Chapter 1
I was nothing but a filthy little wolf pup scavenging at a refugee camp on the border when Jake Watkins found me. An Omega with nowhere to go.
It was during a snowstorm three years ago—I had nearly passed out in the cold when he carried me back to Silverclaw Pack. He was the Alpha heir then, the one everyone called the future leader. I, on the other hand, became his personal "bedwarmer Omega".
To the world, I was just his attendant. But behind closed doors, he’d pull me under his down comforter night after night—no room for protest, no words of comfort.
I’d lost count of how many nights like this there had been.
Tonight, after everything ended, his breath was still heavy as he brushed a kiss across my forehead and tucked me in. Then he whispered:
“Clarissa Santiago, I heard you found your family. You should return to them. There's no reason for you to stay here anymore.”
I instinctively grabbed his hand. “No! I don’t want to go anywhere. I just want to stay with you. You’re my mate.”
Jake paused mid-motion, his tone turning cold.
“I’m not your mate. I’m getting engaged to Anna. Staying here will only spark gossip.”
“She’s a pure Beta. I won’t touch her before the wedding. You… you're just a convenient outlet.”
He hesitated a second, then warned, “I told you not to catch feelings. Cause trouble in front of her, and I won’t go easy on you.”
I swallowed my tears and whispered, “Congratulations.”
As he turned to leave, I reached under the pillow and retrieved a hidden comm-stone. I activated it and sent a message to a royal guard stationed in the human world:
“Tell my brother—I’m going back to Moonlight Pack.”
Jake’s fingers brushed against my neck. His eyes were sharp, his voice colder than winter frost.
“Be good. I’ll give you a parting gift. Consider it payment for your services these past years.”
“You know I hate clingy Omegas. Besides…” He leaned closer. “Didn’t you enjoy it too?”
Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. He turned and left like always, never staying more than a moment after using me. The warmth between us faded like a dream at dawn—leaving only hollow coldness.
I collapsed to the floor, too drained to move.
Just an hour ago, I’d learned the truth of who I really was: the missing royal daughter of Moonlight Pack.
The excitement had barely sunk in—yet I hadn’t even had the chance to tell him—before he severed all ties with ruthless efficiency.
I closed my eyes. Memories of three years ago rushed in. A flood had swept through the borderlands, claiming my parents. I was left begging on the streets of a human city until Jake pulled me from beside a trash bin.
“Your eyes… they shine,” he had said, and brought me back to Silverclaw.
I became his personal Omega. I learned to obey, to wait quietly in the dark for him, to memorize his habits and tastes. I changed myself—softened every sharp edge—just to stay by his side.
Once, one of his friends had teased, “This little Omega’s getting prettier, Jake. You sure you don’t want to share?”
I’d looked down, face burning with shame, missing the way Jake’s expression turned thunderous.
That night, he drank heavily, stormed into my room, and pinned me down in silence.
“You think you’re charming now?” he snarled into my ear. “Remember—you’re mine. Only mine.”
In his violence, I thought I heard love.
But the next morning, he sent me birth control pills—and I finally woke up.
I was just an obedient Omega. I would never be his Luna.
Still, I would’ve stayed hidden in the shadows, watching him from afar, if it meant remaining close.
Then Anna Chavez appeared.
She was everything he treasured—graceful, Beta-blooded, worthy. He couldn’t rid himself of me fast enough.
I forced myself to stand, dragging my torn clothes around me. He was just stepping out the door when he suddenly turned back.
“Wait.”
My heart jumped. Was he having second thoughts?
But all he said was:
“Before you go, plan a lantern festival. I want to propose to Anna in front of the entire Pack.”
I looked up at him.
When he said her name, his eyes glowed with a tenderness I’d never seen.
“Make it grand. She’s not like you—she’s seen the world. I don’t want her to feel slighted.”
Each word crushed me into the dirt.
My throat burned. I managed a single syllable: “Okay.”
The door slammed shut behind him, plunging the room into silence.
I reached for the comm-stone again and whispered, “Tell my brother—I’m going back to Moonlight Pack.”
I had once believed that if I were obedient enough, he might eventually care for me.
But I was just a toy to him—used and discarded.
Three years of devotion in the dark… I’ll count it as repayment for saving my life.
Once I plan this final festival, I’ll walk away.
For good.
