Prologue

Ophelia

“Chin up, girl! Oh, and tuck that stomach of yours in. Honestly, try not to look so pathetic, Ophelia. You’re being mated to an Alpha.” Mother muttered quietly, “Goddess only knows how that one happened.”

I bit my tongue when she yanked the front of my simple cotton dress down, exposing a fair amount of cleavage. Speaking up would only make things worse. She might not be able to strike my face, but she knew how to punish without leaving marks.

“Yes, Lucille.”

She didn’t care for when I called her mother. Apparently, it made her feel old. That didn’t stop Astrid and Kimberly from calling her it, but they’d always been her favorites.

Mother snared a lock of my strawberry-blonde hair and tugged hard. Her flat, dark eyes scoured my face in search of a flinch or wince. “You should have let me dye this mess for you. Alas, it’s too late. Not that it matters in the slightest.” She said with the wave of her hand, “Soon enough, you’ll be someone else’s problem.”

A problem, that’s what I was.

I swallowed down my retort and focused on tonight’s ceremony. A flutter of excitement curled in my belly. It happened so suddenly, without rhyme or reason. One moment I’d been walking the halls of Aberdeen High, ready to empty out my locker after graduating, and the next there he was.

My mate.

Alpha Hunter West, the golden-eyed football player that every she-wolf within a hundred-mile radius wanted to be seen with.

The fact that the bond snapped into place on both sides was rare, and a good sign according to Hunter’s father. We’d been in school with one another for four years, passing in the halls without ever speaking a word.

It was like a fairytale. Even more so if you considered the hefty sum Hunter’s father was paying Lucille for my hand in marriage.

Were our customs a bit archaic? Yes. Were things moving a bit fast? Also yes, but this was my chance to escape Lucille and my sisters. The only other option I had was to wait three years until my twenty-first birthday. The inheritance my father had left for me would finally reach my hands, but I knew I wouldn’t last that long.

The sharp sting of nails digging into the back of my neck pulled me from my daydream. I made the mistake of hissing, the sound escaping without warning.

Mother’s lips curled. Her eyes, which could go from innocent to pits of writhing darkness within seconds, flashed dangerously. “Listen here, girl. You will not embarrass me tonight, understand? You’ll smile, keep that mouth of yours shut, and do as your told.”

Ignoring the angry snarl of my wolf, I averted my eyes and dropped my head in submission. It was becoming harder and harder to control her as of late.

“Yes, Lucille.”

With her hand still clasped over the back of my neck, she dragged me down the front steps of the manor and to the car parked out front. I quickened my pace to keep from toppling over. The driver, one of Alpha Hunter’s men, smiled politely and bobbed his head at the two of us.

We were driven into the forest surrounding the Sun Pack, also known as the “golden lands” due to the fields of swaying grass that looked like spun gold beneath the blistering summer sun.

There was still a slight breeze going, which kept me from becoming too sweaty during the walk down the trail. Up ahead, illuminated by a string of torches, was the hill of the Goddess. The small swell of land was perched directly beneath the moon itself.

A large crowd had already formed around the base, the majority made up of people my age. Standing at the top, his broad shoulders pulled back and head held high, was my mate. The sun kissed strands of his hair were pale beneath the moonlight, curling around his chiseled jaw.

The dark polo he wore was stretched taut across his muscular chest. It hugged the hard ridges of his toned stomach, right down to the jeans that sat low on his waist. Hunter West had the body of an athlete, and the instincts of an Alpha.

The moment I stepped into view, dragged up the hill by Lucille, his eyes widened. He drank me in, his gaze lingering on my flaming cheeks before running down my hair and over the little cotton dress I wore. His lips tipped up smugly.

I wasn’t surprised by his stunned reaction. I’d become an expert at making myself invisible. Blending into the background was one of my favorite hobbies after all.

Too bad the crowd didn’t feel the same way. The other she-wolves in the pack hadn’t taken the news well. As if they needed another reason to hate my guts.

Hunter’s father stepped forward and addressed the crowd of people. “Thank you everyone for gathering here to celebrate the mating of my son, your Alpha, and the pack’s future Luna! On this beautiful night, she will release her wolf and pledge her mind, body, and soul to Hunter. Without further ado, lets begin!”

The crowd cheered, and with the smile of a snake, Lucille pushed me forward.

Tripping over my own two feet, I careened towards the ground. Hunter’s hands shot out to catch me, grabbing my arms before I could hit the grass. Sparks raced up my shoulders and coaxed a gasp from between my lips.

Eyes of pure gold twinkled in the low torch light. “Woah, easy there. You look beautiful tonight, Opal.”

The smile melted from my face. Did he really not know my name? I stepped back as he released me, my cheeks once again burning, though this time with shame.

Was wanting him to know who I was too much to ask? No, I could handle this. Anything was better than being stuck with Lucille, Kimberly, and Astrid.

