ll find a way around everything!” He walked determinedly towards the huge staircase, taking his mate upstairs to one of their guestrooms. Ria knew very well which room it would be—the one in the farthest corner of the mansion, where her husband would practically move into in no time. Roxanne’s head was tucked into Brayden’s neck, and Riannon was sure it was not a coincidence that she was now breathing into his collarbone, right where a mark should go. Automatically, she touched the mark he gave her when she was nineteen and caught the omega’s gaze. Roxanne was watching. Ria knew she had lost today, just like the last time. Nothing changed. Her words and actions on that day played absolutely no part in what happened. It was like a very bad movie on repeat. “Ri!” Maya came up to her when their Alpha was gone. “Are you okay?” Riannon looked at her best friend, the one that she had lost. Not thinking twice, she threw herself into Maya’s arms. After the death of her parents, this was the only person, apart from Brayden, whom she could trust with everything. “There, there.” Maya patted her long platinum blonde hair. “It’s going to be all right. He will reconsider, I am sure.” Reality dawned as Ria realised how the current events looked to the people around her and immediately distanced herself. She had already lost her husband. There was no need for her to lose face too. “I am fine,” she said and caught the Beta’s gaze. Ash nodded and gave her a soft, sympathetic smile before shouting loudly, “I feel like everyone’s forgotten what they were supposed to be doing! The work is waiting!” “Let’s go to your room,” Maya suggested. “We’ll talk about everything there.” No, Ria did not need this conversation. She remembered it very well. Because they had already had it. What she really needed now was some time alone. Because she needed to process and strategise and come up with a new plan. She couldn’t save her marriage, but she could still save Maya, other people who had died with Roxy’s help, her pack, and her own life. “I just can’t right now,” she offered, smiling at her friend and squeezing her hands, still not quite believing that she was here. “Let’s talk another time. I have a lot of work to do.” “Work?” Maya’s eyes grew wide. “Are you serious?” “Yes.” Ria fixed the creases on her dress. “Now that our Alpha is… busy, I have to step in. The pack comes first.” She gave her friend another warm smile and added, “Everything is going to be all right, Maya. We are going to be fine. All of us.” Riannon locked the door of her Luna office and tried to control her ragged breathing. Too much! Everything was too much for her. She needed to clear her head and contemplate everything. She needed a plan. A good one. She had to save everyone, including herself. But the office was too stuffy. And she needed to breathe! Only one thing could help her, and it was shifting into her wolf. Riannon went into the woods that were surrounding their pack and stripped, preparing to change her form. But nothing happened! “Onyx, are you there?” she asked, speaking to her wolf for the first time since her sudden rebirth less than an hour before, but she did not get a reply. It was alarming. Onyx had been there for her whole life. “Onyx!” Ria called for her second half but was met with silence. Angry, she ran as fast as she could using her human legs. She was still super fast and strong, which could only mean that her wolf was somewhere inside her. She was not weak. Yet something was very wrong. Chapter 3. The Call It did not take her long to get to her most favourite place in the world—the Silver Mirror Lake. This was the only place where Riannon could be alone. Far enough from the packhouse and close to the borders of the pack, it was safe since they did not have any rogue attacks in that area. One pack away from here was the Lycans’ territory, and it was rumoured that the Lycan King’s residence was also someplace close. No one was foolish enough to enter those lands and check, though. So, Ria did not think twice when she stopped by the edge of the lake, naked, and jumped into the water. It was cold, but at the same time, it was exactly what she needed to calm herself down. Embracing the dark night with only the full moon shining upon her, causing crystals of water to sparkle on her skin, she soon felt an unknown presence. It was powerful and dominating yet did not belong to her husband and made her alert at once. Pretending that nothing had happened, Ria carefully looked around, and her eyes caught the figure of a huge wolf on a hill on the other side of the lake. He was dark, probably black, though his eyes were shining golden. It was a bad sign. Very bad, indeed. Riannon decided not to risk it and slipped underwater, aiming for the shore as quickly as she could and running for her life. A loud howl followed her. She was back in her safe territory in no time. Luckily, her clothes were right where she had left them. She pulled on her dress and tried to do up the zipper at the back, but her