Chapter 1

Amber

I woke up with the sharp, nauseating realization that I had just made the biggest mistake of my life.

The air around me was heavy, too warm, and thick with a scent that sent a shiver down my spine. My stomach churned as I blinked my eyes open, my body sluggish and sore in ways I didn’t want to think about. The ceiling above me was unfamiliar, and the bed I was lying in wasn’t mine. Panic set in, tightening its claws around my chest.

I sat up slowly, every movement feeling like it required monumental effort. The sheet slipped from my shoulders, exposing bare skin. My breath hitched as I realized I was naked. Completely naked.

No, no, no. This can’t be happening.

Memories of the night before were fragmented and elusive, like trying to hold water in my hands. The last clear moment I could recall was Reed dragging me to Brittany’s house, his excitement contagious even though I hadn’t wanted to go.

Brittany had thrown the party to celebrate graduating high school in two months. She’d made a point of inviting everyone, even Omegas like me. I hadn’t believed her intentions were kind—Brittany never did anything out of kindness—but Reed insisted it would be fun.

I’d followed him reluctantly, keeping close to the edges of the crowd once we arrived. The music had been loud, the drinks flowing freely. I didn’t belong there, and I knew it. Yet Reed had smiled at me, and his warmth had made me believe, just for a moment, that it might be okay.

But then there was...nothing. A blank space where my memories should have been.

And now, here I was, naked in bed with—

I turned my head, and the world tilted.

Rayne.

His blonde hair was tousled from sleep, his forest-green eyes closed, and his face relaxed in a way I’d never seen before. He looked peaceful, almost innocent. But that wasn’t what made my stomach drop.

It was the marks.

My skin was littered with them—hickeys, bites, and the unmistakable proof of who had made them. My mating gland throbbed, a dull ache that pulsed through my body, and I reached up to touch it instinctively. The mark was there, searing and real.

Rayne had marked me.

I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from screaming. This can’t be happening.

My best friend’s boyfriend. Reed’s boyfriend. I had slept with him.

No. No, I couldn’t have.

I slid out of the bed, careful not to make a sound. My legs were shaky, my body protesting every movement, but I forced myself to stay upright. My clothes were a crumpled heap on the floor, and I grabbed them quickly, pulling my shirt over my head with trembling hands.

The mark on my neck pulsed again, stronger this time, and I froze. It wasn’t just pain—it was a pull, an overwhelming need to turn back and crawl into Rayne’s arms. My Omega instincts screamed at me to claim my place beside my Alpha, to bury myself in his scent until the world knew I was his.

I clenched my teeth, forcing myself to breathe through the haze. This wasn’t me. This wasn’t what I wanted.

I had to leave.

I shoved my legs into my pants, fumbling with the zipper. The movement was clumsy and loud, and I winced as the sound echoed through the room.

Behind me, a low growl rumbled.

“What the hell?!”

I froze, my back to the bed. My heart raced as I heard the rustle of sheets, then his voice again, sharper this time.

“Amber?”

I turned slowly, dreading what I’d see. Rayne was sitting up now, the blanket pooling around his waist. His chest was bare, and the marks I’d left on him were just as visible as the ones he’d left on me. His eyes were locked on me, wide with confusion, then narrowing as realization dawned.

“What the actual fuck did you do?”

I flinched at his tone, anger flaring in my chest despite the knot of guilt lodged there. “What did I do? I don’t even remember last night!”

Rayne’s lip curled in a snarl. “You don’t remember?” His voice was mocking, venomous. “Convenient. Let me guess—you’re going to play the victim now, right? Pretend you didn’t know exactly what you were doing?”

I stared at him, disbelief and hurt colliding in my chest. “I didn’t—”

“Don’t act innocent, Amber. You knew exactly what you were doing. You used your wretched Omega scent to lure me into bed.”

His words hit like a slap, but he wasn’t finished.

