CHAPTER ONE

SHERRY

The heat inside the pack house was suffocating, thick with the scents of alcohol, roasted meat, and the overwhelming musk of dozens of wolves.

 I pressed my back deeper into the shadows of the arched stone pillar, clutching my old, worn paperback novel tight against my chest. It was my shield. If I kept my eyes on the pages, maybe the rest of the Blood Moon pack would forget the Alpha’s younger sister was even in the room.

I hated these gatherings. 

I was twenty, but everyone still treated me like a fragile glass doll that would shatter if the wind blew too hard.

"You're hiding again, Sherry," a deep, warm voice rumbled from above me.

I looked up, a small smile breaking through my nervousness. My brother, Viktor, stood there, his Alpha aura radiating comfort rather than command. He looked so much like our father—strong, broad-shouldered, and completely grounded.

"I'm not hiding," I lied softly, shifting the book. "I'm just reading."

Viktor laughed,  "At a pack victory party? Come on, little sister. Put the book down. Go talk to someone. Mia was looking for you earlier."

"Mia wants to dance with the warriors," I murmured, looking down at my plain flats. "I don’t. I just want some peace."

"You need to live a little," Viktor said, leaning against the pillar beside me. His eyes scanned the crowded hall. "Father sent you away to the city schools to keep you safe, but you're back now. You can't spend the rest of your life tucked away in corners."

Before I could answer, the double doors of the grand hall slammed open and the chatter in the room died down instantly, replaced by a wave of excited whispers.

Eric had arrived.

He walked in like he owned the very air we breathed. Tall, muscular, with features and dark hair that fell perfectly across his forehead. He was my brother’s Beta, his closest friend, and the biggest heartbreaker in the entire territory. Every single woman in the room shifted, adjusting their dresses, trying to catch his eye. Hazel, a  female warrior who had been eyeing him all night, immediately stepped forward with a wide smile.

Eric didn’t look at her. He didn't look at anyone. He just laughed at something one of the other warriors said, his reckless, flirty energy filling the space instantly.

And then, a sudden, violent spark slammed into my chest. The air left my lungs in a gasp and my  heart started beating so fast it felt like a war drum against my ribs.

 A scent cut through the suffocating smell of the party—rich cedar and fresh rain. It was intoxicating.

 It was pulling at my very soul, dragging me toward the center of the room.

My wolf, usually silent and timid inside my mind, screamed a single word. Mate.

My hands shook. 

The paperback novel slipped from my fingers, hitting the floor with a soft thud.

 I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move.

 My eyes locked onto Eric, and the entire world outside of him blurred into nothingness.

Eric. My brother's best friend. The rebellious Beta.

"Sherry?" Viktor asked, his hand touching my shoulder. "What's wrong? You're shaking."

I didn't hear him. The pull was too strong. 

My feet moved on their own, stepping out from behind the safety of the stone pillar. 

My mind was spinning, a beautiful, hope blooming in my chest. Maybe the Moon Goddess knew what she was doing. 

"Eric," I whispered.

The word was quiet, barely a breath, but in a room full of werewolves with supernatural hearing, it must have sounded so loud.

The music stopped. The loud laughter died and Head after head turned toward me, their eyes wide with sudden shock.

Eric froze. His back was to me, but I saw his shoulders stiffen completely. Slowly, he turned around. The flirty, easygoing smile was completely gone from his face. His dark eyes locked onto mine, and for a split second, I saw the raw shock mirroring my own.

"Did she just say..." Hazel whispered from the crowd, her voice laced with sudden disgust.

"No way," another female murmured. "Not her."

I swallowed hard, taking another small step forward. The bond inside me was roaring, begging me to touch him, to feel his arms around me. "Eric," I said again, my voice trembling but clear. "It's... it's you."

Eric didn't move toward me or even look happy. 

He didn't look relieved. 

His face hardened, turning into a mask of unadulterated disappointment. He looked at me the way someone looks at a ruined piece of clothing.

"Shut up, Sherry," Eric said. 

I blinked, the blood turning to ice in my veins. "What?"

Viktor stepped forward, his eyes darting between us, "Eric? What is going on?"

Eric ignored my brother. 

He kept his cold, dark eyes pinned directly on me and took a slow step forward, crossing his arms over his broad chest. 

There was no warmth in him. No fated mate affection. Just a cruel, mocking sneer.

"I said, shut up," Eric repeated loudly, making sure every single person in the room could hear him. "Don't say that word again."

Tears pricked the back of my eyes, blinding me. "But... the bond. You feel it. I know you feel it."

"I feel a mistake," Eric snapped. He let out a harsh, bitter laugh that echoed off the high ceilings. "The Moon Goddess must have been drinking tonight if she thinks I'm taking you."

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

"Eric, watch your mouth," Viktor warned, his voice dropping into a dangerous growl as he moved to stand slightly in front of me. "That is my sister you are talking to."

"I don't care who she is, Viktor," Eric said, his tone flat and unbothered. He pointed a finger at me. "Look at her. Just look at her. She’s weak. She’s a timid, fragile little girl who hides in corners with books because she’s too afraid of her own shadow."

"Stop it, please," I whispered, the first tear spilling over my eyelashes, burning my cheek.

"Why should I stop?" Eric yelled, stepping closer, completely ignoring Viktor's growl. "You want everyone to know? Fine. Let them know. You are weak, Sherry. You have always been weak. A Beta needs a strong female by his side. A warrior. Someone who can actually stand the heat of a battle, not someone who cries at the littlest thing. I despise you."

Moon goddess.

It felt like my whole world was collapsing.