Chapter 1- Freya

Breath. Breath. Breath.

I keep chanting the same words as my father comes to my side. His tall frame casts a shadow over my reflection in the ornate mirror, his silver-streaked dark hair neatly combed for the occasion.

"You look beautiful, my girl. Your mother would be so proud of you."

His words do little to calm my nerves, forcing me to recall Mom. I lost her at eight to a monster. I close my eyes, chasing away the terrible memory of her being dragged away by a rogue wolf, her screams echoing through our home.

"Thank you, Father," I manage, my palms sweaty from clutching my cream silk dress. The intricate lace sleeves my mother once wore on her own wedding day now adorn my arms.

"Chin up. This has to be perfect," he says, but I hear his underlying message. I have to be perfect. Give them no reason to think I'm not fit for him. My silver hair and something else already marks me as different.

When we enter the court chambers, he sees me, but his eyes hold little affection when they find mine. Damon stands tall and proud, his broad shoulders filling out his ceremonial jacket, dark hair falling just above piercing green eyes. The loud clang of doors closing behind me sends a tremor down my spine.

I swallow my nerves and move with my father.

"Alpha, Luna," my father greets with a bow, and I join him. Alpha Rowan's imposing figure dominates the mahogany throne, his mate Luna Elena's delicate hand resting on his shoulder.

"Rise, Elian. We are soon to be family. Welcome." Alpha Rowan's voice booms through the chamber, echoing off the stone walls adorned with pack history tapestries.

"Damon, why don't you take your fiancée on a walk while the adults discuss important matters," Luna Elena speaks, her voice gentle but carrying authority that comes from years as pack mother.

Damon answers his mother's request with a nod. He walks past me, and I hear the chamber doors open and shut again. Same slight tremor.

I give my father a weak smile to hide my surprise that Damon didn't acknowledge me.

"Alpha, Luna," I greet them both before turning to catch up with him.

"Is something the matter?" I ask, panting as I try to match his pace. His long legs carry him faster than I can follow, his boots clicking against the marble floors.

Servants walk pass us, their whispers sharp as thorns. "Isn't she the wolfless girl?" The words sting as it’s a label I have come to be tied to for a while but I push them aside. In our pack, failing to shift by eighteen is almost unheard of - most wolves emerge by sixteen.

But their opinion matters so little to me. Except his.

"Damon!"

He finally stops.

When I rush to reach him, I trip. He catches me in an instant, strong hands steadying me. The familiar scent of pine and winter air that always clings to him fills my senses.

"Thank you," I say, looking up at him.

His eyes are distant, clouded with worry. "Is something wrong?"

The garden around us buzzes with life - water rushing down the creek, birds hopping between branches. Red and gold roses climb the stone walls, a testament to generations of careful tending. Any other time, I'd pause to admire the beauty, but my future husband's silence drowns everything else.

"Freya, I have to speak to you about something."

His tone makes my heart stutter.

"If I'm going to be Alpha one day, I need to be married," he says. My heart leaps – is this a proposal?

We've been betrothed since I was eight. He's my first love, and at sixteen, everything changed. We were fated mates - the Moon Goddess's highest blessing. The mark on my wrist, a crescent moon intertwined with a wolf's paw, appeared the day we met. Father told me to thank the Moon Goddess for such fortune.

I didn't care about the Moon Goddess. Where was she when Mom died?

All I know is that I love him. Being apart was never an option. The way his eyes used to light up when he saw me, how he'd sneak extra desserts to me during pack dinners, the gentle touches when no one was watching - these memories are etched in my heart.

"I need a strong Luna by my side," he continues. A small blush warms my cheeks.

"A Luna with a strong wolf."

My smile falls.

"You haven't shifted," he speaks as if it breaks his heart, but it shatters mine. His fingers trace the mark on my wrist, almost apologetically.

Being the only one left from the pristine family to shift since I turned sixteen, pack members look at me with disdain.

Father refuses me as Omega, as some low-ranking pack members have their wolves. He and Mom had strong wolves - she was one of the fastest runners in pack history, and his tactical mind made him the perfect Beta.

