Chapter 3

I'd known Kyle and Lyra for twelve years.

From our Pack Academy graduation to our Coming-of-Age ceremony,

the three of us were always together.

I still remember the day Kyle told me he was in love with me.

Lyra snarled at him. Fangs out. A warning.

"Kyle. Selene is about to ascend to her Alpha bloodline.

Are you seriously trying to sabotage that? Out of jealousy?"

I had to pull her back, laughing.

"Lyra, relax. He's the reason my bloodline is stable enough for Ascension.

He trained with me through every single Blood Trial."

"And remember when I shattered my leg on that hunt?

He went out alone to find the healing herbs."

Lyra had this look on her face I couldn't read.

I thought she was disappointed in me for getting distracted right before my Ascension.

After we got together, Kyle was the perfect mate. The whole pack knew it.

He escorted me to every Council meeting and training session.

He had my Waning Cycle schedule memorized better than I did.

His go-bag was basically a care package built for me.

Restoration potions. High-energy jerky. All of it.

For three years, Kyle had been mapping out our entire future.

A written plan.

He presented it to my father — the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack — as proof he was worthy of me.

And he hit every single benchmark.

Made Beta. Came home after brutal days and still groomed my fur and made me dinner.

We journeyed together to get our Bonding Amber.

The plan was locked in — Mating Ceremony after my ascension this year.

An heir by next year.

Every single line of that plan had my name in it.

But outside the plan... there was Lyra.