Chapter 1

Chapter One**

Serena's Pov

“Damn, look at her move! That body should be illegal.”

Hungry wolves packed into dark corners as their eyes went wild and hungry as they stared at the dancers. But their gazes were fixed on me tonight—the masked stripper they called “Ivory” in Luna Lust Club. 

I spun again, arching my back and letting my silver mask catch the flickering neon lights. The mask was my armor, hiding my identity in this pool of greed and desire. My long, silvery-blonde hair cascaded down my back, brushing against my bare skin as I bent low, teasing the front row and almost making my boobs visible but I swayed back immediately.

My black stilettos clacked against the polished stage as I twirled once more, the hem of my glittering outfit glimmering like broken stars.

“Look at her, man. No one moves like that,” another voice drawled from the crowd, his tone dripping with greed. 

They didn’t know me. None of them did. The name "Ivory" was a shield I wore, keeping my real identity buried beneath layers of lies. If they knew who I really was, Serena Vales, daughter of Beta Harrison Vales of the Lupine Pack, I wouldn’t have made it this far. This mask wasn’t just my protection; it was my salvation.

But even as I danced and let my body flow to the hypnotic rhythm of the music, my mind was elsewhere. 

“Useless Omega,” my father’s voice echoed in my thoughts. “You were supposed to bring honor to this family, but you’ve done nothing but shame us.” 

I twirled on the pole, flipping upside down as the audience erupted into cheers, but his words kept playing on a loop in my head. “You should’ve been married off to that lower-rank Alpha. That’s all you’re good for, Serena. Bargaining. And now? Look at you. A disgrace.” 

My father’s harsh words spat on my face were nothing compared to the venom my stepmother and stepsisters spat at me daily. “You’re trash,” Vivian sneered just last week. “How can you even look at yourself in the mirror?” 

“You’re lucky we even let you live under our roof,” Elena, the eldest, had added with a smirk. “If it were up to me, you’d be living in the gutter where you belong.”

Their cruelty had pushed me into this life, stripping in secret to save enough money to escape the hellhole that was my father’s house. I lived under his roof, yes, but I wasn’t living. Not really. It was survival, barely that.

The music reached its climax, and I twirled one last time, arching my body as the lights dimmed and the crowd roared. The mask hid the bitterness in my expression, the tears that threatened to spill. When the music stopped, I stood for a moment, letting the cheers wash over me like acid rain. Then, I turned and walked off the stage, my heels clicking against the floor as I disappeared behind the curtain.

“Serena,” a voice called out as I entered the back room. My boss, Matteo, leaned against the wall, his dark eyes gleaming with approval. “You were incredible tonight.”

“It’s Ivory,” I corrected sharply, slipping my mask off and setting it on the counter. My reflection stared back at me from the cracked mirror, pale skin, hollow cheeks, and tired blue eyes that had long since lost their spark. “You know no one can know who I am.” I reminded his stubborn self.

He chuckled with a grating sound. “Relax. No one cares who you are here. They care about that body, that face, and the way you make them forget their problems for a few minutes.”

I clenched my jaw, hating how right he was. “Is there anything else? I need to get home.”

“Actually, yes.” Matteo’s grin widened, his sharp teeth glinting under the dim light. “Big client tomorrow night. He’s paying extra to see you. So don’t be late.”

I wanted to snap at him, tell him to shove his big client where the sun didn’t shine, but I needed the money. I bit my tongue, nodding curtly before grabbing my bag and heading for the back entrance. It was the only way I left the club, a narrow alley that reeked of garbage and damp concrete. I couldn’t risk anyone seeing me walk out the front.

The night air was cold against my skin as I walked home, my arms wrapped around myself for warmth. My thoughts drifted to Caleb, the Alpha who had stolen my heart after being shattered three times by the others.

