Chapter 1: Her Appearance

Juno's POV

I still remember our wedding day like it was yesterday. I was eighteen, young and so desperately in love with Matthew. He was twenty-one, strong, ambitious, and he'd chosen me out of all the females in the pack. Me, Juno Warden, the girl with nothing extraordinary about her except maybe her deep red hair.

"My red rose," he'd call me, his fingers tangled in my locks, his eyes warm with affection. I wasn't the most beautiful, but Matthew never seemed to notice anyone else. That's what made me feel special, what made me endure the jealous glares from the other females who thought they deserved to be Luna more than me.

Seven years later, I still couldn't believe my luck sometimes. Matthew had become the Alpha of Pineridge Pack, and I, his Luna. We ruled together, loved together, built a life together. Seven years of happiness.

Until tonight.

"You look beautiful," Matthew whispered in my ear as we took our seats at the table reserved for us at Joel's party. His hand rested possessively on my back, warm through the fabric of my dark green dress.

I smiled, leaning into his touch. "It's just a simple dress."

"It's not the dress." He kissed my temple, his scent wrapping around me like a security blanket.

The party was in full swing, pack members mingling, drinking, and laughing. Joel had outdone himself with the decorations and food. As Beta, he knew how to throw a party that would please his Alpha.

I was sipping my wine, watching the dancers, when I felt it. A sudden shift in Matthew's energy beside me. His scent changed, becoming sharper, more primal. I turned to look at him, but his attention was elsewhere, his gaze fixed across the room.

Following his line of sight, I saw her.

She stood near the entrance, a vision in indigo velvet. Her dress hugged her curves perfectly, tiny crystals catching the light with every movement. But it wasn't her dress that made my stomach drop. It was her. Wavy golden-brown hair cascaded down her back. Her face was flawless, like white porcelain, with high cheekbones and full lips. Even from across the room, I could see her lake-blue eyes scanning the crowd.

When those eyes landed on Matthew, time seemed to stop.

"Matthew?" I said softly. No response. "Matthew," I repeated, a little louder.

He didn't even blink. His breathing had changed, becoming faster, shallower. I touched his hand lightly, and he startled as if waking from a trance.

When he turned to look at me, his eyes flashed gold for a moment. "Juno," he said, his voice hoarse.

Something cold and heavy settled in my chest. I knew what was happening. Every wolf did.

"I'm not feeling well," I lied. "Maybe we should go home."

He nodded, but his eyes had already drifted back to her. And now, she was looking right back at him, her head tilted slightly, curiosity and something else – something inevitable – in her expression.

My heart pounded against my ribs. No, no, no. This couldn't be happening. Seraphine, my wolf, growled uneasily inside me, sensing the threat.

"Alpha Matthew! Luna Juno! Are you enjoying yourselves?"

Joel's voice broke through my panic. He approached our table with a wide smile that faltered when he noticed the tension.

I tugged Matthew's hand, trying to redirect his attention. The last thing I needed was for Joel to notice his Alpha openly staring at another woman while his Luna sat right beside him.

"Joel," Matthew acknowledged him, but then immediately asked, "Who is that woman? The one in the blue dress."

Joel's eyes flicked from Matthew to me, concern creeping into his expression. I swallowed hard and looked away, my cheeks burning with humiliation.

"That's Isabelle Richards," Joel replied. "Alpha Charles's daughter from the Emberwood Pack."

"Isabelle," Matthew repeated, her name sounding different on his tongue, almost reverent.

Joel shifted uncomfortably. "I should check on the other guests. Excuse me." Before leaving, he gave me a sympathetic glance that made me want to disappear.

I forced a smile and watched him walk away, my nails digging crescents into my palms under the table.

When I looked back, I saw Isabelle moving toward the balcony, her dress flowing around her like water. Matthew stood abruptly.

"I need a minute," he said, not even looking at me. "I'll be right back."

I didn't ask where he was going. I already knew. I watched him follow her, his stride eager.

Part of me wanted to follow, to listen to what they would say to each other. But tears were already burning my eyes, and I wiped them away quickly. I was too afraid to know.

Instead, I stayed in my seat and drank. One glass. Then another.

An hour passed. Matthew didn't return.

I left alone.

I didn't take the car. Once I was far enough from the party, I stripped off my dress, hid it under a bush, and let my wolf take over.

As Seraphine, I ran through the forest, feeling the earth beneath my paws, the wind in my fur. But even in wolf form, I couldn't escape my thoughts.

"He should be ours," Seraphine howled inside my mind.

I know, I responded silently.

I couldn't believe this was happening. Seven years together, and in one moment, everything had changed because she walked into the room.

A fated mate. The strongest bond a werewolf could experience. The one Matthew and I didn't have.

My howl echoed through the trees, full of sorrow and fear. Maybe somewhere out there, my own fated mate was waiting for me too. But I knew the chances were slim. Most wolves never found theirs.

As I ran, I tried to think rationally. Matthew wouldn't throw away our seven-year marriage and pack bonds easily. As claimed mates, rejecting our bond would weaken his Alpha power. But he couldn't reject Isabelle either – no wolf could resist the pull of a fated mate. It was our strongest instinct.

If Matthew had been a regular pack member, I could have demanded he choose or even released him from our bond. But he was the Alpha. Our pack depended on his strength. If I were to break bond with him, it would weaken his power, something he and the pack just can't accept.

And Isabelle wasn't just any wolf. Even though she may not look like a proper Luna, she was an Alpha's daughter, probably with Alpha blood herself. What was I compared to her? Just the daughter of a Delta warrior with no special bloodline to speak of.

I knew what would likely happen next. Matthew would ask me to share him, to accept Isabelle's presence in our lives. It had happened before with other Alphas who found their fated mates after already being marked. The chosen mate stayed for the pack's stability while the fated mate fulfilled the soul's need.

A burning sensation at the back of my neck, where Matthew's mark lay on my skin, made me stumble. I whimpered, knowing what it meant. The fated mate bond was already challenging me.