CHAPTER 1: BEFORE THEY WAKE

Maren

I wake up before the sun does because that is the only time nobody is trying to make me disappear. It is cold at five in the morning, and the floor is harder than it was yesterday. My father hates me, but the water in the well doesn’t care who I am.

The grass was wet against my ankles as I walked toward the outer well. I passed the barracks where the warriors stay. Three of them were passed out on the porch, snoring and smelling like old beer. They didn't have to get up yet. They have ranks. They have names that people like to say out loud. I just have the buckets.

I dropped the rope and heard the splash.

"Still doing the heavy lifting, I see," a voice whispered from the shadows of the kitchen door.

It was my mother, Sera. She was waiting for me. I hauled the bucket up, my arms stinging from the weight. "Someone has to do it, Mom. The kitchen won't run on its own."

"Come here," she said. She pulled me inside the warm kitchen and took my hands. "Maren, your fingers are cold."

"I'm fine," I said. I wasn't fine, but saying it makes the day move faster. "Did he ask about the water yet?"

"No," she sighed, rubbing my hands between hers. "He hasn't asked about anything. He’s too busy preparing for the gathering. Here. Eat this before the others come down."

She pushed a piece of warm bread into my palm. It was soft and tasted like honey.

"You're going to get in trouble if he sees you giving me the good stuff," I said, taking a big bite.

"Let him yell," she said softly. "You worked all night on those inventory logs. You fixed the mess the scouts made. You deserve more than a piece of bread, Maren."

"I'm an Omega, Mom. In Dad’s head, I'm just a mistake. He wanted a son to take his place. He got me instead."

"You are not a mistake," she whispered. She kissed my forehead.

By the time the sun was peaking over the trees, the whole Ashveil Pack was standing in the dirt clearing. This is called the Morning Gathering. It’s where my father, Alpha Aldric, tells everyone how important he is while assigning the chores.

I stood in the back, near the trash cans.

That’s my spot.

"The east fence is repaired," Aldric shouted from the porch. He looked big and strong in his leather jacket. He didn't look at me once. "It was a big job. The wood was rotting and the post was sinking."

I felt a little bit of pride. I had spent six hours in the rain two days ago fixing that post. My hands were still scabbed from the splinters.

"Gage," my father called out.

A tall, thick-necked male wolf stepped forward.

"Good work on that fence, Gage," Aldric said. "It shows leadership. It shows you care about our borders. That is what a real warrior does."

The pack cheered. Gage puffed out his chest. "Thank you, Alpha. It was a tough job, but I got it done."

I stared at the ground. Gage hadn't even touched a hammer. He had watched me work from the shade of a tree while eating an apple. He didn't even offer to carry the nails.

I felt a pair of eyes on me. I looked up and saw Reva. She is a mid-rank wolf, and she’s the only friend I have. She was staring at me from across the circle. She looked like she wanted to punch someone. She barked a short, sharp breath... the wolf way of saying, I see you. This is bull.

I just shook my head a little bit. Don't, I thought. It's not worth it.

"Maren!" my father barked.

I jumped. "Yes, Alpha?"

"The latrines need scrubbing. And the storage shed is a mess. Do them both before noon," he said. He didn't look at my face. He looked at my shoes. "Try not to be slow today."

"Yes, Alpha," I said.

The gathering broke up, and people started moving. I headed toward the shed, keeping my head down. I felt like a ghost.

"I am going to kill him," Reva hissed.

She had followed me behind the storage building. She was vibrating with anger. "I am actually going to rip his throat out. Gage? Gage did the fence? He can’t even spell fence!"

"Keep your voice down, Reva," I said. I started pulling old crates out of the shed. "It's fine. I don't need the credit. The fence is fixed. That’s what matters."

"It is not fine!" Reva grabbed a crate and slammed it down. "You do everything. You run the books, you fix the perimeter, you do the work of five men, and he treats you like literal garbage. He’s your father, Maren!"

"He’s the Alpha," I corrected her. "In this pack, those are the same thing. And he doesn't see a daughter. He sees a failed heir. I'm just a reminder that he didn't get what he wanted."

"He's an idiot," she said. She leaned against the wall and looked at me. Her face went from angry to worried. "Maren, you can't keep doing this. You're exhausted. You look like you're fading away."

"Getting angry doesn’t change the rank board, Reva," I said, wiping sweat from my forehead. "I know my place. I survive. That’s the game."

"No, but it makes me feel better to scream about it," she muttered. She looked around to make sure no one was listening. Her voice got very low. "Maren. My mother stayed late at the Alpha’s house last night to clean the dinner dishes."

"Okay?" I asked. "Did she find more wine he hid from the Luna?"

"No," Reva said. She stepped closer. "She heard him talking to the Alpha from the Ironblood Pack. They were on the phone for an hour."

I felt a cold shiver go down my back. Ironblood was a mean pack. They were big and they liked to fight. "Why would he be talking to them?"

Reva chewed on her lip. "My mom heard a word. One specific word."

"What word?" I asked.

"Mating," Reva whispered. "He was talking about an arrangement. A trade."

I went very still. My heart started beating like a trapped bird in my chest. "A trade? For what?"