fingers could not reach it. “Let me help.” Two hands touched her back as Beta Ash helped her with her little problem. Ria wondered if he had been there the whole time. In reality, it did not matter. Werewolves were used to naked bodies. It wasn’t the first time he had seen her without clothes. It wouldn’t be the last… probably. “What are you doing here?” she asked the man, turning to face him. “I’ve been waiting for you,” he said with an unreadable expression on his face. “Found your clothes and assumed you were on a run. Why didn’t you shift?” “I did,” she lied without blinking. If anyone knew she couldn’t shift, her fate would be sealed sooner rather than later. She couldn’t afford that. Ria knew that she needed time. “But that’s not important.” She decided to quickly change the subject. “There was an intruder at the Silver Lake. Send wolves to check it out.” “Of course, Luna,” he said, and his eyes lost focus for a second while he gave orders via the mind link. Riannon decided against waiting for him and walked slowly into the house. Ash soon caught up with her and chivalrously opened the door to the mansion. “It’s going to be all right,” he suddenly blurted out. She stopped. Back in the day, he used to say that to her all the time. Yet when hard decisions had to be made, he always took her husband’s side. It was one of the betrayals that hurt the most because she was sure that her relationship with the Beta had been good prior to her betrayal. Yet he hadn’t even objected when they stripped her of her title. There were a lot of things that she wanted to tell him, but she couldn’t. So, she just placed her delicate hand on his broad shoulder and looked him in the eye, smiling sadly. “You knew, didn’t you?” His expression changed as if a flash of lightning hit him, and his lips parted slightly. “Yes, Luna,” he confessed, darting his eyes to the ground. “It’s okay.” She patted him. “I understand. You can’t go against your Alpha’s command.” “If I could–” he started to speak, but she placed her finger to his mouth, making a shushing sound. “Doesn’t matter.” She shrugged her shoulders. “At least I will always have your support, Ash. Right?” “Always, Luna.” His breathing became heavy, and Ria tilted her head, watching him. This was an interesting development. Why was he reacting like that? “Then of course, I’ll be fine.” She chuckled and went inside. She had to think of what to do next. Ria closed herself in her bedroom. She knew that Brayden would not be coming back tonight to share the bed with her. As far as she remembered, he wasn’t sleeping with Roxy at this point and spent the whole time in his private office drinking and thinking of life. In the morning, he would bring her flowers and gifts, an apology even. But Roxy would still remain in their lives. After a long and relaxing bath, Ria went to her desk and pulled out her old journal. She hadn’t used it for many years, but it was dear to her heart, and it was just the right place to write down every single important event that happened within the year leading up to her death. She tried to remember everything while she still could. She knew too well what she would do with this information. The game was on. Her plan was simple, really. Since she couldn’t change the main event and get rid of Roxy, she had to leave. But she couldn’t leave without her pack and without making sure that all her dear friends were alive and well. Not to mention that it was particularly important to try and show Brayden and the rest of the pack Roxanne’s true face. Everyone thought she was an angel when, in fact, she was the devil. Ria was afraid to even think about what would happen if Roxy became Luna because it was clear she wouldn’t have the pack’s best interests at heart. Although Ria’s own heart craved revenge, she didn’t want her life’s work to be ruined. Plus, she didn’t have it in her heart to hate everyone. She saved hate for just a select few. The ones who betrayed her trust and led to her demise, the ones who promised her respect and protection but gave her humiliation and suffering. Yes, those were the ones she was going to concentrate on. The door suddenly opened, and Brayden walked in, making her rapidly close the journal with the list of events and names and hide it in the drawer. Luckily, he didn’t pay attention to that. Guilt was all over his face, and while Ria wanted to roll her eyes, she held herself back. She couldn’t give herself away. This event had not happened prior. In her past life, he didn’t visit her that night. This was new, and she had to be cautious. “Ri.” He walked further into the room. “Ash informed me that you encountered an intruder. Are you okay?” This was funny. She was sitting there, clearly looking well and in one piece. Who was he kidding? Was it guilt because she put up a fight and he still chose his mate? “It was unpleasant.” Riannon shrugged her shoulders and stood up. If he decided to ignore the big pink elephant in the room, she could do the same. In the end, it was for the