Chapter 1

The day my brother died, I was crying in the arms of my mate, Alpha Kane.

He held me as if he cared. He whispered promises to me as if they were real.

But then I heard the truth—his voice, his betrayal.

He said: "Athena's life is worth more than Nathan's."

Nathan was my twin brother. Kane killed him... just to rip out his heart and give it to the woman who once rejected him. And now he parades that woman around our pack like a trophy.

Then I received a box—inside were photos of Kane and Athena naked on my yacht. My yacht. And that heart-breaking note: "I've handled it. Enzo will deal with the body. Make it look like a car accident. Make sure his twin sister signs the heart transplant agreement. Full payment within two months."

I didn't scream. I didn't beg. I just whispered: "You took everything from me, Kane. Everything. I'll make you pay—double."

He thought I was weak. Thought I would stay silent. Thought he could control me like he controlled everything else—my body, my money, my Luna title.

But I severed our mate bond.

I turned and walked away... straight into the arms of the Alpha who once said: "Even if he breaks you, completely breaks you, my offer still stands. White Fang Pack will always be your sanctuary. And when you come back to me, Kane, I'll make you pay for every tear she shed."

"Did she take everything? Clothes, bags, flowers... everything?"

Kane's voice was tight, almost broken. I stopped suddenly at the door, the crack barely wide enough for me to peek inside.

"Yes, Alpha Kane. Everything was handled carefully as you instructed." His most trusted warrior David responded quickly.

My stomach churned. My birthday gifts were just a bouquet of white roses and a pair of pearl earrings. They felt cheap, like an afterthought. Kane didn't even remember what my favorite flowers were anymore.

"What about the doctors? Were they careful? How is she now?" Kane continued asking.

"No answers. Still think Athena's chest pain is a side effect of the transplant surgery."

Athena? Athena Rivers? The female Alpha who rejected Kane a year ago, the woman who said Kane was weaker than a Beta from a failed pack. Why was Kane so obsessed with her now?

"Alpha Kane never truly loved Luna Aria. She was just a replacement after Athena."

I had dismissed those rumors then. Now they echoed loud and sharp.

"Useless doctors. They must have messed up when transplanting Nathan's heart," Kane growled in frustration.

My blood froze. Nathan. My twin brother. I felt dizzy. What was he talking about? Nathan's heart?

"Rumors are spreading, Alpha Kane," David said quietly.

"People think Nathan's death wasn't an accident. They say you performed the heart transplant without Luna Aria's consent."

Kane's voice became lower, colder, angrier, but controlled.

"Athena's life is worth more than Nathan's. She was dying, David. She needed a heart. I couldn't let her die. Nathan was already dead anyway, don't think about anything else. His heart was the only usable thing left. Don't worry about Aria. She... she's too naive. She loves me. Blindly. But she suppressed those rumors."

My legs gave out. My twin brother—dead. Gone. For her.

I staggered backward, my pulse racing wildly. I turned and ran back to the room. Hands shaking, I slammed the door behind me and tore through Kane's things—documents, clothes, everything I could find. I had to prove this was a lie.

Then I found a box.

Inside were hundreds of photos of Kane and Athena—laughing, holding hands, kissing.

No.

But one photo made me freeze. They were naked, kissing passionately on a yacht at Lake Como. My yacht.

Then, an envelope containing photos of Nathan's mutilated corpse and a note.

"I've completed the job. Enzo will handle the body. Make it look like a car accident. Make sure his twin sister signs the heart transplant agreement. Full payment within two months."

Kane was there when Nathan died. He held me, pretending to be my support, watching my world collapse. But he... he killed him.

My heart shattered. My wolf howled, wanting to break free. Kill him. Tear him apart. But I made her quiet.

Later that evening, everyone gathered for dinner. Kane's arm possessively around my waist. His smile was just a mask, never reaching his eyes. My own smile felt like a lie too.

"Luna Aria, you look... unwell," Elder Marcus's gaze lingered on me with pity, the same pity he'd shown since Nathan's death. "Still grieving?"

Kane chuckled softly, pulling me closer.

"My Luna is strong. She just misses her brother."

His words flowed smoothly, as if rehearsed. He touched my hand like it was a performance, a show for the pack.

Then Athena walked in.

The room fell silent. She was like a walking goddess. Emerald eyes sparkling with a confident smile. Kane gripped me tightly, but his gaze was locked on her, hungry for her. My stomach churned.

He released me and walked toward her.

"Athena," he said softly, his tone gentle and intimate, a tone he hadn't used with me in months. Right in front of me, in front of everyone, he kissed her knuckles.

Whispers arose.

"He never forgot her."

"Poor Luna Aria."

"Just a placeholder."

Each word cut like a blade. I stood there, feeling humiliated and abandoned. I was his mate, the pack's Luna, the pack I inherited from my Alpha father. Yet he was infatuated with another, and here I was, invisible.

One of Athena's assistants smirked at me with cold eyes.

"I heard you're not allowed to leave here, Luna. Is that Alpha Kane's order for your 'safety'? Or to keep his little secrets?" she whispered with a hint of amusement.

I paled. A prisoner. That's what I was. My freedom. My mate. My brother. My life. All stolen.

I nearly fainted when I felt a hand on my arm. It was Layla, Nathan's best friend, looking at me with worried eyes.

"Luna? Are you okay?"

I left.

"Fine."

The word tasted like ash in my mouth. I didn't want their pity. Kane had made me a fool. A spectacle.

Across the room, Kane and Athena laughed. They leaned close, whispering intimately. He touched her possessively, like he used to touch me. No, like he had never touched me.

Then the music, laughter, and clinking glasses faded. The ringing in my ears drowned everything out. Only Kane remained. And her.

He had orchestrated all of this. Everything was to win her heart. Everything was to have her. And I was just a disposable pawn.

Cold fury spread through my veins. My wolf snarled silently, thirsting for blood. But I wouldn't give up easily. Death would be too quick, too easy. My attack had to be precise, methodical, and painful.

I was Nathan's twin sister. We twins were ruthless, genius strategists among the Shadow Hunter clan.

"You took everything from me, Kane. Everything. I'll make you pay double," I whispered, then turned and left.

After making my decision, I burst into Elder Marcus's office without knocking.

"I want to sever the mate bond with Alpha Kane," I declared.

Elder Marcus was stunned, his eyes wide with shock.

"Luna Aria, what happened?"

"I want to break the bond. Now," I said firmly.

"But Luna, this bond is sacred, unbreakable."

"It's already broken," I retorted, my gaze like steel.

"I renounce my title. However, as my father guaranteed before his death, I still get 90% of the inheritance. I'll be back tomorrow to make sure all my money is in my accounts and my properties are no longer his to use freely."

I slammed the agreement on his desk, then returned to my room to start packing.