chapter 1

Mia's fingers traced the jagged ends of her hair in the bathroom mirror. The fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows across her tear-stained face, red lipstick smeared across her cheeks like war paint.

"You're my mate." The words echoed in her mind, the memory fresh from minutes earlier. Her heart had soared at first, feeling that precious bond snap into place when Tarlose approached her in the crowded hallway.

"Everyone, watch this." Tarlose's voice had carried across the gathered crowd. "Watch me claim my mate."

Her chin trembled at the memory. "I accept-" The words had barely left her lips when his palm connected with her cheek, the crack of it silencing the hallway.

"As if I'd ever want a mate like you." His laugh had cut deeper than the slap. "Hold her still."

Rough hands had gripped her arms while he pulled out the lipstick. "Let's make you pretty, Mia. Since you clearly need the help."

"Stop, please." She'd struggled against the grip. "We're supposed to be friends. We grew up together-"

"Friends? With you?" The lipstick had dragged across her face in cruel strokes. "I was just being nice because our parents made me."

The scissors came next. Mia watched now as clumps of her dark hair littered the bathroom sink. They'd hacked at it while she'd screamed, turning her waist-length waves into a choppy mess that barely reached her shoulders.

"There." He'd stepped back to admire his work. "Now everyone can see what you really are - nothing."

Fresh tears spilled down Mia's cheeks as she gripped the bathroom counter. The mate bond ached in her chest, a constant reminder of his rejection. She'd thought starting at a new school would be different. Instead, her childhood friend had become her worst nightmare.

"I trusted you," she whispered to her reflection, watching the mascara track black lines down her face. Her wolf howled inside her, grieving the loss of what should have been sacred.

Mia fled down the empty hallways, her footsteps echoing against the lockers. Behind her, Tarlose's laughter mixed with the others - a cruel chorus that had been planned all along. She caught fragments of their voices as she ran.

"Did you see her face?"

"Perfect timing with the scissors, Jack."

"Been waiting weeks to do that."

She burst through the school's double doors into the crisp autumn air, not stopping until she reached her mother's flower shop three blocks away. The bell above the door chimed as she stumbled inside, the familiar scent of roses and lilies doing nothing to calm her racing heart.

"Mom?" Her voice cracked.

Sarah Minton emerged from behind a display of orchids, her smile falling at the sight of her daughter. "Oh, sweetheart." She rushed forward, pulling Mia into her arms. "What happened to your hair?"

Mia collapsed against her mother's shoulder, the story spilling out between sobs. "Tarlose... he pretended... the mate bond... It was all a joke. They planned it."

Her mother's arms tightened. "Those monsters." She pulled back, wiping tears from Mia's cheeks with gentle fingers. "I should have moved us away years ago when the bullying started."

"What do you mean?" Mia hiccupped.

Sarah guided her to the small office behind the counter, settling them both onto the worn leather couch. "I've been waiting for the right time to tell you." She smoothed Mia's ruined hair. "I got a call yesterday. Your aunt Claire needs help running her pack. She's offered us a place there."

"Aunt?"

"A fresh start, baby. New pack, new school, new everything." Sarah squeezed her hand. "We don't have to stay here anymore."

Mia's wolf stirred, hope flickering through their shared grief. "When?"

"I can have us packed and ready by the weekend." Her mother's eyes hardened. "No one hurts my daughter like this and gets away with it. It's time we left this toxic pack behind."

Sarah's phone buzzed on the coffee table. She glanced at the screen, a small smile crossing her face. "Perfect timing." She squeezed Mia's hand. "There's someone I need you to meet."

The shop's bell chimed. Heavy footsteps crossed the wooden floor, accompanied by the sharp tap of a cane. A tall figure appeared in the office doorway, his presence filling the small space. Silver threaded through his dark hair at the temples, and his steel-gray eyes fixed on Mia with an intensity that made her wolf stir.

"Victor." Sarah stood, drawing him into the room. "This is my daughter, Mia."

Lord Victor Hawthorne's gaze swept over Mia's tear-stained face and ruined hair. His jaw tightened. "Sarah told me what happened at the school." His voice carried the weight of authority. "No one will harm you like that in my territory."

Mia's eyes darted between them. "Your territory?"

"Victor is my mate, sweetheart." Sarah's fingers intertwined with his. "We met last month during the pack alliance meetings. He's the Alpha of the Silver Creek pack - where we'll be moving."

"The house is ready for you both." Victor's hand rested on his cane. "My pack values strength of character over petty displays of dominance. What those children did today-" A low growl rumbled in his chest. "It would never be tolerated under my leadership."

Mia's wolf perked up at the sound of his growl, recognizing the power of a true Alpha. Not like the weak leadership that had allowed her torment to continue unchecked.

"When?" Mia's voice came out small.

"Tonight." Sarah knelt beside her. "Victor's drivers are already at the house, packing our things. We don't need to spend another minute in this place."

Victor's expression shifted as he glanced at his watch. "There's something else you should know, Mia. I have four sons."

Mia's breath caught. Sarah squeezed her hand, a warning in her touch.

"Alpha Kings, all of them." Victor's cane tapped against the wooden floor. "Aiden, the eldest. Liam, who runs our medical facilities. Zander handles pack relations, and Matthew - he's about your age."

Sarah pulled Mia aside while Victor stepped out to take a call. Her mother's voice dropped to a whisper. "Listen carefully, sweetheart. These boys... they're not like the wolves you've known. They're powerful, dangerous in their own ways."

"What do you mean?"

"Your wolf..." Sarah brushed a strand of Mia's choppy hair back. "She's special. Different. More seductive than most. You need to be careful around them, keep your distance. Don't let them get too close."

Mia's wolf bristled at the warning. "But they're going to be my stepbrothers."

"That's exactly why you need to be cautious." Sarah's eyes darted to the door. "Promise me you'll be careful. These boys - they're not used to sharing their territory, especially with someone like you."

The shop's bell chimed again. Victor returned, his phone disappearing into his pocket. "The cars are ready. Shall we?"

Mia followed them outside, her mind spinning. Four stepbrothers. Four Alpha Kings. Her life had changed so drastically in the span of an hour that she could barely process it.

Her wolf paced beneath her skin, both excited and wary of the changes ahead. New pack. New family. New everything.

"The boys are waiting at the house." Victor held the car door open. "They're eager to meet you both."

Mia slid into the leather seat, her mother's warning echoing in her mind. Keep your distance. Don't let them get too close.

But as the car pulled away from the curb, she wondered how possible that would be in a house full of Alpha Kings.