Chapter 1

LILA'S POV

The night air was cold against my skin as I stood at the edge of Blackwood Territory, staring at the gates I swore I'd never see again.

It's been three years since they threw me away like I meant nothing.

My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears, but I forced myself to keep walking.

The guards at the gate didn't recognize me at first. Why would they? The girl who left three years ago was soft, broken, begging them not to reject her.

"State your business," one of the guards said, stepping forward with his hand on his weapon.

"I'm here to see the Black brothers," I said, my voice steady even though everything inside me was screaming to run.

The guard's eyes narrowed. "The Alphas don't take visitors without an appointment."

"They'll see me," I said simply.

"And who are you?" the second guard asked, moving closer now.

I met his eyes directly, not flinching. "Tell them Lila Harper is here."

Both guards froze.

I watched recognition dawn on their faces, watched shock replace suspicion.

"Lila Harper?" the first guard repeated. "But you're supposed to be dead."

"Sorry to disappoint," I said.

The guards exchanged glances, clearly unsure what to do.

"Wait here," the second guard finally said, pulling out his radio.

I waited, my hands clenched into fists at my sides to stop them from shaking.

This was it. There was no going back now.

Through the radio, I heard muffled voices, then silence.

The guard turned back to me, his expression unreadable. "The Alphas will see you. Follow me."

My stomach twisted, but I kept my face blank as I followed the guards through the gates and into the territory I'd once called home.

Everything looked the same. The pack houses, the training grounds, the main house where the Black family lived.

Where I'd thought I would live too, once upon a time.

Wolves stopped what they were doing to stare as I walked past. I could hear them whispering, and could feel their eyes burning into my back.

When I was rejected they'd all watched me get rejected and said nothing.

The guards led me to the main house and stopped at the door.

"They're waiting inside," the first guard said, then both of them stepped back, leaving me alone.

I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The entry hall was exactly as I remembered. Expensive furniture, pack history displayed on the walls, everything screaming power and wealth.

"Lila."

The voice came from my left, and I turned to see Callum standing in the doorway to the sitting room.

He looked older. His black hair was shorter than I remembered, and there were lines around his eyes that hadn't been there three years ago.

"Callum," I said, keeping my voice neutral.

He was staring at me like he'd seen a ghost, his face pale.

"You're alive," he said, and I heard something that might have been a relief in his voice.

"Disappointed?" I asked.

"No, I just..." Callum took a step toward me, then stopped himself. "We thought you were dead. Everyone said you couldn't have survived."

"Everyone was wrong," I said simply.

"How?" Callum asked. "Bond severance kills most wolves especially omegas."

I smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "Maybe I'm not an omega anymore."

Callum's eyes widened, and I watched him process what I'd just said.

Before he could respond, I heard footsteps on the stairs.

My whole body tensed as Marcus appeared at the top of the staircase.

He stopped when he saw me, his grey eyes going wide with shock.

"Lila?" he said, his voice rough.

I looked up at him, at the man who had physically dragged me to the border three years ago and told me if I ever came back, they'd kill me.

"Hello, Marcus," I said. "Still making threats you can't keep?"

His jaw clenched, and I saw his hands curl into fists at his sides.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, starting down the stairs.

"That's not a very warm welcome," I said. "Is that any way to greet your mate?"

Marcus stopped halfway down the stairs. "You're not our mate. We rejected you."

"Did you?" I asked, tilting my head. "Because last I checked, I never accepted that rejection."

The room went completely silent.

I watched the realization hit both of them at once. Their faces changed, shock replacing the cold indifference.

"You didn't accept?" Callum asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"No," I said simply. "I didn't. Which means, technically, the bond is still there. Broken, but not severed."

Marcus finished coming down the stairs, his movements slow and controlled like he was approaching a dangerous animal.

"Why?" he demanded. "Why didn't you accept the rejection?"

I met his eyes directly, not backing down even though every instinct in my body was screaming at me to run from the anger radiating off him.

"Because I wanted you to feel it," I said. "Every day for three years, I wanted you to feel that broken bond pulling at you, reminding you of what you did."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Marcus said, his voice low and dangerous.

"Don't I?" I asked. "Tell me, Marcus, have you been sleeping well? Or does the bond keep you up at night?"

His silence was answer enough.

Callum moved closer, and I could see the guilt written all over his face.

"Lila, I tried to stop them," he said. "That night, I told Ethan it was wrong. I told them we couldn't just throw away our fated mate."

"But you didn't stop them, did you?" I said. "You stood there and watched me beg. You watched Marcus drag me to the border. You did nothing."

"I couldn't go against my brothers," Callum said, and I heard the pain in his voice.

"And I was supposed to be your mate," I said. "But I guess brotherhood means more than a bond from the Moon Goddess herself."

Before either of them could respond, the front door behind me opened.

I turned and found myself face to face with Ethan.

He was the eldest and also the one who had

spoken the rejection out loud.

He stopped when he saw me, his grey eyes going completely cold.

"Hello, Ethan," I said. "We need to talk.”