best. Their past conversations about Roxy never ended well. He would never believe what a monster his mate was. So, the less Riannon talked about her, the better. “And also disappointing.” She went to the window to hide her facial expression. “How so?” Brayden caught the bait. “We are one of the strongest packs, and some wolf just wanders into our territory, spies on your Luna, who is swimming naked in the lake—” “He what?” Brayden growled possessively. Back in the day, it would drive her crazy in the best sense of the word. But right now, she was annoyed. He had just claimed another woman in front of so many people. He no longer had a right to growl like that in her presence. She didn’t voice her opinion, of course. “You heard me,” she said, “and instead of looking for that wolf, the Alpha is doing Goddess knows what. No offence, but this is exactly what I was talking about earlier today. Your mate has already distracted you from what is important.” It was a low blow. Truth be told, right now, she needed him to be busy with something else. In the past, the closer he got to Roxy, the more power and supporters she received, and the worse it got for Riannon and her close supporters. If she could postpone the wheel of events for at least one day, she would do it. “You are angry.” He sighed. “I understand, of course. I broke my promise to you. I—” “Let’s not speak of it,” she said, stopping him. “It is what it is.” “Ri, baby.” He nibbled on her neck, right where he marked her years ago, bonding their wolves forever and acknowledging her as his chosen mate. “I hurt you, and I will do anything to fix that.” Not everything. She knew that too well. “Only you can be my Luna; you know that, right?” He started peppering her neck with kisses, trying to unzip her dress at the same time. This was odd. She hadn’t been intimate with him for a while. Their paths had shifted in different directions more than half a year ago in her past life. She was his abandoned and rejected wife. Ria clenched her fists before turning to face him. “No!” she exclaimed, causing him to stop. “Not today.” Or ever. He had his last chance, and he blew it. She did not want him anymore. If her wolf Onyx was here now, she would be howling from pain as she was attached to Brayden’s wolf, Ragnar. However, she couldn’t feel Onyx. She wasn’t under her influence. Besides, she was furious. She did not show it, though. Her mum had trained her to conceal her emotions. Finally, it had become useful. “Ri?” Brayden looked at her in shock. Before today they were happy together. This reminded Ria that he had probably found Roxy earlier and had been lying to her for the past few days. Or maybe weeks. “Honey, don’t do this. I love you, and we are family. We will always be family.” “Believe it or not, I am not feeling well after everything that happened today,” she stated, looking him in the eye, “but it will make me happy if you bring me the intruder’s head.” He nodded. “Anything for you, Ri.” Her husband brushed her cheek, and she tolerated it. She even forced a smile for the sake of the show they were putting on. “You’ll have his head in the morning!” he promised before leaving her alone. Maya tried to reach her mentally, but Riannon asked her to wait until morning. After a mostly sleepless night, she knew what she had to do, and she also knew her first step. In her office, she dialled the number that no other werewolves would risk dialling. She was left with no choice. “Hello, Beta Reid speaking,” the annoyed male voice sounded on the other end. Riannon gulped before answering. “Hello, Beta. This is Luna Riannon Thorn. Nee Michaels.” It didn’t ring a bell to him. “And?” he responded, seeming bored. “Seven years ago, I saved your nephew from a rogue attack at his boarding school. Back then, you gave me this number and told me that you owed me one.” The Lycan paused before answering her. “And I guess you are calling to collect?” He chuckled. “Here I thought that there were selfless people in this world—” “I wouldn’t ask if lives did not depend on it,” she interrupted him. Lycans were hard to get in touch with. Mingling with regular werewolves was rare, although at times Lycans attended elite boarding schools for shifters. That was when luck had been on Ria's side. “Fine,” the man agreed. “What do you want then?” “I need to speak to the Lycan Alpha King,” Riannon said firmly. Chapter 4. Royal Confrontation “Bold, aren’t we?” The Beta chuckled, leaving Ria unsure of what to think. “Do you think that the King will do whatever I tell him?” “I hope he respects you enough to grant you this little favour,” she tested, biting her lip. She was walking on thin ice and was aware of it, but she had no other choice. “Fine,” the man grunted softly. For the first time since she called, Ria wondered what he was doing. “Crystle, dear, that’s enough sucking. I need to go.” Then he groaned again, and Riannon’s ears turned red with embarrassment. Was he in bed with someone? Why did he pick up her call then?! There were sounds of