A Female Alpha’s Revenge

Chapter 1

Adelaide’s POV

The council hall of the Bloodmoon Pack hummed with cedar and damp.

I shrugged off my sweat-drenched silver fox cloak, my fingers absently tracing the Moon Goddess pendant at my throat.

The bronze throne beside me yawned empty—Alpha Ulrik’s seat.

Boots echoed on stone steps before the door burst open, snowmelt and pine scent flooding in.

I knocked over the mead jug, rising to greet him, amber liquid pooling over the sheepskin map.

“You’re finally back,” I managed, my voice catching.

A year ago, we’d pledged ourselves as mates before the pack. Then the Lycan King summoned him north.

He never even marked me.

Now, as I looked at him, my mind was a tangled web.

My wolf let out a faint, rebellious snarl, catching a tangle of scents on Ulrik’s trail that made its hackles rise.

Now Ulrik stood armored and alive, his jaw set in that familiar stubborn line.

declared Velda will join the

low in my ribs, scenting

through and through. Will she kneel

finished speaking, Ulrik’s cedar scent, laced with his

toward the throne, the tail of his sword scabbard scraping water-soaked stone and scraping up

voice carried a sharp edge of

in my fist. The moonstone pendant clattered toward a

would rage, and Bloodmoon would weaken…” I ground the shattered gem beneath my heel. The rain pounding outside the Packhouse suddenly roared in my ears. “Last year, on this day, you swore before her

roared, slit

collar. “Look at your neck. Even

and I fought side by side in the north. I admired her. I used my campaign merits to petition the Lycan King for her place here. As my mate.

memories flooding back of the East Wing

heat—Ulrik’s messengers

seeds in the battle reports were never for

soft laugh, but when I spoke again, my voice was laced with sarcasm. “So you ‘admire’ her? What about the promises you made before you left for the northern tribes? You said if I fulfilled my duties as

Ulrik’s expression turned awkward.

away, his voice tight. “Let’s just forget those words. When we pledged to be mates, I hadn’t met Velda yet. You

in his eyes

“She’s unlike any

felt like I’d swallowed a fly—disgusted, but I pushed through the lump in my

Alpha and

King’s decree. My father, as

agreed? How