Anastasia’s POVThe sharp crack of a slap echoed through the crowded marketplace, silencing the chatter and drawing every eye. No one stepped forward. No one ever did. I was an Omega—born to be a punching bag for the rest."Do you have any idea how much that dress costs, you filthy lowlife?!" the woman shrieked, her voice slicing through the air like a whip."I'm sorry, Miss. It was an accident. Please forgive me." I bowed my head, swallowing every slap she threw at me.The longer I remained unmated, the worse things got. Misery clung to me like a second skin. I blinked away tears, my hazel eyes dull and red from crying. Hugging the small bag of supplies I’d bought for the upcoming Mating Ceremony, I turned to leave.They say unmated Omegas without the protection of a ranked mate are cursed to suffer. Some don’t even survive the heartbreak. And maybe it’s true. But I still couldn’t understand—why were we treated like something less than werewolves, when we were the same species?“Poor
Anastasia’s POV“I, Alpha Victor Blackwood, reject you, Anastasia Elliot, as my mate.”His voice was cold, emotionless—and yet, it shattered me.Pain lanced through my chest, sharp and unbearable. My knees buckled, but I forced myself to stay standing.“No… Victor, you can’t do this to me!” I cried, stumbling toward him, needing to touch him, to understand. But he yanked himself away with so much force, I flew back and crashed hard onto the ground. Gasps erupted from the crowd.“I don’t want a weakling for a Luna,” he spat. “And I sure as hell don’t want you as my mate.”My heart squeezed, but I pushed myself up slowly. I clenched my fists, trying to steady my voice even as it shook with grief and fury.“Well, I don’t accept your rejection,” I said, meeting his eyes. “I won’t.”The whispers around me grew louder. Some were full of pity. Others? Contempt. Like I was something dirty. A disgrace.These were the same people who once sang my praises. Who smiled at me. Now their eyes burned
Kael Valois POVAs one of my men drew near, I ordered, my voice sharper than usual, "Speak." He hunched his head and fell to one knee. "There has been a breach, my king. At the Northern border, a pack of werewolves was observed. The granary was raided. went away into the woods after taking what they could.I felt a dark rage rise inside of me the instant he said those words. Every vampire in my immediate vicinity fell to their knees in automatic submission as my aura shattered the court like lightning. Werewolves. Since they betrayed us, we had been rivals for as long as I could remember. because they killed my parents. I was born and raised on vengeance. For it, I bled. It was something that I lived for. I searched for it.“Ready the guards. We ride for the border,” I said, standing from my throne and turning on my heel toward my chambers.The treaty we’d signed with the werewolves years ago meant nothing to me personally. I’d agreed to it for political balance, for the sake of my
EMILY'S POVWith a sting, I opened my eyes to see the light piercing through the dense canopy overhead. Pain shot through every vein as though I were being slowly burned from the inside out, and my body burned as if something inside me were tearing itself apart. I struggled with every step as I dragged myself toward a nearby tree. I tried to steady my breathing while leaning against the rough bark. It was all spinning. My vision became hazy.What on earth was going on with me? I froze as I reached for a strand of my hair. The strands were almost silver in color. My heart was racing. My eyes—hadn't they also changed color? "Get up, Ana. "We must depart—peril is imminent," Layla's strained, tense voice reverberated in the back of my mind.“I’m dizzy, Layla… I feel broken. Hollow,” I murmured. “Maybe this is it. Maybe this is how I’m supposed to die. I have nothing left. He rejected me. Said I was weak. That I wasn't enough to be his mate.”I swallowed the lump in my throat, my voice
Kael’s POVNo matter how long I lay in bed, sleep never came. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard the roaring crash of ocean tides—louder, more violent than before. Even the water on the table beside me began to ripple. Not gently this time, but with force.Something was wrong.I tried to ignore it, turning over again and again, but a primal instinct urged me awake. It felt like something—or someone—was calling me.Giving up on sleep, I slipped out of bed, pulled on a robe, and made my way to my office. If I couldn’t sleep, I might as well get some work done. I briefly considered waking Matif to help with my insomnia, but it was late. Even he deserved rest.I was halfway through a stack of documents when I heard hurried footsteps pounding down the corridor—coming straight for me.A knock.“Enter,” I called, already sensing who it was.Lucien, my Beta, stepped in, breathing hard.“What is it this time?” I asked, keeping my voice even, though the tension in the air coiled tight.He bow
