Prologue

RHEA'S POV

My name is Rhea, I am Fourteen years old. I have never felt my mother’s love for a single day, and that hollow feeling has only grown sharper since my father passed away. My mother seems to hunt for the smallest reasons to tear me down, while she showers my twin younger sister, Roxy, with so much love.

When I was younger, I chalked it up to Roxy needing more attention because she was younger. Innocent me thought maybe that explained why I got the cold shoulder. But as I grew up, it became glaringly obvious that wasn’t the reason. It wasn’t about age or who needed what.

It was about Roxy. She was the family’s golden child, the classic beauty with a crown of charisma and academic prowess to match. Meanwhile, I studied till my eyes went numb, but somehow, Roxy still managed to shine just a bit brighter, she was the beloved daughter, the girl everyone wanted to be friends with.

Tonight, my mother and I had an ugly fight—again, over Roxy, as always. But this time, she struck me. But I wasn't to stick around to trade any more words. I ran out of the house, letting my feet lead me to the only place that offered me solace in the pack: the pack’s riverbanks. This quiet stretch of the river under the moonlight had always been my sanctuary. Sitting there crying, I swore I would never set foot in that house again. Not after tonight.

As I sat there, letting the silence calm me, I heard the unmistakable crunch of a twig breaking. My heart leaped into my throat. I thought they were rogues.

I quickly hid behind a tree by the river, holding my breath. Not long after that, I saw him—a boy, maybe my age, bolting toward the river. I watched as the water rose to his knees, his waist, and up to his torso, but he didn’t stop.

Confused, I kept watching until I could no longer see him. But as I waited for him to come up, he didn’t. That’s when it dawned on me that the boy was drowning. Without a second thought, I dove into the water, my mind racing with the rhythm of my strokes as I searched for him.

I finally surfaced with the boy in my arms, and as I pulled him onto the riverbank, two things hit me: he was older than I had thought, and he was Miles—the Alpha’s son and, inconveniently, my quiet, unspoken crush. Miles. The boy who ruled the school from a distance, never talking to anyone outside his inner circle of friends, Rico and Evans. He was practically a ghost to everyone else, including me. But Alpha’s son or not, I had fallen hard for him the day I first saw him. But I was nobody to him. Just a face in the crowd. He was my senior and Alpha’s son, after all; he had to choose who he rolled with.

Now, here he was, lying unconscious in my arms, looking as maddeningly handsome as ever. I put a hand on his chest and started CPR, my fingers trembling with both cold and fear. I prayed to the goddess for his life, for his breath. My father’s sister had been a nurse, and she had taught me a thing or two before she passed away on the same day I lost my father. This was a moment I never expected to face, but I poured everything I had into those breaths and compressions.

“Come on, Miles,” I whispered desperately between breaths, “don’t you dare leave me here with all this love. I didn’t pull you out of that water to just stare at you.”

He remained silent and unmoving. I felt a tear slide down my cheek, and then another, until I was openly crying over him. I wasn’t even sure why I was crying. Maybe because I needed a good cry after what my mother did to me, or maybe it was the crushing thought that if I failed here, I would lose my first love before I had even had a chance to know him. I was shivering from the cold, but I didn’t care. Miles was all that mattered.

"Please, wake up, please," I murmured frantically, sobbing as I pressed my hands on his chest. "Dear goddess, help me... Miles, please don’t die."

Just then, a weak cough rose from beneath me, but I was too heartbroken to realize that the person I was helping was awake. Then his voice rose. "Who…who are you?"

I froze, staring down to see his eyes fluttering open, his face shifting between confusion and discomfort. Relief slammed into me so hard I almost forgot to breathe. Before I could respond, he broke into a coughing fit, water sputtering out of his mouth. I tried to keep my composure, but my sobs were wracking my body. By the time Miles stopped coughing, I was a sobbing mess. The relief I felt didn't stop my tears, rather it made me sob the more. I began to beat Miles' chest, my hands thudding against his chest in a mix of relief and pent-up anxiety as I cried.

