Chapter 1 THE END OF FANTASY

CLAIRE'S POV

Tonight was my senior prom. But only one thing mattered: Adrian was finally going to propose.

My name is Claire White, and I’ve been Adrian’s for three years—ever since our mating bond ignited, sending sparks of raw desire burning through my veins. We shouldn’t have worked. Adrian Thorne, heir to the largest North American pack, the Crescent Moon Pack, was power, dominance, and old-money wolf aristocracy wrapped in a six-foot frame. And me? Just an Omega from a no-name pack, lucky to be breathing the same air as him.

But fate didn’t care about status.

Tonight, our love would be official. Eternal.

Last week, while cleaning our apartment, I stumbled upon the ring—a velvet box hidden in his tie drawer. Inside, a platinum band with a diamond so massive it made my knees weak. My wolf, Eve, had nearly howled with excitement.

“He’s going to claim you!”

I’d immediately called my best friend, Jennifer, and we’d spent the week preparing—strapless lace lingerie, a dress that clung to every curve, and enough hairspray to survive a hurricane.

Now, standing in front of the mirror in our shared apartment, I turned for the hundredth time. “Jen, tell me I’m not dreaming.”

She smirked, adjusting the slit on my dress. “Oh, you’re definitely not. The second Adrian sees you in this, he won’t just propose—he’ll sink his teeth into your neck and claim you right there in front of the whole pack.”

A spark ran down my spine. Good.

“Let’s go.” I couldn’t wait another second.

The graduation party had already started when Jennifer and I walked in. The hall buzzed with laughter, clinking glasses, and the kind of music that made me feel very excited.

I scanned the crowd.

“Where is he?” I asked Jennifer for the third time.

She glanced around. “I don’t see him either. Maybe he’s backstage, getting ready for the big moment?”

“I hope so.” I tried to smile, but I kept having this feeling about something going wrong tonight. I brushed down my dress nervously as gasps suddenly rippled through the crowd.

They were clapping as if to usher in someone important.

“What’s happening?” I turned toward the commotion, and my heart flipped in my chest.

I saw Adrian Valmont. My boyfriend. My mate. My everything.

Down on one knee.

But not in front of me.

But in front of Nicole Montgomery. The Alpha’s daughter of the Moonlight Pack.

My breath caught, and my legs trembled.

“No,” I muttered. “No… this can’t be—”

“Claire…” Jennifer’s voice was hesitant, even scared, as she held me.

“What is he doing?” I whispered. “Why is he kneeling before another woman?”

But the universe had narrowed to just two people—and neither of them was me.

“Will you marry me?” he asked.

“Yes, I will.” Nicole—radiant, smug, victorious—flashed the most dazzling smile as Adrian slid the ring onto her finger. My ring. The same platinum band I’d found tucked away like a secret. The same diamond that had made my heart stutter just days ago.

The crowd erupted in cheers, their voices sharp as claws shredding through me. Every “Congratulations!” was a blade twisting deeper. My wolf, Eve, recoiled, whimpering inside my chest like a wounded animal. Betrayal. Humiliation. Agony.

I stumbled back, pressing myself against the wall, eyes squeezed shut—as if that could block out the pain. But when I opened them again, Adrian and Nicole were gone.

Dazed, I pushed through the crowd.

“Claire!” Jennifer caught my arm, her grip tight. “Jesus, are you okay?”

“I need to talk to him.” My voice was raw, barely human.

“Claire, stop. You’re shaking—”

“I don’t care.” I wouldn’t swallow this lie.

I stormed down the hallway, throwing open doors until—there.

Adrian stood in the shadows, waiting. Like he knew I’d come.

In one brutal motion, he yanked me into a dim storage room, slamming the door behind us.

“You bastard.” I swung at him—but he caught my wrist effortlessly, his grip iron.

“Claire.” His voice was cold. Calm. Cruel. “Stop this.”

“You proposed to her?” The words tore out of me. “After everything?”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be dramatic.”

“Dramatic?!” I choked on the laugh. “Three years, Adrian. Three years. We’re mates—”

“Grow up.” His gaze didn’t waver. “Did you really think the future Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack would claim some nobody Omega from a backwoods tribe?”

The words gutted me.

“You told me you loved me.” My voice was a feral snarl. “You swore we’d be together—”

“And I meant it.” A slow, icy smile. “Just not the way you thought.”

“What the hell does that mean?” I asked blankly.

"It's a political match." Adrian's voice was low, rough with desire as his lips hovered just above mine. "I need the power of Nichole’s pack. This alliance... It's necessary. But that doesn't mean we can't still be together."

His breath scorched my skin, his grip tightening possessively on my waist.

"We'll just have to be... discreet."

Then his mouth crashed against mine—hot, demanding, claiming.

Rage erupted inside me like a wildfire.

I wasn't his mate. I wasn't even his choice. Just a convenient distraction, a plaything he thought would wait quietly in the shadows while he built his empire.

I shoved him back with all my strength.

"Oh, how generous of you." My smile was razor-sharp. "Let me return the favor."

Adrian frowned. "What—?"

"I, Claire White," I snarled, my voice echoing with the power of the moon's decree, "reject Adrian Valmont as my mate."

The bond shattered between us—a searing, soul-deep agony that ripped through my chest. My wolf howled in grief, but I didn't falter.

I turned on my heel and ran.

I needed air. Needed space. Needed something to drown out the raw, bleeding hole where my bond used to be.

The bar was dim, crowded, perfect.

I barely saw where I was going—until I slammed into a wall of solid muscle.

Strong, burning-hot hands caught me before I could fall.

"Watch your step, little wolf."

The voice was deep. Commanding.

I looked up—and my breath vanished.

The man towering over me was six-foot-four of pure, predatory dominance, dressed in a black suit that clung to every lethal inch of him. His jaw was shadowed with stubble, his eyes pale silver—cold and burning all at once.

And they were locked on me.

My skin flushed. My thighs clenched.

"See something you like?" His smirk was wicked.

I jerked back, mortified. "I—I wasn't—"

He didn't let me finish. "Get her a drink," he ordered the bartender. "Something strong enough to steady her, but not enough to drop her."

Then he turned away—like I was nothing.

Something primal snarled inside me.

Before I could think, my fingers closed around his wrist.

His skin was scorching, his pulse a steady, powerful thud beneath my grip. He stilled, then slowly looked down at me, one dark brow arching.

My heart pounded.

"Are you... mated?" The words tumbled out before I could stop them.

His gaze darkened.