Chapter 1

I found out Jason had claimed my cousin Camile as his mate—it was all over the pack channels.

ALPHA OF STORMFANG PACK MATED TO CHILDHOOD LOVER, CAMILE WINTERS.

The video was everywhere—news sites, social media, pack updates. There, on the screen, under perfect lighting and a silver-draped stage, stood Jason—my Alpha for the past eight years—holding hands with my cousin, Camile.

He was smiling. She was glowing.

Then, in front of a crowd of pack members and elders, he bent his head and gently bit her gland.

The mating mark.

I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until the screen blurred with tears.

It turned out, everyone was invited to their bind ceremony. Except me.

Not once did anyone mention me. The Omega he used to sleep beside. The one he made promises to. The one who thought she was his.

Desperate, I took to the internet to tell them the truth. I posted proof. Old photos. Chat logs. But nothing helped.

Jason said nothing. Not a single word in my defense. And nobody believed me when they already took Camile's side.

“Camile's cousin, Zara claims Alpha Jason belongs to her.”

“Zara? Who’s that? Alpha Jason has always been in love with Camile.”

“She’s lying. If she was with Jason, where’s her mark?”

“Jealous Omegas are the worst. I'm glad Alpha Jason never claimed her.”

I called Camile immediately. She picked up, voice calm.

“Camile… how could you?”

There was a pause. “Zara… What are you talking about?”

“You’re my cousin,” I hissed. “You knew I loved him. We were—”

“I knew nothing,” she cut in rudely. “I knew you were close, but… there was never a public claim. No mark. No ceremony. He's not yours, Zara.”

I stopped breathing.

“Zara,” she added gently, “people are starting to talk. I told them not to bully you, but… maybe you should stop acting like Jason belongs to you. He's my mate now. It’s embarrassing.”

She hung up.

Almost immediately, Jason called me.

“Zara,” he said. “This is getting out of hand. You're destroying my reputation!”

“Your reputation? You betrayed me! You were ny Alpha, Jason!”

"You don’t understand. Camile was going to be forced into a bond with Dominic. She came to me for help. I claimed her to protect her."

I laughed. “And what about me?”

Silence.

“Jason, say something. What about me?!” I repeated. “You marked her, Jason. You made it public!”

His voice hardened. “Zara, you’re acting like a child. If you make this worse, I’ll make sure you can’t survive in this pack. Understand?”

Then he hung up.

My phone slipped from my fingers.

I stood still for a second. Then everything inside me crumbled.

Something snapped inside me as my scent flooded the room. My heat had started—triggered by the stress.

“No, no, not now—”

I rushed for my suppressant pills. I took two at once and curled up in bed, biting down on my blanket as the pain rolled through me.

I don’t know how long I stayed that way and eventually, my room fell into quiet again. Until I heard a knock.

My entire body tensed. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Another knock.

I wrapped a robe around myself and went to open the door.

Standing outside was Dominic—the infamous blind Alpha of Moonclaw pack. The one Camile had supposedly avoided bonding and Jason’s rival.

He stood tall and composed, dressed in a dark coat. His eyes, pale and unfocused, didn’t track me—but I could tell he sensed me.

I gripped the doorframe cautiously. “What are you doing here?”

He tilted his head slightly and sniffed the air.

“You’re in heat,” he said.

I flushed instantly. “That’s none of your business.”

He stepped forward, still calm. “You’re in pain.”

“I said it’s none of your concern. What are you here for?”

There was a moment of silence between us. Then he said the last thing I expected to hear.

“Zara Winters, be my mate.”