Chapter 1.

Kira’s POV.

The stench of wet fur, blood, and rotting food clings to me as I step out of the pack hospital. My arms and hands ache and feel sore from scrubbing cages, and I swear I can still feel the weight of the waste buckets I hauled all day.

It's been eight hours of cleaning up after sick and injured wolves, and what do I have to show for it? A ruined uniform and the lingering scent of kennel filth that no amount of scrubbing ever seems to remove.

I keep my head down as I walk, hoping and praying I can make it back home without running into anyone. But, of course, the Moon Goddess isn’t that kind to omegas like me.

“Look what we have here.”

I freeze at the sound of that sickly sweet voice I'd recognize even without looking at them. My stomach twists, and I force myself to keep moving, but it’s too late. They’ve seen me.

Lena, Tara, and Cassie, once my highschool classmates, now my daily tormentors step in front of me, blocking my path. Their perfectly styled hair and designer clothes are a stark contrast to my dirt-streaked uniform.

“Ugh,” Lena wrinkles her nose. “Do you ever bathe, Kira? Or is rolling in filth part of your job?”

Cassie giggles. “I think she’s just trying to fit in with the mutts she cleans up after.”

I clench my fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms. Don’t react and give them the satisfaction. I try to step around them, but Tara moves quicker, reaching into the satchel slung across my chest.

My breath catches. No. No, no, no.

“What's this?” she hums, pulling out a small velvet pouch. My heart slams against my ribs as she opens it, revealing a delicate silver tarnished bracelet but still gleaming under the sunset.

My mother’s bracelet.

“Give that back!” I lunge for it, but Tara yanks her hand away, laughing.

“Aww, is this from your dead mommy?” she taunts, dangling it between her fingers. “Why do you even keep it? It’s not like she’s coming back for it.”

My vision blurs with anger, but I swallow it down. If I lash out, or fight them, I'm definitely losing because that’s the way of the pack. Omegas don’t get justice.

“Please,” I force out through gritted teeth. “It’s all I have left of her.”

Tara glances at Lena and Cassie, exchanging amused smirks. Then she shrugs. “Alright. You can have it back.”

Hope flutters in my chest, but it’s short-lived. The smile that stretches across her lips is too cruel and knowing.

“But only if you do something for us,” Lena adds, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

My stomach drops. “What?”

Cassie steps forward, folding her arms. “We want you to go into the Forbidden Forest and bring us some Blissleaf.”

My breath catches. Blissleaf. The plant that sends wolves into a euphoric high. It's illegal and dangerous. And only found in the one place a few dare to go.

I shake my head instantly. “No. I can’t.”

Lena pouts. “Then I guess this is mine now.” She waves the bracelet tauntingly.

My chest tightens. I could try to grab it again, but I already know how that would end—with me on the ground and my mother’s last memory crushed beneath their heels.

I have no choice but to swallow my fear and whisper, “Fine.”

Their grins widen.

“Good girl,” Tara purrs. “You have three hours.”

As they saunter off, my pulse pounds in my ears. The Forbidden Forest is forbidden for a reason and I just agreed to go inside it.

***

An hour later, the Forbidden Forest is nothing like the whispering trees behind the packhouse or the dense woods near the training grounds. It’s darker, colder—alive with something unseen. The moment I step past the twisted roots at the border, a chill creeps down my spine.

Just get the Blissleaf and leave. That’s all I have to do. I tell myself over and over, trying to block out the sound of the bullies' laughter because they don’t think I’ll come back. They expect me to get scared and run like I usually do. But I won’t. Not this time. I know what’s at stake.

Moving quickly, I navigate through the overgrown path, careful not to make too much noise. Every shadow feels like a pair of eyes watching me, but I force my legs forward.

It doesn’t take long before I spot Blissleaf. The plant is smaller than I expected, its silvery leaves shimmering faintly under the moonlight. It grows in clusters near the base of a fallen tree, hidden beneath tangled roots.

I crouch down, reaching for the delicate stems. My fingers graze the leaves—

A low growl slices through the silence.

My breath catches, and before I can react, figures emerge from the bushes. Three of them Rogues.

Their clothes are tattered, their eyes burning with hunger and something worse.

“Well, well,” one of them sneers. “Look what wandered into our hunting ground.”

The second one steps closer, inhaling deeply. “Omega,” he muses. “Weak, but… fresh.”

My heart slams against my ribs. They’re not here to kill me.

They’re here to play.

I swallow hard and force myself to stand tall. “Stay back,” I warn, voice steady despite the tremor in my limbs. “I’ll fight.”

They laugh.

The third rogue—a massive brute with a scar down his cheek—lunges first. I try to dodge, but he’s too fast. His hand closes around my wrist, twisting it painfully. I yelp, kicking at his legs, but another rogue grips my other arm, yanking me back.

“Feisty,” Scarface grins. “I like it.”

Panic floods my veins. I thrash, bite, scratch—but it’s useless. My strength is nothing compared to theirs. They force me to my knees, and for the first time in a long time, I feel real fear.

Then—

A whistle cuts through the air.

The weight on my arms vanishes as arrows fly past me, striking two rogues in the legs.

A new scent floods my nose—strong, authoritative royal guards from the strongest and biggest pack, Crimson crown.

I can tell this from their black and gold uniforms, and their weapons which gleam under the moonlight as they surround the remaining rogue. Scarface snarls but doesn’t get far—a guard slams his knee into his gut, sending him crumbling to the dirt.

I scramble back, heart racing.

One of the guards steps forward, offering me a hand. “Are you hurt?”

Shaken, I shake my head. “I—I’m okay. Thank you.”

The guard tilts his head. “Don’t thank us. Thank our master.”

My brow furrows. “Your master?”

He gestures toward the road beyond the trees. A sleek black car sits there, just out of reach of the moonlight.

I squint, trying to make out the figure inside, but the windows are too dark. For a split second, I catch a flash of silver eyes. Something about the presence inside feels familiar, yet eerie, making my stomach twist.

Who would send royal guards of Crimson crown into the Forbidden Forest?

And more importantly…

Why do they smell like someone I should know? I mull over the thought, trying to piece it together, until a voice snaps me back to reality.

"Do you need a ride back to wherever you came from?" one of the royal guards asks.

I quickly shake my head, rejecting the offer without hesitation. There’s no way I’m getting into a car with strangers — even if they did just save my life.

Omega slaves are treated horribly, and if they decided to take me as one, begging the Moon Goddess for death might be my only mercy.