"Pardon me, but are you even paying attention to yourself at the moment?" I yelled, attempting to control my shaking voice. "Neither you nor anybody else owns me. This is my final request, so please let me go. It's enough punishment to stand here in front of you, your reputation hanging over my head. I will not cause trouble. I promise. I prayed that the Vampire King would hear how desperate I sounded. Instead, he extended his arm and took hold of my chin with one cold, hard, and unbelievably powerful hand. Then, suddenly, his mouth slammed into mine.A shockwave of emotions ripped through me—panic, confusion, and then… butterflies? No. I didn’t want this. I bit his lip hard in protest, tasting the sharp tang of blood. But that only made things worse. The blood triggered something in me—a primal hunger that made it impossible to pull away. Against my will, I found myself responding to the kiss.Even my wolf was eerily quiet, as if she approved of what was happening. When he finally r
Kieran’s POVThe council was causing a lot of trouble. The council leader, Azaro, remarked, "My King, we're just expressing what the people want." Why are you hesitant with her if we have been putting trespassing werewolves to death in accordance with Section 45 of the Constitution, which states that "Any werewolf who enters our lands uninvited must be put to death." "Because she is my partner." Your future monarch. I left the words lingering. "Tell me, is an invitation required for a queen to stand on her own land?" They all looked at me as if I had gone crazy.“Yes, she’s my mate. You heard that right.” I turned to Azaro, eyes sharp. “And unless I’ve missed something, there’s no law forbidding me from taking her as mine, is there?”Azaro’s old heart probably skipped a beat. “No, my King. But... how do you know she’s truly the one? The fated mate?”I blinked. “Did I not just tell you she is? What more do you need to hear?”Their disapproving looks were almost comical—like I’d jus
Victor’s POVAnastasia was one of the most beautiful women in the pack, but accepting her as my mate would eventually destroy me. Once she learned the truth about her parents’ death, I would lose everything.It’s an understatement to say I didn’t feel anything when I rejected her. I did.But pain or not, I had no choice.I was Alpha now—but that title came at a blood price.I earned it the day I plunged a sword into Anastasia’s father’s heart.The witches had made it clear: a Beta family like mine could only take full control of the pack by eliminating the Alpha bloodline.Alicia was alluring in her own way, but something about her always made my instincts prickle. She was... more than she let on. After the public rejection—and the chaos it caused—I brought her to the palace. Since we hadn’t officially marked each other, she stayed in a separate room.After escorting her to her quarters, I headed to mine.My wolf was restless, gnashing inside me with grief and rage over rejecting our
Kieran’s POVThe council was causing a lot of trouble. The council leader, Azaro, remarked, "My King, we're just expressing what the people want." Why are you hesitant with her if we have been putting trespassing werewolves to death in accordance with Section 45 of the Constitution, which states that "Any werewolf who enters our lands uninvited must be put to death." "Because she is my partner." Your future monarch. I left the words lingering. "Tell me, is an invitation required for a queen to stand on her own land?" They all looked at me as if I had gone crazy.“Yes, she’s my mate. You heard that right.” I turned to Azaro, eyes sharp. “And unless I’ve missed something, there’s no law forbidding me from taking her as mine, is there?”Azaro’s old heart probably skipped a beat. “No, my King. But... how do you know she’s truly the one? The fated mate?”I blinked. “Did I not just tell you she is? What more do you need to hear?”Their disapproving looks were almost comical—like I’d jus
"Pardon me, but are you even paying attention to yourself at the moment?" I yelled, attempting to control my shaking voice. "Neither you nor anybody else owns me. This is my final request, so please let me go. It's enough punishment to stand here in front of you, your reputation hanging over my head. I will not cause trouble. I promise. I prayed that the Vampire King would hear how desperate I sounded. Instead, he extended his arm and took hold of my chin with one cold, hard, and unbelievably powerful hand. Then, suddenly, his mouth slammed into mine.A shockwave of emotions ripped through me—panic, confusion, and then… butterflies? No. I didn’t want this. I bit his lip hard in protest, tasting the sharp tang of blood. But that only made things worse. The blood triggered something in me—a primal hunger that made it impossible to pull away. Against my will, I found myself responding to the kiss.Even my wolf was eerily quiet, as if she approved of what was happening. When he finally r
