I wake up with a jolt, my heart pounding in my chest. Today is the day, my eighteenth birthday. But it’s not just any birthday. Today, I got my wolf and I can finally sense my mate. The moment my eyes flutter open I feel it, this deep pull undeniable pull. My heart skips a beat as I realize who it’s leading me to.
“It’s him” a voice whispers in my mind, her voice trembling with excitement. Ethan is our mate, Amelia!
I froze. “Are you my wolf?”
“Yes silly, who else do you think can sense our mate?” My wolf giggle “My name is Snow, nice to meet you.”
A surge of joy rushes through me, filling every part of my being. I finally got my wolf and she seems spunky too. Also best of all, Ethan is my mate. For two years, I’ve been with Ethan, loving him, dreaming of this moment and now it’s real. I can hardly believe it, because not everyone gets to be mated to their partner of whom they chose. I am glad the moon goddess, granted my wish to be Ethan mate and what better time for it to happen, just four days before is coronation to becoming Alpha.
I leap out of bed, hands shaking as I get ready to go Ethan. My heart races as I rush to the ball room, I knew he’d be in the ball room, helping organize he coronation ball. We’ve been working on it hard together. The decorations, the lights, everything is falling into place for the big event in four days. But nothing compares to the excitement bubbling inside me.
I burst through the doors, spotting Ethan across the room, organizing some final touches. His minty scent hit me, full force, I can’t get enough of it. He’s here, just like I knew he would be. My mate, my future. I can hardly contain my happiness as I make my way toward him.
“Ethan!” I call out, practically glowing with excitement. He turns to me, and for a brief moment, I see something flicker in his eyes. But it’s gone before I can grasp it.
“Amelia,” he said, his tone steady, too steady. It’s like a bucket of cold water dumped on my joy. What’s worst there’s no excitement on his face. Surly he and his wolf can sense, I’m his mate. Where is the joy one his face? Something is wrong, I slow my steps, my heart pounding for a different reason now.
“I have something to tell you,” he continue, his voice tight. My heart sink as Snow goes silent, sensing the shift.
“Ethan I got my wolf, and I-I felt it this morning, I know you’re my mate,” I blurt out, hoping aginst hope that this will change whatever is in his eyes. I know everyone in the room were paying attention to us, despite looking as if they’re working but I didn’t care.
Ethan expression hardens. “I know Amelia. I felt it too.”
My world cashes around me. “Then why… Why do you look like that? What’s wrong?”
He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “This isn’t easy to say, but we can’t be together.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “What are you talking about? We’re mates. Ethan! We’re supposed to be together!”
“He’s a fool,” Snow growls in the back of my mind, but there’s a note of fear there too. He can’t do this. He wouldn’t.
But Ethan’s next words shatter all my hopes. “I have to put the pack first, Amelia. My duty as Alpha is more important than anything else. I can’t let my feelings get in the way of that. I have to focus on whats’s best for the pack.”
I swallow, I want to scream at him, to make him see that we could have both. That we could still be together. But I can’t it’s like he already made up his mind and nothing I say is going to change it. My hands clench into fist, nails digging into my palms. “And what about, what we had? Are you just going to throw that away?” My voice tremble.
“He’s no mate of ours. We’re better off without him.” Snow snarls, her voice a fierce echo in my mind. “If he can’t see what we’re worth, then he doesn’t deserve us.”
He looks away and for a brief moment I think I see a flivker of guilt in his eyes. But it’d gone as quickly as it came, replaced by that infuriating calmness. “I have to think about the future, the pack need a strong leader. I need to focus.”
I shake my head, refusing to believe what I’m hearing. “But we can be together. We can make this work. An Alpha needs is Luna to be strong. I can be your Luna-“
“No,” he cuts me off, his voice cold now. Stepping back, creating a huge gap between us. “I, Ethan Blackwood, rejected, Amelia Grey of the Ssilvermoon Pack, as my mate and Luna.” His voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
The world tilt beneath me, my breath catching in my throat. “No!” Snow howls her pain echoing through me. “He can’t do this! We’re his mate!”
