Chapter One

“Serenia! Serenia Hansen! Where is that child? She was supposed to be back an hour ago with breakfast! Slacking off, no doubt, bah!”

The head chef, Maria, hangs her burly body out the side door of the manor and shouts into the crisp morning fog, but no voice is heard in response. Scrunching up her nose in disgust she wobbles her way back inside, just as a small crop of white-blonde hair comes bounding up the hill, several catches of hares in her hand.

“Maria, wait! I’m here don’t lock it!” the girl cries out, nearly tripping over her feet and scurrying up the slick dew-covered grass.

“About time girl. What were you doing, sleeping in the woods again? You know the Missus likes her stew first thing in the morning, and it will be you getting the spoon on the back if you’re late one more time.”

Serenia turns her back to Maria to hide her sneer.

“My mother likes rabbit stew as well, you know.”

The wooden spoon stirring in Miss Maria’s hand stills, and she turns to Serenia.

“Last I checked, your mother was nothing more than a mere mistress to Omega Brant, who himself is nothing in comparison to those above him. Your house ain’t nothing to cry home about, so shut your trap and do your work like the rest of us,” Maria chides and throws the spoon lazily back in the pot before stalking off.

Serenia never understood how the marriage statuses worked in the Raseri tribe. As an Omega, Serenia’s father Brant Hansen is the lowest of the high-ranking members of the tribe. Alpha being the highest, then Beta, then finally Omega.

As an Omega, you are allowed three wives in your house, and as a Beta, you are allowed five. Of course, as an Alpha, there is no limit to how many wives and mistresses you’re allowed to have, especially when it comes to the Alpha family, the more kin provided the more possibilities of them being born with strong ancestral powers.

The ancestral blood coursing through every vein of their kind is the only thing left to remind them of the past world they came from. A closed-off world of shambles and ruin with not even a name in history to be remembered by. The shapeshifting powers and strength of their blood are the only proof of who they are. The stronger and larger the bloodline, the bigger the possibilities of overall power in the Raseri Tribe.

Despite Serenia’s mother being an official wife of the Hansen house and her father’s true mate, she is treated as a mere mistress. They fell in love and realized their mate bond when Serenia’s mother used to be a messenger between tribes and often visited the Raseri tribe. There she met Brant Hansen, who loved her beauty and promised her a better life.

But she wasn’t born with any status and little to no ancestral power, she was unable to become his first wife, or it would bring shame to the Omega title and Hansen name. He promised her the position of his second wife, but that was quickly snatched away by Lady Helda, the daughter of a Beta family from another smaller tribe, brought into the family as an arranged marriage. She was said to have a high count of ancestral power within her and her family’s bloodline, the Raseri pack was sure she would be a candidate for their Luna.

With every empty promise broken, Lady Maryse never gave up hope on her first love and followed him everywhere he went. Serenia now has two older half-sisters who see her as nothing more than a servant, sometimes lower, with her mother becoming so sick with stress and sorrow she has become bedridden with only one loyal servant to take care of her. Serenia is barred access from the upper floors, her bedroom is in the basement and her place is in the kitchen.

Serenia can only watch as her mother’s health continues to fail while she is ignored and left to fend for herself in the house, despite the promises of love and protection she received before leaving her life and family behind.

Serenia vowed to never make the same mistake her mother has made and to never let herself be so swayed by a man that she will lose all sense of herself. She won’t become some man’s second or third wife and she won’t allow someone to become her blanket of security. She can become her own, for her sake and her mother’s.

“Why are you still standing around here? Go and set the table for breakfast before everyone gets down here, move!” Miss Maria comes back to yell, waving her wooden spoon in the air like a dagger.

Serenia lets out a yelp and scurries off into the dining room to start laying out plates and cutlery for her father and siblings, always remembering to forget to set herself a place, as she has never been welcomed to eat at the table. Nearing her 16th birthday, she hopes to find her fated mate and finally be welcomed into the family as a true demi-wolf and house member.

“I don’t care to get their approval,” she grumbles to herself. “It would just be nice not to eat in the basement.”

“Keep dreaming, that day will never come.”

Serenia whips her head around to see the maid assigned to her older sister, Skai. She is only 2 years older than Serenia, but she acts as if she is several, always looking down on Serenia as if she is a clueless child who knows nothing more than to make mistakes and be in the way. As the second daughter, there isn’t much expected of Skai, other than to be fated to a powerful and high-status mate, but no one has ever been able to choose their fated companion.

Much like how Geri and Freki were the companions to the one-eyed god, Odin, the creatures of the demi-wolf race are blessed with a fated companion to follow them and be tied to them for all eternity.

“You’re one to talk. Being a maid is as high a status as you’ll ever get in this house,” Serenia bites back, already used to the usual morning banter between her and the other servants.

The maid, Iona, stands there astonished and goes red in the face before she scoffs and stalks off. There isn’t much else that can be said, Serenia is right. As a mere servant in an official’s house, you have little to no ancestral powers and nothing to offer the tribe, which means you are useless and shall live a useless life.

The only luck someone like Iona might have in bettering their life is getting a mate that is of higher status or power that can help bring her out of her despair. But even Serenia knows for someone like herself, she doesn’t possess that kind of luck, or any luck really.

Once the table is set, Serenia makes herself scarce after swiping an apple off the counter in the kitchen and heading out the back door. She knows at this point it’s better to wait until after a meal has been served before she tries to grab anything to eat, otherwise, she ends up with nothing at all if she pushes too much. She waits until everyone is done eating and then goes through the leftovers afterwards, picking out whatever is still good and bringing it to her mother before she hides away in the basement with her scraps.

