Chapter 1

"Tonight is my big day. I’m now eighteen, and I can hardly contain my excitement. Ever since I was little, I have dreamed about this moment. Not only am I officially an adult, but I  also get to be with Damien, my mate and the man I love. Tonight I will become his Luna, and the thought fills me with happiness. For once, it feels like my life is about to change for the better."

I smiled to myself as I scrubbed the table clean. Beads of sweat rolled down my face from the hours of work, but I didn’t mind. My thoughts were focused on tomorrow. From across the room, I could hear the sounds of laughter and conversation coming from the dining table where the rest of my pack sat together enjoying their meal. As usual, I wasn’t invited to join them.

Being an omega, the weakest rank in the pack, meant I was often ignored and treated differently. Even my own father barely cared about me. When Damien announced that I was his mate, my father seemed pleased, but not because he was happy for me. He was simply glad that I would soon leave his house. Still, I didn’t let that ruin my happiness. I was finally going to be with the man I loved, and that was all that mattered. My mum died when I was six years old because of my elder sister’s carelessness. It was a secret I had carried with me for years. No one knew the truth except me and my sister. When the accident happened, I took the blame and covered for her. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her too, so I stayed silent. Ever since then, my father had hated me. He believed I was responsible for my mother’s death, and no matter how hard I tried, I could never change his mind. Despite everything, I still loved my sister. She was the closest person I had growing up, especially after Damien came into my life. Even when she ignored me or treated me coldly, I couldn’t bring myself to hate her.

“Feeling happy about tomorrow?” I jumped in surprise and quickly turned around.

Standing behind me was Marie, the house caretaker. She held a cleaning brush in one hand and wore a warm smile on her face. I smiled back at her. “You scared me.”

“Sorry, Storm,” she replied with a small laugh.

Storm was the nickname she gave me years ago. She always said my different-colored eyes reminded her of a storm something powerful hidden beneath a calm sky. I never fully understood what she meant, but she refused to call me anything else.

“I’m nervous, Marie. I just hope everything goes well. I really want to be with Damien,” I admitted as I walked over to the stove and turned it on.

Marie smiled reassuringly. “My dear, stop worrying. You and Master Damien are a perfect match, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself.” I let out a sigh.

I wanted to believe her, but experience had taught me otherwise. Whenever something good seemed ready to happen in my life, it always found a way to fall apart.

“Nina!” I froze at the sound of my father’s voice echoing through the house.

“Coming, sir!” I called back immediately.

Quickly untying my apron, I smoothed down my dress and ran a hand through my hair. My heart began to race as I hurried toward the large gathering room. Father rarely called for me unless he needed something, and being summoned in front of other people always made me nervous. Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the room. The moment I entered, dozens of eyes turned toward me. Pack members, elders, and visitors sat around the room, their attention fixed on me. My stomach twisted.

“Come here,” my father ordered. His voice was as cold as ever.

I lowered my gaze and walked toward him. My legs felt weak with every step. I hated being the center of attention. Ever since I was a child, I had been mocked because I was an omega. The stronger wolves looked down on me, and many of the children in the pack used me as the target of their jokes. Even my own sister had teased me about it when we were younger. I stopped beside my father. He placed a hand on my shoulder, surprising me.

“This is Nina, my youngest child and the future Luna of the Silver Fang Pack.”

The room became silent. “Go on,” Father said. “Greet the council members.”

“Oh… hi,” I stammered nervously.

A few people exchanged glances. “So it’s true,” a man said with a chuckle.

“She’s the timid omega everyone talks about.” Another man laughed.

“Poor Damien. The future Alpha deserves someone stronger than a weak little omega.

Their words stung, but I was used to comments like that.

“That’s enough.” The sharp voice belonged to Cecilia.

I looked toward my sister. She was seated beside several council members, looking elegant as always. Her beautiful smile was directed at me.

“Let her speak,” she said. I relaxed a little and nodded gratefully at her.

Drawing in a deep breath, I faced the room again.

“My name is Nina Whitmoor,” I began.

“And today is my bonding ceremony with Damien Wolfe, Alpha of the Silver Fang Pack. You’re all invited, and I’m grateful that you’re here.”

When I finished, polite applause filled the room. Then something unexpected happened. My father started clapping. I stared at him in shock. For years, he had barely acknowledged me. Yet here he was, applauding me in front of everyone. Emotion tightened my throat. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I forced them back. I didn’t want to cry in front of everyone. I glanced at Cecilia again. She was still smiling. But this time, something felt off. The smile didn’t reach her eyes. A strange feeling settled in my chest, making me uncomfortable. I couldn’t explain it, but for some reason, her expression felt forced.

“You may go now,” Father said.

“Prepare yourself for the ceremony.” I nodded.

“Yes, sir.” Without another word, I left the room.

The moment I stepped outside, I released a long breath of relief. The fresh air felt good against my skin. Trying to calm myself, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. A smile appeared on my face as I selected Damien’s contact. He always answered my calls. Always. The phone rang once. Twice. Three times. No answer. My smile faded slightly. I ended the call and tried again. Still nothing. That was unlike Damien. He never ignored my calls, especially today of all days. I stared at the screen for a moment before slipping the phone back into my pocket.

“He’s probably busy preparing for the ceremony,” I told myself.