I fell to my knees gasping for air as our mate bond snap, beads of sweats rolled down my forehead. I feel hurt, empty. My eyes burn as tears threaten to escape and I can feel everyone eyes on me. I won’t give him or them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
“I’m sorry Amelia, you’re not strong enough to be my mate. I need a stronger Luna by my side. I hope you under, maybe someday you’ll find someone a chosen mate.”
I look up glaring at him. I can’t listen to this anymore. The hurt, the anger, it’s all bubbling up inside me threatening to spill over without another word. I got up, turn and walk away, my vision blurring as I leave him behind. I can’t let him see the broken pieces of my heart.
“He’s lost us,” Snow whispers, her voice tinge with sorrow. “But we’ll find our strength again, Amelia. We will,”
But as I leave the auditorium, the weight of his rejected presses down on me, and I know nothing will never be the same again.
I don’t know how I make it out the ball room. Everything’s a blur- faces, voices, the oppressive weigh of pity from those who witnessed my humiliation. The further I get form Ethan, the more the pain seeps in, clawing at my insides like a wild animal trapped in a cage.“Amelia, you have to breathe” Snow’s voice urges me, but even she sounds weaker than before. The severance of the bond has left both of us raw and bleeding.“I can’t,” I whisper back. My chest is tight, and it feels like someone has ripped my heart out and left a gaping wound in its place. “It hurts too much know Snow. He rejected us, despite being mate.”“I know, but you’re stronger than this. We’re stronger,” Snow insists, but even as she says it, I can feel her sadness, her anger. She’s trying to hold us together, but the bond… It’s shattered us in ways I never imagined possible.I find myself outside, the cool air a stark contrast to the suffocating atmosphere inside. My legs carry me to the edge of the pack’s terri
After leaving the woods, I barely manage to pull myself together long enough to reach home. The moment I step inside, the walls of my room close in on me. I live alone, no parents, no siblings, nothing. Just amplifying the emptiness left by Ethan’s rejections.My parents died when I was just a toddler. I have to memory or recollection of them and I was an only child, I stayed in the pack house, until I was 16. With the savings my parents left for me, I used that to purchase a small house in the pack. I collapse onto my bed, the silence heavy and suffocating.My phone buzzes, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glance at my phone, it’s a call from my best friend Ivy. For a moment, I consider letting it go to voicemail, but something in me- a desperate need for distraction- makes me answer.“That fuck bastard Ethan! He doesn’t deserve you Amelia.” Ivy voice exclaim over the phone. I wince at her words. The news had reach my best friend too. I take it everyone knew. “Yea, thanks,” I mutte
The sunlight streaming through the curtains wakes me up with a start and head pounding and my body tangled in sheets that aren’t mine. For a split second, I’m disoriented, struggling to remember where I am and how I got here. But then, it all comes flooding back- the club, it the drinks, Ethan with that girl… and Lucas. I freeze my heart racing as I take in the room around me. I’m in a hotel.I felt a stir beside me and I look over. There lay Lucas, his perfectly define face. Deeply a sleep. The memory of our night together hits me like a tidal wave, and I feel my face flush with embarrassment.Shit!... Fuck! What have I done?I bite my lip, trying to keep my breathing steady as I carefully slip out from under the covers. I don’t dare to look back at Lucas, afraid that he might wake up and catch me sneaking out like some thief. I can’t face the questions, the looks, the inevitable awkwardness that will come when he wakes up. I need to get out of here. I spot my clothes in a heap on t
Amelia P.O.VI sit on the edge of my bed, staring at Lucas's text. My thumb hovers over the screen, heart pounding in my chest. Can we meet and talk? The words seem so innocent, but I know there’s more behind them. There has to be, especially after that night.I take a deep breath and type out a quick reply: Sure, where? His response is almost immediate—meet me at the oak tree in the forest. My breath catches as memories of that place flood my mind. The last time I was there… it was right after Ethan rejected me. I ran to that tree, seeking solace, and it was Lucas who found me, offering comfort when I thought I didn’t have any left. I don’t know why he chose that place, but something about it feels significant.As I make my way to the oak tree, the cool forest air bites at my skin, sending shivers down my spine. My mind races with a thousand different thoughts, but one stands out above the rest—what does he want to say? My steps slow as I approach the tree, and I see him standing ther