Due to her odd diet, Serenia has grown up rather thin and small compared to the other girls her age, who are already starting to develop their bodies, while she is stuck in the body of a pre-teen. Serenia is often teased about her appearance by her eldest sister, Savea Hansen. She is called the ‘flower of the tribe’ for her dark beauty. With shiny golden hair and dazzling emerald eyes, a voluptuous figure and an otherworldly appearance, Savea is the perfect picture of unattainable beauty.

Whereas Serenia looks nothing like the daughter of the Omega House, with her raven hair and yellow eyes, many find her appearance off-putting and abnormal. She is also reaching the age of 16 and has yet to manifest her wolf spirit, another piece of proof of the lack of ancestral powers she possesses.

My 16th birthday is in a couple of days. If I keep practicing and meditating in the woods, I should be able to manifest my wolf spirit before then.

For the past few months, Serenia has been sneaking off into the woods whenever she can to try and practice her manifestation. Many others with low ancestral powers have said that learning to harness the little power they have inside them will help the soul recognize the spirit within and help it to manifest.

But it has been quite a while now and Serenia can barely feel the spirit within her, and each day isn’t bringing her any closer to manifesting it.

“Did you hear? Rune Iversen manifested his wolf spirit! It’s almost as big as his father’s, a true Alpha, I’d say,” one person whispers from the front of the main hall barracks.

Rune Iversen, the oldest child, and son of the current Raseri Tribe Alpha are said to be the one to take over once he comes of age and has his ceremony like all the others. Once a demi-wolf reaches the age of 18 for a female and 21 for a male, they are introduced to the rest of the tribes as full-fledged demi-wolf and show off their newfound strength and powers.

“Has he found his mate yet?” another asks.

“I don’t think so, we would have heard something by now.”

“We all know who it is anyway – it’s Savea Hansen.”

Serenia stops in her tracks, turning her head slightly to continue listening in on the girls’ conversation.

“Why do we assume it’s going to be her? Just because she’s pretty?”

“Not only that. Who else do you think is worthy to lead our tribe as the Luna? Rune won’t settle for anyone else, either. I feel bad for the person who ends up as his mate if it isn’t Savea.”

Rune Iversen is very much a pretty boy as mortals would call handsome and egotistical men in their tongue, and Rune was the poster boy for that definition. Serenia can agree with them on one thing, she isn’t jealous if her elder sister is the one fated to be with him, and she wouldn’t wish that position on anyone but her.

Ignoring their banter, she continues into the forest for her daily meditation routine, hoping to spot some game along the way to bring back and store away for later. Reaching the edge of the tree line, her heart suddenly lurches painfully in her chest and black seeps into the edge of her vision.

Falling to the ground, she catches herself on her hands, keels over, and groans painfully, feeling as if her body is being pulled in the opposite direction.

She lets out a flurry of violent coughs as it feels like her throat is closing up before the feeling quickly disappears. She remains kneeling on the ground for a few more minutes until she feels stable enough to stand up before she continues forward, her feet a little wobbly.

“What in the realms was that?” she mutters.

Shaking off the feeling, she comes to the opening of a small meadow with the morning sun barely breaking through the trees to greet the blooming flowers covering the ground. Serenia finds a spot in the center and sits down, crossing her legs one over the other as she has done many times already, and closes her eyes.

Reaching deep within her, she can already feel the small source of energy sitting in the core of her chest.

I just need…to grab hold…of it.

She tries to harness that small energy to roll it around like a ball of dough, hardening it into a controlled sphere.

Focus…just a little more –

“What are you doing out here?”

“Ah!” Serenia cries out, losing complete concentration. Whipping her head around, she looks up at the towering frame of Rune Iversen.

His long shoulder-length hair sways with the slight summer breeze and tickles his defined and chiselled tanned face, his mouth set in a grim sneer.

“Nothing, what are you doing here?” she asks.

Rune just grunts and looks around the area. “Why do I feel pulled to this area?” he mumbles, then looks back at Serenia, a fury behind his eyes.

“I refuse to believe it,” he suddenly says.

“Believe what?”

“That you’re my mate, it’s a sick joke.”

Serenia feels every nerve in her body seizes at his words.

Mate? Did he just say I’m his mate?

“I think you are mistaken,” she says, turning back around to ignore his presence.

Rune grabs her roughly by the arm and yanks her off the ground.

“Don’t deny that you feel it too, acting innocent isn’t going to help you. We mind as well just get this over with, before anyone else finds out, especially Savea.”

“Get what over with? Are you really sure we’re mates?” Serenia tries to yank her arm out from his iron-tight grasp, wanting to deny the tingles she feels from his skin touching hers with every fibre of her being.

Rune releases her arm and steps back, a menacing look on his face.

“I, Rune Iversen, reject you, Serenia Hansen, as my mate.”

Within seconds, Serenia can feel the rejection of her mate ripping through her. Agonizing pain takes over her body as she crumples to the ground, gasping for breath.

Why is this happening? I didn’t…feel the…bond.

“R-Rune…help me…please,” she begs him.

He simply turns his head from side to side, as if checking if anyone is there, before roughly picking her up from the ground. Serenia cries out in pain once more as he lugs her over his shoulder and carries her back to the forest edge.

Getting to the tree line, he drops her by the trunk and leaves.

“Someone should hear you crying from here and come running, let’s hope someone cares enough to do something. If it isn’t Savea, I don’t care for a mate, and being her sister, you can never compare. Remember that.” Those are his last words as Serenia is left to watch his retreating figure, not even sparing her a single glance back.

Serenia has no choice but to lay there as the pain continues to consume her, while black dots the edge of her vision and she slowly fades into unconsciousness. Just before she passes out, she hears the faint yelling of her mother and sees her frail helpless body rushing toward her.

“Mother…don’t,” is all Serenia can get out before blacking out from the pain.