Scarlett’s POV
The morning sun pierced through my closed eyelids, awakening me with a pleasant ache in my muscles from last night’s passion. A smile crept onto my lips as I reached for his warmth on the silk sheets. I curled closer to him, feeling my heart race in the peaceful afterglow, his alpha presence making my omega instincts purr. The memory of his touch still lingered on my skin. The places he kissed and the fiery trails his touch left across every inch of me still made my wolf purr.
It was real. I had finally found my mate. Someone who could love, cherish, and stand beside me. Someone who could save me from my agony and straighten my omega wolf. I had found that person.
He was mine. My fated mate.
The memory of meeting him last night was still vivid. The way he gazed at me across the ballroom, the instant connection that sparked between us. We didn’t even need formal introductions before our wolves recognized each other. Mate. The attraction was undeniable.
His scent lingered—pine, smoke, and something so purely alpha it made my omega hum. I lay still, afraid to shatter the fragile peace between us.
He stirred. I smiled, watching his perfect, handsome face, feeling incredibly lucky.
“Did I wake you?” I asked softly. My heart fluttered when his deep blue ocean eyes opened, gazing at me as if searching for something.
The warmth in his expression faded as soon as his hand brushed the scar on my collarbone. His muscles tensed, and I felt him stiffen. From the way his arm tensed and his breath hitched, I knew it wasn’t desire he was feeling but regret.
“You’re an omega.” The disbelief in his voice twisted my stomach into knots.
My throat constricted painfully, but I nodded. “Yes.” The word barely left my lips before his expression darkened.
I felt a sudden wave of reality hit me as he stood up and distanced himself from me, as if I were something repulsive, something unworthy. Panic flooded through me, sharp and suffocating. As he turned away, my heart sank, the fleeting warmth we had shared fading away like mist in the morning sun.
“The lowest rank in the pack,” he muttered, his voice laced with venom. “And you think you’re fit to stand beside me?”
Does he truly think of me that way? My thoughts spiraled into a chaotic mess. How can he look at me and only see my rank? What about last night? What about the way our wolves connected?
“Wait,” I whispered, reaching for him. “Please, just listen—”
He shoved my hand aside, the rejection more painful than any physical blow. How did it come to this? I could feel the heat of humiliation creeping up my neck, but I fought to hold it back. I should feel anger, but instead, I feel… small. So small.
“You thought I would make an omega my Luna?” His words cut like a sharp knife, piercing my heart. Each insult dug deeper, reminding me of my place and the shame I had fought so hard to overcome. What did I expect? He’s an alpha, belonging to a world where I don’t belong. “You must be more delusional than I thought.”
His words poisoned the bond, twisting it until it barely held. The fated bond I’d believed sacred, unbreakable, was unraveling before my eyes. Being with an omega was worse than defying the Goddess herself.
“We’re destined. We’re fated,” I whispered, desperate. “That has to mean something. I know it does.”
His cold, empty laugh echoed in the room. “Fate?” he spat. “Do you think fate means anything in this world?” He stood and began to dress, each movement deliberate and dismissive. “Politics, power—that’s what matters. And you, little wolf, have neither.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I pushed them back, resisting the overwhelming emotions. Crying wouldn’t make a difference. It never had. I clung to the faint bond that still lingered between us, desperately hoping it wouldn’t break entirely. Please, don’t let it fall apart.
He stood at the edge of the bed, his sharp gaze locking onto mine. Instead of warmth, all I saw was suspicion and disdain.
“Who are you, really?” he asked, his voice cold, stripping away the last remnants of our shared intimacy.
“Scarlett. I told you last—”
He cut me off. “Your last name.”
The moment I had dreaded had finally arrived. My father’s name hung on my tongue like a curse, one I had tried hard to keep buried until now. Would he hate me for it when he knew my last name? Would he see me as my father’s daughter, and nothing more?
“My father…” My voice trembled as I swallowed hard. How can I explain that I never asked for this? “My father is Alaric Blackstone.”
His whole body tensed up, the name landing between us like a thunderclap. I caught a glimpse of betrayal and disbelief in his eyes for a moment, but it quickly turned into intense anger.
“Blackstone.” He said the name like it was a vile thing, something that had crawled from the depths of hell. His eyes burned with intense hatred.
“You’re his daughter?”
