Prologue

"Father, it wasn’t me! Please don’t take me to the prison of shadows!" I pleaded, tears welling up as he dragged me toward the prison.

I hadn’t poisoned the Alpha’s daughter. Seleira had asked for a drink, and I gave her one. How could I have known it was poisoned? If I had, I would’ve stayed far away.

"Your daughter is poisoned, Alpha. I saw Ai give her the water. She must have done it!" Seven’s voice rang out as he helped the unconscious Seleira.

The room erupted with accusations. All eyes were on me—full of hatred, contempt, and judgment. No one bothered to ask what really happened. Despite my dislike for Seleira, I would never go so far as to kill her. That’s not who I am.

"Kill her!" Alpha Samuel’s command cut through the room. My heart stopped. My entire body trembled. Death was the one thing I feared most, and here it was, looming over me. I didn’t want to die.

"Alpha, perhaps a different punishment would be fair? We still don’t know if Ai is truly guilty," my father, the beta, tried to intervene.

"You’re just protecting your daughter," Alpha Samuel scoffed. "I’ve seen you shield her before, Greg. This is no different."

His cold, gray eyes locked onto me, filled with disdain. Meanwhile, the physician rushed to tend to Seleira.

"I’ll take her to the prison of shadows," my father said, his voice steady.

The words hit me like a blow. The prison of shadows? That place is worse than death. In there, I wouldn’t be able to communicate with my wolf, and people said the shadows themselves would torment you. Why would my own father condemn me to such a place?

"One last chance, Greg," the Alpha said darkly. "If your daughter is found guilty, I won’t spare anyone in your family."

We walked in silence down the long, dim hallway to the prison. I begged my father, but he refused to listen.

When we reached the prison, my father handed me a golden dagger before locking me inside. His face was expressionless as he spoke. "Use this, Ai."

I stared at the dagger, confused. Did he want me to kill myself?

As the heavy door slammed shut, I tucked the dagger away and curled up in the corner of the cold, dark cell. Tears streamed down my face. Why was I being punished for something I didn’t do? And how could Seven betray me like this, after everything?

Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps approaching, accompanied by a familiar scent. Panic gripped me. I crawled back to where I had hidden the dagger, clutching it tightly in my hand.

"Sir, no one is allowed to enter. The Alpha’s orders," I heard the guard say.

"I’m the Alpha’s son and the future Alpha of this pack. Are you really going to deny me entry?" His voice was cold and authoritative.

My heart pounded in fear. Zayn. He had been away for two months, dealing with rebellion in the homestead. His reputation preceded him—a ruthless warrior, feared for his cold-blooded nature. And now that I’d been accused of poisoning his sister, he was surely here to kill me.

Terror surged through me. I wasn’t strong enough to fight him. Zayn was the pack’s fiercest warrior, far more dangerous than his father. The thought of facing him was unbearable. Desperation took over. If someone was going to take my life, it would be me.

With trembling hands, I raised the dagger. A sad, hollow smile tugged at my lips. Maybe my father knew Zayn would come for me. Maybe that’s why he gave me the dagger.

As the door creaked open, I closed my eyes, ready to end it all.

I drove the blade into my side.

But there was no pain. Or at least, not as much as I expected. I heard my name—shouted in panic, fear even. Why would he be afraid?

My vision blurred, but through the haze, I saw him. Zayn rushed toward me, his mask slipping from his face. His eyes—usually cold and hard—were filled with something unfamiliar: horror.

"Darling, what have you done?" His voice cracked as he knelt beside me, pulling me into his arms.

I didn’t understand. His sister, Seleira, had been poisoned, and I was accused of the crime. Why should he care? But as his arms wrapped around me, lifting my body with care, my heart raced with confusion.

"I didn’t..." I whispered, my voice weak as blood began to pool beneath me. "I didn’t do it..."

Zayn’s face hovered above mine, the fierce mask of the warrior gone, replaced by something softer, something that almost looked like concern. "I know, Ai. I know you didn’t do it."

Shock coursed through me. He believed me? But why now? Why, after I had already decided to end it all?

"Why?" I managed to ask, barely able to speak.

He hesitated for a moment, his jaw tightening as he stared down at me. "Because, Ai," he began softly, his voice barely above a whisper, "you mean more to me than you know. I’ve always watched you. I’ve always—"

He stopped himself, his eyes flicking toward the wound I had inflicted on myself, the blood staining his hands as he pressed against it in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.

I blinked, tears mixing with the blood on the floor. Watching over me?

"You shouldn’t have done this," Zayn whispered, his voice pained. "You should have waited for me."

The confusion in my mind only deepened. Wait for him? What did he mean? I had spent my life believing I was an outsider, someone barely tolerated by the pack, and yet here he was—Zayn, the cold-blooded tyrant, cradling me as though I was precious.

The room seemed to spin around me as I struggled to make sense of his words. I wanted to ask more, but the darkness was closing in fast.

"Stay with me," he urged, pressing his hand against my wound. "Don’t give up."

"I... I can’t," I whispered. Everything was slipping away, and though he held me close, it felt like I was already gone.

His eyes filled with desperation. "Yes, you can. I won’t let you die here. Not like this."

I tried to smile, but it was weak and faded as I struggled to keep my eyes open. "Why... why would you care?"

Zayn looked down at me, his eyes clouded with something I couldn’t quite name. Regret? Guilt? Love? It didn’t make sense.

He leaned closer, his lips brushing my forehead as he whispered, "Because you were never unwanted, Ai. I’ve always been watching over you. I should have been here sooner... I’m sorry."

But the shadows were pulling me under. Even as he held me, even as he made his promises, I couldn’t help but wonder—was it already too late?