Chapter 1

My late mother's hairband appeared as a prize at the pack's ice hockey tournament.

My mate，Westridge pack's next Alpha, had promised to win first place and bring it back for me.

But he broke his word. He deliberately lost to the alpha's son of the Northern Border pack, just to claim the second-place prize — a flowing celestial gown.

It was something my omega-blooded half-sister had been coveting for a long time.

My mate said with a helpless, indulgent smile, "Lily's wolf awakening ceremony is coming up. It's the only thing she wants, and I promised to give it to her."

My half-sister slipped into the gown, smug and coy as she turned to me. "Elder sister, isn't it bad luck to keep things that belonged to a dead woman?"

My mate tried to soothe me. "When I come to propose, I'll have a custom piece made for you at the Silver Moon Jewelers — even more beautiful than your mother's."

It was too late.

Because before she died, my mother had said: whoever presented the hairband as a betrothal gift would have my hand in marriage.

Three days later, I would be the wife of the Northern Border alpha's son.

...........

"Second place in the ice hockey tournament — Nathaniel Voss, alpha's son of the Westridge pack. His prize: one flowing celestial gown."

I stood on the viewing platform, watching a servant present the gown to Nathaniel, and felt as though I had been plunged into ice.

He had finally broken his word.

The scene I had witnessed before the match was still vivid in my mind.

It was my half-sister, Lily Harmon, who had intercepted Nathaniel near the locker room, pulling at his sleeve with a pitiful expression. "Nate, my wolf awakening ceremony is in three days. Could you please give me that gown as a gift?"

"My elder sister is the alpha's daughter, born of the luna. Her awakening ceremony will be grand and celebrated. I'm only omega-blooded — I can't compare to her. But I want beautiful things too."

"My mother is a mistress. People look down on us. If I could wear the prize gown gifted by the lycan king's daughter herself to my ceremony, people would finally see my mother differently."

"I'm asking for just this one thing. Will you do it, Nate?"

"I have nothing. Just this once, I want to win something."

Her eyes glistened with tears, and one fell — landing directly on Nathaniel's outstretched hand as he moved to wipe it away, burning him with something he mistook for tenderness.

"Don't cry. I'll do it."

"It's just — I already promised your elder sister I'd win back that hairband for her. She said it was her late mother's keepsake."

Lily quickly dabbed her eyes and smiled. "It's fine. All the men in the tournament know Nate. Once one of them wins the hairband, which man really wants a piece of jewelry? We can buy it back for my sister with moonstone afterward."

"I'll give every moonstone I've saved to buy it back for her."

Her careful, timid manner stirred Nathaniel's pity beyond reason. "All right. I'll win that gown and give it to you."

I closed my eyes and pressed my fists together.

I heard their exchange before the match started but had no time to intervene before it began.

I still held on to a thread of hope.

After all, Nathaniel and I had been promised to each other since childhood — our two families had a verbal agreement.

Three days from now was when the Voss family was due to arrive with a formal proposal.

I thought that, at the very least, as my intended mate, he would honor this one wish of mine.

I was wrong.

He deliberately lost to Ethan Calloway, the Northern Border alpha's son, just to win that gown for Lily Harmon.

"Oh dear, sister — Nate lost! He let someone else take the hairband."

"Isn't that your mother's keepsake? What will you do? The Northern Border alpha's son and Nate have always been rivals. Do you think he'd ever sell it back to Nate?"

So she already knew.

That's why she had suggested buying it back — she had already calculated that Ethan would never agree.

I looked at her steadily. "Sister, with a heart like a viper, does your precious Nate even know what you truly are?"

Her expression shifted, but before she could speak, Nathaniel arrived with a crowd of people bearing the gown.

Lily flung herself at him. "Thank you, Nate!"