"Hey, hey, hey," he said quickly, his hands reaching out and grabbing my own. His tone was somewhere between panic and complete bewilderment. "Stop crying, okay?" His words were shaky, like he was just as lost as I was in that moment.

But my tears had no intention of stopping. All I could think was: What if I hadn’t been here? What if no one saw him drowning? Would it have been the end of Miles? He would have left me heartbroken when we had never even talked. The thought of almost losing him only made me cry harder.

"I’m sorry," he whispered, pulling me into his arms. "I’m sorry for making you cry, okay? Just...please, stop."

As he hugged me, warmth bloomed through me like a balm against the cold fear still curling in my chest. He was here, alive and holding me. His arms wrapped tightly around me, and my sobs began to quiet as he stroked my hair gently. It was a moment I wanted to stretch out forever. It was like the goddess herself heard my wish, and as he made no move to let go, he kept muttering, "I'm sorry," as if he was the one who needed forgiveness.

Once my tears dried up and the lump in my throat softened, I sniffed, "So," I asked softly, unable to resist the curiosity that was burning inside me. "Why were you trying to drown yourself in the river?"

"Because I want to end it all."

My heart twisted painfully. "Why would you want to end your life? You have so much…" I swallowed, finding the words difficult to get out, "so much beauty around you." I asked, not really believing I was speaking with Miles like this. He looked so standoffish on the outside, but here, he was with me, being vulnerable and a really warm person. He felt so… real.

He chuckled. "Beautiful life? There’s nothing beautiful about it. It’s all expectations and pressure. I’m the Alpha’s son, but I don’t want this life. I don’t want to be shipped off to some pack for Alpha training. Everyone has these ridiculous demands on me, and I just… I’m so tired of it."

"Try being an omega or a rogue," I mumbled quietly, unable to stop myself.

"Are you rogue?" he asked. "Because you don't smell like one," he muttered. I tried to pull away, but he held me tighter. "Let's keep sharing body heat. I would freeze to death otherwise."

A warmth rose in my cheeks, but I wrapped my arms around him, settling against him. "Alright," I replied, my voice soft. The night chill was gnawing at our bones but hugging each other gave us a little warmth at least.

Miles sighed, leaning his head on my shoulder, as I stared out at the glimmering river. "You have no idea what it’s like—always being in the spotlight, always having everyone’s eyes on you. My father’s constantly breathing down my neck, pushing me into this role I never asked for. I told him if he’s so desperate to retire, he should just hand over the title to his beta. But of course, he won’t listen." His voice cracked slightly, and for the first time, I could feel the weight he carried, the burden of a life he never chose.

"Must be hard being surrounded by people and yet feeling so alone," I murmured.

He let out a dry laugh. "Exactly." He tilted his head slightly and sighed again. "Ironic, huh? Being the Alpha’s son and still feeling like no one really sees you."

"Should we just run away then?" I asked, playfully. "Maybe head off somewhere far away, start our own lives as… I don’t know… normal people? We could live our happily ever after."

Miles laughed, pulling back just enough to look at me. Even though the night made it hard to make out the color of his eyes, the way he looked at me made my heart flutter like a fool.

"Where have you been all my life?" he murmured. "That might be the best idea I’ve heard in ages. It’s tempting, to say the least."

I chuckled, dropping my gaze to the small space between us. "Well, they tell me I’m smart," I said casually, but I meant it. My father and his sister used to say that all the time, even if my mother made it sound like I was delusional.

"Whoever said that was right. Come here—the cold’s back, and I could use a smart person to keep me warm." He wrapped his arms around me again, and I let myself sink into the warmth.

"But honestly, Miles, there are people who would give anything for a life like yours. People like… well, people like me. If you think being an Alpha’s son is hard, try living a life where no one even notices you—where your own mother looks past you as if you’re invisible."

