Chapter 1

Darius Veylan had chased me with a persistence only Alphas could afford. For months, he lingered at the edges of my world—showing up on hunts, waiting outside the Omega quarters, finding excuses to walk me home when my shift ended at the tavern.

“Kaelina,” he’d whisper, voice filled with adoration, “one day, I’ll make you my Luna.”

I’d laugh it off, my cheeks burning. “You don’t even know me, Darius.”

“I know enough,” he’d reply, holding my hands in his big strong palms. “I know you’re mine.”

Every time he spoke like that, my heart fluttered in spite of myself. Alphas didn’t look twice at girls like me. Orphans. Omegas. Wolves with no family or pack. But Darius did. He looked at me like I was something rare, something worth chasing.

So one day, I agreed to his proposal. He was so excited, picking me up in a hug, his grin wide as he placed a solemn kiss on my lips.

“You’ll wear my mark soon,” he whispered against my mouth. “Nothing will ever take you from me.”

And I believed him.

That’s why, weeks later, when he told me the truth, my world cracked.

“You’re not who you think you are,” Darius said, pacing my tiny cottage with restless energy.

I frowned from where I sat on the edge of my bed. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re not just any omega, Kaelina.” His gaze locked onto mine. “You’re the lost daughter of the Thornblood pack Alpha.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “That’s ridiculous. You’re joking.”

Me? The daughter of one of the most powerful pack Alphas in the North? It sounded like a cruel joke.

“I’m not.” His jaw tightened. “Your blood… your scent… it matches theirs. They’ve been searching for you, and they want you back.”

The words hit me like a blow.

“No,” I whispered. “I grew up alone. If I was theirs, why would they leave me?”

Darius knelt in front of me, taking my hands in his. “It doesn’t matter why. What matters is that I’ll be with you. I’ll stand by you, Kaelina. You’ll never be alone again.”

The day I walked into the Thornblood estate, I understood what “want you back” really meant.

The manor was vast, dripping with wealth and status, but the moment I stood in front of them, I felt like dirt under their boots.

The Alpha and Luna, my parents, stared at me, their gaze distant. Between them was a girl my age, the daughter they'd raised for the past eighteen years. Lira.

“Kaelina,” my father said, his tone polite but distant. “This is your sister, Lira.”

Lira stepped forward gracefully, her gown flowing like water. She smiled at me, soft and perfect.

“It’s such a blessing to finally meet you,” she said, her voice honeyed.

But her eyes told the truth. She looked at me like I was a stray mutt brought in from the streets.

I swallowed the bitterness clawing at my throat. “You too,” I echoed, though my voice trembled.

Things were difficult. Lira didn't like me and she took every chance to show it. But in front of my parents, she remained sweet and kind. I only endured because Darius told me to.

I soon found out the true reason why my parents had been searching for me.

“The Alpha of Volk pack is supposed to mate with Lira.” My father said, “But poor Lira already had someone she loves. So, you'll take her place.”

I couldn't believe them. Rydan Volk, the alpha of Volk Pack was a brutal and cruel Alpha known to have killed all four of his past mates. And they wanted me to be with him.

“I—”

I wanted to refuse, but across the room, Darius caught my gaze. His amber eyes burned, and with one look, he silenced me.

Stay quiet. Don’t argue.

That night, he came to me. His hands shook as he gripped my arms.

“Kaelina, listen to me. You have to do this. I can’t take you as my mate now. They won’t allow it. But if you go through with this—if you endure Rydan for a year—we can break it. Then I’ll claim you. I swear it.”

My stomach twisted. “A year? I'm supposed to be your mate, Darius. What if he hurts me?”

His face pinched with pain. “I don’t want this either. But if you refuse, they’ll strip you of everything and take you away from me. I can't lose you. This way, we still have a future.”

I felt sorry for him, my eyes welling up with tears. “But—”

He kissed me on the forehead, hugging me in his arms. “You'll be okay. Rydan isn't as bad as the rumors say.”

I felt scared. But for his sake, I nodded.

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

The mating ceremony was under the full moon, the packs gathered in a wide circle. The firelight flickered against Rydan’s scarred face as he stalked toward me. His hand clamped around my neck, forcing me down. Without warning, his fangs sank into my flesh.

Pain exploded through me, fire searing into my veins as the mark took root. My scream tore into the night, silenced only by the murmurs of the crowd.

I searched for Darius. My eyes blurred with tears, but I found him. And what I saw broke me.

He wasn’t looking at me. His arms were wrapped around Lira, her face buried in his chest, his hand stroking her hair as though shielding her from the horror.

My heart shattered. I was alone.

As Rydan dragged me away, his mark burning like chains, I forced myself to look back one last time.

And I saw Lira with a vicious smile on her face.