Prologue | Coronation Day

~Nyla~

The Grand Hall pulsed with anticipation. My heart fluttered with happiness as I took slow steps, accompanied by my best friend, Maya, and my lovely sister-in-law, Rachel.

"My Luna Queen, you look beautiful." My good old friend Olivia greeted me at the door.

The feeling of being loved by everybody filled me to the brim with contentment. The most awaited moment of the year had arrived. And there he was!

Alpha King Kian stood on the dais, sporting an extra dazzling smile today. He was dressed in a well-fitted charcoal gray tuxedo and a striped purple bowtie, which he was forced to wear at my insistence. I wanted something on him to match my flowy purple dress. 

His deep green eyes caressed me with such adoration as I climbed up the dais and stood next to him. I resisted the urge to claim his lips and act out of character in front of so many people and packs.

Everyone had been waiting for us while I lost track of time and spent too long in my dead husband's bedroom. Wyatt's memories always did this to me, sucking me into a time vortex and leaving me an emotional mess.

I had come a long way from holding grudges and seeking revenge for his death. But there were a few things about him that were hard to forget and move on from. I would never want to move on, even if given a choice.

"You look stunning!" Kian stroked my tiny baby bump and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead before turning to the pack elders and the mage who were going to start the ceremony.

His body stiffened all of a sudden, his smile replaced by a mask of fury. A mind link ripped through the room, sending shivers down my spine. 

"Are we under attack? What's happening?" I gasped, clutching Kian's arm.

Cupping my face, he flashed a small reassuring smile.

"It could be a false alarm. Don't worry. I'll be back soon."

"No, no, no! This can't be happening." I grabbed onto his arm tightly as tears sprung up in my eyes.

"I'll be back, I promise." 

He looked over at Rachel and Maya, who stepped forward and wrapped their arms around me while he took off his tux in a hurry. His touch lingered for a fleeting moment before he was gone, leaving a hollowness in his wake. 

We had members from over five hundred packs come together for the ceremony. The celebratory chatter morphed into panicked whispers. My breath hitched. This – this eerie echo of the past, it couldn't be happening again. I was going to lose my second chance mate in the same way, again on the coronation day.

"History is repeating, Maya," I whispered, my voice thick with dread. "Where's Ari?"

"Right here. Let's get you to your room while the guests disperse. It's too chaotic here." Rachel passed my baby to me, and I engulfed her in a protective hug. 

Chaos erupted. Several packs ran for cover, while the rest went to strengthen Kian's defense at the borders. Maya and Rachel's faces contorted in worry, their reassurances turning frantic. 

"I can't sit here like last time and let my mate die again. I need to go to Kian."

"Nyla!" Both Maya and Rachel threw reprimanding looks at me as I held Kian's tuxedo near my chest.

"You are responsible for both Ari and the baby you are carrying. Two lives depend on you. The Alpha will protect himself." Maya said sternly.

Our ears perked up to the deafening crash resonated from below. The carefully planned ceremony unraveled into a scene of utter pandemonium.

"Let me go check." Maya got up, leaving me with Rachel.

Loud claps of thunder boomed through the sky suddenly, followed by a heavy downpour.

"Wow! Talk about the dry and sunny weather forecast." Rachel shook her head and went up to the closest window to peek outside.

"Maya needs backup. I'll be right back. Lock your door and don't step out, okay?"

Rachel left before I could process what was happening. Maya needed backup? She wasn't easy to defeat unless she was overpowered by too many. Did the intruder reach the palace already? Where was everybody?

"Nyla...!" I heard a shrill cry from Maya and threw caution to the wind.

Clutching my two-year-old close to me, I pushed my ear to the door, wondering what was happening outside. An eerie silence hung over the surroundings after that cry from Maya.

Did she really need help? Or was this a trap? Was she not alive anymore?

Several dreadful thoughts assaulted my mind, and I opened the door despite knowing what a bad idea it was. The guard wolves at the door tried to reason with me, but a loud crash diverted all our attention.

My blood ran cold. This wasn't a random attack. It was a meticulously crafted trap, and I was the bait. Fear gnawed at me, but a primal instinct roared louder. I wouldn't be a helpless victim again.