I flinched at the venom in his voice. This is it. This is where it ends. Before I could respond, he grabbed my arm, yanking me close, his breath scorching against my skin.
“You’re the spawn of the man who ruined my family. And you think I’d take you as my Luna?”
His grip tightened, and the anger radiating from him scorched the bond between us. The warmth we shared was gone, replaced with ice. How can this be happening?
I tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened.
“I’d rather reject the bond and tear it to shreds than let Blackstone’s daughter stand by my side,” he snarled, his voice filled with venom. “Last night was a mistake, omega. Nothing more.”
It wasn’t a mistake. I felt it! My heart raced, but my voice betrayed me, cracking under the weight of my despair. “We slept together?”
He scoffed, his eyes filled with loathing. “Save it. Last night was a mistake. One that won’t be repeated. You are not my Luna, and you never will be. I reject the mate bond.”
“You took everything from me. You made me into a woman.”
“So?” he shot back. “Do you think if I’d known you were Blackstone’s daughter, I could touch you?”
“But—” My voice cracked. “We—”
“There is no we.” He let go of me like I was poison, stepping back as if my touch disgusted him. “You were nothing more than a body. That’s all you’ll ever be.”
My heart shattered as his words crashed over me like waves of pain. He’s throwing away everything we could have had. Everything I believed in.
“Please,” I begged, knowing his rejection could kill me—and my wolf. “Don’t do this.”
“I, Finn Foster, reject you, Scarlett Blackstone, as my mate and Luna.”
The bond snapped, leaving me gasping, each breath a struggle against the searing agony. It felt like a piece of my soul had been torn away. Clutching my chest, I fought to breathe, but he was already walking away.
“You can see yourself out,” he said coldly, moving toward the door. “And Scarlett? If I ever see you again, I won’t be so gentle.”
He didn’t look back.
The door slammed shut behind him, shattering the future I had imagined. I sat frozen, clutching the sheets that still smelled of what could have been the beginning of our life together. Instead, it was the end.
Inside me, my wolf howled, lost in the agony of rejection. The bond was gone. He was gone. My fated mate, the one person who was supposed to see past everything else and love me for who I was, had rejected me because of a name. Because of blood I’d never asked for.
I didn’t know how long I cried, but when I finally gathered my senses, the sun was rising. I wiped my tears with trembling hands, forcing myself to stand.
The bond throbbed like an open wound, but I gathered my clothes, erasing every trace that I’d ever been there.
Scarlett’s povI felt overwhelming fear as I approached my father’s pack. I knew no one would miss me if I disappeared or died. I was unwanted and hated by everyone, even the man I called my father.I greeted a few people with a “Good morning” as I walked to the pack house, but they responded with a dead glare. I waved it off as I walked inside the pack house.I carefully opened the door, peeking inside to check if my stepmother was around. I prayed I wouldn’t run into her—if I did, I’d surely be punished. I had to hurry to my room, change, and clean the house before she realized I hadn’t been home last night.A small smile crept onto my face when I saw the place was empty. I tiptoed inside, making my way to the hellhole I was given as a room—a place with no bed, no pillow, nowhere to truly rest my head.Yes, I smiled. Just a little bit more, and I could enter my room. But my hope was shattered when I heard her voice—the voice that made my knees go weak. Cold sweat broke out on my for
ScarlettI used to think moonlight was beautiful. Stupid, really, how many nights I spent bathing in its glow, whispering prayers like some lovesick fool. Now, I can’t even look at it. I’ve draped black sheets over my windows, but still, that silver light finds ways to creep in, mocking me with its presence.I had spent so many nights gazing up at that same moon, praying to her. Praying for love. For a mate who would cherish me, who would finally make me feel whole. And yet, what had she given me? Rejection. Pain. Loneliness. The universe seemed to mock me, sending me more suffering when I had thought happiness was finally within reach.I was naïve to believe it could be different. I had wanted to trust her, the moon goddess. All those stories about her watching over us, guiding us toward our destined mates—lies. She hadn’t been watching over me. If she had, she would have seen the heartbreak I endured. The betrayal. She would have known how much I longed for acceptance and love.Inst