We’d been together for seven months. Seven months of stolen kisses under the moonlight, of whispered promises that he would mark me before the next full moon. I’d believed him. I’d dared to hope that he would be different, that he would see me as more than just an Omega, more than just a girl everyone else had discarded. I know he’d save me from the cycle curse of rejection.

Damn, I liked him too much that I was scared of anything rejection which he never for once portrayed, giving me that confidence and a blooming hope at the pit of my chest.

I pulled out my phone as I walked, scrolling through the messages I’d sent him. *I miss you.* *Are you okay?* *Please call me.* 

Each one sat unread, a glaring reminder of how little I mattered to him but I pushed it at the back of my head and reminded myself that he's an Alpha with multi duties, from meetings to signing off deals and traveling to other Packs to form an Alliance. Caleb was a busy man and I need to understand that.

When I reached the house, the lights were still on despite being late. My heart sank as I approached the door, a sick feeling twisting in my gut. Something was wrong. I pushed the door open and stepped inside, the sound of muffled laughter and moans hitting me like a slap.

What was Sloane and Elena up to by this time of the night? I sighed tiredly and began to walk towards the direction of my room, leaving my sisters to mess around.

“Fuck that Ass Caleb.” A needy moan echoed in my ears and I froze. 

No. 

It's not what I'm thinking right? It's not my own Caleb 

“Yes, squeeze her breasts Alpha while fucking me. Oh Yes!” Another shrill cry of pleasure tore through the air and my heart was soaked with iceness, pounding through my ears and my wolf growled and recoiled in torment, begging me to head upstairs and ignore.

I dropped my bag and ran up the stairs, following the sounds to my stepsister’s bedroom. My hand shook as I pushed the door open, and the scene that greeted me shattered whatever hope I had left.

Caleb. Naked. With them.

Sloane and Elena were tangled around him like snakes, their laughter echoing in my ears as he pounded hard into her.

“Serena,” Vivian said with a smirk, not even bothering to cover herself. “Care to join us? Caleb doesn’t seem to mind.” Hot tears poured down my face, my teeth was clattering so bad that I didn't know when a terrified sob broke out.

I turned to Caleb, my heart pounding. “How could you?” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I trusted you. I loved you.”

He shrugged, a lazy grin spreading across his face. “You should listen to your sister and join us, I will fuck you better.”

“Caleb!!” I yelled in raw anger. “You're fucking disgusting!”

“You’re good, Serena. Really. But you’re not Luna material. You should’ve known that by now.”

I stared at him, tears streaming down my face. “I gave you everything.”

“And I enjoyed it,” he said coldly. “But let’s be real, you’re nothing more than an Omega. You’re not worth my mark.” He added the last bit of poison to destroy me and I bit my lips hard, not feeling any pain but the salty taste of blood in my tongue.

Sloane laughed. “Oh, Serena, don’t cry. It’s pathetic. You should’ve known Caleb only keeps girls like you around for fun.”

I felt my heart crack, the pain almost unbearable. “You’re an asshole,” I spat at Caleb. “And you,” I turned to my stepsisters, shaking with rage. “You’re monsters.” This is the fourth time they're doing to me, sleeping with my mates and rubbing it on my face;

Caleb stood, pulling on his jeans as if nothing had happened. “You should quit your dreams of being Luna, Serena. It’s not going to happen. You’ll always be worthless.” 

His words were a dagger to my soul. I clenched my fists, the urge to lash out was really overwhelming but I knew it would be pointless. Instead, I turned and ran, his mocking laughter following me down the stairs.

By the time I reached my room, I was sobbing uncontrollably. I sank to the floor, clutching my chest as the pain tore through me. Caleb’s rejection felt like death, a final nail in the coffin of my shattered dreams.

“I accept your rejection asshole,” I whispered through gritted teeth, my voice barely audible. It was a useless attempt to reclaim my power, to hold onto the little shred of dignity I had left.

But deep down, I knew the truth. I was broken, and there was no one coming to save me.