The Glacier King's Blood Oath

I am the Heartwood of the Dark Moon Pack. My blood allows the forest to flourish and keeps our pack strong. It’s the deepest secret between me and the Alpha, Lucian.

For five years, I have lived in his shadow. By day, he’d embrace his pureblood fiancée, Michelle, to the roaring cheers of the pack. By night, he’d sneak into my tent and kiss me as if he were starved. "Tabitha, my soul knows only you," he’d murmur. "Michelle is just a pawn to secure my throne. You have to understand."

And I believed the lies he spun.

Until the Centennial Celebration, when Michelle deliberately shattered the Moon Goddess's Sacred Chalice. Sobbing, she pointed at me before the entire pack, accusing me of casting dark magic out of jealousy.

Hearing the pack's roars to burn me at the stake, Lucian panicked. To protect the image of his “perfect fiancée,” he crushed my wrist in front of everyone and commanded coldly, "Throw this vicious woman into the ice dungeon until she confesses!"

In that moment, I understood the warning in his eyes—he needed me to take the fall, to appease the pack’s rage.

My gift had secured his throne, yet my life was worth less than a single tear from his beloved.

He thought the ice dungeon would be a minor punishment. But he didn't know that for a half-blood like me, the extreme cold would freeze the very life from the pup in my womb.

And he had no idea this was the last time I would ever love him.

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1

"Tabitha, once the Centennial Celebration is over, I will forge a soul bond with you."

Lucian's voice was a low, sweet murmur in the darkness. His lips pressed against my ear, his hot breath sending a shiver down my spine.

"Really?" I wrapped my arms around his strong, lean waist. "Aren't you afraid the pack will object?"

"What is there to fear?" He nipped the corner of my lip. "I'm the Alpha. What I say, goes. Michelle is a political alliance; you are the one my soul has chosen."

Moonlight streamed through the cracks in the tent, illuminating the devotion in his gaze.

Five years. He was finally going to make me his, truly and openly.

I was too excited to sleep a wink.

The next morning, the entire Dark Moon Pack was buzzing with anticipation. The Centennial Celebration was our most sacred ritual, where we offered our devotion to the Moon Goddess, praying for the prosperity of our people.

I rose early, meticulously arranging the altar.

As the overseer of the ceremony, it was my duty to ensure every detail was perfect. In the center, the Moon Goddess's Sacred Chalice, our pack's holiest treasure, shimmered.

"Tabitha, you look stunning today." Michelle glided toward me, her white ceremonial robes making her look angelic.

I offered the pureblood noble a small smile. "You look beautiful too, Michelle."

Her eyes flashed with a dark glint I couldn’t quite decipher.

The horns blared, signaling the official start of the celebration.

Lucian stood on the high platform, resplendent in the Alpha's black regalia. The sun caught him, making him look like a god of war.

"My pack!" His voice thundered across the assembly. "Today, we offer our most devout hearts to the Moon Goddess!"

The werewolves answered with a chorus of frenzied howls.

According to the ritual, Michelle was to lift the Sacred Chalice and make an offering to the goddess.

She walked slowly toward the altar, and I stepped aside to give her space.

Just then, Michelle’s steps faltered.

"Ah!" She shrieked, the Sacred Chalice slipping from her hands.

Crash!

The chalice shattered against the stone platform.

A liquid as red as blood splattered across the ground, emitting a strange, black smoke.

The entire crowd fell deathly silent.

"Black blood! It's black blood!" an elder cried out in terror.

The Moon Goddess's Sacred Chalice was supposed to hold clear, holy water, not this vile, dark liquid.

Michelle collapsed, trembling as she pointed a finger at me. "It was... it was Tabitha! I saw her chanting by the altar! She cursed the Sacred Chalice with black magic!"

What?

I stared at her, stunned. "I did nothing of the sort! Michelle, what are you even saying?"

"It was her!" Michelle sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "She's always been jealous that I'm Lucian's fiancée! She wants to destroy our pack with her black magic!"

"Burn her!"

"How dare a half-blood wretch desecrate the Moon Goddess!"

"Execute the vile woman!"

The enraged pack members raised their torches, closing in on me with murder in their eyes.

I looked desperately to Lucian on the high platform. He’ll believe me. He has to, right?

But Lucian's face was a mask of pure fury, his expression darker than a thundercloud.

His eyes darted from Michelle's pathetic tears to the black blood on the ground, and a flash of panic crossed his face.

"Lucian, believe me!" I shouted, my voice raw with desperation. "I didn't touch the chalice!"

Michelle scrambled to her feet and rushed into his arms.

"Lucian, I'm so scared… Her eyes are terrifying, she wants to kill me..."

Lucian held her, his brow furrowed in a tight, hard line.

I saw the flicker of hesitation in his eyes, and then, the cold calculation. The pack’s interests. Michelle’s family. The sheer effort of calming the mob… In his mind, all of it weighed more than my innocence.

"Lucian…" My voice broke.

He wouldn't meet my gaze.

The next second, he vaulted from the high platform, charging toward me.