Chapter 1

Georgia's POV

My sister, Lily Cornwell, finally stopped laughing and raised her phone, snapping several pictures of my back.

"Mom, look. With those words on Georgia's back, doesn't she look just like a Rogue who's been stripped of her status, branded, and cast out?" Lily mocked.

Mom nearly spilled her wine laughing, but she leaned over and wiped at the reddened skin on my back.

"Goodness, go wash that off. This paint seems a little harsh on your skin." Then she turned to Lily. "And you, Lily. Don't take your pranks this far next time."

Mom patted me on the shoulder again and sighed. "Stop sulking. It's just a few words. They'll wash off. Lily has always loved little jokes. You're just too uptight to get the humor."

I'd heard those words more times than I could count.

I was about to say something when a dense, prickling burn suddenly spread across my back.

Nyx, my wolf, shuddered inside me, her fur standing on end. Instincts told her something toxic had entered my bloodstream.

Lily paid no attention. She was tapping rapidly on her phone. "Since I've taken the photos, I'm posting them to our family group chat."

She edited the photos, clearly delighted with herself. "A little Christmas-themed prank. I've already come up with a perfect title—Pureblood Werewolf Turns into a Clown."

Nyx let out a low, angry growl. "They're humiliating us. And our mate is just sitting there watching." Then she gave a faint, disbelieving whine.

I forced down Nyx's agitation and took a deep breath. I looked at Lily. "Delete them."

Lily clicked her tongue. "It's just our family group chat. It's not like I'm posting them on the pack's public network."

A message popped up in the chat a second later.

Lily had posted a photo of me with the words on my back, my expression grim.

A string of laughing reactions appeared underneath almost instantly. Aunt Sarah Zegler sent a shocked emoji. My cousin, Mark Burnett, asked if it was some new kind of black-market tattoo.

Mom replied, "Lily got carried away and painted it on Georgia for fun."

I stared at the messages, my expression hardening.

Dad dropped his knife and fork onto his plate with a sharp clatter.

As a respected Beta elder in the pack, he frowned and spoke in his most authoritative tone. "Are we eating dinner or not? Everyone's waiting for you. It's Christmas. Do you really have to make such a fuss over some paint and ruin the whole mood?"

I was the one whose skin was burning from the wolfsbane ash in the paint. I was the one being humiliated. Yet somehow, they blamed me for ruining Christmas Eve dinner.

I didn't argue. I pulled out my chair and sat down.

Mom put a piece of beef covered in gravy on my plate as if nothing had happened.

"Your grandma is video calling us tomorrow. Don't complain to her. She's getting old and doesn't understand the kind of jokes you young people make. If she takes it seriously, she'll think we're mistreating you and violating pack rules."

Lily immediately chimed in. "Exactly. Don't let anything show, Georgia, or Grandma's blood pressure will shoot through the roof."

Another round of laughter broke out around the table.

Ethan reached out to pat my back.

I shifted slightly, dodging his touch. His hand hovered in the air, and his smile vanished.

"Are you serious?" he asked. "I'm your future mate, and I'm not making a big deal out of how you look now. Why are you?"

I looked up at him, anger flashing in my eyes. I could feel his dismissiveness through the bond.

Ethan turned away and handed Lily a piece of caramel flan. "Lily, give it a break. If you really make her mad, I'm going to have to spend the whole night dealing with it."

Lily stuck out her tongue at him. "Isn't that just another chance for you to prove how loyal you are?"

The two of them clinked their wineglasses, looking like the true mates blessed by the Moon Goddess.

Halfway through dinner, my phone vibrated.

It was an email from Arthur Richmond, Alpha of the Northridge pack. He had offered me the position of chief healer last month and was still holding it open for me.

It was my dream job. But if I accepted, I would have to stay in the Northridge pack for at least three years and wouldn't be able to come home.

I'd already turned Arthur down twice.

The first time, Mom told me Northridge was too far away and that I'd be unsafe without the protection of my home pack.

The second time, Ethan told me that we were having our mating ceremony next month to complete our mark, and I should stay for it.

At the end of the email, Arthur wrote, "This is your final chance to confirm. You have until midnight tonight to change your mind."

I stared at the screen.

In the living room, Lily was animatedly mimicking the expression on my face when I had seen myself in the mirror.

Mom said I'd looked like I was about to bite someone.

Dad said I was more fun as a pup—back when scaring me into hiding under the bed never got old.

Ethan laughed and added, "Still the same as ever, Georgia. You haven't changed a bit."

I lowered my eyes and typed two words on the screen.

"I accept."