Amelia P.O.VThe second Lucas's announcement leaves his lips, the weight of the room shifts. I can feel it. Eyes are on me, on him—on us. I stand there, my pulse quickening. They all must have have so many question giving the fact, I have been with Ethan for a while, only for him to reject me and now I appear as Lucas fiancé. Lucas leaves my side to mingle with some officials. The murmurs grow louder, whispers buzzing through the crowd like bees around a hive. I overhear some unmated females calling my slut under their breaths. I ignore them as I went to get myself a glass of champagne. I can practically feel the shock rolling off Ethan from across the room as I take a glass, but I don’t let my gaze wander toward him. I refuse to give him the satisfaction.Ivy is at my side almost immediately, her eyes wide with barely-contained glee. “Did you see Ethan’s face?” she whispers, trying—and failing—to stifle a laugh. “I thought he was going to explode.”I can’t help but smile at her enth
Amelia POVTension lingers in the air like a fog that refuses to lift. My heart is still pounding, but it’s quieter now, the adrenaline slowly fading as I stand on the balcony beside Lucas. The cool night air brushes against my skin, calming, but I can’t shake the heavy feeling in my chest. Even after I sliped out of Lucas’s arm, the warmth of his body quickly replaced by the coolness of the evening.I steal a glance at him, his face unreadable. The calm, collected Lucas everyone sees, and yet... I know there’s more to him than what he shows. I’ve seen glimpses of it, in the moments we’ve shared, in the way he was so quick to defend me tonight.Snow is pacing inside me, her energy restless. “That idiot,” she growls, referring to Ethan. “He has some nerve.”I nod silently, agreeing with her. My emotions are a tangled mess, and part of me wants to scream at Ethan, to make him understand that he doesn’t get to control me anymore. But there’s another part of me, a part that aches—a part t
Ethan's POVI storm away from the crowd, the laughter and music of my coronation party fading behind me. But I couldn’t care less about the celebration. It should have been a moment of triumph—becoming Alpha—but the only thing I can think about is the sight of Lucas’s arms wrapped around her. Around Amelia. My Amelia.My fists clench at my sides, and Magnus is pacing in my mind, his growl rumbling louder with each passing second.“I told you,” Magnus snaps, his voice thick with frustration. “You should have never rejected her. She’s our mate. You can feel it, can’t you? You went against the mate bond, and now, she’s with Lucas.”I grit my teeth, pushing open the doors of the packhouse and stalking through the halls. “I know,” I mutter under my breath, trying to silence Magnus, but his rage mirrors my own. The memory of Lucas holding her, the way her body fit against his... it’s like a thorn in my side that I can’t pull out.“You made the wrong choice,” Magnus growls again, his voice l
Amelia’s POVThe engine hums quietly beneath me as Lucas’s car glides smoothly down the narrow, tree-lined road leading away from my pack’s territory. I sit in the passenger seat, staring out the window, watching as the dense trees blur together like shadows. Each mile we travel feels like another step further from everything I’ve ever known—my home, my life, and... Ethan.I lean my head against the cool glass, my thoughts spiraling. I hadn’t expected to leave so soon. Just yesterday, I was standing in that ballroom, the weight of Ethan’s words pressing on me like a storm. She’s my mate. Those three words keep echoing in my mind, stirring up emotions I’ve been trying to bury.“He rejected us,” Snow growls in the back of my mind, her voice sharp with bitterness. “He had his chance, and now look where we are. Stop thinking about him, Amelia. We belong to Lucas now.”I clench my fists in my lap, the fabric of my dress crumpling beneath my fingers. “It’s not that simple, Snow,” I whisper,
Amelia’s POVI stood in front of the mirror, my fingers lightly tracing the delicate embroidery along the bodice of my gown. The emerald-green fabric shimmered like the leaves of the palace gardens after a rainstorm, and it fit me perfectly—a stark contrast to the chaos swirling inside me. The stylist had insisted this color would bring out my eyes. I stared at my reflection and had to admit, she was right.Not that it mattered. The gown, the jewels, even the flawless braids in my hair—they were all just a mask. Tonight wasn’t about beauty or elegance. It was about survival.The Alpha Ball. Just the thought of it sent my pulse racing. Everyone who mattered in our world would be here tonight—the alphas, the lunas, the councils, the powerful families. Every handshake and glance would carry hidden meanings. And then there was me: Amelia, Lucas’s wife in name only. A contract. A secret.I smoothed the gown over my hips, trying to steady my nerves. Tonight, I had to be perfect. Polished.