"I'm a late bloomer. We all agree that's the problem. I... I mean..." Words fail me.

"Freya." His grip on my shoulder stops my rambling.

"We cannot wed if you don't shift."

My eyes widen. He turns away, his jaw set in that stubborn way I once found endearing.

"My father says I cannot marry a weakling." The words slap my face.

A weakling?

I've tried my best, participated in pack duties meant only for those with wolves. Being the Beta's daughter gave me no choice. Father's training was never gentle - endless runs through the forest, combat training until my muscles screamed, studying pack laws until dawn.

Now, because I haven't shifted, I'm called weak?

"We're fated mates, Damon," I choke out as despair floods me. The mark on my wrist seems to burn.

"The Moon Goddess wouldn't give me a wolfless mate," he snaps. I flinch at the insult. Something flashes in his eyes - regret? Pity? But it's gone before I can be sure.

"I'm not wolfless," my voice rises but breaks with tears.

I grab his hand, desperate. "Damon, I love you."

He pulls away like my touch burns. My heart splinters.

"Duty surpasses love, Freya."

My world stops.

Watching him walk away, I sob alone in the garden, surrounded by the roses that suddenly seem to mock me with their perfect blooms.

“MoonGoddes please send me my wolf”

I mutter the silent prayer to myself.

********

Now the compound brims with guests here to witness their next Alpha's union. Lanterns cast a warm glow over the gathering, the scent of ceremonial herbs burning in copper bowls mixing with the evening air.

Jane stands beside me at the altar, my oldest friend who never abandoned me after Mom's death. Her honey-blonde hair shimmers in the firelight as I catch her staring at Damon.

"Finally!" she whispers, handing me garden lilies. "I was going to kidnap him if he broke your heart. You two are perfect together."

The warmth of her words battles the butterflies in my stomach as I look at him. Damon stands proud in his ceremonial robes, the deep blue fabric embroidered with silver threads that catch the light.

But then I remember the condition for which we were allowed to wed and the feeling of earlier becomes unsetlling.

My father could not stand for me to be cast aside and so I have two moons to prove myself worthy - to find my wolf. If I failed, Our union would be dissolved without challenge from my father.

The fire crackles under the full moon as we stand facing each other. Alpha Rowan's voice carries across the gathering, his formal robes rustling in the evening breeze.

"We have gathered today to witness the joining of Damon Aidenson and Freya Blackwood. As Alpha of this pack, I honor the Moon Goddess by officiating these sacred rites. May she bless this union as she has blessed our pack for generations."

I smile at the mention of the Moon Goddess. She heard my plea, though not exactly as I'd hoped. My mark tingles as Damon's hand brushes against it.

Our hands join before the pack, ancient words of binding flowing between us. The ceremony ends with our kiss, and I melt into him. To be chosen, to be loved - it overwhelms me and for the moment I forget my predicament.

Joyous noise and clapping hands fill the air, but I see only his eyes. My husband. Safe. For now, at least.

Music and dancing follow as night deepens. Traditional pack songs fill the air as wolves dance around the ceremonial fire. My smile rivals the sun as Father nods proudly from his seat, though tension still lines his face.

Following tradition, I bring Alpha Rowan his ceremonial cup, filled with wine blessed by our pack priestess. His usual stern expression hasn't softened, but he accepts the drink. Mid-sip, he coughs.

The cup crashes to the ground. Damon rushes to his father as blood, dark and thick, spills from the Alpha's mouth. The metallic scent hits my nose as music screeches to a halt. Wine glasses shatter as guests leap to their feet.

Alpha Rowan's massive frame crumples, his ceremonial robes pooling around him like spilled ink. Luna Elena's scream pierces the chaos.

I stand frozen, unable to move as people push past me. My perfect day shatters like broken glass around me.

"He's been poisoned," someone announces. "Wolfsbane!"

My heart pounds against my ribs. Gasps ripple through the crowd.

"She poisoned the Alpha!"

I whip around to find the accuser, but every eye is already on me. Horror dawns as I realize - they mean me.