Chapter 1

Ava's POV

The kitchen reeked of vanilla and desperate hope. It was a cloying, suffocating smell that masked the scent of my own anxiety.

I smoothed the final swirl of frosting across the cake, my hand trembling just enough to threaten the delicate moon I'd drawn in icing. The little wolf next to it looked lonely-just like me.

"Happy twenty-first, Ava," I whispered to the empty room, the silence of the servant's quarters pressing against my ears.

I folded my hands, squeezing my eyes shut. It was a childish habit, praying to a Moon Goddess who had seemingly ghosted me three years ago, but I was desperate.

"First wish," I murmured, my voice cracking. "Let Cole finally see me. Let the future Alpha of Bloodmoon Pack claim me as his Luna, not just his servant."

I paused, the next wish sticking in my throat like a shard of glass.

"Second wish... please, give me Nyx back."

My wolf. My strength.

She'd been silent for three years, ever since the fire. The night I turned eighteen, the night I dragged Cole's unconscious body from the inferno, I had poured every ounce of my essence into him. I saved him. But it cost me everything-my wolf, my status, and my father's respect.

To the pack, I was just the Beta's "defective" daughter. To Cole? I was invisible.

Buzz.

My phone lit up on the counter. My heart slammed against my ribs. A text from Cole.

[Get over here. Bring the thing. Big surprise.]

A surprise? A smile broke across my face, unbidden and foolish. Maybe he remembered. Maybe, just maybe, tonight was the night he'd finally announce our engagement.

I grabbed the cake box, shielding it with my body, and ran out the door before my doubts could cripple me.

The Pack House was a beast of a building, pulsing with bass so deep it rattled the fillings in my teeth. The air inside was thick, a toxic cocktail of spilled lager, cheap perfume, and the distinct, skunky haze of weed.

I froze in the doorway. It was a rager. A chaotic, wild party. Not exactly the romantic setting for a proposal, but my chest tightened with anticipation anyway.

"Chug! Chug! Chug!"

A chant erupted from the center of the living room. I squeezed past sweaty bodies and flying elbows, the cake heavy in my arms like a lead weight.

Then I saw them. And my world stopped.

Lexi.

My half-sister was perched on Cole's lap like she owned him. Her head was thrown back, exposing the long line of her throat, her lips locked onto his. They were sharing a mouthful of liquor, sloppy and intimate. Cole's shirt was half-unbuttoned, and Lexi's fingers were clawing possessively at his bare chest.

My stomach twisted into a knot so tight I thought I'd vomit. The cake box slipped from my numb fingers.

Splat.

The sound was lost under the music, but the visual was loud enough.

"Cole?" My voice was a pathetic croak.

He didn't hear me. But Lexi did. She pulled back, her eyes gleaming with malice, and tapped Cole's shoulder.

The music cut off abruptly. The silence that followed was sharper than a knife. Every pair of eyes in the room swiveled to me.

Lexi stood up slowly, wiping her mouth. She looked perfect-fake tan, perfect blowout, and an expression of practiced innocence that made my skin crawl.

"Oh, Ava! You're here!" She beamed, stepping over the ruined cake. "Don't be mad. It's my birthday... I just wanted a little kiss from my Alpha."

My stomach bottomed out. Her birthday?

Right. How could I forget? When Gordon brought his mistress and her daughter to my mother's funeral, he made sure I knew: Lexi and I shared a birthday. I was the replacement; she was the prize.

Cole stood up, buttoning his shirt with agonizing slowness. His face was a mask of cool indifference.

"Who invited the help?" he asked, his voice flat.

I blinked, the sting of tears blurring my vision. "What? You... you texted me. You said to come over."

Lexi rushed forward, grabbing my hand with a grip that was painful. "Ava! Don't make a scene. I know you think Cole is your mate, but let's be real. I'd never steal him. He's just... celebrating me."

Her gaze flicked to the floor. "Omigod. You made a cake? For me?"

"It's not for you," I snapped, my spine stiffening. I'd spent three hours on that frosting.

I reached down to salvage the box, but Lexi gasped-a loud, theatrical sound. "Ah! Don't hit me!"

She kicked the box. Hard.

The cake exploded. Cold, sticky frosting splattered up my legs, ruining my only decent dress.

The room erupted. Gasps turned into snickers, then full-blown laughter. Phones flashed, capturing my humiliation in 4K resolution.

"I didn't mean to!" Lexi whined, ducking behind Cole, playing the victim perfectly.

"You did that on purpose, you bitch!" I screamed, shaking with fury.

Cole stepped in front of her, his eyes hardening into stone. He shoved me back, hard enough that I stumbled into a table of drinks.

"Watch your mouth, Ava," he growled. "It's Lexi's birthday. All you ever do is attack her. Can't you be useful for once?"

Something inside me fractured. The years of silence, of servitude, of hoping.

"It's my birthday too!" I screamed, my voice tearing raw from my throat. "I'm your Mate, Cole! Does that mean nothing to you?"