His father motioned to the crowd, “Ms. Hawkins, you may disrobe and shift into your wolf now.”

This was the part I was dreading.

It wasn’t that my body was ugly, or undesirable. Apart from the fact that my breasts were much larger than the rest of me, there was nothing wrong with it. What I hated was the softness of my curves. The distinct lack of muscle on my thighs, stomach, and rear. She-wolves were almost always physically fit. It was just another point of contention between Lucille and me.

I made quick work of slipping the straps over my shoulders, flinching when the cool breeze caressed my chest and raced between my legs. The pale fabric fell to the ground at my feet. A sea of murmurs kicked up. I gave into the roaring in my ears, allowing it to blot out the individual voices.

As Hunter’s eyes dipped below my collar bones, he snarled approvingly.

Goddess, could this get any more embarrassing? The urge to fold my arms over my chest was so strong that the shame alone coaxed my wolf to the surface.

Pain surged up my limbs, wrapping around my bones as my body began to change. Fur the same odd shade as my hair sprouted from my arms and legs. Seconds later, I fell to the ground. My four large paws sinking into the chilled grass.

The faces surrounding the base of the hill were now visible thanks to my enhanced vision, which only elevated the tension I could now taste in the air. It was stifling, clogging my lungs with notes of disdain, jealousy, and outright hatred.

These people didn’t want me here.

They didn’t want me to be their Luna.

A low growl rumbled in my chest. It was a clear warning to those watching that they needed to leave. Hunter’s father stepped towards us with furrowed brows and a stiff jaw.

“Control your wolf, girl. Submit to my son.”

Hearing his ultimatum, she craned her head his way and unleashed a menacing growl. Several gasps rang out amongst the crowd, Lucille’s included. Goddess, she was going to skin my hide for this.

‘Stop snarling. You’re making us look bad. This isn’t what we’re supposed to do, and you know it.’ I pleaded with my wolf.

Her refusal washed over me, resolute in its intensity, prompting me to freeze in horror.

She wasn’t going to submit.

Hunter’s father released a snarl of his own, which my wolf ignored. He turned to his son, “Use your Alpha command. Force her to submit to you.”

He wouldn’t, would he? My beast refused to believe our mate would do such a thing—refused to believe he’d break our trust before it was even built.

Hunter’s golden eyes seemed troubled, full of conflict that reached its peak when he puffed out his chest and growled, “Submit, Opal.”

Pain streaked up my chest as he once again called me by the wrong name. It’s Ophelia, I wanted to shriek. The force of his command rattled our bones, calling to the very essence of who we were.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, my wolf turned on him and pulled back her muzzle, revealing our pearly teeth in an act of pure dominance.

Not only did my wolf ignore his Alpha command, but she had just challenged him for his position.

“Submit! Do as I say, Opal.” Hunter’s voice hardened. Eyes that had once resembled two pools of liquid gold now reminded me of burnt bronze.

Again and again his command washed over me, sinking deep into my body. The tug to do his bidding was there, but it wasn’t this impenetrable force others had described it as. It didn’t steal away my free will.

Such a thing wasn’t possible, and yet my wolf refused to submit.

Hunter’s father began to redden with anger. Two meaty fists were clenched at his side, practically trembling. Without a word, he yanked a small canister out of his pocket and ripped off the cap.

A whine slid from my muzzle as my wolf realized what the object was. Just as we took a step back, his father sprayed the silver shavings into our face. My bare bottom hit the cold grass and I yelped.

Yanking my dress off the ground, I quickly slid it over my body and stumbled to my feet. The stares of our people pelted me at every angle, their whispers digging into my skin. Never in my life had I been so embarrassed, so ashamed of myself and my unruly wolf.

“You understand what you need to do, right? She issued a clear challenge and disrespected your authority as Alpha. There is no forgiveness for that.”

I closed my eyes and prayed that when I opened them I’d be somewhere else—anywhere else.

“Look at me, Opal.” Hunter’s stern voice coaxed them open.

“It’s Ophelia.”

The words slid from my mouth, so quiet that he craned his head and replied, “What?”

“My name is Ophelia.”

He flinched, a flurry of emotion warming those golden eyes. The only reason I wasn’t ashamed to admit I derived the smallest amount of pleasure from his reaction was because I knew what was coming next. Nothing could’ve prepared me for the agony that was hearing those words fall from his lips.

“I, Alpha Hunter West, reject you, Ophelia Hawkins, as my mate and Luna. I decline your challenge and banish you from this pack from now until the end of your days. Do you accept?”

A hollow ache took root in my chest, one I knew would haunt me for the rest of my life.

“I, Ophelia Hawkins, accept your rejection.”

With a whisper carried by the Goddess’s winds, the mate-bond snapped in two.