Chapter 1

I signed my name on that goddamn "hostage" agreement.

Three days. I agreed to be handed over as a hostage to the Iron Claw pack in three days, held until the Shadow pack scraped together the reparations.

This should have been Vivienne's responsibility. My *dear* foster sister.

She was the one who lost every last herb shipment bound for the Iron Claw pack—a loss that cost them more than ten warriors.

But at this very moment, Vivienne was lounging in the Shadow pack's manor, her "injured" leg carefully wrapped in a plaster cast.

And I—the true heir of the Thornheart bloodline—was the one paying for her mess.

I might be tortured. Killed. A convenient outlet for the Iron Claw pack's rage.

But that was fine. I would go through with it.

And then I would shed everything my blood family had ever given me, return to where I truly belonged—

And leave my“dear”family one hell of a surprise.

......

When I pushed open the oak doors, I expected to find my Alpha father and Luna mother—Marcus and Helena Thornheart—holding an emergency council, demanding answers for the catastrophic losses Vivienne had caused.

But what did I find instead?

My parents, settled comfortably on the velvet sofa by the fireplace, discussing how to get me to *volunteer* to shoulder the disaster Vivienne had created.

Vivienne was curled up between them, her "injured" leg propped on an embroidered cushion like some goddamn princess.

My fiancé, Nathaniel Bloodstone, was there too, seated in an armchair not far from Vivienne, his gaze fixed on her.

"Seraphina." When he saw me, my father Marcus didn't show even a flicker of guilt. "Good timing. We were just discussing—"

"Discussing who goes as hostage." I cut him off, my voice terrifyingly calm. "Discussing how to make me take the fall for Vivienne's botched deal."

The room went silent.

Vivienne's eyes instantly brimmed with tears. "I'm so sorry, Sera. This is all my fault."

Her voice trembled, like it might shatter at any moment. "If I hadn't insisted on overseeing the herb shipment personally, if those rogue wolves hadn't ambushed us out of nowhere—"

"Rogue wolves," I repeated, a cold smile curving at the corner of my mouth. "How convenient that they knew the exact route, the exact timing, and managed to injure you just badly enough to look serious—without actually being lethal."

"Seraphina!" My mother Helena rose to her feet, wearing the expression of disapproval I knew so well. "Vivienne has been through enough. She was hurt serving this family, and you're going to say things like that?"

I looked at my mother—this woman who had once been the warmest presence in my life.

Eight years ago, when Lucian Silverstone, the Alpha of the Silver Moon pack, sent me back to the Shadow pack, I thought I'd finally have the bond of blood.

Helena did show me something like real warmth, for a while.

But it didn't take long to understand—in their hearts, Vivienne was the daughter. I was just a tool.

"I came to tell you," I said, pulling two documents from my bag, "I've already signed the hostage agreement. In three days, I'll report to Iron Claw territory."

Nathaniel shot to his feet. "Seraphina, we can still talk about this—"

"There's nothing to talk about." I pushed the second document across the table. "This is the management rights transfer for Silverstone Valley. I'm handing it over to Vivienne."

Silverstone Valley—the Shadow pack's most critical source of income, and the enterprise I had single-handedly rebuilt over the past eight years. Using the management methods the Silver Moon pack had taught me, I'd turned a mine on the brink of bankruptcy into a gold mine.

Now I was giving it to Vivienne.

My father Marcus's eyes lit up. He spoke with barely contained eagerness: "Seraphina, this is a fine decision. Vivienne has always wanted to contribute more to the family. This is her chance."

Vivienne sniffled through her tears. "Sera, I couldn't—this is too important—" But her hand was already reaching for the agreement, and the greed glittering in her eyes was one I'd seen a thousand times before.

She signed with astonishing speed.

I watched her sloppy signature bleed into the paper, and a strange calm settled over me. In the past eight years, I had given everything to this pack. I'd used the skills the Silver Moon pack taught me to rebuild the mine, negotiate trade agreements, train young wolves. And what had they given me in return?

Indifference. Suspicion. And now this—sending me off as a hostage.

"Good." I tucked the hostage agreement away and turned to leave.

"Seraphina." Nathaniel called after me, a note of entreaty in his voice. "We need to talk."

I stopped but didn't look back. "About what? You've already chosen their side."

"This isn't about taking sides," he said. "This is about the future of the pack. Vivienne was already injured serving this family. If we sent her as a hostage on top of that, it would be tantamount to—"

"A death sentence." I finished for him, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "But I'm different. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Right?"

He fell silent.

I laughed—a sound completely devoid of warmth. "Don't worry, Nathaniel. I'll come back in one piece. After all, the Iron Claw pack is counting on us to pay up."

I walked out of the hall. Moonlight fell across the flagstone path of the manor. Behind me, I heard Vivienne's feeble voice: "I'm such a terrible sister..."

And my mother Helena's low murmur of comfort: "No, darling. You've done more than enough."

I took a deep breath, letting the night air fill my lungs. This was good. This was exactly right.

Because from tonight on, I owed the Shadow pack nothing.

Let Vivienne manage Silverstone Valley. Let her showcase her *outstanding* management skills.

I would sit back and watch the whole thing crumble.

That would be my final gift to this family.