Chapter 1

Clara’s POV

"Mate!" 

When Alpha Damien lifted me out of the bathtub like a little kitten, I was still frantically trying to cover my body beneath my soaked, flimsy clothes.

"You are mine, kitty." He said it so firmly, like the whole world was witnessing our bond.

But then, the cold reality set in.

"You're just a lowly Omega," his words shattered my hope. "And you're nothing but a hybrid."

He had said he chose me, but now, all I saw in his eyes was not love, but disdain and coldness.

"I thought you would be different," his voice was filled with disappointment. "I was wrong."

~One week earlier~

“Clara, I need a favour!”

Having just finished washing the kitchen dishes and getting ready to clock out, a pang of annoyance rushes through me as I whirl around to see my best friend Layla hurrying towards me. She grabs my arm, expression already pleading.

“What’s up?” I ask with a sigh.

“Could you please clean Alphe Damien’s bedroom for me?” She begs. “I’ve got a date tonight at seven, and I’m already running late…”

My lips quirk into a half-smile. “Another date?”

“I know, I know,” Layla huffs. “But he’s such a handsome warrior, and he might be my mate! I can’t miss this.”

I hesitate. “I dunno. What if Alpha Damien is there?”

“He’s always busy,” Layla says dismissively. “He won’t be back so early.”

“Okay, fine,” I agree. “But you owe me one!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever!” Layla is already rushing off, eyes flashing excitedly. “Love you! Thanks!”

“Have fun!” I call after her, grinning.

But as she runs away, I breathe out a heavy sigh, thinking of all the work I’ve got ahead of me.

Cleaning Alpha Damien’s bedroom is hardly going to be an easy task.

As Omegas, Layla and I spend our days doing the Moonstone pack’s lowest work–mostly just cleaning and cooking, but I’m not one to complain. Layla’s family saved me from a slow death at the border when I was just an infant, an orphan without a home, and I owe them a debt I can never repay.

Still, it’s hard to stay invisible with eyes like mine. One green, one gold—a heterochromatic freak show that draws scorn and ridicule no matter how hard I try to hide.

I’d always feared that whatever was "wrong" with me would prevent me from awakening my wolf. When Layla and I turned eighteen last month, I thought I was finally safe because both our wolves emerged. But while Layla spent her first nights running wild in search of a mate, my wolf, Marigold, whispered a truth that turned my relief into pure terror.

I am not a common omega. 

I’m a hybrid.

In the Moonstone pack, "hybrid" is just another word for "pariah". We’re forbidden, a stain on the pack's purity. So I follow Marigold’s warnings and stay in the shadows. I don't date, I don't draw attention, and I don't go looking for trouble. My life is stable for now, but the fear is a constant weight in my chest. 

Even if the Moon Goddess does grant me a mate, what happens when he knows what I really am? 

Shaking off my worries, I grab my bucket of cleaning supplies, tighten my apron, and tug on a fresh pair of gloves before making my way through the palace and into Alpha Damien’s bedroom. It’s neat and grand–seems like cleaning it won’t be nearly as difficult as I feared.

I smile a little. Honestly, I doubt anyone would notice if I didn’t clean at all.

Still, I get to work quickly, rushing through the tasks in case he comes back early. I’d rather stay out of his way. I scrub at the baseboards and dust every shelf, lost in thought.

Everyone says Alpha Damien is dangerously handsome, but all I see is a predator. The rumors that float through the pack are enough to make my blood run cold. They say he once leveled an entire pack single-handedly, leaving nothing but ash and bone in his wake. He doesn't just kill his enemies—he breaks them, stripping away their dignity before delivering the final blow. He is a man who values power above all else, a leader who treats mercy like a weakness he can't afford.

If a man like that ever found out what I really am—a lowly hybrid, a "jinx" with an unknown bloodline, he’d likely snap my neck and discard me like trash, convinced I was a spy sent to destroy his pack from the inside out.

So to be here alone in Alpha Damien’s bedroom…

‘Why did I let Layla talk me into this?’ I ask Marigold with a huff, stepping into the bathroom.

I turn on the tap, fill the tub, and start to scrub.

‘Because she’s your friend, and you love her, and you’ll be fine,’ Marigold replies.

‘If I get thrown out of the pack, I’m blaming both of you,’ I say wryly.

The work goes quickly, and the rest of the bathroom is no hassle, either. Like the rest of the suite, the room is virtually spotless–sending a cleaner up is little more than a formality, I’m sure.

I’m just about to drain the tub and run when the scent hits me.

It’s faint at first, then deepens instantly—earthy and rich, like a rainstorm settling over a cedar forest. It’s not just a smell, it’s a presence. It curls through me, heavy and intoxicating.

Panic spikes. He’s here.

Footsteps echo in the bedroom—slow, heavy, unhurried.

I have nowhere to run. My gaze locks onto the full bathtub. It’s a desperate, stupid idea, but I have no choice. I slide in, wincing as water sloshes over the rim, and sink beneath the surface.

Warm water seals me in. The world goes eerily silent, save for the violent thundering of my own heart. My lungs burn, begging for air, but I force my muscles to lock. Maybe he didn’t see me. Maybe if I just stay still—

The surface breaks.

Strong hands grip my waist. I’m hauled up in one effortless motion, bursting into the cool air and gasping, water cascading down my face.

And I’m face-to-face with Alpha Damien.

My first instinct is pure terror. He’s going to kill me. But as I look at him, the fear tangles with something much more dangerous.

Up close, he is devastating. Water drips from my lashes, blurring the sight of his sharp jaw and the dark curls falling over his forehead. His shirt strains against broad shoulders, solid and unyielding where my hands instinctively brace against his chest.

He doesn’t say a word. He just looks at me with those mesmerizing eyes.

Then, Marigold’s voice explodes in my mind, shattering my reality.

‘MATE!’