Chapter 1

THALIA’S POV

I was standing right in the middle of the grand hall, trying not to cry from excitement as I placed another set of flowers on the archway where Kane and I would say our vows tonight.

Tonight… the night I had secretly dreamed of since childhood, back when I used to follow Kane around the training field, never imagining that fate would bring us together when I turned eighteen. And now, at twenty, we were about to become mates.

My imagination was shattered when the doors slammed open so loudly that I nearly dropped the vase I was holding.

Bram, our pack doctor, rushed inside like he had run the whole way. His grey hair was messy, and his chest kept thumping. The second I saw his eyes full of panic, my smile disappeared.

“Thalia…” he breathed out. “There’s a problem.”

My heart jumped so hard it felt like it hit my ribs. I froze with one hand still clutching a flower stem. Something inside me whispered that whatever he was about to say would ruin everything.

The moment Bram said there was a problem, I felt the air disappear from my lungs. My heart started pounding so loudly that it drowned out everything else in the hall. I wiped my hands on my dress without thinking and rushed toward him.

“What happened? Bram, tell me now,” I demanded, my voice higher than normal. I could hear the panic in it, but I didn’t care.

Bram opened his mouth, then closed it again, like he was struggling with the words.

“It’s… it’s the Alpha,” he finally said.

My whole world started spinning.

“Kane?” I whispered, even though I already knew that was what he meant.

Bram swallowed hard. “Thalia… he’s dying.”

Everything inside me stopped. Even the fluttery excitement that had been dancing in my chest minutes ago vanished. It felt like someone had ripped the ground from beneath my feet as my entire world blurred out.

“D–dying?” I choked out. “No. No. That’s not funny, Bram. Don’t say that.”

“It’s true,” Bram said softly.

I didn’t even let him finish whatever explanation he had. My feet moved before my mind did, and I ran. I sprinted down the hall, my heart in my throat, tears burning my eyes. All I could think was Kane. I needed to get to him. I needed to see him breathe, hear his voice, feel his hand in mine.

But then Bram shouted behind me, “Thalia! He’s not in the packhouse! He was taken straight to the clinic!”
I stopped so abruptly that I stumbled. My chest was heaving as I whipped around.

“Taken by who?” I demanded.

Bram shook his head, looking even more uncomfortable. “It’s… better you see for yourself.”

That answer terrified me even more, but I didn’t waste another second. I turned and ran toward the pack’s clinic, my legs moving as fast as they could. My throat felt dry, and my vision kept blurring, but I didn’t care. By the time I reached it, my entire body was shaking.

When I stepped into the ward and saw the figure sitting beside Kane’s bed, I froze so hard I almost forgot how to breathe.

A woman with long dark hair sat with her hand on Kane’s bare chest, her face was so close to his in a way that made my stomach twist.

I knew that face. I would recognize it anywhere.

It was Morgana, Kane’s ex-lover.

The woman who left him shattered. The woman who ran off to warm the bed of our rival pack’s Alpha, Caius.

What was she doing here? Why was she touching my mate?

My heart dropped to the floor, and for a moment I couldn’t tell what hurt more, the fear of losing Kane or the sight of Morgana sitting beside him like she had the right.

The second my legs worked again, I rushed across the room. My eyes moved straight to Kane’s unconscious body. My heart pounded painfully.

But then my gaze snapped to Morgana’s hand resting on his chest.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I snapped, my voice shaking with anger. “Move your hand off him. Now…”

Morgana lifted her head slowly, blinking up at me with those soft, fake innocent eyes of hers. Her expression was gentle, too gentle, and it made my blood boil.

“Thalia,” she said calmly, “I’m sorry you have to see him like this.”

“Don’t,” I cut in sharply. “Don’t pretend you care. You betrayed this pack. You betrayed him. You have no right to be here.”
She sighed, like she was the one suffering. “I know what happened in the past was wrong… but right now there’s something more serious happening.”

“What did you do to him?” I demanded, stepping closer. “Why is he unconscious? What happened?”

She looked down, acting like she was in pain. “He was attacked… by enemies from the Woodluck Pack.”

I blinked. “Woodluck? Why would they attack Kane?”

“They hate anyone from the Moon Stone Pack,” she said sadly. “And Kane is your Alpha. They want him gone.”

Something didn’t add up. My instincts prickled.

“Then explain this to me,” I said slowly. “If the Woodluck Pack attacked Kane in the woods, how did you get in between? Why were you with him?”

Morgana hesitated. Her lips trembled a little. Then she whispered, “Because… when he was under attack, he mind-linked me. He asked me for help.”

I stared at her.

“Mind-linked you?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why? He has me, I am his mate. I was here the whole time.”
Was she trying to say… they still shared a bond?

Before Morgana could open her mouth again, Bram rushed in.

“Thalia,” he said urgently, “please… Enough arguing. Alpha Kane is in critical condition. He has less than an hour. We need to save him right now.”

The words hit me like a punch, and everything else faded again.

Kane was really dying…