Chapter 1

“I, Alpha Justin Blackwood, formally reject you. I reject your bond.”Justin marched forward, breathing with anger. “I reject your existence as my mate.”

It was not just his voice I heard. But the tension.

The cold of Oakhaven's woods always found its way into my bones, even inside the Moonstone Pack House. It wasn't just the damp Pacific Northwest air. It was the constant presence of fear.

I was just myself—Elara Vance, a twenty-two-year-old omega, and my life was a study in invisibility. Small, quiet, I moved through the pack house like a ghost, hoping no one would notice, no one would bother.

My oversized, worn clothes were less about comfort and more about mere covering. They hid my small frame and made me blend into the faded wallpaper.

It was safer that way.

Every sudden noise, every raised voice, sent a jolt of terror through me, a familiar flinch I couldn't control.

Even my aunt considered me as a worthless Omega.

Today, the fear was a living thing, a predator in my mind. Alpha Justin Blackwood had announced the compulsory Mating Ceremony afterwards. He was with authority and something colder, heavier, and hung over everyone.

Alpha Justin.

His name alone sent shivers down my spine. Thick black hair, sharp pale blue eyes that missed nothing, a lean, powerful build. He moved with a scent of dominance that made every wolf bow. He treasured power.

Everyone else was a tool.

I heard wolves discussing the ceremony in hushed tones. "Who do you think he'll choose?" a young wolf female asked, her voice filled with excitement.

"Someone strong, surely," another replied. "Someone who can truly lead. Lyra Thorne, perhaps?"

Lyra.

Lyra Thorne was the Alpha's daughter. Flawless blonde hair, sharp, calculating blue eyes, always in expensive pack clothes. Vain, wicked, and very jealous. She believed she deserved to be Luna. She was always trying to undermine others. Especially me, though I tried so hard to be unseen.

I walked past a group of wolves, the females, heading for the kitchen.

Maybe I could grab a stale piece of bread, then disappear into my tiny, dusty room in the omega quarters.

Just survive.

That was my only goal. Survive today. Survive the ceremony.

A voice, sharp just a wolf's, made a breaking noise in the silence. "Elara! Where do you think to?"

My shoulders tensed.

It was Britta, a Beta's daughter, always eager to assert her voice. I turned slowly, my eyes still downcast. "Nowhere important, Britta. Just... to my room."

"Oh? Avoiding the ceremony?" Her voice was laced with a mocking sweetness. "Everyone is required. Even omegas." She stepped closer, her scent—sharp and dominant—holding my nose. "Unless you're planning something?"

My heart pounded. "No, Britta. Of course not. I wouldn't. I'm just… I'm getting ready." My voice was a whisper, as always.

"Getting ready?" She laughed, a brittle sound. "For what? To be rejected by everyone, as usual?" Her words were a familiar blow, but they still stung. "Don't bother trying to hide, Elara. We all know you'll be there. Justin will make sure of it." She leaned in, her voice dropping. "It's a requirement to have all pack members present. Especially the unwanted ones. It makes his power feel stronger."

I flinched. Britta’s smirk widened. She walked past, leaving me trembling. Everyone knew. This ceremony was a spectacle. A show of power for Justin. And a ritual humiliation for me.

I didn't really know how I reached my room that fast. There was no lock on my door anyway. My room was bare—a thin mattress on the floor, a single shelf holding my worn clothes. It offered no comfort, no escape.

I was on the floor. The memory of past rejections, small ones, but each a cut, flooded my mind.

No one wanted an omega.

No one wanted me. But this. This was different. This was the Alpha. His rejection would be public. Formal. It would be a final tearing of my already tattered soul.

I thought about the mate bond. Other wolves talked about it with reverence, with yearning. The pull, the fated connection. For me, it was just another source of dread. What if I felt it? What if he felt it? And what if it was Justin? The mere thought made me shiver. He was a force of nature, a terrifying storm. His ambition was cold, his control absolute. He saw mate bonds as a weakness unless they served his power.

Hours later, the pack house began to hum with activity. Wolves dressed in their finest attire moved through the halls. I could hear their excited chatter, their laughter. It was almost time. I pulled on the cleanest, least stained of my oversized clothes — a faded grey tunic and worn trousers. I wished I could disappear and become truly invisible.

Then, I rushed to the great hall, my heart a repeated drum beats against my ribs. The air was thick with the scents of many wolves: pride, excitement, meaning nervous hope from the un-mated.

My own scent, usually muted, felt like it was voicing out my fear.

The hall was already crowded. Wolves stood in neat rows, waiting. I made sure I was hiding.

“Just make sure you get through this.” I muttered to myself. Just survive.”

A hush fell over the hall. Alpha Justin Blackwood entered, his powerful presence silencing every whisper. He moved with majestic steps as his features glowed. His white ceremony tunic seemed to amplify his authority. He truly embodied power. Lyra Thorne stood beside him, preening, her blonde hair perfectly styled, her blue eyes sharp with self-importance. She looked like a Luna already.

Justin took his place on a raised dais. The air grew heavy, almost suffocating. He began to speak, his voice deep, resonating through the hall. "Tonight, we honour our traditions. Tonight, fated bonds will be revealed. New paths will be forged. The Moonstone Pack grows stronger with each connection."

I pressed myself further into the shadows.

My head was raised, my grey eyes wide with disbelief.

The mate bond.

It was impossible. Unthinkable.

My breath hitched.

The pull was drawing me, guiding my gaze through the crowd, past rows of anxious wolves, and eager warriors.

It led me straight to the dais. To him.

Alpha Justin.

His head turned slowly, his pale blue eyes, initially surprised, now fixed on me.

Whispers erupted, loud and shocked. "An omega?"No!"It can't be!"

My entire body trembled. Hope, fleeting and foolish, died a brutal death. My worst fear had come true.

He was my fated mate. And he looked at me like I was something

I recalled.

And I flinched.

Then, with eagerness, Justin drew a small, glowing object from his belt. And he got me shocked...

A smooth dagger.