Scarlett “Get off me,” he growled, kicking me away with a force that sent me sprawling. I couldn’t stop the tears. I didn’t cry from the pain of the fall—I had long since become numb to that—but from the unbearable weight of it all. “Please, just kill me,” I whispered, choking on the words. “I don’t belong here. None of you need me.” Nina’s voice interrupted my despair, sounding deceptively sweet. “What are you saying?” She approached me with a concerned expression on her face. “Why would Dad want to harm you?” Her words seemed insincere, the kindness in her tone concealing a hidden malice. She extended her hand as if to offer me assistance. I hesitated, glancing at her hand. “Let me help you, sister.” “Ah!” I cried as I lost my balance, falling back hard against the cold floor. Nina looked down at me, her face now twisted in annoyance. “What are you doing, sis?” she demanded. “Did you intentionally fall to spill your blood on my new dress?” Her gaze swept over the stained fabri
ScarlettI stared at the small stick in my trembling hands, my breath caught in my throat. Two lines.Two pink lines. That’s all it takes to shatter my world for the second time in as many months. I stared at the pregnancy test until my vision blurred, willing the lines to fade, to reveal this as just another cruel joke. But they remained, blunt and undeniable against the white plastic.My legs gave out, and I slid down the bathroom wall to the cold tile floor. His child. Our child. The thought sent a wave of nausea through me that had nothing to do with morning sickness. My hands instinctively moved to my still-flat stomach, and I was struck by the strange duality of the moment—how something so small could feel so impossibly heavy. There was life inside me. A piece of him, a piece of the one who had discarded me like trash.“What am I going to do?” I whispered to the empty bathroom. The words echoed off the tiles, coming back to me with no more answers than when they left my lips. A
ScarlettThe nausea had persisted for days. As I stood in front of Father’s study doors. My stomach churned—not just from the pregnancy. I struggled to control the sickness and steady my breathing. My hand trembled as I mustered the last of my courage to knock.“Enter.”With a final shaky breath, I pushed open the door. There he was, seated behind his desk, engrossed in the documents before him, not bothering to glance up.“Well?” he said, not lifting his gaze. “I assume you have something important to tell me, given how you’ve been skulking about the house these past weeks.”His words struck me. It was as if he knew why I was here. I struggled to speak. “Alpha... I...” The words trembled on my lips as I broke the news. “I’m pregnant.”The scratching of his pen stopped abruptly. He carefully placed it down and fixed his gaze on me. Instead of the expected anger or disappointment, a calculating gleam shone in his steel-gray eyes.“So, it’s true,” he said, his voice cold and trimmed. Th
Scarlett“Scarlett.” My stepmother’s voice echoed. I struggled to stand on my feet. My conversation with my father last night hadn’t gone smoothly; it didn’t favor me. So he’d made sure to assign guards to monitor me all night to prevent me from running.“Scarlett.” The voice came again. This time, I was already on my feet. I opened the door.“Good morning, Luna,” I managed to greet her.“What the heck are you doing?” she asked with a scornful expression.“Nothing,” I replied weakly. “Do you need something?”“Yes,” she said, brushing past me without waiting for an invitation. She settled into the chair by the window, her movements graceful, every part of her natural appearance screaming authority. My stepmother was the Beta’s daughter from the neighboring pack—a detail she reminded me of daily.“Do you know what today means?”I shook my head. “No, Luna.”She smiled sweetly, making my skin crawl. Even when she tried to smile genuinely, it screamed “fake.” Everything about her was fake.
