Chapter 1 #1

ANNA

"How can you expect me to keep hiding this?" The words tore from my throat. "You kept me a secret. You hide the fact that I am your true mate, and it's all because of Sasha."

Cade’s face darkened, his jaw shifting as he took a step toward me. "Watch your tone, Anna," he warned. He looked at me, his eyes scanning my borrowed dress. "I cannot accept that someone of your low status is my mate. I won't. Besides, Sasha is the girl I originally wanted. She's the one who belongs at my side."

The words felt like a blow to my chest. I stared at him, my vision blurring slightly as I swallowed down the lump in my throat. My hand instinctively touched the locket around my neck. "Then what is stopping you from rejecting me?" I asked, my voice cracking under the weight of the betrayal. "If I'm such a burden, reject me once and for all. Cut the bond."

Cade let out a sigh, rubbing a hand across his face. "The pain of the severed bond would be unbearable for me," he admitted, his voice dropping into a tense murmur. "You are my mate, Anna. I can't get myself to claim you, but I still want you around. I want you near me."

I stared at him in utter disbelief, a sick feeling twisting my stomach. "You must be sick," I whispered, shaking my head as I tried to step away from him.

Before I could move, his hand shot out, his fingers wrapping firmly around the front of my neck, pinning me in place. "Even though I don't want you as my mate, I can't deny how attractive you look tonight," he murmured, his gaze dropping over my face. His other hand rose, his fingers running slowly down the smooth strands of my white hair.

"Since you originally belong to me anyway," he continued, his thumb tracing a slow path across my bottom lip, "it wouldn't cost me much to just take you. Even without a claim." He stared at my mouth, his voice thickening. "So full. So plump."

Disgust flared inside me. I raised my hand and swatted his fingers away from my face, taking a step backward to put space between us.

Cade frowned, his eyes flashing with a dangerous spark of dominance as he reached out to grab me again.

"Cade?" Sasha’s voice drifted across the trees.

Cade’s head snapped toward the sound, his posture instantly shifting. He turned his dark eyes back to me.

"I'll see you later," he whispered harshly, not waiting for my response before he turned on his heel and quickly walked off toward her.

"Anna? Are you alright?"

Aria’s voice appeared right at my back, making me jump.

I quickly pressed the palms of my hands to my face, wiping away a stray tear before she could get a clear look at me. I turned around, nodding stiffly. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Aria's eyebrows knitted together, her eyes scanning my face with deep concern. "What happened? Why are you crying?"

I forced a tight smile onto my lips, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I'm only feeling joy," I lied, my voice trembling slightly. "Because I know I'll find my mate tonight. It's just overwhelming."

Aria’s expression softened. She reached out, patting my arm gently. "Stop worrying so much, Anna. It’s all going to work out."

But deep down, the truth was crushing me. I couldn't bring myself to tell Aria what had actually just happened in the woods. I couldn't tell her that I had found my mate in the last mating ceremony, or that my mate was none other than the alpha's son.

"Did you hear that the alpha of the Black Moon territory sent his men here?" Aria continued, her voice dropping as we began to walk back toward  the field.

"They're in search of a breeder for him tonight. Honestly, I seriously don't know any sane female who would willingly agree to become that cruel alpha's breeder."

Her words floated past me, my mind still trapped in the clearing with Cade.

"Anna? You’re drifting away again."

I let out a nervous laugh, shaking my head to clear the fog. "I'm not, I'm sorry," I murmured, offering her an apologetic look. "My mind is just all over the place. Can you repeat your words again?"

Before she could answer, Aria stiffened beside me, I stopped walking, following her frozen gaze across the grass. She was staring directly at a guy standing a few yards away. He had stopped too, his eyes locked onto hers.

Aria’s lips parted, a breathless chatter escaping her. "Mate... mate... mate..."

Both of them began walking toward each other, their paces quickening until they collided in the center of the path, throwing their arms around each other in a fierce, desperate hug.

I watched them.  A spark of jealousy flared inside me, but it was immediately followed by a wave of genuine happiness for my friend. She had what I wanted—acceptance. Realizing I didn't belong in their moment, I quietly excused myself.

The path led me toward the older pack structures, and as I turned a corner, the air was knocked clean from my lungs.

There Cade stood. He was tucked against the wooden wall, with Sasha held tightly in his arms. Both of them were kissing passionately, her hands tangled in his hair, his grip possessive on her waist.

A fresh wave of hurt and anger blinded me. I spun around, wanting nothing more than to erase the image from my mind. I walked away blindly until I collided with a wall.

Except it wasn't entirely a wall. It was solid muscle.

Before I could lose my balance and tumble backward to the dirt, a large hand caught my forearm, steadying me with effortless strength. I stumbled, my head snapping up as I locked eyes with a huge, unfamiliar man.

His eyes traveled down to my face, his nostrils flaring slightly before he muttered a single word. "Omega."

I stiffened, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end as I immediately pulled my arm from his grip and shifted back, creating distance.

Another large man was standing right beside him, his arms crossed over a broad chest. He glanced at the first man, his lips curling into a dismissive line as he looked me up and down. "I don't think the alpha will appreciate an omega," he muttered carelessly.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded angrily. I glared at both of them, stepping forward instead of shrinking away. "And who even are you? You don't look familiar, and you're definitely not from our pack."

The first man frowned, his demeanor shifting instantly.

His eyes turned incredibly cold. He tilted his chin down, looking at me with a dangerous level of authority. "We're selecting a breeder for our alpha tonight," he said, his voice flat.

I looked him dead in the eye, "I'm not a breeder," I told him, each word dripping with venom. "And I would never breed for a be damned alpha."

With that, I turned my back on them and walked off.