rustling and a female voice. “See you tonight, Beta.” Then sounds of retreating footfalls. “Just so you know,” the Beta spoke again, “I am sacrificing a lot right now to pay you back. So, after you talk to him, consider us done.” “Of course,” Ria quickly reassured, clearing her throat. “I appreciate your… sacrifice.” He chuckled, and she heard the sound of a creaking door. “Hey, G. I need you to speak to someone.” Muffled sounds ensued, but she could still understand everything that was being said. “Not interested,” the other man growled. Suddenly, Riannon was very afraid. She wondered if the King was busy as well. He sure wouldn’t sacrifice his pleasure time for her. “I am not trying to set you up with anyone.” The Beta burst out laughing. “It’s just some werewolf Luna. I owe her one, okay?” “Not interested,” was the reply, and Ria’s heart sank. This was it. This was her best chance. In her past life, she had called Beta Reid as well, although it was later in the timeline of events, but he hadn’t picked up. By the end of the year, Lycans were dealing with trouble on their own lands. He was probably too busy by the time she gained the courage to call. She had called him again and again until the calls stopped going through, meaning he probably blocked her. “Give her five minutes.” From the sounds of it, the man shoved the phone into his king’s hands. Another growl emerged and Ria was about to give up. Then she heard a resounding metallic voice. “Hello, Alpha Gideon speaking,” the man said as she sucked in a breath. He didn’t even use his title. Was that really the Lycan King? “Hello, Your Majesty.” She decided to address him formally anyway. “My name is Riannon Thorn. I am the Luna of the Silver River pack.” He was silent, and it bothered her. But she remembered she only had five minutes with him. “I need your help.” She breathed out. “My husband is Alpha Brayden Thorn, and we are planning to divorce in the near future.” “Fascinating,” the man responded without any emotions in his voice. “But what does it have to do with me? You can divorce any time you like without my help.” “I know, Alpha,” she agreed and heard him growl slightly. “That’s not the part I need your help with. You see, we are chosen mates. And when we got married, we merged our packs. What I really want from you is to help me get my people and my territory back. You are the Alpha King, and when I raise this dispute, your word will be the last at the Alpha Council. They wouldn’t be able to decline.” “Hmm.” He sounded amused. “And you think the case would go that far? You do know the Alpha Council consists mainly of male Alphas. What makes you think anyone will support you?” “They will if they know you are on my side.” Riannon felt braver now. “I have also proven myself as a leader and warrior. This shouldn’t be a problem.” “Then maybe everything is awesome, and you don’t need my help at all?” He chuckled. “I do, Your Majesty,” she assured him, “I really do. And I would really appreciate it.” “This is a complex matter,” he said after a short pause, “not something I would decide over the phone. To be honest, it doesn’t sound serious enough to bother with.” Ria felt rage boiling her blood. Was he serious? Was that it? “But—” “There is nothing to talk about. You got married and gave your pack to your husband. You didn’t think this through, and it was your mistake. Now it’s too late.” The Alpha King seemed bored. “He would owe you a generous alimony according to our laws. You will keep your luxurious lifestyle if that’s what bothers you—” “It’s not about that!” She gritted her teeth. “I can’t leave my people with them!” “Them?” The King scoffed. “So, this is the problem. He found another, and you are bitter about it?” This was useless. Ria hit her desk with her fist, almost breaking it. This kind of mocking was not new to her. By now, she had heard it all. Even from the people who were considered her friends. “I am not bitter!” she spat. “I am furious. Because now I see how many flaws our system has! How unfairly and unequally women are treated when a male doesn’t stand by her side anymore! How few chances we are given to prove ourselves. Sure, you will make a woman a warrior and speak about equality, but when it comes to higher positions, you will make a woman work three times harder than a man to even consider her for the job! I have been doing an Alpha’s job for years by my husband’s side, and I’ve done it flawlessly. But all you see now is a wounded woman who can’t get over her husband’s betrayal. You know what, it hurts like hell, but here I am, not wailing in pain but trying to figure out my next move. You don’t even know what is going on, but you have already judged me. What a disappointing introduction to my king!” She threw her phone away with such force that she was left staring at the smashed pieces on the floor. What a joke! Gideon sat in his huge leather chair behind his desk, staring at his Beta’s phone. What the hell was that? Did she scold him and then hang up? “O-kay.” Reid