Scarlett. The morning light slowly filled my bedroom, casting a golden glow on the floor. I lay still for a moment, thinking about my life. Another morning, another day in this luxurious but confining place. It had been five months since I arrived, but it felt like an eternity. The gentle breeze rustled the silk curtains, bringing the sweet fragrance of blooming roses from the garden below. Such beauty in this place felt like a cruel joke. I stretched carefully, one hand instinctively moving to protect my growing belly as I sat up against the plush headboard. “You’re awake, Luna,” the maid said as soon as she walked into my room. She smiled sweetly, making me remember Amber. Alisha was the only one here who looked at me with kindness rather than contempt. “Good morning, my lady.” “Good morning, Alisha.” I managed a genuine smile for her—the only real one I’d give all day. She moved through the room with practiced grace, drawing back curtains and gathering what I’d need for the
ScarlettI was sitting on my bed, lost in my thoughts that were as heavy and dark as the clouds above. Suddenly, a gentle knock on my door brought me back to reality.“Who?”“Luna, it’s me.” Alisha’s familiar voice brought a small measure of comfort.“Come in.”She entered quietly, closing the door behind her. I could sense her unease from the way she held herself and the slight tremor in her usually steady hands.“How are you feeling, Luna?” She approached with measured steps, her eyes darting to my growing belly.“Good.” I smiled gently. “Please sit with me.”“Oh, I shouldn’t—” she started, but I cut her off gently.“Sit, Alisha. Please.” I patted the space beside me on my bed. “Just for a moment.”Alisha took a seat beside me.“Why are you here, Alisha?” I asked.“I’m here to check on you. How are you feeling?”“I’m getting better day by day,” I responded with a smile. “Thanks to you.”“I’m only doing my job,” she said, trying to cover the worries in her voice. I sensed it, but I c
Finn“Alpha!” The guard’s panicked voice echoed through the hall. “It’s Jack, sir. He’s not well. Something’s terribly wrong!”My chest tightened. If anything happened to Jack while in my custody, it would mean war with Stone Ridge Pack. “Show me,” I commanded, already striding toward the door. Lucas fell into step beside me, his face carved with worry.The prison air hit us first, thick with the metallic scent of blood and something else, something wrong. Jack’s agonized groans guided us to his cell, where we found him writhing on the floor, his body contorted in pain.“Jack!” Lucas rushed forward the moment the guard unlocked the cell. He dropped to his knees beside his Beta, hands hovering uncertainly over Jack’s trembling form. “What happened? What’s wrong?”Jack’s only response was another gut-wrenching groan. His eyes rolled back, sweat beading on his forehead. Whatever this was, it wasn’t natural.Lucas’s hands moved swiftly, pulling a small bottle from his pocket. The liquid i
ScarlettThe cold stone walls of the “other wing” seemed to press in on me, suffocating me with their silence.The maids had left quickly, their heads bowed in shame or fear, I couldn’t tell which.My body trembled, but it wasn’t the chill of the room that sent shivers down my spine.It was him. My mate. The man I once thought I could trust. The man I foolishly believed might stand by me.I hugged my arms to myself, replaying his words. “Don’t forgive me.” His voice had cracked, raw with pain, yet laced with a cruel finality that left me shattered.How could he? How could he be so blind, so consumed by his anger that he would cast me aside?Nina’s cries echoed in my mind. She was innocent, at least of the betrayal Finn accused her of.I had seen the desperation in her eyes, the trembling of her voice. She wasn’t lying.But Finn didn’t believe her.And now I was paying the price for daring to stand up for my sister.I paced the small room, my heart warring with itself. Part of me wante
FinnScarlett’s voice wavered with uncertainty. “I don’t know about that, Nina. How did Jack become your guard? Did you know he is the Beta of Stone Ridge Pack?”Nina’s response trembled with desperation. “No, sister, I didn’t know. He was the only one who showed me kindness. When everyone else ignored me, he became my friend. He fed me when no one else would. Please believe me, I had no idea he was their Beta.”The next words shattered the tension. “I believe you, Nina,” Scarlett whispered, her voice soft with conviction. “I know you are innocent.”My scoff cut through the moment like a blade. “Since you believe her so well,” I sneered, masking my inner pain behind a cruel smile.In one swift motion, I threw Nina to the floor. Her horrific scream echoed through the room.Scarlett lunged forward, but David’s iron grip held her back. He kept her firmly in place, preventing any intervention.“Guards,” I commanded.Instantly, they materialized at my side, heads bowed in immediate submiss
FinnThe room crackled with violent tension. “Who’s here?” Scarlett demanded, her grip on Nina loosening.“Luna,” David called, drawing Scarlett’s attention to him. “The Stone Ridge Pack is here, and they’re here for their Beta.” He paused, shifting his gaze to Nina, who was still on the floor. “Jack.” I exploded. “What the heck is going on?” I roared, my anger boiling. I knew Nina was bad news. Having her here was a disaster waiting to happen. I glared at her.The amusement lingered on her lips, but she quickly composed herself when our gazes met. No matter how fast she tried to hide it, I could see right through her. This fucking bitch. “Damon,” my Luna called, her voice shaking. “I—”“You don’t have to talk,” I growled, making her shiver. Immediately, I knew I’d made a mistake. Why did I let my emotions get the better of me? I exhaled sharply, composing myself as I stepped closer to her. “I need answers from your sister, and I don’t want you to interrupt, Luna,” I added, my to
