Chapter 1

As Moon Chronicle's featured photographer, I was on Mount Silverfang to shoot the cover.

Halfway up, my chest tightened and my temples started pounding.

I recognized altitude sickness and grabbed my backup oxygen canister for a deep breath.

The moment the gas hit my lungs, I knew something was wrong. I turned to my Mate.

"What is this?!"

My voice came out squeaky and warped, like a ridiculous cartoon duck.

Selene and her junior burst into laughter.

"Quack?! Hahaha! A duck! Moon Goddess, I can't breathe!"

They doubled over. Caleb actually pounded the snow.

I understood at once. For a prank, they'd swapped my life-saving oxygen for helium.

When they finally stopped laughing, I forced the words out.

"...oxygen... backup oxygen... give it to me!"

Selene wiped tears from her eyes and waved me off.

"Oh come on, Caleb's young and weak. I gave him the backup oxygen."

"You're strong. You can tough it out."

I didn't argue. I pulled out the satellite phone with shaking hands.

"Marcus, my backup oxygen was sabotaged. I'm in severe altitude sickness. Send a rescue team now."

...

The second the words left my mouth, Selene ripped the phone out of my hand.

She saw the distress signal already sent. Her face went red with rage, then she scoffed.

"Great Photographer Ethan, aren't you being dramatic?"

"It's just a little helium. A joke. You're calling in rescue?"

"Do you know how long this shoot took to plan? You can't even handle a bit of altitude sickness?"

She lifted her arm like she was going to throw the satellite phone into an ice crevasse.

I locked my hand around her wrist. The altitude headache made my vision black out.

She and Caleb both wore oxygen masks, carried full backup canisters, their faces flushed and healthy.

Only me. Useless, clutching that ridiculous, heavy helium tank.

Caleb walked up to me with fake concern in his voice.

"Ethan, don't blame her. It's my fault. I'm too weak, I couldn't even climb this far without gasping..."

"She said you're a veteran high-altitude shooter. This elevation is nothing for you..."

He took a satisfied breath from the mask and raised his eyebrow at me, mocking.

I'd pulled strings with the Silverfang Pack Military to get that canister — Pack Warrior-grade concentrated oxygen, strong enough to blunt altitude sickness.

Now it was strapped to this whiny junior.

Selene reached over and adjusted Caleb's pack strap, her voice soft.

"Caleb, don't mind him. He's just full of himself because he has a little fame. He can't take the slightest discomfort."

When she turned to me, her eyes were full of impatience.

"Stop acting, will you?"

"I looked it up. Altitude sickness is psychological. Strong will gets you through. How bad could it be?"

"Your fancy oxygen tank is basically a placebo. Dead weight."

"Caleb is the future backbone of the studio. If he can't shoot, that costs more than you."

I fumbled through the outer pocket of my pack for the emergency altitude meds. Empty.

Selene seemed to remember something. She reached into Caleb's pocket, pulled out my pill case, and dropped two into his mouth.

"He can have these too. Look at you, still standing, still grabbing for the phone. You're not that fragile."

"Thinking you're some national treasure. You can't swallow even this much?"

Her brazen tone suffocated me more than the thin air.

My custom oxygen. My emergency meds. All tributes to her pet junior.

The other assistants fiddled with the gear, pretending not to see.

And I was the one dying, fighting uselessly for breath.

"Severe altitude sickness causes pulmonary edema, cerebral edema... it kills people!"

I forced the words through my teeth.

"Pulmonary edema? Who are you trying to scare?" Selene rolled her eyes.

Caleb shrank back behind her, playing along.

"Ethan, I know you don't like me much... but she said you're experienced. This is nothing for you."

And then he flashed a peace sign at the GoPro on his collar.

I looked at his face and nearly blacked out from rage.

"Enough!"

I reached to grab back my oxygen tank.

Selene shoved me hard. I staggered and almost fell.

"What are you doing?! If something happens to Caleb, can you take the blame?!"

Caleb clutched his chest immediately, his voice weak.

"Selene, I think I'm feeling bad again..."

"Maybe I shouldn't have come... maybe Ethan thinks I'm stealing his spotlight..."

"You did nothing wrong. He's just selfish!"

Selene caught Caleb and held him close, soothing him.

"He's been spoiled. He thinks the whole world should revolve around him."

The snow seemed to come down harder, blurring my sight.

I watched them lean into each other like some beautiful couple, not sparing a glance for the man who was supposed to be their Mate.

Rage and the near-death pull of suffocation tore through me together.

I slammed the helium canister against the ice wall and barked out the words.

"Selene! We're done! The Mate Claim is off!"

Selene froze for a second. Then her face twisted with fury.

She stepped forward, her voice shrill.

"Ethan Thorne! Have you lost your mind?! You want to break the Mate Claim over this?! Do you hear yourself?!"

"This?" I forced the words out of my lungs. "Swapping my life-saving oxygen... is 'this'?"

Caleb stepped up immediately, his voice small.

"Selene, don't be angry... it's my fault, I shouldn't be so weak..."

"Ethan only said it because he hates me..."

He looked at me. Under the concern, there was a flicker of satisfaction.