Chapter 001

The scent hit me first, as I closed the distance to his room.

Musky. Familiar. Laced with heat, arousal and something feral. My wolf whimpered low in my chest, a warning I didn’t understand my feet halted in front of the door, taking in the sounds that was coming from the room.

I pushed open the bedroom door.

Then everything shattered.

My stepsister was straddling him, head thrown back, golden hair a tangled mess. The man beneath her grunted, hands gripping hips with bruising force as he thrust up hard, a low growl of pleasure rumbling from his chest. Skin against skin. Sweat glistening. Their bodies tangled together in heat and undeniable passion.

The man with his hands all over my stepsister was my mate.

My chosen Mate

Caius.

He didn’t stop when I entered. Neither of them did. They saw me, he saw me and still, he kept going.

“Oh gods,” her voice cracked, as her shoulders began to tremble, reaching that point where every woman desires to be.

The moan, sound of great pleasure wasn’t mine. It was my stepsister’s, filthy and victorious.

“You should’ve locked the door, Caius,” she purred, grinding down harder. “Your little mutt found us.”

“Not a mutt,” I whispered, my voice failing me, “I’m your mate.”

He pulled his lips from my stepsister’s throat long enough to laugh, a dark, hollow sound. “You were convenient. Weak. A half-breed omega that I just have to marry to claim your father’s lands.”

“That’s not true. You love me not her………not my sister.” I whispered, tears clogging my throat.

“Stepsister, mutt” Liana spat, as she bounced up and down his dick.

“Why? Why her? Why now?” I asked my voice breaking and tears finally falling down my face.

“I was never going to mark you Rain. You’re just a weak foolish halfbreed, and I only accepted for the mating ritual so I could be close to your sister.”

Caius had never spoken to me that way before, he was always kind, sweet and has even give me forehead kisses and held my hand few times in the past.

My knees gave out, as I backed out of the room, slamming the door as he groaned slamming into my stepsister.

I ran down the hallway tears streaming down my face.

Tomorrow night was supposed to be our mating ceremony under the full blood moon.

I had finally decided to give myself to him, knowing that we will be bonded by tomorrow. Underneath my robe was a flimsy lingerie I had picked out just for him.

Now I feel stupid.

I ran out of the house to the edge of the lake behind the building.

“Am I that repulsive? Why! Why would you allow him to do this to me.” I screamed, clutching my chest tight as it threatened to give way.

My knees hit the soft muddy floor. “Why?” I whispered.

“Why do you hate me so much.”

At this point I am pretty convinced that the moon goddess really has me in her black book.

I was not only a half breed omega, I was the pack’s laughing stock. A late bloomer and up until I’m turning 18 in few months I haven’t shifted not even once.

I don’t even know what my wolf looked like, I’ve never had friends as everyone even the pups saw me as something unworthy of their presence.

I bent over and looked at my reflection in the lake.

My eyes were swollen and hair scattered like an incomplete bed nest.

I had my mother’s green eyes, typical color for an omega.

My father had married again almost immediately my mother died from a sickness that had wiped out half of our pack several years back.

My stepmother Grace didn’t give birth for my father, but she already had a daughter about my age from her last marriage.

Liana.

She was everything I was not.

Strong, beautiful, hot, sexy, confident.

Name it.

Typical Cinderella bullshit, I became the cast away maid. Not like I wasn’t before then but it just became more obvious

Nobody really cared about my well being not until Caius came along and showed me the tiniest form of kindness and affection.

Which I now see that I mistook for love.

My father saw it as an opportunity to get rid of me by marrying me off to him even though he wasn’t my fated mate, with a promise of half his lands if he agreed.

I didn’t mind at all, I liked him and he was kind to me.

His physique was something men dreamed of so the marriage was a win win for my father and I.

I readily accepted, happy that I’d be leaving this house for good.

Happy that I’d finally escape and find peace.

But seems like fate had other plans.

Turns out, Caius fell for my stepsister which I’m not even surprised about, because I mean who wouldn’t fall for her.

I’m just heartbroken.

Thinking of it now I’m beginning to see how blind I was.

The flirty looks.

Shy smiles.

The small touches that no one really cares about.

The Late nights that she sneaked out and disappeared for hours.

The good thing about being almost invincible is that you notice everything.

But this was one huge point I missed.

The tears kept coming like a broken dam, my voice low and muffled so I wouldn’t wake my parents up.

Was the ritual still going to hold tomorrow?

Will I get marked and bonded to this man that just broke my heart?

Am I just going to sit and get married to a lie?.

The wind picked up, brushing over my bare arms, chilling the tears that clung to my skin.

I didn’t care.

I sat there, knees drawn to my chest, shaking. The robe I wore was damp and stained from the muddy ground, the lace beneath it completely forgotten.

The moon cruel and indifferent hung above me, watching. Full, bright, almost mockingly.

I didn’t know how long I stayed like that. Maybe hours. Maybe minutes. Time had lost meaning.

My body ached. But My heart ached more.

Eventually, the tears stopped. Not because I was okay, but because I had nothing left to give them. I was hollowed out. Wrung dry.

I lay on my side, curled at the lake’s edge, cheek pressed against the cold earth. The smell of wet moss and dew clung to me.

I was supposed to be in bed, dreaming of a future. Of bonding. Of belonging.

Instead, here I was discarded like a mistake that never should have been born.

The darkness wrapped around me, softer than any embrace I’d ever known.

And finally… sleep found me.

It wasn’t peaceful.

It was thick and heavy, like sinking into tar.

Somewhere, just before the edges of my consciousness faded, I thought I heard something. A growl? No, a howl.

Low. Distant. Not from our pack. There was life out there and if I wasn’t going to get what I want I might as well leave.

The wind stilled for a minute as if hearing my thoughts

Then silence.