carefully took his phone back. “I see that went well.” “Remind me again who that was?” Gideon asked, looking at his friend while furrowing his thick brows. “What?” Reid let out a nervous laugh. “Before I tell you, are you going to kill her or—” “REID!” Gideon growled so loudly that all members of his pack probably heard him. “Fine!” The Beta fell into the chair opposite of him, disclosing, “She is the Luna of the Silver River pack.” Silver River… not far from Silver Lake. “What else?” The King tapped his fingers over the top of his desk impatiently. “Her name is Riannon Thorn. If my memory does not fail me, she has been a Luna for five or six years. Seven maybe.” “You said that you owed her.” Gideon was piercing Reid with his gaze. “How so? Is she one of your many whores?” “Of course not!” The Beta sounded offended. “She… she saved Kyle seven years ago. Rogues attacked his boarding school, and she happened to be visiting for some event. She wasn’t a Luna back then, by the way. But she was preparing for the role.” “She saved him?” Gideon rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Yes, she killed a few rogues and protected him. He was just twelve back then. If she hadn’t come in time—” “Why didn’t you tell me?” the King groaned. “There was no time!” Reid shrugged his shoulders. “How could I know you would be such a dick to her?” “Is there a good time to be a dick?” Beta Reid chuckled, just annoying him more. “Find out where I can meet her,” Gideon commanded. “I am intrigued. She does seem… feisty.” “Just the way you hate them.” Reid stood up, but when he noticed his Alpha’s glare, he wiped the smile off his face. “I’ll go… get to work.” Gideon leaned over the back of his chair. He already had a lot on his mind, and this woman was getting to him on some level. A smile curled on his lips. It had been a while since someone dared to speak to him like that. Luna Riannon was amusing, indeed. Since she saved Kyle, he owed it to her to at least have a look at her case. So be it. Riannon prepared herself for breakfast. She put on a simple yet elegant dress and brushed her hair so that it fell down her shoulders in soft waves. She chose not to use any makeup today because she knew quite well what she was about to face once she arrived downstairs. She almost bumped into Maya at the door. “Ria.” Her friend attempted to smile carefreely, but Riannon could tell that she was nervous. “How about we eat here and chat? Just the two of us?” Riannon smiled. She knew that Maya was trying to protect her from the new harsh reality downstairs. Luckily for her, she was ready for everything. “Maybe another time,” she suggested, taking Maya’s hand, still coming to terms with the fact that she was alive. “Right now, I need to do something. Just be by my side, okay?” “Always.” Maya’s eyes glistened with tears. The dining room was buzzing, but as soon as she stepped foot in it, everyone went quiet. On her first day in the pack, Roxy was already seated at the table with the highest-ranked wolves and was clearly the centre of attention. “Luna!” She jumped to her feet after she let Ria watch her succeed at moving in on her territory. “P-please forgive my rudeness! I s-swear I know my place!” She was at it again. Chapter 5. The Beta Female Best Friend Goddess, how she hated her. Roxy looked at Ria in front of everyone with her huge doe eyes and shook slightly to add drama to her manipulative performance. She always did this. Every meeting with her was a performance. Riannon used to be reserved around her, making it her priority to suppress her feelings and hide how hurt she was by the whole situation. Roxy, in turn, masterfully used Ria’s responses to her advantage, painting herself as the sweet girl and her Luna as the icy queen. Well, Riannon wasn’t going to let her get away with this anymore. This pattern had to change. Luckily, she had the best teacher—Roxanne herself. Roxy had put her through so many awkward and humiliating situations in the past that now Ria was ready for anything. Moreover, she knew that what she did before did not work. So, she was going to try something new. “I am so sorry, Luna.” Roxy sniffled and prepared to fall to her knees again, but Riannon rushed to her aid and gave her the biggest of hugs. The two women froze together while the room filled with awkward silence. Someone dropped a fork, and from the corner of her eye, Ria noticed it was her friend Maya. “Roxy,” Riannon spoke, finally distancing herself and sighing with a sad smile on her face. “I can call you that, right? I want you to know that this is a safe place for you. No one will ever hurt you. We are nothing like the pack you came from. You will always be treated well here since you are a member now. Those hard days for you are over.” She swept her eyes quickly over the room to see stunned expressions on the faces of her pack mates. They did not expect that. Back in her past life, she tried to ignore Roxanne as much as she could while staying polite when they had to talk. Everyone