Chapter 1

18 years later……

 The mirror hated Selena almost as much as her mother did.

 She stood before it, fingers brushing the split seam of her dress, wondering how one could feel so invisible in a house that never stopped watching her. In a few hours, the Bloodfangs would arrive for the joining ceremony, the night her twin sister Seraphine would be introduced to Alpha Lucienne, heir to the Night’s Pack. The air already smelled of perfume and wine. Laughter drifted down the hall. None of it belonged to her.

“Seraphine,” she called softly, watching her sister fasten a glittering ruby necklace around her throat. “Can I borrow one of your chains? Just something simple. I don’t want to look plain when the guests come.”

 Seraphine didn’t turn immediately. She admired herself in the mirror, smiled, then said, “Why would you need jewelry? You’re not part of the ceremony, remember?”

 “I know. I just don’t want everyone whispering.”

 “They’ll whisper anyway,” Seraphine said sweetly. “That’s what people do when a curse walks by.”

 Selena flinched. “Please. Just one piece.”

 Seraphine’s smirk faded into mock pity. “Fine. The silver one in my drawer. But not the ruby. That one’s for blessings, not for burdens.”

 Selena moved toward the drawer, and immediately the door burst open. Luna Alara swept in, her silver gown glinting with every step. The air seemed to bow around her presence.

 “What is this nonsense?” Her gaze landed on Selena. “Touching your sister’s things again?”

 “I was only asking…”

 “You’ve been given a room, food, a roof,” Alara said sharply. “Do not ask for more than what the Goddess left you.”

 Seraphine bowed her head. “I told her it wasn’t right, Mother.”

 “Good girl.” Alara’s tone softened for Seraphine, then turned to ice again. “As for you, Selena, wear this.” She threw a folded gray dress onto the bed. The fabric looked old, faded, and rough enough to bruise the skin.

 Selena stared. “Mother, please… not this one, there’s a special occasion today and I wish to appear good looking to the guests .”

 “You should be grateful I let you stand among us tonight,” Alara hissed. “If not for your sister, you would’ve been sent away long ago.”

 “I never asked to be born this way.”

 Alara’s eyes darkened. “No. But I wish you hadn’t been born at all.”

 The silence after those words was loud enough to drown the world.

 Selena picked up the gray dress with trembling fingers. “Thank you, Mother,” she whispered, because it was the only answer that wouldn’t earn her a slap.

 When Alara left, Seraphine exhaled dramatically. “You should stop provoking her.”

 Selena laughed bitterly. “By existing? Is it my fault that she gave birth to me?

 Seraphine didn’t answer. She just turned back to the mirror, adjusting her hair. The light caught her perfectly…. every line, every angle, blessed.

 Selena slipped into her gray dress. The fabric scratched against her skin, making her look even smaller, duller. Her sister gleamed beside her like sunlight next to ash.

 Outside, thunder grumbled over the forest. The Blood Moon was already climbing, its red glow spilling through the window.

 Downstairs, the house swelled with music and chatter. Selena moved quietly through it, carrying trays, helping servants. Every time someone saw her, their eyes darted away, they’ve always seen her as a curse.

 She stepped out into the courtyard for air. Lanterns floated in the wind, reflecting off silver banners. And that’s when a voice said, “You shouldn’t hide out here.”

 She turned, startled, and found herself looking at a man she’d never seen before.

 Tall, dark-haired, golden-eyed. His presence wasn’t heavy like an alpha’s…. it was gentler, patient, but strong in a way that made the air feel different.

 “I’m not hiding,” she said, though her voice betrayed her.

 He smiled faintly. “Then why do you look like you’re about to run?”

 She hesitated. “Who are you?”

 “Darius Blackthorn,” he said simply. “Lucienne’s brother.”

 Her heart skipped. “The Alpha’s brother?”

 “That sounds too formal,” he chuckled. “Just Darius.”

 She looked down at her plain dress, cheeks burning. “You shouldn’t be talking to me.”

 “Why not?”

 “Because I’m… not supposed to be seen.”

 Darius tilted his head. “Who told you that?”

 “My mother. The pack. Everyone.”

 “Then they must be blind.”

 Her breath hitched. “Please don’t mock me.”

 “I’m not.” His voice softened. “You have the kind of face people look at and remember, even if they’re not supposed to.”

 Selena blinked rapidly, trying not to cry. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”

 “Why?” he asked. “Are compliments forbidden too?”

 She almost smiled. “For me, yes. My mother says I don’t deserve to be complimented 

 He studied her, his gaze steady but not invasive. “You don’t belong in gray, Selena.”

 “How do you know my name?”

 He grinned. “I asked. I wanted to know who the girl was, standing alone when everyone else was celebrating.”

 Her chest tightened. “You shouldn’t waste your curiosity on someone like me.”

 “Someone like you?” He stepped closer, voice low. “I’ve spent my whole life surrounded by people pretending to be perfect. You’re the first person I’ve seen tonight who isn’t pretending.”

 The words hit something deep inside her.

 A breeze swept between them. Selena’s hair brushed her face, and without thinking, Darius tucked it behind her ear. His fingers grazed her cheek…. light, brief, but enough to make her pulse thunder.

 She took a shaky breath. “You shouldn’t touch me.”

 “Then stop looking at me like that.”

 “I’m not..”

 “Yes, you are.”

 The horn sounded suddenly…. deep, echoing, shaking the night.

 Selena jumped, pulling back. The courtyard burst into motion. Servants lined up, guests turned toward the grand staircase.

 “That’s Lucienne,” Darius said, straightening. “The ceremony’s starting, he asked me to come check around before his grand entrance.”

 He hesitated before leaving, eyes lingering on her once more. “Don’t let them tell you who you are, Selena. You’re more than what they fear, and you’re very beautiful”.

 Then he walked away, swallowed by the light and sound of celebration.

 Selena stood in the shadows, trembling, his words replaying in her head. She looked down, something shimmered on the ground. A silver pendant. His.

 She picked it up just as her mother’s voice rang from the balcony.

 “Where’s Selena? I told her to stay out of sight!”

 Selena pressed the pendant against her chest, heart racing.

 For the first time in her life, someone had looked at her like she wasn’t a curse and even called her beautiful. Maybe she was just imagining things…