Finn“Good morning,” I said, watching my mate stir in my arms. “Time to wake up, beautiful.”A blush colored her cheeks as her eyes fluttered open.“Morning, my love,” Scarlett murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.The gesture drew a low rumble of contentment from my chest. Even after all this time, she still had this effect on me.“Sleep well?” I asked, returning her kiss.“Perfectly.”We lingered in bed, savoring each other’s warmth until I finally spoke. “I need to get ready. I have to see Jack today.”Scarlett tensed beside me. “Jack?”I nodded. “Yes, Jack.”“Why?” Her voice had grown wary.“To interrogate him again. The last time I went to see him, I wasn’t satisfied with what he told me. So...” I studied my mate’s face, watching for her reaction.Scarlett had insisted Jack was innocent, but as Alpha, the final judgment rested with me. I hadn’t mentioned my previous visit to her - I couldn’t bear having her think I doubted her judgment.“You went behind my back?” Her voice
In the darkest corner, he stood motionless, his fingers tracing the edge of a recent photograph of them.The image captured Scarlett with her beautiful hair catching the sunlight, and Damon with his arm wrapped protectively around her waist.His breath hitched, a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob. Hatred burned in his chest like acid, eating away at whatever humanity remained.How dare they be happy? How dare they build their perfect little life while his lay in ruins around him?“Look at you both,” he whispered, his voice rough from disuse. “So perfect. So innocent.” His fingers dug into the photograph, creating deep creases across the smiling faces.His dark eyes narrowed as he studied their features. “If only they could see what I see; the destroyers, the thieves, the architects of my destruction.”Memories flooded back: how he had spent a lot of money to acquire her, yet she was stolen from him.He gritted his teeth together, hatred oozing off him as he gazed at the picture
NinaI slammed the door behind me, fury coursing through my veins as the image of them together burned in my mind.My sister’s soft moans, his hands on her body, their passionate kisses. It was torture. Pure, unadulterated torture.“Damn you, Damon,” I whispered, my nails digging into my palms until they nearly drew blood.The way he’d looked at me, with such contempt, such dismissal... it made my blood boil.And yet, beneath that anger lay something else, something I refused to acknowledge: desire.I hadn’t meant to fall for him. He was my sister’s mate, for Moon’s sake. But from the moment I first saw him, something inside me had shifted.The raw power that emanated from him, the dangerous glint in his eyes, the way he carried himself. Everything about him called to my wolf in ways I couldn’t explain.And now he was flaunting their relationship in front of me, deliberately torturing me with their intimacy. He knew. Of course, he knew.Alphas could sense these things, could they not?
NinaI lifted my head, an apology forming on my lips, but the words died in my throat.The man before me commanded attention without effort, tall and striking, with piercing blue eyes that seemed to hold depths I couldn’t fathom.He carried himself with the natural authority of someone who didn’t need to demand respect; it was freely given.Idiot. That is Alpha Damon. My wolf’s voice cut through my thoughts like a blade.I was completely captivated by his presence. He seemed perfect in every way. It felt like fate that we were meant to be together.Of course, only he deserved me. How could anyone else compare?I struggled to keep my emotions in check, but a gentle purr slipped out, revealing the intensity of my feelings even as I tried to stay composed.“I’m sorry, Alpha Damon,” I managed, struggling to keep my voice steady under his gaze. I had meant to sound confident, but his presence made it impossible.“What brings you here?" His tone was cool and controlled, but there was a hint
Finn“You’re back, Damon.” My mate’s voice trembled with relief as she spotted me. She rushed forward, wrapping her arms around my waist and pressing her face against my chest. The familiar scent of her hair washed over me.“Yes," I muttered, feeling Nina’s intense gaze on us from across the room. Her anger was palpable in her tense stance and clenched fists.I didn’t fucking care.Pulling Scarlett closer, I leaned in and kissed her deeply. She melted against me with a soft moan, her hands clutching my shirt as if grounding herself.Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Nina’s bitter glare slicing through the air like a dagger. Her venom only made me hold Scarlett tighter.Nina’s loud cough shattered the moment, drawing my mate’s attention. Scarlett pulled back from our kiss with gentle reluctance, and though irritation flared in my chest, I forced myself to stay calm.The last thing I wanted was to damage what Scarlett and I had, especially over Nina’s petty interruption.“Sister.” N