Chapter 1

"Do you ever stop being stupid?" My stepmother's Varda voice rang out from across the room as she delivered a sharp kick to my side while I was scrubbing the floor. I let out a small wince, the pain searing through me as I collapsed to my knees again. Ignoring her, I resumed cleaning, not wanting to provoke any further trouble. If I claimed to understand why she was hitting me this time, it would be a lie. She often did this for her own twisted amusement. "You are just a petty thief, just like that damn whore mother of yours," she spat, punctuating her words with another painful kick to my side. A small scream escaped me, and tears blurred my vision from the impact.

"Mother, stop!" Lorraine, her daughter, begged as she rushed to her mother's side, desperately trying to stop the abuse. Her mother wanted to hit me more. But Lorraine quickly ran to me, helping me to my feet, and we fled the scene together, not wanting to endure more of Varda’s cruelty. She was my mother's best friend and for some reason my father had married her shortly after my mother's death, and like many wicked stepmothers, Varda had made it her mission to torment me. Lorraine, who has always been my best friend, however, was the one bright spot in my miserable existence—her kindness made me wonder how such a sweet girl could be born from a woman so monstrous.

"Are you okay?" Lorraine asked, concern on her face as we reached the cold, filthy basement where I was forced to sleep. I shook my head, still clutching my side in agony, muttering, "It’s nothing, Lorraine. I am fine."

I appreciated her help, but every time she looked at me with pity, it shattered something deep inside. I despised everything about myself, but more than that, I hated how pathetic my life had become. My father turned a blind eye to all the abuse I suffered at Varda’s hands, never lifting a finger to protect me. For reasons I couldn’t understand, he allowed it all to happen. Despite being the daughter of the Alpha, I was no better than a slave in this household.

"I am fine, Lorraine. It's not the first time, so I guess I am pretty used to it by now," I said, forcing a cold, bitter smile. But she looked at me with that same heartbreaking pity. Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill, but I fought to hold them back. Just then, the door burst open, startling me. Before I could even process what was happening, the guards stormed in, grabbed me, and began dragging me away.

"What’s going on? Leave her! I will talk to my mother!" Lorraine pleaded, trying to intervene, but the guards only responded coldly.

"King's orders. The Alpha has summoned her." At that, Lorraine fell silent, helpless as the guards pulled me from the room. Why did my father want me? He never summoned me unless something terrible was about to happen. My heart pounded in my chest, my mind racing to figure out what I could have done this time.

The guards dragged me all the way to my father's study, throwing me to the floor with force. My stepmother stood there, holding a gem in her hands—the Moon Gem, a symbol of our pack, crafted from rare moonstone and kept in the council room. Why did she have that?

"Lunette," my father's deep, terrifying voice called out my name, making me gulp in fear. I bowed my head, too afraid to meet his gaze, trembling as I knelt before him. "Why have you stolen from the pack?" His question made my heart stop. I looked up at him, meeting his icy glare, and stammered,

"I haven’t stolen anything," I stammered, trying to find the right words before adding, "I may be many things, but a thief? No, Father, I didn’t steal anything."

"Then tell me why the Moon Gem was found among your belongings?" my father asked, his eyes narrowing. My heart raced as my mind struggled to comprehend what was happening. "Your stepmother told me she saw you sneaking into the council room late at night, and then you had the audacity to steal the Moon Gem and hide it. What for?"

This accusation was absurd. I could barely process it. I bit down on my lower lip, shaking my head frantically as I replied, "That’s a lie. I would never do such a thing!" Before I could say more, a sharp kick landed on my side, sending me crashing to the ground with a painful gasp. At this point, I was sure my ribs were close to breaking. My stepmother sneered down at me.

"Are you calling me a liar, you worthless creature? I had the maids search your things when you weren’t around, and they found it hidden. Isn’t that right?" She turned to the maids, who nodded obediently, no doubt threatened into lying for her. "I overheard your little conversation with my daughter, you telling her you wanted to run away. I know you stole the Moon Gem to sell and start a new life elsewhere. That was your plan all along, wasn’t it?"

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. What had I ever done to this woman? Why was she so bent on destroying me? I couldn’t even find the words to defend myself—the lies were too much. I was drowning in them.

