Prologue
Diary Entry #1
Date: April 10th, 2003
Mood: Blissful
OMG, I can hardly believe tomorrow is the big day! I’m practically bouncing off the walls. I’m marrying him—the man every girl dreams of, the one who makes hearts flutter just by walking into a room. He’s not just anyone; he’s the son of the freaking Alpha, and soon, he’ll be Alpha himself. Can you even imagine? Me, a simple girl from the city, becoming the Luna of the most powerful pack around. It’s like a fairy tale, but it’s my life, and I’m living it.
He’s everything I could ever want—strong, confident, so freaking hot. And everyone knows it. I can already see the envy in their eyes when they look at us together. And why wouldn’t they be? I’m marrying into the family that has produced the strongest Alphas for generations. My future husband is destined to follow in their footsteps, and I get to be right by his side, ruling with him.
But, if I’m honest, there’s one thing that makes me feel just a tiny bit sad. Lucas. He’s my fiancé’s younger brother, but they couldn’t be more different. While my man is strong and commanding, Lucas is...well, he’s quiet. He’s an Iota wolf, born to a mistress, and he’s always been kind of the black sheep. There’s something about him, though, something that tugs at my heartstrings. I’ve seen the way he looks at the world like he’s always on the outside looking in. But I can’t focus on that. My life is about to change forever, and I’m going to make sure my husband never has a reason to look elsewhere. I’ll be everything he needs—there will be no room for any mistresses in our life.
Diary Entry #2
Date: April 11th, 2003
Mood: Ecstatic
Today was perfect, absolutely perfect. The ceremony, the vows, the way he looked at me when I walked down the aisle—it was everything I’d ever dreamed of. I felt like a princess in my gown, and when he gave out that Conqueror’s Roar during the ceremony, it was like the world stood still. The power in his voice, the way it made the ground tremble beneath us...I swear, I’ve never been so proud. Every other wolf in the pack had to acknowledge him and bow to his strength. And there I was, right beside him, his queen. It was like something out of a dream.
The reception was a blur of laughter, dancing, and congratulations. But the real magic happened later when we were finally alone. When he took me to our bed, it was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. His touch was fire and electricity, sparking through every nerve in my body. I felt like I was floating, lost in him, as he moved over me, inside me. Every kiss and every caress was like poetry, making my heart race and my skin burn. It was like we were the only two people in the universe, and nothing else mattered.
When we finally came together, it was like the world exploded around us. I’ve never felt anything so intense, so all-consuming. It was like every part of me was connected to him like we were one soul in two bodies. It was beautiful, and I’m still tingling from it. This is our beginning, our forever, and I’m going to hold onto this feeling with everything I have. Nothing will take this away from me—nothing.
Diary Entry #3
Date: April 11th, 2004
Mood: Anxious
It’s been a year, and I’m starting to feel like something isn’t right. At first, I thought I was just being paranoid, but now I’m not so sure. There’s this nagging feeling in my gut that I just can’t shake. Melena, the widow Luna next door, she’s been around a lot lately. She always seems to be nearby, always just a little too friendly with him. And then there was something Emily said at the market last week. It was just a passing comment, but it’s been stuck in my head ever since.
I thought I’d be going back to college after the wedding, but instead, we moved out here to this new territory. It’s not that I mind it—okay, maybe I do a little. I’ve always been a city girl, and this rural area is so different from what I’m used to. It’s beautiful in its way, I guess, with the wide-open spaces and the fresh air, but it’s also lonely. We’re not far from the city—just a 15-minute drive—but it feels like a world away. He’s busy building up this new subdivision, overseeing the construction of homes for the pack. His company is thriving, and I’m proud of him, but I feel like I’m just...here.
The city is where all the action is, where the Fae and Vampires hold sway, but out here, it’s just us wolves. I thought I’d love the change, the quiet, but now...now it just feels empty. He’s always working, always busy, and I’m left to wander this big, empty house, wondering if this is really what I signed up for.
Diary Entry #4
Date: June 15th, 2005
Mood: Heartbroken
I don’t know why I ever thought I could be enough for him. I’ve tried so hard to be everything he needs, but it’s never enough. He’s cheating. I know it now, even if he won’t admit it. I confronted him, and he just laughed it off and called me paranoid. But I see the way he looks at Melena, and I know there are others. He doesn’t even bother to hide it anymore.
He told me it’s just how things are, that an Alpha’s needs can’t be met by one woman alone. Maybe he’s right. Maybe that’s just the way it is for us Lunas. But it doesn’t make it hurt any less. Every time I think about him with them, it’s like a knife in my chest, twisting deeper and deeper. I used to dream about our future together, but now...now I don’t even know what to hope for.
I’ve tried to be strong, to hold on to the love I thought we had, but it’s slipping through my fingers like sand. And the worst part? I’m starting to believe him, starting to think that maybe this is just how it is, how it always will be. I don’t know how much more I can take.
Diary Entry #5
Date: March 3rd, 2007
Mood: Defeated
I’ve stopped trying to fight it. What’s the point? This is my life now, like it or not. He’s made it clear that he’s going to do whatever he wants, and I just have to smile and play the part of the perfect Luna. He even makes me watch sometimes, like it’s some kind of sick game. He brings them into our bed, and I’m supposed to sit there and judge them, tell him who’s worthy of being my second or third. It’s disgusting and degrading, and every time, I feel a little piece of myself die inside.
But what choice do I have? He’s the Alpha, and I’m just his Luna. It doesn’t matter what I want, or what I feel. I’m just a pawn in his game, a decoration to be paraded around when it suits him. I hate it, hate him, but I can’t let it show. I can’t let him see how much he’s broken me.
And it’s not just me. He treats them just as badly and uses them the same way he uses me. I see the fear in their eyes, the way they flinch when he raises his voice. We’re all trapped in this gilded cage, and I don’t know if I’ll ever find a way out.
Diary Entry #6
Date: July 25th, 2010
Mood: Desperate
I’m at the end of my rope. I can’t do this anymore. I want out—I need out—but every time I think I’ve found a way, the door slams shut in my face. Divorce? Forget it. It’s not allowed, not for a Luna. I’ve been digging through the old pack records, searching for some kind of loophole, but there’s nothing. Nothing except this one stupid clause—the Extension Clause.
It says that if I haven’t had a kid, I can marry another male heir in the family, but only if the Alpha gives his blessing. Like that’s ever going to happen. It’s just another prison, a trade from one cell to another. I thought about it and seriously considered it, but the thought of being passed from one man to another makes me sick to my stomach.
But then I found something else. Something hidden deep in those dusty old books, something that scares the hell out of me. If it’s real, if it means what I think it does, it could change everything. Not just for me, but for the entire pack. I can’t write it down, not yet. I need to think, to plan. This might be my way out, my salvation
