The Captive Luna

"I am the white wolf princess of the Coyote Pack.By the Moon Goddess’s decree, Barry was meant to be my fated mate. But during the peace negotiations, he gave me away—to Bayport’s crippled warrior, Colin—as a “hostage bride.”Barry smiled carelessly, his voice cruelly tender.“Emily, let me complete the bond with Evelyn first. This is just a deal. You are still my true Luna.”My nails bit into my palms, pain hollowing out my chest. Evelyn was nothing but a low-blood she-wolf he had rescued from the border. Yet for her, he used a truce marriage alliance to force me into surrender.Later, when I sought him out, I found him tending Evelyn’s wounds, wrapping her with gentle hands.He looked up, his tone light as if it cost him nothing.“If you let Evelyn be my mate alongside you, and divide half of your inheritance for her, I will withdraw the marriage alliance order.”I took off the bone pendant he once risked his life to give me and held it out to him.But he let it slip from his hand, shattering it against the floor.“If you don’t want it,” he said coldly, “then throw it away.”On the eve of the wedding alliance, Evelyn fell to her knees before the pack, sobbing as she accused me of hiding the Alpha’s Contract Stone—to help Colin breach our borders.The crowd erupted in whispers.Barry admitted it was he who had gifted me the stone, yet still turned on me, demanding: “If I ask for it back, will you return it?” At that moment, I finally let every hope die."