Evelyn Ashburn, the only daughter of the Duke of the Northern Marches, was born into one of the oldest pureblood families, yet she had never managed to complete the shift into her wolf form. To cover up the family’s disgrace, her father arranged her betrothal to Tristan, heir of the Blackwood household.
On the first day of the new semester at the Royal Academy of the Sacred Moon, Evelyn walked in on Tristan kissing Seraphina during the betrothal transformation ritual. Seraphina then produced a pregnancy certificate signed by a healer, claiming she was carrying Tristan’s child.
Tristan forced Evelyn to shift into her wolf form in public, demanding proof that she was still worthy to be his wife.
Evelyn’s transformation failed.
Tristan tore up the betrothal contract before the entire school, declaring he would never marry a woman “who cannot even become a wolf.”
As Evelyn endured humiliation from every student present, a rampaging giant wolf deliberately set loose by someone charged into the ritual grounds. Rowan, her half-blood attendant who had always followed her like a hound, stepped between her and the beast. His eyes turned scarlet beneath the moonlight, and with a single low growl, he brought the massive wolf to its knees.
