Chapter 1

My twin sister was revered as the sun of our pack. I was the dark moon, condemned as an omen of disaster.

At my mate-binding ceremony, our parents stormed the altar. Claiming her wolf spirit was dying, they forced me to surrender my fated mate to her.

They seemed to have forgotten that today was my coming-of-age. An un-mated Daughter of the Dark Moon would be offered as a sacrifice to the ruthless Alpha of the Winter Pack.

With red, tear-filled eyes, I begged my mate, Kayden, not to abandon me. Instead, he slowly withdrew his hand.

"Maeve, she's your blood sister. I have to bond with her to save her life."

"As for being sacrificed to the Winter Tyrant, that's just a myth the elders made up to scare you."

My father stood by, reprimanding me with sheer impatience:

"What sacrifice? It's nothing but folklore! Can't you suffer a little grievance for your sister's life?"

To prevent me from ruining the ceremony, they dragged me into the damp, dark dungeon.

Up on the altar, my family joyfully continued the celebration.

But they didn't know the Grand Elder had come to me three days ago.

The moment my binding failed today, the emissaries of Winter would come to collect their due.

From today on, I would plunge into the frigid deadlands of the far North, bound to remain by that bloodthirsty tyrant's side until the day I die.

......

"In the name of the future Alpha of the Sunfire Pack, I vow to forge a soul bond with Maeve. In life and death, I shall follow her, and never betray her."

On the altar, Kayden held my hand, his voice deep and devout.

Tears pricked at my eyes.

As the older of fraternal twins, I was condemned by the High Priest as the "Calamity Dark Moon" the moment I was born, while my sister, Freya, was worshipped as the "Sun of Life." Growing up, my parents' eyes only ever rested on her.

The best things were hers. All the praise was hers. They even snatched away the snow rabbit I had raised and skinned it, just to make Freya a pair of warm mittens.

Kayden was my only salvation. He was the fated mate bestowed upon me by the Wolf Goddess.

The Grand Elder raised his bone staff, about to strike the binding chime.

"Wait! The binding must stop!" A shrill voice suddenly pierced the air.

I turned to see my parents stumbling onto the altar.

My father strode forward, holding a yellowed parchment scroll high in the air.

My mother followed closely behind, supporting a weak, swaying Freya in her arms.

"The wandering seer left a prophecy! Freya's wolf spirit is rapidly fading!" my father gasped, his voice echoing across the plaza. "The prophecy says Freya is the hope of our pack. Only a blood bond with a warrior possessing the strongest Alpha aura can use the power of life to stop our Sun from falling!"

The pack members below instantly erupted.

"Freya is the sun of our pack! She can't die!"

"The strongest Alpha... isn't that Kayden?"

"Right! Let Kayden bond with Freya immediately!"

I stood frozen, a buzzing sound filling my head as I instinctively tightened my grip on Kayden's hand.

"What are you talking about? Today is my mate-binding ceremony!"

My mother whipped her head around and glared at me viciously.

"Maeve! Your sister is dying, and you only care about yourself?"

"You've been a curse to us since the day you were born! Are you going to cut off your sister's only chance at survival, too?"

My father also looked at me with chilling coldness. "Maeve, be sensible. Give Kayden to Freya."

Give? I had been giving way my entire life. And now, I had to give my mate to her as well?

I turned to the man beside me, my voice hoarse. "Our soul bond has already begun to resonate. You can't stop now."

Kayden looked at me. Those eyes that used to gaze at me with unwavering certainty were now filled with struggle and hesitation.

He turned to look at the pale, swaying Freya.

Clutching her chest, Freya cried out, "Sister, I'm so sorry... I didn't know this would happen. I'd rather die than ruin the ceremony for you and Kayden..."

"Shut up! What nonsense are you talking about, you silly child!" My mother pulled Freya into a tight embrace, then glared at me as if I weren't her daughter, but some heinous enemy. "Maeve! Did you hear that? Freya will die! Are you really going to watch your own blood sister die without doing anything?"

"Then do I deserve to die?!" I finally roared, my eyes red and burning. "If Kayden and I break the bond now, my wolf spirit will be severely maimed! And... and have you forgotten the treaty with the Winter Pack?"

The Winter Pack. That terrifying pack in the extreme North, ruled by an Alpha rumored to be so bloodthirsty he consumed his own kind.

Years ago, the Sunfire Pack had signed a grim treaty with them: any "Daughter of the Dark Moon" born into the pack who failed to bond with a mate on her coming-of-age day must be offered as a peace sacrifice to the Winter Tyrant.

Today was the absolute deadline. If I had just completed my bond with Kayden, I could have escaped that fate. But now...

Kayden's movements paused for a split second. Then, inch by inch, he withdrew his hand from mine.

"Maeve, stop making a scene," Kayden said, as if pacifying an unreasonable child. "She is your sister, and the sun of our pack. I have to bond with her to save her. As for this sacrifice to the Winter Tyrant..."

He paused, let out a sigh, and added, "That's just folklore made up to scare people."

"It's real!" I trembled all over, looking at him in utter despair.

I watched as Kayden walked over to Freya. He turned his head to throw me one last, empty promise:

"Be good, Maeve. Once I'm done binding with your sister, I won't let you suffer anymore."

Resting against his chest, Freya peered over his shoulder. She flashed me an incredibly subtle smile—one brimming with smugness and provocation.

"Guards! Take Maeve down to the dungeon! Don't let her take a single step out until Kayden and Freya have completed their bond!" my father commanded without a second thought.

Several burly guards stormed the altar, violently dragging me toward the dungeon.

I struggled desperately, my wolf spirit howling in agony within me, but the backlash of the interrupted bond left my body completely devoid of strength.

"Let me go!" I screamed hysterically.

The heavy iron door slammed shut in my face, the sound of the lock clicking sliding securely echoing through the damp, dark dungeon.

From high above, faint cheers drifted down.

It was the celebration of Kayden and Freya, restarting the mate-binding ceremony.