“You knew better than anyone that Reed is my boyfriend. Your best friend. And still, you let this happen.” He sneered, his lips curling as he called me unprintable names, each one cutting deeper than the last.

My wolf whimpered, the sound reverberating through my mind like a physical blow, hurt that our Alpha was reprimanding us. But I refused to back down and let instinct take over.

“You’re a coward, Rayne,” I said, my voice shaking but defiant. “Blaming me when it’s obvious I’m the victim here.”

Rayne’s eyes flashed, and his laugh was sharp and humorless. “Bullshit. You approached me despite knowing you were in heat. Do you even realize what you did? Your intoxicating pheromones were stinking up the place. They triggered my rut—my rut, Amber! I was barely holding it back as it was!”

“I wasn’t in heat!” I snapped, my voice cracking under the weight of his accusations. “Someone drugged me, they must have slipped heat inducing drugs in my drink as some kind of sick prank. I don’t know who, or why, but I felt it coming on. The last thing I remember was trying to leave the party so I wouldn’t be—”

My throat tightened as the words caught. I forced them out anyway. “So I wouldn’t be raped by every Alpha there.”

Rayne’s expression flickered, but only for a moment. His skepticism was still etched in every tense line of his face. “Of course you'd come up with an excuse,” he muttered. “I shouldn’t have bothered helping you.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. “What are you talking about?”

Rayne ran a hand through his hair, his frustration palpable. “You were outside Brittany’s house, wandering around like a fucking idiot. You were already in heat, Amber—completely senseless. Barely even able to walk, with slick running down your legs.”

My face burned with humiliation, but he didn’t stop.

“I couldn’t just leave you there,” he continued, his voice rising. “Any Alpha would’ve jumped at the chance to take you. But the moment I got close…” He trailed off, his jaw tightening.

“What?” I demanded.

Rayne met my eyes, and the raw emotion there made my stomach twist. “I felt it. The bond. You’re my destined mate, Amber. And the second I realized that, everything else went to hell. Your pheromones were so strong, I couldn’t think. I couldn’t stop it. My rut hit me like a freight train, and instinct completely took over.”

He ran a hand down his face, his shoulders tense. “I don’t even remember much after that. Just getting you into a room. Stripping off our clothes. The rest is a blur.”

“It wasn’t my fault,” I said, my voice trembling but steady enough to hold my ground. “I never wanted this to happen. Do you think I wanted you to be my mate?” I shook my head, taking a shaky breath. “I would’ve been happy if it were anyone else. Anyone but you.”

My throat tightened as I continued. “You were the last person I’d want to get involved with. You belong to Reed. You have no idea what this does to me, knowing I betrayed Reed like this. He’s the only person who’s ever stood by me, the only one who’s ever cared. And now I’ve ruined everything. But maybe…” My voice faltered. “Maybe this is the Moon Goddess’ plan. Maybe it was supposed to happen.”

Rayne’s expression darkened in an instant, his face twisting in anger. “Shut up,” he snapped, his voice sharp enough to cut. “Just shut the fuck up, Amber. You’ve done enough already.”

His words were a dagger to the chest, sharp and unforgiving. But what hurt most was the look in his eyes—like I was the worst mistake he’d ever made.

“The only thing I regret more than any of this,” he growled, “is marking you.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as the mark on my neck flared with pain, a deep, searing ache that radiated through my body. My wolf whimpered, the sound echoing in my mind, but I refused to let the tears fall. I clenched my fists, grounding myself in the sting of my nails digging into my palms.

Rayne’s jaw tightened as his gaze flicked to my face, his growl deepening at the sight of my pitiful state. “Stop looking at me like that,” he muttered, his voice laced with frustration. He turned abruptly, pacing the room with heavy, deliberate steps.

“What the hell are we supposed to tell Reed?” he said, his voice sharp and bitter. “How do we even begin to explain this?”

Before I could respond, a sharp knock echoed through the room.

“Rayne? Are you in there?”

My blood turned to ice.

Reed.