The moon hung heavy in the ink-black sky, casting silver tendrils through the ancient oaks of Blackwood territory. Vivian Langley stood at the edge of the cliff, the wind whipping her raven hair like battle standards. Below, the pack grounds buzzed with preparations for the Blood Moon Ceremony - an event that would change everything. Her fingers tightened around the crescent moon pendant at her throat, the cold metal biting into her palm. The same pendant her mother Beatrice had given her on that fateful night eighteen years ago, when the truth about her lineage had shattered her world. "Running away again, sister?" The mocking voice slithered through the darkness. Xavier Toussaint emerged from the shadows, his golden eyes glinting with malice. Her twin brother, her mirror image in appearance but her opposite in every other way. Vivian didn't flinch. "I'm exactly where I need to be." Her voice carried the quiet authority of someone who'd learned to wear power like armor. Xavier's laugh was razor blades and honey. "Still playing the dutiful Luna? Even after Dominic Blackwood cast you aside like yesterday's trash?" He circled her like a wolf sizing up prey. "Face it, little sister. You'll never be Alpha material." The words should have stung. Once, they would have. But Vivian had spent years reforging herself in the fires of betrayal. She turned slowly, meeting his gaze without blinking. "Funny. That's exactly what they said about our father before he took the Sable throne." A flicker of uncertainty crossed Xavier's face. Good. Let him wonder. Let them all wonder. Somewhere in the distance, a howl pierced the night - deep, commanding, unmistakably Dominic's. Her traitorous heart still recognized that sound after all these years. The bond might be broken, but some scars never fully healed. Vivian exhaled slowly, watching her breath curl in the cold air. The Blood Moon rose higher, staining the world crimson. By dawn, the pack would learn the truth. About the lies. About the murders. About the child Dominic didn't know existed. And then... then there would be blood. She smiled. Let the games begin.