Kaelen handed me the poison, demanding I sever our mate bond so he could marry Lyra for her army. Yet, the Wolf's Breath marriage contract I found hidden in his study was already signed two weeks ago. This was not a reluctant sacrifice for our pack; it was a premeditated betrayal. At their bonding ceremony tomorrow, I will publicly resign as High Priestess and withdraw the ancient shield I have fueled with my own lifeblood. The cost will be absolute—my homeland will instantly lose its only defense, condemning the territory to the looming vampire invasion. As I grip the ceremonial dagger in the dark, a chilling question remains. When the barrier shatters and the s*******r begins, who will survive the ruins of his ambition?