A silence settled between us, only broken by the sound of the river moving lazily in the moonlight. Finally, he spoke, voice softer. "I’m… I’m sorry you feel that way."

"Miles," I called.

"Yes?"

"You’ve got a good life, you know. Think about the pain your parents and the whole pack would feel if you weren’t here. Even if you don’t realize it, people love you, and they would be devastated if you die. That’s a blessing you can’t just toss away. Every day, I’m reminded how… useless I am, but I never think of giving up. Because even though my mother doesn’t care, I still have my dreams. That’s what keeps me going."

"What are your dreams?" he asked.

"I want to be the best Nurse Practitioner there is," I said with a little grin. "I want to help people feel hope even when they’re sick and vulnerable." I paused, turning the question back to him. "What about you, Miles? What are your dreams?"

He laughed, but there was a bitter edge to it. "Dreams? I’m not even allowed to dream. My life has already mapped out for me—train hard, take over as Alpha, run the family business. That’s the sum of it."

I couldn’t help but laugh a little too, shaking my head. "Honestly, sometimes I wish I had things handed to me on a silver platter. That sounds like the most relaxing life ever." We both laughed at that, the weight between us easing for a moment. "But I suppose I would go crazy if I didn’t have to work to prove myself."

Miles finally pulled away, his hands lingering on my cheeks as if he didn’t quite want to let go. His warm palms cradled my face, his thumbs brushing away the last of my tears. "I'm sorry for everything you’re going through," he murmured, his gaze searching my face. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen," I replied, the word barely leaving my lips before I realized how ridiculously young that probably sounded to him.

He nodded, still running his thumb gently over my cheek as if he was memorizing my face. "I'm sixteen," he said. "In two years, I’ll meet my wolf."

I knew everything about Miles, practically every detail. He was my secret wish, my impossible dream. I had always imagined that maybe, just maybe, he would end up being my true mate, sweeping me away from my mother like some kind of knight in shining armor. But, of course, I kept all that to myself and simply nodded.

"What's your name?" he asked.

Before I could even answer, his name rang out through the woods, echoing with urgency. Flashlights cut through the trees, flooding our little corner of the world. The pack warriors were here, calling for him.

"Miles! Miles!" they shouted. One of them spotted us, shining his flashlight right on us. "He’s over here!"

Miles looked at me, his eyes wide and urgent. He pulled a necklace from around his neck and pressed it into my hand. "I want to see you again," he said, his voice low and quick. "I might not recognize you when I come back from Alpha training, but if you show me this, I’ll know it’s you and remember tonight."

"Oh, thank the goddess, Miles!" one of the maidens exclaimed as she rushed forward, draping a thick, warm blanket around his shoulders. "Where have you been? And why are you soaked?"

Another warrior pulled Miles up from the ground, lifting him carefully, but I couldn’t let go of his hand. My fingers were already starting to get cold, and I didn’t want this moment to end. "Miles," I said, looking up at him, my voice steady even though my heart felt like it might burst. "You’re going to be a great Alpha, just like your father. I know it. I believe in you."

He looked at me, his expression softening with something I couldn’t quite name. With a small, grateful smile, he shrugged off the blanket and wrapped it around my shoulders instead. "You need this more than I do," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "Thank you for saving my life."

Before I could fully process his words, he leaned down and kissed me—a quick, gentle kiss that seemed to fill the whole world with stars. My heart went wild, hammering so fast I thought he might hear it. I was too stunned to kiss him back, still standing there, dazed and clutching the blanket when he pulled away. He looked at me with that same soft smile. "You’re my savior. Always remember that, and don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re useless."

"Miles, your father’s waiting, and your mother’s worried sick," one of the warriors said, his tone a little impatient. He took Miles by the arm. "We need to go now."

I stayed rooted in place, clutching the blanket around my shoulders, watching as they led him away. This couldn’t be real; it felt too perfect, too magical. And if it was a dream, then I never wanted to wake up.