Chapter 3

Natasha POV

For a moment, the world seemed to pause the instant the strange man dropped the bombshell.

Nominations.

Alpha Damon’s Mating Consort.

The words echoed in my head, until my ears started ringing.

Of course, everyone in our realm knew about Alpha Damon, the cold, ruthless Supreme Alpha of Nightangle Pack who ruled over all the werewolf clans. The only unmated Alpha left… even at almost thirty.

Rumors said he had been desperately searching for his mate for years now. That was the reason this Mating Consort Ritual existed in the first place, a ritual where he would mate and mark every chosen unmated woman until he discovered which one was truly his destined mate.

And honestly?

There wasn’t a single young woman I knew who hadn’t secretly wished to spend a night with him.

Rumor had it he was devastatingly handsome.

But that wasn’t the rumor that truly captured everyone’s attention.

No.

It was what the women whispered about in hushed, heated tones, about how skilled he was at pleasing them. And of course, every young unmated woman in our pack craved him because of that.

But what I had never imagined, not even in my wildest thoughts, was that my twin sister would be among the lots who'd auditioned to participate in his consort, and now she got chosen?

Not that I didn’t know what kind of whore Katherina was.

Still… I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

My gaze dropped to the golden card the man has slipped into my palm after breaking the news.

The surface gleamed beneath the light. The familiar silver wolf crest was stamped proudly in the center, the unmistakable symbol of the royal bloodline.

My fingers tightened around it. Hell, I still couldn’t believe it.

“That’s it, Miss. Tomorrow, a car will arrive to take you and the other chosen women to him so prepare yourself. Once again… congratulations.”

The man bowed respectfully, then turned and left, and the last thing I saw was the sleek, expensive car swallowing him as it disappeared down the street.

Silence settled around me immediately as I remained standing there long after he was gone.

The golden card felt colder the longer I held it.

He thought he had given the card to the right person, but he hadn’t. He had made a mistake, and all I had to do… was call Katherina and tell her to come collect her golden invitation.

I knew exactly how much this would mean to her.

Not every woman got chosen. In fact, very few did.

And I could already picture the proud grin spreading across her face when she'd see this card. She would parade it around our pack, rubbing it in every woman’s face.

Especially mine.

And maybe… maybe that was the reason my fingers refused to dial her number.

Katherina was a proud bitch.

Just imagining the way she would mock me once I handed this over made something bitter twist inside my chest.

I looked down at the card again, really looked at it, and couldn't help but wonder.

How had the man made such a huge mistake?

How had he confused me with Katherina?

And more importantly… how had he even ended up in my apartment when Katherina was the easiest person in the world to find?

My heart skipped a beat, and then the thought hit me.

What if this wasn’t some coincidence?

What if it was a sign?

My heartbeat quickened.

Of course, only the Moon could orchestrate something like this.

Just this morning, I had been betrayed, robbed of my money and left completely broke.

And now… Katherina’s precious golden invitation had somehow landed in my hands.

My eyes slowly lifted as I turned and faced the mirror opposite the door.

My reflection immediately stared back at me, and for a moment I just stood there studying my own face.

I looked so much like Katherina.

Same identical face, eyes, and nose, and the only real differences were our hair… and our body shape.

But even that wasn't a problem.

My breath slowed as a dangerous idea began forming in my mind.

What if I went instead?

My fingers slowly curled into fists beside me.

I was broke, desperate for cash, and just one night at Alpha Damon’s Consort Ritual could make me rich, or so I've heard.

Beside, there were the rumors about how good he was with women.

Maybe… my throat tightened the harder I thought.

What if I wasn’t broken like everyone said?

What if my condition was because I hadn’t found the right man yet.

And what if… for the first time, Alpha Damon could do what no other man had been able to do.

A strange heat crept up my neck at that thought, and my heart pounded harder as determination slowly replaced the hesitation in my eyes.

Yes.

That was it.

I would go.

I would attend the consort ritual as Katherina. That bitch could go to hell for all I cared.

She had ruined my life more times than I could count, and what better revenge than stealing the opportunity she would kill for?

Still…

A chill crept down my spine.

