Once upon a time, Eclipse lived a quiet life—until the Moon Goddess bound her to Malric NorthSteed, Alpha Prince of the North.

A man who was Cold, Ruthless and Ambitious beyond mercy.

On the night she was rejected as his mate, Malric slaughtered her entire pack… and then crowned another woman his bride.

Buried under the burning betrayal, Eclipse dies with her family, but five years later, she is reborn as Arrow—an assassin feared by wicked nobles and criminals alike; a ghost whispered through the underworld. Every life she takes is training that sharpens her resolve toward a single purpose:

Kill Malric NorthSteed. Then burn his entire empire to the ground.
But Malric is no longer just an Alpha Prince.

He is now the Alpha King of the North—untouchable behind towering palace walls and absolute power. So to reach him, Eclipse must do the unthinkable. She enters the grand Bridal Selection, a ruthless competition of fifty women vying to become his next Luna Queen—each bride hiding secrets, ambitions, and bloodstained desires of their own.

Disguised, surrounded by spies and trapped among obsessed rivals and lethal politics, Eclipse plays the role of the demure woman seeking Malric’s heart… while plotting to rip it from his chest.
 
Yet as the competition turns deadly, a terrifying truth emerges.

In this game of hearts and death, she is far from the only pawn on the board;
Her family’s massacre was no simple act of cruelty;
The bond she once shared with Malric NorthSteed had been anything but an accident;

Not to mention that Malric has been playing this game long before she even drew her bow, Eclipse tows the line of danger while donning on a fake mask before him.

Because if Malric discovers who she truly is—
If he realizes she is the mate he once rejected—
If the embers between them ignite into something dangerously real—

Then Eclipse will face a fate far worse than death. For when he catches her, no arrow, no mask, no hatred will save her.

Not from his vengeance.

Not from his power.

Not from the forbidden love that could destroy them both.

Eclipse took on meditation to pass time that evening.


Legs crossed on her bed, eyes shut, her mind zeroed in on one thing—her Ashen Wolf that stirred beneath the surface, aghast at being trapped for so long.


Even though she merely observed her surroundings while she tried to remain calm, her thoughts remained a scattered mess .


After five years of training and waiting for this day to come, she had believed she had what it took to be patient.


Yet yesterday when she had been so close to Malric NorthSteed, every patience she had built over the years shattered to pieces.


She hadn't anticipated how infuriating and maddening it would be to stand close to the monster that destroyed her world… and yet unable to do anything.


She felt him, he was close to her, she touched him… but he remained ever as out of reach as he had been for the five years he had spent at the Hollow


Chapter 22 - The Trap (III)