Chapter 1

Right before our marking ceremony, I walked in on my mate kissing his first love, calling me a lowly half-blood Omega, one who deserved nothing more than a temporary mark.

"Remember to pick me up tonight, Sophie."

That's what Lucas said this morning, leaving a kiss on my forehead as he left.

He said he had something important to tell me after the full moon party—something about our permanent mating ceremony next week.

I got to the pack clubhouse an hour early, wearing the blue dress he loves.

It was a cold, rainy night, but my heart was warm.

Until I heard voices from the terrace.

"Don't leave my pack again, Willow."

Lucas's voice was deep and obsessive, thick with the smell of alcohol.

I pushed open the glass door and saw something that shattered my heart.

Lucas had his nose buried deep in Willow Black's neck, greedily inhaling her scent.

His arms were wrapped tight around her slim waist, like she was the most precious thing in the world.

"Lucas, you're drunk," Willow chuckled, but she didn't push him away.

"No. My wolf has never been more sober." He looked up, his eyes hazy with drink but incredibly focused. "Eight years. I've waited eight years for you."

I started to step forward to help him.

But his powerful Alpha aura flared, hitting me like an invisible wall.

The Omega in me recoiled, refusing to take another step.

"Then what about your mate?" Willow asked deliberately, her eyes flicking to where I stood in the shadows.

Lucas answered without a second's hesitation. "Sophia? She's just a temporary convenience. A distraction. My wolf will only ever claim a pureblood."

His voice was perfectly clear, without a trace of a slur.

"A half-blood like her could never understand our ways," he went on, then reverently rubbed his scent gland into the crook of Willow's neck.

It was a marking gesture meant only for true mates.

I stood in the dark, a chill spreading through my entire body.

After what felt like an eternity, Willow gently pushed the swaying Lucas away, finally "noticing" me.

"Lucas, is that your mate? She's here to pick you up." Her voice was light, filled with the casual confidence of a winner.

Lucas turned to look at me, his gaze unfocused. "What? What mate? That's just my ride!"

Using his drunkenness as a shield, he professed his love for Willow without holding anything back.

"Only you are worthy of me. I only love you, Willow. You know that. How could I ever be mate to another she-wolf?"

Willow rose gracefully and walked over to me.

Her beauty seemed to glow in the moonlight.

And I was just a half-blood Omega, hidden in the shadows.

"Lucas is drunk. You should take him home," she said, handing him to me like a package.

Then she leaned in close, her voice a low whisper only I could hear.

"Take care of this noble Alpha. And try not to taint him with your inferior scent."

Her words were like a snake's fangs, sinking into my heart.

I supported Lucas's weight as we walked downstairs, through the dance floor, and out to the parking lot.

His body was heavy against my shoulder, but I felt no warmth.

The sky opened up, fat drops of rain splattering against us.

"Willow… why did you stop talking?" Lucas mumbled against my shoulder, his voice slurred.

"I love you so much."

I buckled him into the passenger seat and started the car.

"You've got the wrong person."

I glanced in the rearview mirror.

Willow was still standing at the clubhouse entrance, a triumphant smirk on her face.

The rain came down harder.

It hammered against the windshield, blurring my vision.

The mate I was about to bond with for life had just denied our relationship in front of his first love.

And I was just his driver.

The absurdity of it all was a physical ache in my chest.

Fighting back the ache in my chest, I helped Lucas into the house, my jacket soaked through.