Impersonation was something our kind despised.

If Father found out, he would kill me. And Alpha Damon…

I swallowed hard.

Heck, I didn’t even want to imagine what that ruthless Alpha would do to me. I heard stories about how he hated liars and deceivers, and how he punished them severely.

But right now? None of that mattered.

And all I wanted was anything, yes, anything, to drive Katherina insane.

Anything to prove I wasn’t broken, as everyone believed.

Anything to start piecing my life back together.

* *

The next morning, I checked myself in the mirror for what felt like the hundredth time.

The women of Nightangle Pack didn’t know Katherina well enough to know how she behaved, but I still needed to get everything right.

And though the man from yesterday hadn't noticed the difference, still, I couldn’t take chances.

Once I was satisfied that my newly dyed blonde hair was the perfect shade of blonde Katherina normally used, and not a single strand of my natural brunette was in sight, I stepped back to inspect the rest of my appearance.

I had chosen a skimpy, slutty red dress, exactly the type Katherina loved wearing.

It hugged every curve of my body, and though I wasn’t as thick or voluptuous as she was I was still beautiful in my own way lean, toned and graceful.

I paired it with dangerously high stilettos another of Katherina’s signature style, and only when I was sure everything was in place did I step away from the mirror. And just in time, the black car which would convey us arrived.

This was it, I said to myself as I joined them. There was no turning back now.

* *

The Nightangle Pack was nothing like Silverdale, I noticed the moment I arrived. And where Silverdale was moderate and small, Nightangle was massive.

Massive stone walls surrounded the territory like a fortress. Guards stood at every corner and the moment we arrived the iron gate was being thrown open giving us access and the car drove inside.

My eyes widened a little as I beheld the new city, and I pressed my face slightly closer to the window to get a better look.

Inside, everything looked bigger and richer. All the buildings were grand, elegant, and intimidating all at once. Power practically hummed in the air.

My stomach tightened with nerves. It was exactly what you would expect from the supreme pack.

By the time I was escorted into the women’s chamber for the Consort, I was completely overwhelmed.

The chamber was huge, bigger than most houses, and each woman had her own private room.

My eyes widened even more as I looked around. The place was packed with women.

Beautiful women with different shapes, colors, styles, and heights. Some were tall and slim, others curvy and petite.

The air was practically filled with competition. I could hear it in the whispers as everyone shot glances at one another, see it in the way some women straightened their posture when others walked by.

Obviously, everyone here was for one thing, to become the Alpha Luna, to gain the wealth, power, and status that comes with being the Supreme Luna.

Well, everyone except me… all I wanted was money and proof that I wasn't broken.

That was enough.

After being shown my own private room, I quickly began freshening up, but before I could finish, the announcement suddenly came.

“All participants are to gather in the banquet hall for the welcoming feast.”

My stomach twisted sharply.

Already?

Immediately, I hastened my pace in getting ready, then moments later, I joined the other women heading towards the massive hall.

The hall was enormous, bright, and lavish. Long tables filled the space, and women sat in their twos and fours as servants moved around, serving food.

I settled at a table of four with three other women already seated and quietly sat at the last available seat.

Around me, the women chatted excitedly. Some laughed, some whispered behind their hands, while others watched the room carefully, eyes sharp and calculating, obviously watching out for their competition.

I ignored all of it and slowly picked at the food on my plate, pretending not to notice.

“Oh my God, really?! That’s a lot!” the tanned woman beside me suddenly squealed.

Her sudden movement nearly knocked my plate over.

I steadied it quickly, pretending not to care while secretly listening.

“I know Alpha Damon is rich, but giving a woman one gold bar for a single night? Isn’t that too much?”

My fork froze halfway to my mouth the moment the tanned-skinned woman said that.

One gold bar? For a night?

That was the pay? Even I felt my pulse jump under my skin. That was f**king huge.

“Yes, but that’s not all,” the other woman across from us added eagerly. “I heard the payment changes depending on how good you are in bed. The better you perform, the higher the reward.”

At that, my heart sank. I noticed the expressions on the other women’s faces dropped too.

If that was the case, then I was in trouble, because I wasn’t exactly experienced.

