Chapter 1

Three years in the Pack dungeons, and Mara Fairfax was finally free.

This time, she hadn't fought back against Cade Thorne taking Vivienne as a Chosen Mate. She'd even handed over management of the Pack household without being asked.

She'd walked in on her husband — Alpha of the Thorne Pack — and his dead brother's widow tangled together in bed, and hadn't made a sound.

Everyone thought she'd finally accepted it. That she'd become the kind of Luna who looked the other way.

But she walked calmly to Eleanor Thorne and knelt before the Former Luna.

"Eleanor," she said quietly. "Please. After three years in the dungeons, let me take Ren and go."

Eleanor's eyes flickered when she heard her grandson's name. She hesitated.

"Mara, Vivienne has had it hard. Adrian died on a mission. Cade only wanted to give her a child, to carry on Adrian's bloodline for the Pack—"

Mara lowered her eyes and cut her off.

"I know. My mind is made up."

Eleanor looked at the woman before her — thin now, almost skeletal. After a long silence, she let out a slow breath.

"All right. You've been part of this Pack since you were young. Let's part on good terms."

Mara bowed her head in respect, then stood and walked straight upstairs, heading for her son's room.

She pushed open the door and stopped cold.

The room she'd carefully arranged for Ren was empty. Completely stripped bare.

From the next room over, she heard the Pack servants gossiping.

"Did you hear? The Luna's out. If she finds out her son was sent to the Pack disciplinary quarters right after she went in, she'll lose it."

"The poor kid was only three. He just talked back to the Chosen Luna to defend his mother. The Alpha sent him away for that. It's heartbreaking."

"And they cleared out his room too. Giving it to the Chosen Luna for a nursery."

A roaring sound went off inside Mara's head.

Ren.

She'd gone through so much to conceive him. Herbs, treatments, months of trying. He'd been born premature and rushed to the Pack infirmary, and the healer had told her he needed careful, constant care.

And Cade had sent him to the disciplinary quarters — for Vivienne.

Mara ran to Cade's room.

She stopped at the door.

From inside came Cade's low voice.

"You told me Ren's presence was bad for the Pack bloodline — bad for conception. That's why I sent him away. But it's been three years now. Why haven't you gotten pregnant?"

Standing outside that door, Mara felt ice move through her from head to foot.

Three years ago, Cade's brother Adrian had died on a Pack mission. Cade had decided he would give Vivienne a child to carry on Adrian's line. It was Pack Duty, he'd said.

Mara had threatened to leave. She'd fought it with everything she had.

Cade had said she didn't understand Pack law, and had her locked in the dungeons to reflect.

Three years in there. She'd been no one's Luna. She'd been prey. The daily ration of bread shoved onto the floor was normal. The guards Vivienne had paid off who hit her were normal. There had been sessions strapped to a chair with current running through her until she convulsed.

And for what? She'd never changed a single one of his decisions.

He'd even taken the only thing she had left.

Mara shoved open the door.

Cade sat up in bed, clothes disheveled. He looked at her.

"Cade." Her voice shook. "How could you let them do that to Ren? He's your blood. You know how fragile his health is—"

Something moved in Cade's eyes. He looked away.

"Ren broke rules. He disrespected Vivienne. If you want him out, you'll need her approval."

He'd expected Mara to fight. She always had — she'd been known in this Pack for her iron will since the day she arrived.

Instead, she dropped to her knees.

"I'll apologize on his behalf. Is that enough?"

Cade frowned. He looked at her — really looked — and something in his chest moved without his permission. She was so thin. The line of her spine visible through her shirt.

He walked over and pulled her to her feet.

"You don't have to do this," he said quietly. "You were a skilled healer once. Go take care of Vivienne. Help her conceive. Once she does, I swear — it'll be the three of us again, like before. All right?"

Mara stepped back from his outstretched hand.

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

Their family had ended the day he first took Vivienne to his bed. Nothing would change that.

Cade looked at the hand Mara had stepped away from. His expression went flat.

"Go check on Vivienne."

He turned and left the room.

Mara took a slow breath and looked up.

Vivienne was lounging on the bed, unhurried, pulling her robe loosely around herself. Everything about her was lazy and satisfied.

"Would you take a look at me, Mara? I've had lower back aches for the past few days. Might be early signs."

Mara walked over with her eyes down and reached for Vivienne's wrist to check her pulse. Then she stopped.

On Vivienne's ankle was a gold chain with a small pendant — two intertwined blossoms carved in gold. Mara had worn it herself on her eighteenth birthday. Cade had clasped it around her neck himself.

He'd said they'd never be apart.