30 Days Left: The Rejected White Wolf's Countdown

On our wedding night, my Fated Mate, Alpha Cedric, left our bed to care for his mistress. He told me our marriage was just an obligation. But the real betrayal came months later on a rooftop. When Rogues demanded a trade, Cedric didn't hesitate. He chose to save Jayden because of her "heart condition," handing me—his pregnant wife—over to the killers. "You are stronger," he said as he pushed me toward them. I fell from the building. I survived, but our unborn pup didn't. Instead of comfort, I woke up to handcuffs. Cedric believed Jayden’s lies that I staged the kidnapping for attention. He threw me into the dungeon, shackling my wrists with silver cuffs that burned my flesh, while Jayden poisoned my food with wolfsbane. He stripped me of my title and dignity, never realizing that the "fragile" woman he protected was the true monster. He didn't know about the glowing rune on my chest counting down the seconds I had left. He didn't know I was the legendary White Wolf, and my time was up. On my final night, I asked for one last ride on the Ferris wheel where we first met. At midnight, as Cedric rushed back to the amusement park, he didn't find a body. He found only my empty clothes and a text message on the seat. "Don't look for me, Cedric. I'm giving my wolf back to the moon." As he watched the security footage, he finally saw me dissolve into stardust and ascend to the sky, leaving him alone in a world that suddenly felt too quiet. Chapter 1 Kacie POV: The bridal suite reeked of moonflowers. It was a cloying, suffocating sweetness meant to encourage fertility, but tonight, it just smelled like a wake. I sat on the edge of the king-sized bed, my fingers gripping the silk sheets so tightly my knuckles turned white. My inner wolf, Serenity, was usually a source of warmth. But tonight, she was silent, curled into a tight, shivering ball in the darkest corner of my mind. She was suffering from the Wolf's Wither-a nasty piece of biology that rotted a wolf from the inside out when their human half was rejected by a fated mate. The door clicked open. A gust of cold air rushed in, carrying a scent that made my heart hammer against my ribs-storm clouds, ozone, and deep, dark pine. Cedric Moon. My Alpha. My husband. And my Fated Mate. Cedric walked in, loosening his tie. He didn't look at me. He didn't look at the lace nightgown I had spent hours choosing. He walked straight to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of amber whiskey. "Cedric," I whispered, my voice trembling. He paused, his back to me. The air in the room grew heavy, pressurized by his sheer existence. In a wolf pack, the Alpha is absolute authority. Even without him using his Alpha Command, the weight of him was suffocating. "Go to sleep, Kacie," he said, his voice flat. "It's our wedding night," I said, forcing myself to stand. My legs felt like jelly. "You haven't... you haven't marked me." The Marking. The bite that mixed our scents and bound our souls. Without it, this marriage was a sham. Without it, Serenity would continue to rot. Cedric turned around. His hazel eyes were dead cold. "I told you before the ceremony. This is a marriage of obligation. I will provide for you. You will carry the Moon heir. But do not expect love." "But we are Mates," I pleaded, taking a step toward him. "The Moon Goddess paired us. You feel the sparks, don't you? When we touch?" I reached out, my fingertips brushing his hand. Static electricity, hot and sharp, snapped between us. Cedric flinched and yanked his hand away like I was a hot stove. A look of conflict flashed across his face, quickly replaced by anger. Suddenly, his eyes glazed over. The milky film of a Mind-Link. As the Luna-even an unmarked one-I should have heard it. But he had walled me out. A moment later, his focus snapped back. Panic replaced the coldness. "I have to go," he said, grabbing his jacket. "Go? Where?" I asked, incredulous. "Cedric, please." "It's Jayden," he said, already moving toward the door. "She's having a panic attack. She says her scar is hurting." Jayden Moore. The name tasted like ash. The daughter of the former Beta, the woman who claimed she took a silver knife meant for Cedric years ago. That scar was her trophy, her leash around Cedric's neck. "She is an adult wolf, Cedric! She has doctors. You are her Alpha, not her nurse!" I cried out. Cedric stopped at the door. He turned, a low rumble vibrating in his chest. A warning. "She saved my life, Kacie. She is the responsibility of this family. Unlike you, who only got into this bed because I was drugged and needed a body to cool the fever." The words were a physical blow. I stumbled back. He was referring to the night of the Heat. A business rival had dosed him with a potent aphrodisiac wolfsbane mix. I had found him. I had given myself to him to save his life because my blood-the blood of a White Wolf, though he didn't know it-could neutralize the toxin. "I saved you too," I whispered. "You took advantage of a compromised Alpha," he spat. "Take your suppressants. I don't want a child conceived in this mess." He tossed a bottle of pills onto the bed. Then he slammed the door, leaving me alone in the scent of moonflowers. I collapsed onto the floor. My chest burned. Not from heartbreak, but from something far more ancient. I pulled down the collar of my nightgown. Over my heart, a glowing rune was etched into my skin. The Goddess's Covenant. Three years ago, I was dying. I made a deal with the Moon Goddess. I traded my future for three years of health, just to meet my Fated Mate. To feel that love once. The rune pulsed red. A number appeared in the center of the intricate design. 30 Days. The countdown had begun. "I didn't ask for much," I whispered to the empty room, tears streaming down my face. "Just to be loved before I die." Serenity let out a mournful howl in my mind, a sound of pure desolation that echoed into the silence.