As my guards were falling like flies, I ran towards the secret tunnel Wyatt had once shown me. Kian got it rebuilt with a much sturdier door. Tying my baby to my back, I climbed up the ladder to reach the trapdoor. It gave in quite easily, and I was out in the rain, huffing and puffing from the exertion.

"Mamma..." Ari clung to me, taking cover from the cold raindrops and gusty wind. Ominous dark clouds hung over us, rumbling and angry.

The intruder had blocked the way to the ocean. This person knew my identity. While only Wyatt knew about it when I was married to him, everyone in Kian's pack knew who I was.

My mind was racing as I tried to make sense of the turn of events. While I was running for cover, I had a gut feeling that this was exactly what someone wanted me to do, to lead me away from the palace and the guard wolves and warriors. Kian would be furious, but I didn't feel safe in the palace.

I heard several snarls and growls saturating the air as the wolves were ripping each other into pieces. There was no sign of Maya or Rachel even when I climbed a tall bluff and looked around.

A guttural growl sliced through the storm's fury. It wasn't the panicked snarls of the overwhelmed guards. This was a predator's challenge, a chilling confirmation of my worst fears. I ran further up the bluff, aiming for the spot from where I could jump into the ocean if I needed to. Ari and I were almost there when the sounds of footsteps grew closer.

My baby was very lightweight on any other day, but carrying her for so long while running was proving impossible. My lungs began to dry and my throat was on fire from the icy wind.

"Just half a mile to safety," I told Ari and quickened my pace.

As we neared a clearing in the woods and were quite close to a steep cliff, a large brown wolf leaped into the air, blocking my way and baring its teeth at me. Ari burst into loud cries, blurring my senses. 

A tall, slender figure emerged out of the cloud of mist between the trees, her eyes blazing with a hatred that burned hotter than the storm. Memories of a lost friendship flickered – a stark contrast to the vengeful woman before me. 

"Skylar?"

I thought Wyatt's sister was dead. 

"Skylar, y-you..." 

"Yes, I'm alive."

"It's y-your---" My voice was a strangled whisper.

A cruel smile twisted her lips. "Indeed, Luna Queen. I'm the mastermind behind this. Took me two years to get here."

"Sky, I---"

"Shush! You don't deserve to call me that. Look at you... carrying a murderer's baby in your womb. I hate you and your mate. Guess what happened to my baby?" Her eyes were blazing with hatred and rage. "You were scheming against my brother all along, weren't you?"

"Sky, it might look like that, but Kian is my mate. He has been my second chance mate from the moment Wyatt got killed."

"Killed? He was murdered by you and Kian! You both don't deserve to live. After what his pack did to me and my family, you are fucking him and carrying his baby with not an ounce of shame or guilt. Hail the fucking Luna Queen!" 

Skylar used to be one of my favorite people. She was the female version of Wyatt. Strong, determined, and beautiful. I carried many wonderful memories of her from when we became friends and when we both were pregnant. Losing her baby must have made her heartbroken and vengeful. I couldn't blame her for that.

"What makes you think you deserve a happy ending?" She turned to one of the men who was standing behind her. "Seize the baby and kill her in front of this traitor."

"Traitor? Sky! I loved Wyatt more than---"

"Zip it!"

My nerves had fallen overboard as a man lunged for Ari while the wolf prepared to rip her to pieces. I quickly turned back to get a good look at the jutting rocks and rugged terrain below. A shaky breath slipped from my lips as I prepared to jump. Ari and I would get killed by hitting our heads against some rock instead of falling into the ocean.

Gathering as much momentum as I could before the man laid his hands on me, I flung my baby into the air. A heart-wrenching scream tore from my throat, a sound that mirrored the storm's fury. She made a trajectory far enough to survive before making her descent, straight into the water.

Little Ari's cries broke my heart, but what choice did I have? I was sure she had a better chance of surviving the shark infested waters than Skylar's wrath. I wish I could jump in with her.

My scalp seared in pain as the man fisted my hair and yanked me towards a furious Skylar.