Chapter 1

 

Zara's POV

The scent of damp earth filled my lungs as I knelt in the forest, gathering herbs my father had ordered me to collect for Aria and Silas Blackthorn’s baby. My chest tightened at the thought, bitterness bubbling up. Just a year ago, I’d have done this task without hesitation, desperate for his approval. But everything had changed since then.

As I worked, memories of that night clawed their way back, refusing to let go.

I had always been the outcast. Rejected by my mate, mocked by my family, and despised by the pack. My father saw me as nothing, and my sisters took every chance to remind me. When Silas Blackthorn, my supposed mate, chose my sister Aria over me, it wasn’t just a rejection—it was humiliation. He shattered my heart in front of everyone. That night, a part of me died.

But from that pain, I found strength. I’d risen from the ashes with one goal: revenge. Now, on the night of the Mating Ball, I wasn’t the weak Omega they remembered. I had returned with a fire that would burn them all.

My thoughts shattered as my ankle twisted on a hidden root. I fell hard, pain jolting through me as the dim forest light brought me back to the present.

“Help!” I cried instinctively, though I doubted anyone would come. A deep voice broke the silence.

“Rough night, huh?”

Startled, I looked up to see a man standing beneath me. He wore faded jeans and a black vest, his piercing blue eyes locking on mine. “How’d you manage to get stuck here?” he asked, a teasing grin on his face.

I didn’t answer, suspicion flaring. Could he have set this trap?

“You’d think I set it?” another voice asked, answering my unspoken thoughts. I froze. How did he know?

Before I could react, two more men emerged from the shadows. They all looked alike. Brothers? “Don’t make threats you can’t follow through on,” one said, crossing his arms.

Before I could process what was happening, the trap released, and I fell—only to be caught by strong arms. My breath hitched as he held me close.

“What’s your name?” one asked. The others surrounded me, identical and unnerving. “No one ever tells us apart,” one joked.

I stayed silent, my mind reeling. How did they know what I was thinking?

“I’m Dax,” said the one holding me. “That’s Ryker.” Ryker’s smile sent my heart skittering. “And over there is Luca,” Dax continued. “The big guy? That’s Damien, the eldest.”

They were all smiling, but my confusion only deepened. “We’re the Lycan Kings of the Seventh Moon Pack,” Damien finally said. “And we can read thoughts.”

The Lycan Kings. Why were they here?

“Relax,” Ryker said, his smile disarming. “We’ll get you back before whoever set this trap shows up.”

As we moved, my thoughts were jumbled, but one horrifying realization struck me when we reached the pack’s gates: I hadn’t delivered the baby’s blood yet.

The guards were waiting. They seized me the moment I entered, dragging me inside as I screamed, my weak protests ignored.

They threw me at Alpha Kael Darrow’s feet. His slap came hard and fast, leaving my face burning. “Where were you, Zara?!” he roared. My explanation fell on deaf ears.

“Was this your plan? To let my granddaughter suffer?”

“I’m sorry, I—”

“Shut up!” he bellowed.

Before he could say more, a midwife rushed in, panic etched on her face. “Alpha, Luna Aria... she lost the baby.”

A gasp escaped me. Aria had been pregnant again—and now she had miscarried.

Aria’s scream ripped through the house, a sound that chilled me to my core. Alpha Kael’s gaze swung back to me, burning with rage.

“Aria wants you dead,” he said, his voice cold. “But I won’t give her the satisfaction. Rot in the dungeon instead.”

The guards didn’t hesitate. Cold chains bit into my wrists, and they dragged me away. Days blurred together in the darkness—starvation, blood draws, my strength fading with every passing hour.

Why? Why me?

The creak of the door interrupted my thoughts. I stiffened, expecting the pack doctor, but it was Silas Blackthorn who slipped inside. His eyes darted nervously before locking on me.

“Zara,” he whispered, crouching beside me. There was something new in his voice—urgency, even regret. “We don’t have much time.”

Anger flared in me. “What are you doing here, Silas? After everything, you dare to show up?”

“I know you hate me. You should. But I’m not letting them hurt you again.”

I glared at him. “Why should I trust you? You betrayed me.”

He hesitated, guilt flashing in his eyes. “I had no choice before. Aria... controls everything. But now, I’m choosing you. Please, Zara, let me help.”

Footsteps echoed, drawing closer. Silas grabbed my hand, urgency in his grip. “We don’t have time. If you stay, you’ll die. If you come with me, there’s a chance.”

Against my better judgment, I nodded.

We slipped into the forest, shadows cloaking our escape. But when we reached the cliff’s edge, my heart sank.

My sisters were waiting, Aria at the center, her hand resting on her stomach, a cruel smile on her face.

“You did well, Silas,” Aria said, her voice sharp with satisfaction.

Betrayal slammed into me like a physical blow. Silas shoved me forward, and I fell at Aria’s feet.

“You killed my baby!” Aria screamed, grabbing my hair and yanking hard.

“Silas, how could you?” I choked out, tears gathering.

Silas laughed coldly. “You’re pathetic, Zara. Even after everything, you still trusted me.”

Their attack came swift and merciless. I reached for Silas, but he turned away, ignoring my pain.

Aria raised a stone and brought it down on my head. A scream escaped me as I fell over the cliff’s edge.

But when I opened my eyes, I wasn’t falling.

Where am I?