Kael’s POVNo matter how long I lay in bed, sleep never came. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard the roaring crash of ocean tides—louder, more violent than before. Even the water on the table beside me began to ripple. Not gently this time, but with force.Something was wrong.I tried to ignore it, turning over again and again, but a primal instinct urged me awake. It felt like something—or someone—was calling me.Giving up on sleep, I slipped out of bed, pulled on a robe, and made my way to my office. If I couldn’t sleep, I might as well get some work done. I briefly considered waking Matif to help with my insomnia, but it was late. Even he deserved rest.I was halfway through a stack of documents when I heard hurried footsteps pounding down the corridor—coming straight for me.A knock.“Enter,” I called, already sensing who it was.Lucien, my Beta, stepped in, breathing hard.“What is it this time?” I asked, keeping my voice even, though the tension in the air coiled tight.He bow
EMILY'S POVWith a sting, I opened my eyes to see the light piercing through the dense canopy overhead. Pain shot through every vein as though I were being slowly burned from the inside out, and my body burned as if something inside me were tearing itself apart. I struggled with every step as I dragged myself toward a nearby tree. I tried to steady my breathing while leaning against the rough bark. It was all spinning. My vision became hazy.What on earth was going on with me? I froze as I reached for a strand of my hair. The strands were almost silver in color. My heart was racing. My eyes—hadn't they also changed color? "Get up, Ana. "We must depart—peril is imminent," Layla's strained, tense voice reverberated in the back of my mind.“I’m dizzy, Layla… I feel broken. Hollow,” I murmured. “Maybe this is it. Maybe this is how I’m supposed to die. I have nothing left. He rejected me. Said I was weak. That I wasn't enough to be his mate.”I swallowed the lump in my throat, my voice
Kael Valois POVAs one of my men drew near, I ordered, my voice sharper than usual, "Speak." He hunched his head and fell to one knee. "There has been a breach, my king. At the Northern border, a pack of werewolves was observed. The granary was raided. went away into the woods after taking what they could.I felt a dark rage rise inside of me the instant he said those words. Every vampire in my immediate vicinity fell to their knees in automatic submission as my aura shattered the court like lightning. Werewolves. Since they betrayed us, we had been rivals for as long as I could remember. because they killed my parents. I was born and raised on vengeance. For it, I bled. It was something that I lived for. I searched for it.“Ready the guards. We ride for the border,” I said, standing from my throne and turning on my heel toward my chambers.The treaty we’d signed with the werewolves years ago meant nothing to me personally. I’d agreed to it for political balance, for the sake of my
Anastasia’s POV“I, Alpha Victor Blackwood, reject you, Anastasia Elliot, as my mate.”His voice was cold, emotionless—and yet, it shattered me.Pain lanced through my chest, sharp and unbearable. My knees buckled, but I forced myself to stay standing.“No… Victor, you can’t do this to me!” I cried, stumbling toward him, needing to touch him, to understand. But he yanked himself away with so much force, I flew back and crashed hard onto the ground. Gasps erupted from the crowd.“I don’t want a weakling for a Luna,” he spat. “And I sure as hell don’t want you as my mate.”My heart squeezed, but I pushed myself up slowly. I clenched my fists, trying to steady my voice even as it shook with grief and fury.“Well, I don’t accept your rejection,” I said, meeting his eyes. “I won’t.”The whispers around me grew louder. Some were full of pity. Others? Contempt. Like I was something dirty. A disgrace.These were the same people who once sang my praises. Who smiled at me. Now their eyes burned
Anastasia’s POVThe sharp crack of a slap echoed through the crowded marketplace, silencing the chatter and drawing every eye. No one stepped forward. No one ever did. I was an Omega—born to be a punching bag for the rest."Do you have any idea how much that dress costs, you filthy lowlife?!" the woman shrieked, her voice slicing through the air like a whip."I'm sorry, Miss. It was an accident. Please forgive me." I bowed my head, swallowing every slap she threw at me.The longer I remained unmated, the worse things got. Misery clung to me like a second skin. I blinked away tears, my hazel eyes dull and red from crying. Hugging the small bag of supplies I’d bought for the upcoming Mating Ceremony, I turned to leave.They say unmated Omegas without the protection of a ranked mate are cursed to suffer. Some don’t even survive the heartbreak. And maybe it’s true. But I still couldn’t understand—why were we treated like something less than werewolves, when we were the same species?“Poor