Ethan’s POVThe conference room was stuffy, the hum of voices blending into a dull roar around Ethan as his pack discussed the logistics of their upcoming strategies. Ethan sat at the head of the table, his gaze locked on Mark, his beta, who was going over final preparations for the Alpha Ball and pack affairs during his absence.But Ethan wasn’t paying attention. His mind had drifted far from the table and the mundane discussions about patrol schedules or supply runs. He couldn’t stop thinking about the Alpha Ball, couldn’t stop imagining the scene that awaited him when he arrived.Amelia.Her name burned in his mind like a brand. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t suppress the image of her standing beside Lucas, her head held high, the picture of grace and strength. It made his blood boil, the muscles in his jaw tightening until it ached.“You’ve no one to blame but yourself,” Magnus growled in his mind, his wolf’s voice a sharp jab against his already frayed composure.“She’s
Amelia’s POVThe palace garden stretched before me, a quiet oasis where I could breathe, though my thoughts were anything but tranquil. The sun was soft this morning, filtering through the leaves and casting shifting patterns on the cobblestone path. It should’ve been peaceful, but my mind felt like a restless storm.I walked without direction, brushing my fingers against the cool leaves and blossoms that lined the garden paths. Despite the beauty surrounding me, my thoughts kept pulling me back to yesterday—to the boutique and the moment Luna Lara revealed Sabrina’s schemes.I could still hear her calm, confident voice as she exposed the truth. My chest tightened at the memory. The gratitude I’d felt in that moment had been overwhelming. Sabrina’s plan to humiliate me could have succeeded if not for Luna Lara stepping in.I’d thanked her before leaving the boutique, my words barely scratching the surface of how much her intervention had meant to me. But the aftermath of it all still
Lucas POV The trial had been over for days, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling it left behind. Something was off—both Kurt and Maxwell were too calm, too assured of their positions. Amelia had noticed it too, pointing out the glances they exchanged during the proceedings. She was right; I’d seen it myself. They weren’t just accused—they were calculated, like men with a hidden plan.I sat at my desk, leaning back in my chair as I tapped my fingers on the armrest. My gut churned with suspicion, my mind replaying every moment from the trial. Every word. Every look. Every lie. Maxwell and Kurt weren’t just covering for each other; they were playing a larger game, and I needed to figure out what that game was before it cost us more than we could afford.Amelia’s voice echoed in my mind, her concerns still fresh. She had seen it in them—something cold, something dangerous. The fact that she noticed it before I did gnawed at me. She wasn’t just observant; she had a sharpness to her tha
Amelia’s POV The Alpha Ball was approaching quickly, but my mind was still occupied with far more pressing concerns. Kurt. His name lingered in my thoughts like a persistent shadow, creeping into every moment of peace I tried to snatch. I couldn’t shake the memory of Maxwell glancing at him during the trial, as if he held the answers to unspoken questions. I hadn’t brought it up with Lucas again, but I wondered how his investigation was progressing. Would he find anything? Or was it all just my paranoia playing tricks on me?And then there was my mysterious ally. Their sudden silence gnawed at my nerves. I had sent a message after the trial, wanting answers—needing answers—but there had been no response. Who were they? Why had they chosen to help me? And why did they vanish now, when I had so many questions to ask? The absence of clarity was maddening.Pushing those thoughts aside, I joined Lena for our morning training session after breakfast. The familiar routine helped settle my r