"You just keep disgracing me at every turn, don’t you?" my father growled, his voice low "You are just like that stupid whore mother of yours. I should have killed you long ago." His words hit me like a dagger to the chest. To him, I was nothing but a disgrace, and all because I was the only child he could ever have—just a female, and worse, an omega with barely any connection to my wolf. Even I was ashamed of myself, so how could I blame him for hating me?

"For your crime, you will endure 100 lashes tomorrow morning," he said coldly. "But for now, lock her in the dungeon until further notice."

The guards yanked me up roughly, dragging me away as I sobbed uncontrollably, begging my father to believe me, to listen, but he was deaf to my pleas. It shattered my heart beyond words. My stepmother’s cruel smile was the last thing I saw as they pulled me from the room, my tears streaming uncontrollably. 

The guards tossed me roughly onto the cold, hard floor, and I let out a small wince as I was in pain. My leg scraped against the rough surface, and I noticed a sharp sting followed by a small pool of blood forming around the fresh cut. I felt weak and powerless, my body aching from exhaustion, so I curled up and decided to cry myself to sleep.

Hours later, I woke to the strange sound of someone unlocking the dungeon door. I glanced around but saw no one. "Strange," I muttered to myself, struggling to stand on my feet. My legs were shaky, my body still weak from everything it had been through. 

I noticed the dungeon door was slightly open, which prompted me to take small steps toward it. Peeking out, I found the hallway completely empty. No guards. No one at all. Confusion filled my mind—who would have opened the door? If it had been Lorraine, she would have let me know. Taking a deep breath, I quickly stepped out of the dungeon and into the corridor. Not a soul was in sight, not even the guards who were normally stationed outside. That’s when I realized this was my chance to escape.

There was no way I could survive 100 lashes. My body was too weak, and that was a punishment far too cruel for any crime, let alone one I didn’t commit. I ran, making my way through the secret passage I had found long ago. No one stopped me. I didn’t think too much of it, assuming the moon goddess must be on my side tonight. Without hesitation, I fled from my father’s castle, running for my life without looking back.

I sprinted into the woods, the full moon lighting my path. I had no idea where I was headed, but all I knew was I needed to get as far away as possible. Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me—someone was chasing me. Panic rushed through my veins. Moments later, the howls of wolves echoed through the forest. How did they find me so quickly? I had so many questions, but none of them mattered now. I knew I couldn’t outrun them, but I had to try.

I pushed forward, running as fast as I could, branches tearing at my skin as I stumbled through the thick forest. The wolves were closing in, their presence growing more terrifying by the second. I prayed for help, for a miracle, but none came. My heart pounded in my chest as I burst out of the woods into an open field, where I spotted a faint campfire in the distance. Desperation pushed me toward it, hoping for help, but just then, I tripped. 

It was the worst possible thing that could have happened. I scrambled to get up, but it was too late—they had caught up to me. I froze, my body shaking as I stared in horror at the four giant wolves surrounding me. The stench of their foul fur filled the air, and I knew immediately—they were rogues. It was rare to see rogues around here, which made the situation even more terrifying. Their teeth were bared, eyes glowing with intent to kill as they walked slowly towards me, like hunters stalking their prey. I was paralyzed with fear, every muscle locked in place.

One of them leaped at me, and I let out a small scream, closing my eyes in terror as I braced for the attack. But instead of pain, all I heard was the sound of growling, followed by yelps of pain. The wolves were fighting... with each other? 

Opening my eyes, I saw two massive wolves—one black and one gray—fighting off the rogues. They were the largest wolves I had ever seen, their powerful teeths tearing into the rogues with ease. Where had they come from? And why were they helping me? I watched in silence and fear as they overpowered the rogues, shredding them to pieces. Their fur was covered with the blood of their enemies, and in a matter of moments, it was over.

My wolf stirred within me, more active than she had ever been. I didn’t understand what she was trying to tell me, but I struggled to stay conscious as exhaustion and shock took over me. Who were these wolves? And why had they saved me?

Just then, the two wolves turned to face me, their bodies covered in the blood of their enemies making them look monstrous as they stared at me with their red eyes. I was very scared, fear paralyzing every muscle as I struggled to stay conscious. Now that they had taken care of the rogues, were they going to kill me too? I was terrified for my life at that moment. I didn’t want to die—not like this. I would do anything to stay alive. Just when I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness, my wolf finally whispered one word, a word I never thought I would hear in my life: “Mates…”

It was the last thing I heard before I succumbed to the darkness.