understood, but the more Roxy cried, the more they felt pity for her. She weaselled her way into people’s hearts. Over time, a lot of them stood by her side because she was, after all, their Alpha’s true mate, and she had a hard life before. Meanwhile, Riannon was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. However great of a Luna she was, they thought that it wasn’t a big deal since she was born and trained to do it. No one understood how much she had worked and sacrificed to reach this perfection. Suddenly, Roxy threw herself into Ria’s arms again. “Thank you!” she whined, making Riannon want to strangle her. If Onyx, her wolf, was here, it could have ended quickly. However, Onyx wasn’t close by, and she knew this was now a battle of acting skills. In the meantime, Roxy droned on. “I was sure that the nightmare in which I lived would repeat itself here as well! But you are so kind! I am ready to do any job! However hard it is, I’ll be your personal maid if I have to.” At the head of the table, her husband Brayden was watching them with his jaw clenched. It was hard for Ria to hold back a laugh since she knew by the way he looked that he had been busy all night searching for the intruder. He hated that his mate was ready to become a cleaner. On top of that, his wife did not behave the way he expected her to. She was sure that she had shocked him for life at this point. Get used to that, my love. “Don’t be ridiculous, Roxy!” Ria gasped and even forced a small tear to roll down her cheek. After all, hugging her worst enemy was horrible, and a part of her did want to cry. “You’ve suffered enough, and my heart goes out to you. I will assign you work according to your abilities, and if they aren’t enough at the moment for a decent job, we will send you to study at the local college. Everything will be fine. Do not worry. You will not be mistreated here. Our pack is a fair one. Brayden and I have been building it for years. Everybody gets what they deserve. And so will you.” The omega frowned but quickly regained herself. Did she know that it was a promise? “I am the luckiest girl alive,” she offered and smiled innocently, fluttering her eyelashes. “No wonder my mate—I mean, the Alpha—is so in love with you, Luna. Now I see that what people say about you is true.” “Oh, you will have to tell me later!” Ria giggled and pushed Roxy back onto the chair she had been sitting on. Luckily, she hadn’t risked taking the Luna’s seat or the one right next to Bray. She would soon take it, of course, but at least Ria didn’t have to deal with that today. “I will be happy to!” Roxanne shook her red locks, and the oversized t-shirt that she was wearing ‘accidentally’ fell off her shoulder, making Brayden look at her with eyes filled with lust. The damn mate bond was already working. Their time was slipping away. “By the way,” Riannon stated as she took a sip of her coffee—it seemed more bitter than usual, “we need to assign a budget for Roxanne.” Once again, the whole room went quiet. “Are you sure, Luna?” Beta Asher spoke. “She is just an omega and—” “She is not just an omega,” Riannon interrupted, raising her chin high and putting a perfect smile on her face. “She is our Alpha’s mate. He did not reject her, and she is part of our pack now. She needs to look the part, so it’s time to throw away the worn-out t-shirts and jeans.” “That’s very kind of you, Luna,” Maya interjected, unable to stay silent any longer. “Some would even say too kind. I mean, considering—” “I do what I can,” Ria countered as she sent her best friend a warning gaze. As always, Maya understood her without words. “Let’s make this clear once and for all. I was very serious about Roxy being treated appropriately here. I don’t want anyone to bully her just because the three of us are in a peculiar situation. I wish her no harm and will have zero tolerance for anyone who tries to do any kind of harm to her.” With that, she started to eat her omelette as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred, stealthily catching the glances of her pack mates. There they were. The looks they used to give Roxy. Now they were rewarding Ria with those. Only this time, there was more respect than pity. Back in the day, Ria did all the same things. However, her mistake was to not announce it in front of everyone. In the end, Roxy played them and made them believe Ria had mistreated her at every chance she could. She caught Brayden’s gaze and sent a small smile his way, startling him. At least she was getting the exact reactions she wanted. For the first day back, this was pretty good. Right after breakfast, Maya pulled her into the Luna office and made sure to properly lock the door. The room had sound insulation, and they could talk in private without fear of being overheard. “What the hell are you doing?” Maya hissed at her friend. “You are welcoming his mate?! You should have insisted again and again on him rejecting her!” “Oh, M.” Ria sighed, unable to help herself and hugged the girl once again. She