Sabrina’s POVThe audacity.Sabrina stormed down the corridor, her fists clenched at her sides. The nerve of that pathetic peasant to stand there, smug and self-assured, calling herself the crown princess as if the title truly belonged to her. Sabrina’s face burned with fury, the memory of Amelia’s condescending smile replaying in her mind like a festering wound.“How dare she?” Sabrina hissed under her breath, her nails digging into her palms.Her long, dark hair swayed behind her as she moved, her sharp heels echoing through the halls. Every step fueled her anger, every thought stoked the fire in her chest. Amelia shouldn’t even be here. That title—her title—had been stolen, handed to some nobody who had stumbled her way into Lucas’s life.The memory of Lucas once looking at her with admiration filled her mind, a bitter pang twisting her gut. He had been hers, or so she thought. Sabrina shook her head violently. No. He still could be. Amelia was the obstacle, and obstacles could be
Amelia’s POVI never thought etiquette class would be where my thoughts kept wandering back to Maxwell’s trial. Yet here I was, my quill idly tapping against the desk, my mind replaying every moment. Maxwell’s furtive glances toward Kurt… his rehearsed answers… Lucas’s firm resolve to investigate further. All of it swirled in my head like an unsolved puzzle.“Amelia,” Ms. Gentle’s clipped tone pulled me back to the present.I straightened in my seat, startled.“As I was saying,” she continued, her sharp gaze sweeping the room, “the annual Alphas’ Ball is approaching. This will be the perfect opportunity to put your etiquette training to the test. I hope none of you will disappoint—especially the crown princess.”Her gaze lingered on me a moment too long, and I felt a twinge of embarrassment mixed with irritation.The Alphas’ Ball. I’d completely forgotten about it.I’d heard about the ball for years—an extravagant spectacle where Alphas and their packs gathered to build alliances, for
Amelia’s POVI couldn’t stop replaying the trial in my head, even as the heavy doors slammed shut behind me. The sound echoed down the stone corridor like a final judgment, leaving me with this strange mix of satisfaction and unease. Maxwell’s sentencing was swift—death for his crimes. It should have been enough.But it wasn’t.Lucas had pulled me aside after the trial, his expression serious. I followed him into one of the quieter hallways, away from the lingering crowd. His steps were measured, his jaw tight. He didn’t speak until we were completely alone.“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice low.The question caught me off guard. Lucas rarely asked about my well-being unless it was strictly necessary. But today, there was something different in his tone—something softer.I hesitated, my fingers brushing against the fabric of my gown. “I’m fine,” I said, though my voice didn’t quite convince me.He nodded, but his eyes remained fixed on me, as if he didn’t believe me either. “Th
Amelia’s POVThe grand hall hummed with tension as I stepped inside, Lena close beside me. The air felt heavy, each whispered murmur from the council members sinking into my skin like pinpricks. Sunlight filtered in through the high, arched windows, illuminating the ornate carvings on the walls, but the light felt cold, distant.The weight of what was about to unfold pressed on my chest. This wasn’t just about Maxwell’s crimes—this was about me, my position, and my life hanging in the balance.Lena’s voice broke through my thoughts, soft but firm. “You alright?”I nodded stiffly, my gaze fixed on the council table at the far end of the room. King Luther and Queen Narissa sat side by side, their regal presence commanding the space. Lucas stood slightly behind his father, his posture tense but controlled. His expression was unreadable, as always, but I caught the slight clench of his jaw.I tore my gaze away, forcing my feet to move. I couldn’t afford to let my emotions show—not here.“