Ayasha watched her brother die at the hands of King Nahuel as her pack was crushed beneath the weight of conquest. When she catches the tyrant king’s eye during a brutal sparring match, he offers her a deal: marry his son, Prince Koda, and her family will be spared.

Desperate to protect what remains, Ayasha agrees.

But the promised marriage is a lie.

In the heart of Lamia, she discovers nineteen other would-be brides, all from fallen packs, forced into a brutal Luna trial. Only one will earn the right to stand beside the prince. The rest will lose everything, including their lives.

Ayasha already has an agenda of her own. She plans to kill Koda, the son of the monster she blames for her brother’s death.

Then her wolf imprints on him.

Fate has bound her to the very man she came to destroy. As the trials grow bloodier and palace secrets come to light, Ayasha must choose between the vengeance that drives her and the bond she never wanted.

The carriage dropped me at the gates of Lord Thalen's estate just as sunset started to happen. The driver looked at me with pity before clicking his tongue at the horses and rolling away, leaving me alone in the gathering dusk.


The estate was smaller than the Sedimo palace but more imposing somehow. Dark stone walls rose like prison barriers, and the windows were narrow slits that reminded me of watching eyes. Guards flanked the iron gates, their faces hidden beneath steel helmets.


I approached the nearest guard, my heart hammering against my ribs. "I need to speak with Lord Thalen. It's urgent."


The guard didn't even look at me. "Lord Thalen doesn't receive visitors without appointment."


"Please, I'm Luna Liana of the Golden Fields pack. I'm one of the contestants in the trials."


This time he did look at me, taking in my swollen face and torn dress from my fight with Pavati. His expression showed nothing but mild disgust. "And?"


Chapter 65 - The Witch's test 1