Still… money was money. I tried to convince myself.

Even the lowest amount would change my life.

“Wow,” the third woman whispered excitedly. “Thank Goddess I brought something extra to… you know… put down there when I want to do it with the Alpha. I’m sure he'd be impressed.”

The other women blinked at her in shock, but no one commented. Even I was amazed. Women put things down there too?

Wow, I didn't know.

“And while you all are here thinking about pleasing the Alpha for money,” the fourth woman spoke calmly, “I’m thinking about becoming his mate.”

All our heads turned toward her.

She was stunning, with long red hair cascading down her shoulders, framing sharp cheekbones and perfectly shaped lips.

“Really, Vanessa?” the woman beside me said with disbelief. “I know you've got your eyes on big things, but the Alpha’s mate, seriously?”

"What, isn't that what we're here for?" The woman, Vanessa lifted her chin proudly as she spoke.

“Come to think of it, if the Alpha pays this much for just one night, imagine what his Luna would receive.”

“And you think you’ll succeed where everyone else failed?”

Vanessa shrugged elegantly.

“Who knows?”

She flipped her hair, clearly confident, and from the way she acted and everything, you'd know she was a proud bitch.

“And you, Blonde? Don’t you have any plans with the Alpha?”

It took me a second to realize the woman beside me was talking to me.

I paused mid-bite on my food and slowly lifted my gaze to her.

Plans?

Of course, I had plans, but nothing like theirs. While they wanted power and status, I just wanted money and validation that I wasn’t broken. But before I could answer—

A loud announcement suddenly echoed through the hall.

“Attention, everyone. Lady Danica, the Alpha’s sister, is arriving.”

The room instantly went silent as a mean and terrifying-looking woman suddenly entered the hall.

She was dressed in complete black from head to toe. Even her makeup was dark, and I noticed how everyone seemed to hold their breath as her sharp, dark eyes swept across the room.

“So,” she said icily, “you women are the ones here to satisfy my brother this month?” A look of disgust and contempt immediately twisted her features as she said that.

No one answered her, but then I noticed how everyone was beginning to look uncomfortable.

“Tell me… don’t you women get tired of whoring yourselves for him?”

At that, the whispers and murmurs started, while her gaze hardened further.

“Yes, tell me, what happened to the law that says women should keep themselves for their mates?”

The whispers grew even louder, with everyone asking the same question. Why was she being like this?

Even I felt confused. Wasn’t this ritual meant to help her brother? So why was she acting disgusted and irritated by it?

But then my thoughts were cut short when suddenly a woman’s scream pierced the air.

I looked and saw Danica had grabbed a woman by the hair.

“Just look at this one!” she snapped. "Dressed like this, do you women think my brother is some horny bastard who loses control at the sight of bare skin?” She sneered.

And right before our eyes, she slammed the girl’s head against the table. Once, twice, until the girl’s nose broke and her blood immediately spilled across the polished wood.

The girl let out another scream in agony.

I flinched violently from my spot, horror tightening my chest.

What the hell was going on? Why was Danica being like this? I looked at what the girl was wearing, but it wasn't that bad. At least, I had seen Katherina wear worse, so what's wrong?

“You see..." Danica continued coldly as she lifted the girl up, revealing her bleeding face to us while the girl sobbed helplessly, “this is how every one of you desperate women would get crushed, because as far as I'm concerned, none of you women are worthy and capable of being his mate, and would never be.”

Afterward, she roughly released the woman and then turned to leave, but before she could fully exit—

One of the guards guarding the hall suddenly hurried toward her and whispered something into her ear, and almost immediately, her stride faltered.

“What?” Her voice rose sharply across the hall immediately. “Who the hell allowed her to participate?”

My breath hitched immediately as I wondered what she was talking about.

Slowly, painfully slowly she turned around and almost immediately her cold eyes locked directly onto mine.

“You.” She suddenly pointed at me, and immediately my heart did a violent slam against my ribs. 

My pulse picked in it's paced, my mind racing as I wondered what was going on and why she was pointing at me, and in that moment, only one thought circled in my mind.

Had I been caught?