RA'

. The celebration had been grand, just like everything else in the O'Donoghue mansion. Fi

left my phone upstairs. In the blue guest room, I

toward the stairs. "You should stay here

you s

flash there and

utiful, but exhausting. Playing the perfect Luna always was. I reached th

e halls. I tried flashing to find Sarah's phone,

I heard th

e guest room. I recognized Ronan's deep rumble immediately. My feet move

line of light into the dark hallway. I inched closer, telling mysel

ttered like lea

hand down the front of his brother's pants. They were kissing. Not the quick peck of

ar us," Ewan gasp

ht us to the empty wing. No one will think to look

soft, intimate.

alf whimper. Their heads snapped toward the door and I stumbl

and shut the door as quietly as I could with tre

re?" Ronan

y mouth, tasting salt. Wh

g had this been happening? How had I neve

on the floor by the vanity. Sarah's phon

adows behind the wardrobe, praying my scent wasn't too strong. Ronan stood in t

said to Ewan. "My study is b

the hall. I counted to hund

s and made my way back downstairs. My legs

to Sarah. My voice sounded strange

left, my movements mechanical. Like

plate of leftover anniversary cake. "Beg your husband not t

le, but it must have sou

n eyes fixed on my

hat was supposed to be sacred was a lie. My

I said. "

essed her cool hand to my forehead. The same way she'd done countle

ay. "I'm fi

as firm. "Tell me wh

Did she know? Had she always known? How co

. My daughter. Oh god, my daught

d and that is when she noticed I was starting to cry now.

," I lie

r. Whatever it i

could anyo

of footsteps upstairs. Two sets, moving in perfect sync.

choked out, pulling f

ia

arden door. I needed to think.

o be a nightmare I

ung low, casting silver beams onto the carefully pruned hedges and the intricate stone fountain in the ce

of it be

I had been raised with tales of fated mates, of love that burned brighter than any human emotion. I had entered werewolf society as the prized Luna Blood of the Blackthorne Pack. My lineage was sacred My

rcrest. His mother had not been a Luna by birth. His father had already been bound to a born Luna, leaving Ronan a son of an imperfect union, always a step removed from true l

ogether? Had I been nothing

mind, poisoned by the thought that it might have been built on something other than love. Had Ro

ght air. The bond between mates was supposed to be unbreakable, a sacred tie forged by the godde

E

r bodies had molded to each other, desperate and knowing. That was not the touch of someone denying themselves. Th

ted that he loved me. But had he? Or h

was supposed to be a symbol of fate, of devotion. Now it felt li

from the house brought

e, a rapid pu

d this been

oughts like a serpent. What if the goddess had made a mistake? What if the bond had been nothing more than a biological pull, a cruel

her? She had been raised believing in the sanctity of the mate bond, the same way I had. How would

yself to breathe. I could n

e me turn sharply. Brigid stood ther

on?" she asked again

hat could I say? That the perfect marriage, the perfec

hard. "Ron

loser, her brow furrowed

ybe he's not. I don't know what to call it. But I saw him

then red. "That's impossib

s hand was..." I choked on the words. "Th

omething dangerous. "We

id, p

house, her back rigid with fury. I hur

is sleeping. Please

force to rattle the hinges. "Ronan

volume. "Please,

an descended side by side, both wearing only hastily donned pants. Their hair was mu

ized. His face went completely blank, that same mask he w

said something disturbing to me just now." Her voice was ice. "

moment. "If I lie, the bond wi

her mouth. "No... no..

t any of us, his eye

mbled, pushing past me toward

d, watching her fumble with a glass at the sink. "I wanted him

wn her face. She looked broken, vulnera

he said, pulling me into a tight hug. "Yo

race. It was the way s

g agony bloomed in my stomach. I looked down in shock to see a

for me," she whispered,

spread across my dress, warm and wet. I grabbed the edge of

but it came out as hardly

omach. Silver. The wound wasn't healing. The pain was t

steps. She didn't need to hurry. We both knew I wasn't going far with

wall, leaving a smear of blood as I slid to the floor. Through the haze

asped. "Plea

t perfect, emotionless

rom my face with gentle fingers. The tenderne

grow up proud of her father's name." She looked up at her sons, her eyes hardening. "I told you both

ke a second blade. She kn

ling at the corner of my lips. "H

I should have put a stop to it then, but..." She glanced at her sons with a stra

. The father of my child. My divine mate. He stood there w

I asked him, my voic

e wanted to believe it was regret. But it was probab

born Luna with no sibling vying for the title

life, Having a daughter was just...al

couldn't find the strength. The silver was working its

g anymore. Brigid? Ronan? The Moon Godde

e, his voice flat.

getting out. Couldn't risk losing his position, his

could feel my wolf whimpering, retreating dee

whispered, my eye

e without emo

egret. Just acknowledgment of

kness crept in from all sides

stairs, unaware that her mother was dying on the floor below. Tha

oner. If only I had been strong

through my insides now, eating away at my wolf, at

ed to say. "Pro

e off. "I raised these two, didn'

..." I whispered, my last words lost eve

oner. If only I had been strong