still smelled of almonds, and this made the Luna’s broken heart feel a little warmer. “Stupid perfect Luna! You can’t be this kind!” Maya sniffed. “You have loved him all your life! He marked you, for Goddess’s sake! What was he thinking?!” “I know.” Ria sighed yet again, stepping away. “But that ship has sailed. No one can fight the mate bond. That battle was lost the moment he met her and didn’t reject her.” “You are so calm about it! I can’t believe this!” She shook her head in bewilderment, clear signs of worry on her face. Ria contemplated an idea for a few seconds. Deep inside, she knew that if she could entrust this secret to anyone, it would be someone who had been her best friend since childhood. “I need to tell you something.” Riannon took Maya’s hands and led her to the armchair, while she perched on the edge of her desk. “But I will need you to be open-minded about what I am about to say.” She talked and talked, and the more she told her, the paler her friend became. She omitted the part about Maya’s own death. There was no need for that. She knew the small fragments she was ready to now share would be enough for her. When she was done, Maya looked at her with red eyes. “It’s—” “Unbelievable, I know.” Riannon sighed. “Horrible!” Her friend took her hands and gave them a tight squeeze. “Ria! That’s awful! What you had to go through—” “Wait, you mean you have no doubts about what I just said?” the Luna questioned as she raised her brow. She expected that she would need longer to persuade her bestie. “You wouldn’t joke about all that at a moment like this.” Maya leaned back on her chair. “As far as I know, just yesterday, you were madly in love with Brayden. But now… you are so calm it’s frightening. Though, this explains a lot. You don’t get over love like that in one day.” That was true. Riannon did not know for sure if all the love she had for Brayden was gone, but she definitely wasn’t the same girl from a year ago. She was twenty-five, yet it felt as if she had lived much longer. Suffering and a broken heart could do that to people. “It doesn’t bother you how crazy that sounds?” Ria decided to make sure they were on the same page. “I believe in the Moon Goddess.” Maya shook her shoulders. “She may have wanted Brayden to be with someone like that, like Roxanne. But I will never believe that she would want such a death for you! Anyone but you!” “I missed you so much.” Ria couldn’t help herself and gave Maya another hug. She fell quiet for a bit and made herself a promise that, come what may, she would, at the least, save her best friend. She was not going to lose her again. “So, what’s the plan?” Maya instinctively progressed to battle mode. She was one of the underappreciated wolves. They called her Luna’s assistant, but both of them hated the title. Maya had pure Beta blood and could take down an Alpha if she tried hard enough. Maybe not any Alpha, yet definitely most of them. Some wolves thought too highly of themselves and always underestimated pretty girls. “The plan is to divorce and take our pack back.” Ria smiled, knowing that she had a great ally on her side now. “The Pearl Moon.” “Is this even possible?” Maya whistled. “I mean, if you quickly get pregnant with Brayden’s baby and then we kill him, we could get this all—” “No, thank you.” Ria burst out with laughter. “Goddess, you are so bloodthirsty!” “My hands are just itching to cut off his di—” “I got you!” The Luna covered her face with her hands, trying to suppress another outburst of giggles. “You know what, I have an idea!” Maya exclaimed all of a sudden. “How about we ask Lycans for help?! This may actually—” “Been there, done that. Their king is an asshole,” Ria retorted, rolling her eyes. “You what?!” Her friend’s jaw dropped to the floor. “I had one Lycan who owed me, and I asked him to arrange a conversation with his king. You have no idea how arrogant he was!” Ria explained. “Worse than Brayden?” Maya chortled. “Worse than Brayden,” Ria confirmed. “Okay then, what’s next?” The Beta female wasn’t prone to giving up, and this was one of the many reasons they became friends in the first place. “Simple, really. I need to get the support of as many Alphas as I can.” Riannon exhaled loudly before continuing. “So that when the divorce comes into force, they will give me their votes when I raise the matter in the Alpha Council. And I will.” “How many do you think will support you?” Maya asked bluntly, getting her phone out of her pocket. “You can count on the Alphas and packs where my cousins are Betas. I’ll take care of them.” “Not sure yet, but I know where to strike first.” Ria tapped her fingers over the cold wood of her desk, waiting for Maya to tear her eyes off her phone and spare her a glance. “Do tell!” The girl seemed genuinely interested. “The most important event of the year is just around the corner.” Riannon smirked. “The annual Alpha Ball.” ... Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉 (It will automatically jump to the book when you open the app)