Even so, the uneasy feeling in my chest remained. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go wrong. A few hours later, I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in my room, taking in my appearance. For a moment, I barely recognized the girl staring back at me.

The long off-shoulder white dress hugged my figure perfectly before flowing down to my ankles. A slit ran up one side of the dress, revealing my white heels. My blonde hair had been pinned up neatly, with a few loose curls framing my face. The makeup Marie had done was light and natural, highlighting my features instead of hiding them. Tonight was supposed to be the happiest night of my life. Tonight, I would become Damien’s Luna. A smile slowly spread across my face as I imagined standing beside him before the entire pack. After years of being ignored, mocked, and treated like I didn’t belong, I would finally have a place. A place with him. A soft sniffle pulled me from my thoughts. I turned around and found Marie standing near the bed. Her eyes were red.

“Marie?” I frowned.

“Is everything alright?” She quickly wiped at her face.

“Yes, yes, my darling. Everything is fine.” I wasn’t convinced.

“Then why are you crying?” A sad smile appeared on her lips.

“You look just like her.” I didn’t need to ask who she meant.

My mother. I glanced back at my reflection. Marie was right. The same blonde hair. The same facial features. The same eyes. Well… almost. My mother had matching eyes, while mine were different colors. One blue. One silver. Still, the resemblance was impossible to ignore. Sometimes I wondered if that was why Father could barely look at me. Every time he saw me, he saw the woman he believed I had taken away from him. The woman he blamed me for losing.

“I’m sure she’s proud of you,” Marie said softly. My chest tightened.

“I hope so too.” A knock sounded on the door before it slowly opened. One of the maids stepped inside and bowed her head respectfully.

“Miss Nina, the guests have begun arriving. Your father wants you downstairs.” I immediately straightened.

“Is Damien here?”The maid shook her head.

“Not yet, ma’am.” My stomach dropped. Not yet? That strange feeling I’d been carrying all day returned. For hours, I had tried calling him. No answer. Damien had never ignored me before.

“Don’t worry,” Marie said, sensing my concern.

“He’s probably busy preparing. He’ll be here soon.” I forced myself to ignore it. Marie gently linked her arm through mine.

“Come on. Everyone is waiting.” Together, we left the room.

The main hall was already packed. Members of my pack filled one side while warriors and elders from Silver Fang occupied the other. The room buzzed with conversations and laughter. Decorations covered every corner. White flowers. Silver ribbons. Candles. Everything had been prepared for the bonding ceremony. My bonding ceremony. Yet despite all the people around me, my eyes searched for only one person. Damien. I couldn’t find him. Minutes passed. Then more. Still nothing. The uneasiness inside me continued to grow.

“Nina.” I jumped slightly at Father’s voice.

“Where is your fiancé?” he demanded.

“The guests are here. The elders are here. We cannot keep everyone waiting.”

“I-I don’t know.” His expression darkened.

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“He’ll be here soon.” At least, I hoped he would.

I quickly pulled out my phone and dialed his number again. The call rang. No answer. My hands began trembling.

“Come on, Damien,” I whispered. “Please answer.” Every horrible possibility began flooding my mind. Was he hurt? Had something happened?

“No,” I muttered to myself. I needed to stop thinking like that. Everything had to be fine.

“Nina.”I looked up. Marie was smiling.

“Look.” My heart nearly stopped. Standing at the entrance was Damien.

Relief washed over me instantly. He was here. Thank the Moon Goddess. But as he walked closer, the relief quickly faded. Something wasn’t right. His expression was blank. Cold. His shoulders were tense. His eyes held none of the warmth I had grown used to seeing. This wasn’t the Damien I knew. The Damien I loved always smiled when he saw me. Always. Yet now he looked at me like I was a stranger. Or worse. I hurried toward him.

“Damien.” He stopped walking. Our eyes met. A chill ran through me. There was anger in his gaze. Anger. And something else. Disgust. My heart pounded painfully.

“Damien, what happened?” I asked quietly.

“I’ve been calling you all day. You weren’t answering.” No response. He simply stared.

“Damien?” Still nothing. The hall had become silent. People were watching. Waiting. I suddenly felt exposed. Confused. Scared. Before I could ask another question, the priest stepped forward.

“It is time.” The words echoed through the hall.

Everyone moved toward the ceremonial altar. My feet felt heavy as I followed. Something was terribly wrong. I could feel it. But I didn’t know what. Damien stood beside me. Not once did he look in my direction. The priest began reciting the sacred words of the bonding ritual. I barely heard any of it. My focus remained on Damien. Please. Just tell me what’s wrong. Then it happened. The moment that shattered my entire world. Damien stepped forward. His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.

“I, Alpha Damien Wolfe, reject you, Nina Whitmoor, as my mate.” Silence. Complete silence. For one horrifying second, I thought I had imagined it.

My ears rang.

My body froze.

My heart seemed to stop beating.

Then gasps erupted throughout the hall. Shock spread across every face. Someone dropped a glass. Another person cursed under their breath. The room exploded into whispers. But I couldn’t hear any of it. I could only stare at Damien. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. The man I loved. The man I trusted, the man I had waited years for, had just rejected me. In front of everyone, in front of both packs, in front of my father. My knees nearly gave out beneath me. And without another word, Damien turned around and walked away.

Leaving me standing.

Broken.

Humiliated.

And completely unable to understand why