ASHLEY

Today was the day I turned eighteen.

It was supposed to be the most important day of my life. Instead, it marks the beginning of my worst nightmare.

****

As the only daughter of Beta, my parents spoiled me in every way.

Longer than before I was born, the Seer had foretold a bond between the Beta’s daughter and the Alpha’s son, Jason, a destined mating written by the Moon Goddess herself.

From that moment, I was no longer just the Beta’s daughter. I was the future Luna, the one every pack member admired, and the one every she-wolves expected to be.

Every birthday, my father sent rare gems from the Northern territories. Each one more dazzling than the last.

My mother made sure I never wore the same dress twice. She had them custom-made by the best seamstresses in the pack.

Even for a casual hunt, I had a personal guard at my side. Everyone used to laugh and call me their “little princess.”

I used to believe all this was a blessing from the Moon Goddess. She would always be on my side. And nothing could change my parents’s love. But I was wrong.

“My name is Maria. I…I am Beta's daughter.”

A girl in tattered clothes appears at my birthday party suddenly. Her words silenced the room, as if time itself had paused.

My father’s brow furrowed. He walked over, studying her with narrowed eyes.

And I saw it too—those eyes. They looked just like his.

Lockwood eyes, he used to call them with a smile. My stomach flipped.

“No. You're not!” I shot back loudly, disbelief and anger rising in my voice as I stared at her.

I was born in the Black River pack house. I have known my parents to be my true parents since birth. There was no news of me being adopted, and no one had ever thought about that before, either.

“You heard that right,” the girl, Maria, stated. She turned to my father, a piteous look on her face. I’m sorry I have been away for eighteen years of my life. I didn’t know who I was until recently. But I remember things—things only your real daughter would know.”

“That’s absurd,” I replied. “The beta has only one child, and that’s me–”

“Let her finish!” My father ordered, his voice sharp. I flinched at his words. He never talked to me like that.

“My mother, Lorraine Blake, poor woman, you should know her–” Maria paused like she was giving me time to process the information.

I knew Lorraine. She was the former midwife of Blackriver's pack house. She was a kind woman, but I never knew she had a child as grown as this, and one who looked almost like me.

Maria continued. “She told me before her death that I am the true heir to the Beta's family. And I have enough proof to assure you that I am the daughter.”

How? As if reading my mind, she walked towards me, let out a guttural growl. Her eyes glowed, and her body shifted into a sleek gray wolf.

Tall, graceful, and purebred. The symbol of a true beta lineage.

My father's eyes lit with pride, and my mother pressed a hand to her lips in astonishment.

While I gawked at her.

Maria’s eyes locked on mine, and I saw the mischievous glint in them. She was waiting for me to shift.

How dare she challenge me! My heart pounded.

I took a breath, reaching deep within me, trying to summon the wolf I had known my whole life must be there. I heard her voice before.

I imagined the pull, the heat, the instinct. But there was… nothing.

Not even a flicker.

“It’s your turn, Ashley. Shift!” My father’s eyes narrowed.

Panic tightened in my chest.

Not now. Not in front of them.

I tried again. Harder. Come on, wolf. Please help me, just this one time. I'd be grateful. But nothing came of it.

“Enough,” My father said coldly. “She can't do it. This is as clear as day. It’s obvious who the real daughter of this household is.”

“You can't be serious, Father. I've lived here my whole life!” I shouted. “You raised me! Trained me! You—”

“You can't even shift,” my father cut me off coolly. “How do you claim to be my daughter when you can't even do something as simple as that? We could have raised you as our child, but that doesn't make you one.”

My heart clenched. His words were hurtful. How could he forget the moments we had easily? How could he not detect this was a lie and an impersonation of my character?!

“Mother, please, say something…anything.”

She still stood in the spot she was in, a frown etched on her face.

I couldn’t tell if she was thinking about the situation or wondering if she should pick Maria over me as well.

“I love you, Ashley, after all, we raised you.”

My mother placed her hand around my shoulder, and all the hope of her being sane instantly vanished.

“But Maria is our daughter. She has proof that she is our daughter as well. This is hard for everyone, not just you…”

“Actually, I don’t mind having Ashley as a sister.” Maria stepped in, sliding her hand into mine like we were old friends. “We can get along, right?”

Get along? After you took everything from me?

“That’s wonderful! Ashley, there’s no harm in being Maria’s sister. We won’t cast you aside. Let’s just… coexist.” My mother announced it without giving me a chance to agree.

My father shrugged as if he didn't care whether we coexisted.

And just like that, I became the outsider in my own family. My mother left my side while my father showed Maria around the house. I stood in the spot I was, watching all that was happening. It was like I didn’t exist as they began to dote on her like she was the best thing ever happening to them.

Maybe she was. I could only watch now because my parents weren’t mine anymore.

“She’s perfect for the Alpha,” a maid whispered to another as they walked towards Maria to prepare her for bed. “The mating ritual tonight—what fate! The Alpha getting matched to a daughter of this household?”

The words hit me like ice water.

The mating ritual.

How could I have forgotten? I was the future Luna the Seer had foretold.

If Jason recognized me as his mate, everything could change.

The Moon Goddess won’t lie. It would prove that I belonged. That Maria was the impostor.

Night arrived just as fast as I wanted it. Howls resounded around the ceremonial ground where we gathered to commence the event. Everyone was dressed in different silver attire designs. Mates held onto each other, waiting nervously and anticipating the bond rush.

While I stood, waiting. Alone, but hopefully.

I trust that Jason would stand by me. To the pack house members, he was Jason Blackwell, the alpha heir. To me, he was my Jason.

He was only five years older than I was, so we grew up together. I always ran after him, wanting to be around him. Jason didn't mind how clumsy I was. He was cool and composed compared to my rowdiness, allowing me to cling to him if I wanted to.

The best part of our friendship was the woven charm bracelet with Moonstone and wolf hair I gave him when I was twelve and he was seventeen. I had a massive crush on him, and that didn't end.

Jason always wore the bracelet, never taking it off. Not once.

Our bond was real. It had to be!

The Howls stopped, and silence fell on the crowd. I strained my neck to see who was coming as the circle the crowd had formed seemed to split.

Jason.

He wore black. Not the silver everyone was on.

He was coming towards me!

My eyes moved from his handsome face to his hand. He was wearing the bracelet. My breath caught in my throat, and excitement surged inside me.

“I, Jason Blackriver, the Alpha heir of the Blackriver pack house, am here to make a declaration,” Jason announced, his voice echoing through the circle holding me and everyone here spellbound.

This was it. He was about to name me his mate. He had to. But then-

“You bewitched me, Ashley,” Jason said, his voice a little louder than necessary.

What? My breath caught.

“Witchcraft?” The crowd murmured.

“Isn't she a werewolf?”

Panic clawed at my chest. Before I could speak, he went on.

“You used witchcraft to create a fake mate bond with me!”