Chapter 1

Nathan’s patent celebration was grand. I wore my plainest clothes, sitting in the darkest, most unremarkable corner of the Silvercrest Pack’s assembly hall.

I wanted to surprise him.

We had been married for seven years, and I had been his hidden treasury.

To support his research on the "miracle antidote that could change the fate of all werewolves," I had given him every single penny of the 300 million dollars left by my late Bloodmoon Pack.

But when the spotlight hit the stage, the host invited his family to step up.

A woman in a couture gown, holding the hand of a five-year-old boy, walked onto the stage. Nathan’s eyes welled with tears as he kissed her forehead. "Thank you to my wife. Without her, there would be no Nathan today."

I stared at the boy, and my blood ran ice-cold.

The boy’s name was Julian Cross.

That was the exact name we had chosen for the pup I miscarried years ago.

The applause in the hall was deafening, making my ears ring.

I stared at the smiles of the family of three on the high stage.

Nathan wore the bespoke black suit I had custom-ordered for him. He looked tall, elegant, and gentle. He looked down at the woman beside him, his eyes overflowing with deep, endless affection.

Her name was Vanessa Hart.

The star-patterned gown she wore was a global limited-edition piece from a top luxury brand.

Just last month, Nathan told me that the supply chain for a key raw ingredient was broken. He said he needed an emergency offshore purchase, and there was a funding gap of two million dollars.

Without a second thought, I sold the last of my private jewelry collection overnight and wired him the cash.

Now, that two million dollars was draped over Vanessa’s shoulders.

"Nathan, we heard you named your son Julian. Is there any special meaning behind it?" the host asked with a smile, handing him the microphone.

Nathan patted the boy’s head, his smile warm. "No special meaning. I just love the name."

Another round of applause erupted.

Sitting in the dark corner, I could hear my inner wolf howling in rage. She wanted to shift, to rush out, and rip their throats to pieces.

*Not yet, sweetie,* I whispered to her. *We cannot expose ourselves now. Remember our enemies.*

The only reason I was hiding here, pretending to be a common werewolf, was because my original pack had been destroyed by rivals. I had to conceal my identity and bide my time.

The moment for revenge was close. I couldn’t ruin it now.

*But that name was meant for our pup!* my wolf screamed.

Yes, Julian Cross.

Seven years ago, I was five months pregnant. We lived in a cramped, ordinary apartment in the Silvercrest Pack territory. To name our child, we spent an entire week flipping through dictionaries before choosing that name.

He had said, "Scarlett, our baby will be named Julian."

But we couldn’t save that baby.

That day, I was bleeding out in the Silvercrest clinic. I called him over a dozen times, but there was no response.

Afterward, he knelt by my bed, his eyes red. He slapped himself hard across the face, crying and claiming he was locked in a sealed lab running critical data tests and missed my calls.

He said, "Babe, we'll keep the name Julian for our next baby."

I believed him.

I believed him for seven long years.

I thought he was pouring his blood and sweat into the health of the entire werewolf race. I thought he was carrying the weight of our future.

As it turned out, he was just draining my last drop of blood to give another woman a life of luxury.

"I will make him pay," I swore.

The ceremony ended, and the crowd began to disperse.

I pulled up my hood, avoided the crowd, and walked down the familiar path to the side parlor of the Silvercrest hall.

The renovation of this very hall was funded by an anonymous donation I made last month.

The door to the side parlor was slightly ajar.

I pushed it open. Vanessa was sitting in front of the vanity mirror, touching up her makeup.

The boy, Julian, was on the sofa, throwing a rare collectible action figure against the cushions.

Hearing the door, Vanessa glanced at me through the mirror, her brows furrowing.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?"

She looked me up and down, her eyes filled with undisguised contempt for my faded jeans and plain black T-shirt.

She actually dared to look down on me.

I took a deep breath to keep myself from leaping forward and snapping her neck.

"I'm here for Nathan," I said, my voice raspy.

Vanessa turned around, letting out a cold sneer.

"Another leach trying to sniff out the formula? Or are you here to beg for a connection?"

She stood up, smoothing down her star-patterned gown. She walked over to me, looking down her nose.

"My husband is very busy, and I handle his schedule. If you have business, you can talk to me."

I looked at her, my eyes locking onto the massive pink diamond on her ring finger.

The diamond caught the overhead light, reflecting a blinding, sickening sparkle.

"Your husband?" I slowly clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms.